2012 Mazda MAZDASPEED3 Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 3about this part
- Share
- 50%of 6 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 12,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2012 Mazda MAZDASPEED3, 50% of the 6 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 12,500 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Recently purchased a brand new 2012 Mazda speed3. 17 miles off the lot. In the 4 mile drive to my house 15 minutes after signing paperwork, the clutch blows out. Had it towed back and was told we were lucky they fixed it under warranty because this item is a wear & tear item because going 4 miles is apparently too long. We were told to break the clutch in for about 400 miles. Well, we made it to 125 miles on the odometer and the same exact thing happened. Except this time, I was driving about 40mph on a busy road when the clutch went out. Luckily my three young children were not in the car. …”
NHTSA complaint #10482514, filed 2012-10, 21 miles“End of 2013, the vehicle began randomly popping out of 2nd gear and back into neutral. Dealer rebuilt trans under warranty and all was okay until october 2014 when the same issue began again. Dealer replaced trans under warranty but advised transmission warranty was no longer valid. Currently, july 2015, the same issue is happening again. Vehicle will be in gear then out of gear causing me to be unable to accelerate, and causing a major accident risk.”
NHTSA complaint #10735033, filed 2015-07, 18,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10186693Jan 21, 2021Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 2012 Mazda MAZDASPEED3
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology