MODELYEARINDEX

Which Mazda Mazda3 years to avoid

Across 12 scored model years, the 2010, 2012 and 2015 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Mazda Mazda3 Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2010 vs model median 3.2×
Model median3× median
Body & Interior 73
Tires & Wheels 70
Lights & Visibility 26
Avoid

2010 · 2012

Best

2017 · 2020

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
2010
3.19× 264 F
2011
0.59× 52 B
2012
1.95× 152 D
2013
1.16× 93 C
2014
1.22× 72 C
2015
1.38× 86 D
2016
0.77× 57 C
2017
0.64× 39 B
2018
0.57× 36 B
2019
1.34× 98 D
2020
0.42× 44 B
2021
0.84× 64 B
2022 P
0.35× 31 A
2023 P
0.49× 20 A
2024 P
0.36× 21 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

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

2010 F 264 reports · median 38,539 mi

  1. Body & Interior 73

    Driver seat feels loose and rocks back and forth while I AM driving vehicle. I AM concerned seat will not hold up in accident. Sat in similar car at dealer with same problem. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Tires & Wheels 70

    2010 mazda 3 excessive tire wear. Bought car new in oct 2009. May 7th 2010 the car has 18,000 miles on it and the rear tires are down to the steel belts. My net searching shows this is a very common problem. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Lights & Visibility 26

    I was adjusting my rear view mirror on my new 2010 mazda 3 and it came off. When it came off it broke off a chunk of glass from the windshield. Mazda refuses to repair the problem! owner complaint filed with NHTSA

17 crash · 5 fire · 3 injuries

2012 D 152 reports · median 19,050 mi

  1. Engine 26

    The car sometimes surges during downshifting. I will be driving in moderate traffic in third gear. The traffic slows, and I let in the clutch and apply the brake. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 24

    Driving home last night (on the freeway) at approximately 9:45 PM I attempted to accelerate to make a lane change. I noticed the car wasn't moving any faster the only thing I heard was the engine gunning. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Speed Control 18

    The vehicle will randomly and sporadically speed up and the RPMS increase unexpectedly when the clutch is released after downshifting from 3rd to 2nd or 4th to 3rd. Mostly from 3rd to 2nd. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

7 crash · 1 injuries

The best year for the Mazda3

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

2020 is the best-scoring Mazda3 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 84.5 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2020 0.42× 44 B
2017 0.64× 39 B
2011 0.59× 52 B

Recalls

23 campaigns on record, 1 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
16V644000 STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE 2010–2013 580,455
19V497000 ENGINE 2019 262,220
23V487000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2014–2018 236,100
17V393000 PARKING BRAKE 2014–2016 227,814
19V272000 VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER 2016–2018 187,880
17V082000 SEATS 2010, 2011 173,859
25V357000 AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2024 171,412
21V875000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2018 121,038
19V907000 FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING 2019, 2020 35,390
09V126000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2010 25,400
19V425000 WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS 2019 25,003
20V346000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER 2020 24,037

+ 11 further campaigns

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 2010 were reported at a median of 38,539 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Mazda Mazda3 years should you avoid?
2010, 2012, 2015 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Mazda Mazda3 model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Mazda Mazda3?
2020 is the best-scoring Mazda Mazda3 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 84.5 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Mazda Mazda3 have?
23 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Mazda Mazda3 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 2010 Mazda3
Complaints in window
264
Severity-weighted
346.5
Model median (weighted)
108
vs model median
3.19×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
3
Open investigations
1
Score 14.2 F