Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1991 Mazda 323, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seat belts13
- Exterior lighting3
- Suspension2
- Visibility1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Steering1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Engines
The most common engines in 1991 Mazda 323 cars on Dutch roads are the 1.6 petrol (64 kW, 86 hp), 1.6 petrol (66 kW, 89 hp) and 1.3 petrol (55 kW, 74 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 petrol | 64 kW 86 hp | 78 |
| 1.6 petrol | 66 kW 89 hp | 35 |
| 1.3 petrol | 55 kW 74 hp | 33 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
192 first registered in 1991 are on Dutch roads; 6% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde18
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen17
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse9
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld9
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm7
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af7
- Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar6
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)5
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
23 cars built in 1991 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 88 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
60 of these cars first registered in 1991 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 209,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
38 1991 cars are on the New Zealand register; 8% arrived as used imports, 79% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1991 Mazda 323.
| 2015489 19 Oct 2015 | Electrical On certain vehicles, a defect in the ignition switch could cause an electrical short to develop over time. This could result in smoke and/or fire, increasing th… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELTS. THE RAIL OF THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT CAN WEAR SUFFICIENTLY SUCH THAT THE CABLE WHICH RETRACTS THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAN BECOME JAMMED IN THE RAIL RENDERING THE SHOULDER BELT INOPERATIVE.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mazda told its dealers about the 1991 Mazda 323: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 603891 | CONDITIONS WITH STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY OFF CENTER. *YC |
| 603882 | SUBJECT ON PASSIVE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR SWITCH. *YC |
| 54319 | PRE-PAINTING PREPARATIONS FOR FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS. *YC |
| 54318 | SUBJECT PERTAINING TO MTX OVERHAUL INFORMATION. *YC |
| 52520 | PARTS REPLACEMENT AFTER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *TW |
| 52503 | MAINTENANCE FREE BATTERY - DIAGNOSTIC AND CHARGING PROCEDURE. *TW |
| 52497 | USE OF A/C TRACER DYE. *TW |
| 52492 | WIPER MOTOR INOPERATIVE - CIRCUIT BREAKER ACTIVATION. *TW |
| 44098 | ENGINE IDLE VIBRATION IN D RANGE. *TW |
| 44000 | UNKNOWN |
| 43094 | UNKNOWN |
| 40066 | CLUTCH SQUEALING NOISE. *TW |
| 39753 | HINGE HOLDER BREAKAGE. *TW |
| 39687 | FUEL LID WITH REMOTE FUEL LID OPENER WILL NOT OPEN. *TW |
| 39683 | DIFFICULT OPERATION OF THE WINDOW REGULATOR. *TW |
| 38090 | HEAVY OPERATION OF THE WINDOW REGULATOR. *TW |
| 10213425 | Speedometer replacement procedure |
| 10154879 | In support of the new MRT distribution, Mazda will ship to dealers a new Dual Purpose Diagnostic Leak Detector beginning March, 2019. Training videos will be posted to MGSS shortly and Workshop Manual procedures will be revised gradually. |
| 10153339 | In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. NOTE: Tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by Federal, and State laws. It is the dealer's responsibility to comply with Federal, State, and local laws concerning odometer and related documentation requirements when providing a repair or replacement. Mazda vehicles are manufactured with tamper-proof speedometers. When a speedometer is replaced, the new speedometer will read zero (0) miles. This procedure is extremely important to accurately represent actual vehicle m |
| 10148072 | In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. NOTE: Tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by Federal, and State laws. It is the dealer's responsibility to comply with Federal, State, and local laws concerning odometer and related documentation requirements when providing a repair or replacement. Mazda vehicles are manufactured with tamper-proof speedometers. When a speedometer is replaced, the new speedometer will read zero (0) miles. This procedure is extremely important to accurately represent actual vehicle m |
| 10144333 | In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. NOTE: Tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by Federal, and State laws. It is the dealer's responsibility to comply with Federal, State, and local laws concerning odometer and related documentation requirements when providing a repair or replacement. Mazda vehicles are manufactured with tamper-proof speedometers. When a speedometer is replaced, the new speedometer will read zero (0) miles. This procedure is extremely important to accurately represent actual vehicle m |
| 10118467 | In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. NOTE: Tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by Federal, and State laws. It is the dealer?s responsibility to comply with Federal, State, and local laws concerning odometerand related documentation requirements when providing a repair or replacement. Mazda vehicles are manufactured with tamper-proof speedometers. When a speedometer is replaced, the new speedometer will read zero (0) miles. This procedure is extremely important to accurately represent actual vehicle |
| 10098367 | IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS, FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE LISTED BELOW WHEN REPLACING A SPEEDOMETER.NOTE:MAZDA VEHICLES ARE MANUFACTURED WITH TAMPER-PROOF SPEEDOMETERS.WHEN A SPEEDOMETER IS REPLACED, THE NEW SPEEDOMETER WILL READ ZERO (0) MILES.THIS PROCEDURE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT ACTUAL VEHICLE MILEAGE.PRIOR TO SPEEDOMETER REMOVAL, COMPLETE THE INFORMATION REQUIRED ON THE SPEEDOMETER REPLACE-MENT LABEL. LABELS CAN ONLY BE ORDERED THROUGH MSTORE, NOT MDCS. |
| 10009427 | BATTERY TEST PROCEDURE REQUIREMENTS. *TT |
| 10009424 | SPEEDOMETER REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
TAKATA SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
AUTO RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAIL
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation