2014 Mazda Mazda3 Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 57,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that when attempting to secure the vehicle, the electric parking brake failed to engage after pulling up the hand lever. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V393000 (Parking Brake); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was previously…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 70,000 miles

The contact's nephew owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while parked on several occasions, the parking brake failed to engage, and there was no resistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 72,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 12,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

In reference to the existing recall on my vehicle (Manufacturer recall # 6023G, NHTSA recall #: 23V-487), I would like to report that the vehicle manufacturer (Mazda) has yet to offer a solution to this problem, which is now over a year old. In addition to the reported distortion/flickering from the rearview camera, we are experiencing…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The is an open recall on this vehicle since 7/14/23. It is for rear camera wiring harness. If has been 7 months and there still is no information about a repair to this defect. When will Mazda address this issue and have repair parts?Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 32,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The fuel tank leaks fuel at a full tank and smells of gas in the cabin until about 3/4 tank. Car was dripping a large puddle of gas inside of a parking garage. Problem has been reproduced by my mechanic even after replacing the fuel pump retaining ring. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer or police. CEL did not come on until…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Gas tank is leaking from the TOP. I could smell gas after a refill (and refilling a portable tank) that I thought must have been a spill I hadn't noticed, and the smell faded. But then it happened again at the next refill, and I knew it wasn't just a spill. Brought it to our trusted mechanic who said that the TOP of the tank was rusted…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 17,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

While merging onto the highway and accelerating to highway speeds, the car lost power, the check engine light flashed, the traction light came on, and the check tire pressure came on all at the same time. The car also would not allow me to accelerate past 35-40 MPH. After taking it to the dealership, it was determined that one of the…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 70,000 miles

On february 23, 2015, I purchased a new 2014 mazda 3 s grand touring sedan with technical package, VIN # [xxx]. The vehicle current mileage is 5,470. Since purchase, this car has had a stalling problem that is intermittent, unpredictable, and not reproducible on demand. Stalling means it does not respond to normal pressure on the…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 400 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

The rear backup sensors no longer work and did not give any indication they stopped working. They do not detect cars driving up from behind when driving or switching lanes or objects or people behind the car anymore when you reverse. This happened without any notice or warning indications.Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 18,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was turning slowly into a parking space between two parked cars with my foot on the brake. Approximately 1/4 to 1/3 of the way into the space the car suddenly [VIN] (my foot still on the brake). It jumped the curb, crossed over the sidewalk, "took out" 2 pilings and large flower box and then stopped. Engine was still running. It…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 26,800 miles

Moments after driving my 2014 mazda 3, I noticed the blue coolant dashboard icon was lit signaling the coolant is cold. As I drove without touching the accelerator, the car abruptly [VIN] and I had to slam on the brakes so I would not rear end the car in front of me. Plus, I noticed the coolant dashboard icon turn off also. The cruise…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 34,250 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 44,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

My gear box was popping out of gear at highway speeds into neutral. The service provider informed me the transmission in the car was bad, adding that it the bad transmission caused excessive wear on the clutch-and-flywheel assembly. It later came to my attention that there is an ongoing class action lawsuit in the state of California…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Around 68,000 miles, I began to hear a subtle whining noise coming from my 2014 mazda mazda3. I was unsure where it was coming from and originally thought it was something to do with the tires. As time passed, the noise became louder, eventually to the point where I felt I needed to get it checked out. A mechanic told me it was something…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 68,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Rear passanger seat belt failed in lock position nothing in it no candy ect and stuck in the open position refuses to lock belt current mileage 37989 just out of bumper to bumper warranteeOwner complaint, filed 2018, at 38,787 miles

The passenger seat belt had a tensioner that was broken from either right off the dealer's lot or shortly after. Under hard braking, my wife hit the dashboard inside the car once as a passenger. I should have brought it in earlier. I just brought it in today (6/20/2017) to the mazda dealer (putnam mazda in burlingame, ca) and they…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 100 miles

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

Blend door actuator linkage will not allow for heat to be turned on, will blow cool/cold air, have had it looked at and the gear teeth will not stay in line with on another to be able to turn when the knob inside the car is turned. I was told that this may be a recall but do not see anything listed, but that it is a known problem for…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Led daytime running lights flickering going dim and then bright when the headlights are turned on, and the car is in gear.Owner complaint, filed 2018

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The car screen displays, GPS, for calls, radio etc, doesn’t works, it’s off, and the airbags are deactivated and they’re off as well and have to press hard on the brake to get the car to stops.Owner complaint, filed 2025

Starting about a month after we bought the car we noticed that the indicator light for the passenger side air bag would sometimes light up indicating that the passenger side airbag was deactivated. We stop the car and exited the vehicle and reentered the vehicle and the light started to work properly. Over the next several days we…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 1,500 miles

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Bought new vehicle at end of january 2014 and problems arises february 2014. Steering of the vehicle is faulty. While driving vehicle cannot easily maintain stable line. To stay straight having to keep the wheel about 5 degrees turned to the left. While making slight right turns, vehicle wheel becomes unstable and jerks left if going on…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 2,000 miles

According to the dealer, the steering sensor and ABS module have gone back. The car has only 35,000 miles on it. I spoke to a local mechanic who indicated that the modules are flying off the shelves right now because so many of them are going bad.Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 35,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

While driving down freeway in clear warm weather, the passenger rear tire had the side wall blow out. This produced about a 2 inch square hole in the tire.Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 350 miles

While exiting a traffic circle, I heard a pop and the car swerved. I corrected but was too late as the front wheel hit the curbing causing the aluminum rim to crack on the passengers side. Upon inspection I found a large [VIN] piece of the tire side wall missing. The side wall separation was the tire on the passenger rear side. The rapid…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 1,812 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

When driving on city streets on uneven pavement, the car emits popping and squeaks from the suspension. When getting in into a parking lot, the car produces a clunking noise that emanates from the front of the car. Also when winding and unwinding the steering while parking the car or moving slowly, again the vehicle emits clunking noises…Owner complaint, filed 2020

The contact owns a 2014 mazda 3. While driving various speeds in the rain, the contact heard a creaking noise coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to cabrera auto (carr #2 km 82.2 salida expreso hatillo, pr-2, arecibo, 00614, puerto rico) where it was diagnosed as functioning normally. The vehicle was then taken to mazda de la…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 30,198 miles