2015 Mazda Mazda3: owner complaints and recalls

Complaints about the 2015 Mazda Mazda3 are still climbing years after launch. The last three full years account for 35 of the 129 filings on record, which usually means a defect that surfaces with mileage rather than a factory fault.

129
Complaints
4
Recalls
8
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
9
Injuries
89.9
Severity index

Severity index 89.9 - Medium. It weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints, so a vehicle attracting serious reports scores above one attracting many trivial ones (how this is calculated).

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 89.9p25 35p75 96cleanestworst
Where the 2015 Mazda Mazda3 sits against the quartiles of every vehicle we track.

Among the 143 2015 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2015 Mazda Mazda3 ranks 47 of 143 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 67% of its model-year peers. See the full 2015 ranking.

What actually fails

Service BrakesService Brakes: 26 complaints (20.2%)26 20%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 26 complaints (20.2%)26 20%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 24 complaints (18.6%)24 19%Back Over PreventionBack Over Prevention: 12 complaints (9.3%)12 9%Fuel/Propulsion SystemFuel/Propulsion System: 12 complaints (9.3%)12 9%EngineEngine: 6 complaints (4.7%)6 5%SeatsSeats: 6 complaints (4.7%)6 5%StructureStructure: 6 complaints (4.7%)6 5%
Systems named in complaints. One complaint can name several, so shares overlap.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
SERVICE BRAKES2620.2%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2620.2%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2418.6%
BACK OVER PREVENTION129.3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM129.3%
ENGINE64.7%
SEATS64.7%
STRUCTURE64.7%

Complaints filed per year

010202014: 22015: 142016: 102017: 192018: 142019: 132020: 102021: 42022: 42023: 72024: 202025: 82026: 4 (partial year)1415161718192021222324202526
Complaints filed per calendar year, not model year. The hatched bar is the current year and is still incomplete.
YearComplaints
20142
201514
201610
201719
201814
201913
202010
20214
20224
20237
202420
20258
2026 (year to date)4
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.9x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
16V68400022/09/2016FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLYMazda Motors North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles manufactured January 4, 2014, to September 18, 2015. The fuel tank of the affected vehicles may have been improperly handled during manufacturing and, as a result, the welded
17V39300022/06/2017PARKING BRAKEMazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda6 and 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles. Water could possibly enter the brake caliper causing the parking brake actuator shaft to corrode and possibly bind.
15V62100002/10/2015FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLYMazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Mazda3 vehicles manufactured May 21, 2015, to August 25, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with a fuel tank with a shut-off valve that can allow fuel to enter into the fuel tank emissions sy
23V48700014/07/2023BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERAMazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Mazda3 and 2016-2021 CX-3 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display properly by showing a flickering or distorted image.
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.