Mazda MX3 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 128 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the Mazda MX3 (1992–1995) that have at least 5 complaints. 1993 has the most, with 54. Across all years, the part named most often is seat belts (61 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All MX3 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 10 | 130,000 | 1 | 7 | — | Not enough data |
| 1994 | 19 | 95,900 | 1 | 7 | — | Stable |
| 1993 | 54 | 133,216 | 3 | 7 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1992 | 45 | 120,000 | 3 | 7 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Seat belts61 47%
- Suspension21 16%
- Air bags14 11%
- Electrical system12 9.3%
- Transmission and drivetrain8 6.2%
- Brakes5 3.9%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)4 3.1%
- Vehicle speed control4 3.1%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1993: “I bought a 1993 Mazda MX3 base 4 cylinder and it was making a clunking noise when I turn the wheel which was found out to be a broken coil spring on my passenger side, it is the factory strut and spring assembly.”
NHTSA complaint #11338705, filed 2020-07, 225,569 miles1994: “Either dec 2000 or jan 2001 my Mazda mx-3 had a front coil spring break. My mechanic contacted Mazda district representative and showed the coil to him. My mechanic felt this was not something that should have happened. The district rep said there was nothing Mazda could do. I contacted Mazda myself and they said that they would do nothing. Then a few months later, I found your website and conveyed the information found to Mazda and they said that it was not a recall for the mx-3 only the mx-6. They said your website was incorrect. …”
NHTSA complaint #10100670, filed 2004-11, 114,000 miles1992: “Car has a interior frame metal problem inside the structure of the car its welds,are coming apart sheet metal,wheel wells core support,front bumper,floor rear spare tire,sheetmetal,the rust proofing was not enough on car,or they forgot to zinc coat the inside+outside of the car metal frame(body)”
NHTSA complaint #11097878, filed 2018-05, 125,000 milesOther Mazda models
3,125 complaintsMazda MAZDA3
2,991 complaintsMazda CX-5
2,469 complaintsMazda MAZDA6
2,232 complaintsMazda Tribute
2,098 complaintsMazda CX-9
1,493 complaintsMazda CX-7
1,133 complaintsMazda Protege
1,074 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology