MODELYEARINDEX

Which Mazda CX-3 years to avoid

No Mazda CX-3 model year in 2016–2019 falls into the flagged band. The weakest are 2016 and 2019, and even those sit close to this model’s own median.

Ownership label · Mazda CX-3 Full report
C
Grade 2016–2019
2016 vs model median 1.3×
Model median3× median
Lights & Visibility 6
Electrical 5
Body & Interior 3
Weakest

2016 · 2019

Best

2016 · 2019

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2016
1.28× 32 C
2019
0.71× 25 B

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2016 C 32 reports · median 20,000 mi

  1. Lights & Visibility 6

    Multiple water lines left on windshield after each swipe of the wipers during a light or heavy rainfall whether the vehicle was stationary or in motion. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Electrical 5

    Vehicle A/C quit working after less than 3 yrs, just out of warranty no less. Dealer wants nearly $2k for repair. Turns out the cause is a defective part mazda has been aware of since 2016. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Body & Interior 3

    There is an open recall on this vehicle regarding the rear lift gate. It's been more than 2 1/2 months and still no repair for this and the winter is starting with the road salts which may corrode the improperly coated… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

4 crash · 2 injuries

2019 B 25 reports · median 10,000 mi

  1. Electrical 7

    Key fob disconnects while driving. Lock/unlock does not work. Car does not start when keyfob is in vehicle. This has happened three times now, the dealership has changed my keyfobs, flashed the memory, and replaced the… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Steering 4

    Steering issue: vehicle from purchase date had stiff steering. Figured this was just a new vehicle and it would get loose as it ages. As of one year later and 14k miles it has gotten worse. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Fuel System 4

    The contact owns a 2019 mazda cx-3. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21v875000 (fuel system, gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

The best year for the CX-3

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2019 is the best-scoring CX-3 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 77.1 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2019 0.71× 25 B
2016 1.28× 32 C

Recalls

4 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
16V644000 STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE 2016 580,455
23V487000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2016, 2019 236,100
21V875000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2019 121,038
16V203000 STEERING 2016 578

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2016 were reported at a median of 20,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Mazda CX-3 years should you avoid?
No Mazda CX-3 model year in 2016–2019 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2016 and 2019.
What is the best year for the Mazda CX-3?
2019 is the best-scoring Mazda CX-3 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 77.1 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Mazda CX-3 have?
4 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Mazda CX-3 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2016 CX-3
Complaints in window
32
Severity-weighted
53
Model median (weighted)
41
vs model median
1.28×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
3
Open investigations
0
Score 60.4 C