2013 Mazda Mazda3: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 117 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
117
Complaints
1
Recalls
7
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
4
Injuries
61.5
Severity index
Severity index 61.5 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 145 2013 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2013 Mazda Mazda3 ranks 76 of 145 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 48% of its model-year peers. See the full 2013 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 36 | 30.8% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 32 | 27.4% |
| POWER TRAIN | 18 | 15.4% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 15 | 12.8% |
| STRUCTURE | 11 | 9.4% |
| ENGINE | 11 | 9.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 10 | 8.5% |
| STEERING | 9 | 7.7% |
The single most-reported system is EXTERIOR LIGHTING, cited in 36 of 117 complaints (30.8%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 10 |
| 2016 | 19 |
| 2017 | 27 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V644000 | 06/09/2016 | STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE | Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 20 |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.