Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Mazda Mazda3, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train40
- Engine32
- Exterior lighting31
- Electrical system25
- Vehicle speed control20
- Fuel/propulsion system18
- Unknown or other18
- Structure17
- Air bags17
- Electronic stability control (esc)16
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 5 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 66 2012 Mazda3 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 43 people died inside them, and 10 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
Registered new in Europe in 2012
22,991 new Mazda Mazda3 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2012; the largest markets were Germany (8,592), the United Kingdom (5,771), Austria (1,630).
- Average mass
- 1,343 kg
- Average power
- 100 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 68% · Diesel 32%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2012 Mazda Mazda3 cars on Dutch roads are the 1.6 petrol (77 kW, 103 hp) and 2.0 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 petrol | 77 kW 103 hp | 352 |
| 2.0 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 66 |
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
445 first registered in 2012 are on Dutch roads; 39% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €23,596.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde236
- Band onvoldoende profiel140
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt99
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)87
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld80
- Band beschadigd74
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht63
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm60
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
4,594 cars built in 2012 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 161 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
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 5,117 of these cars first registered in 2012 took their annual MOT test. 68% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2012 the figure was 66%.
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
313 of these cars first registered in 2012 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 152,000 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
1,757 2012 cars are on the New Zealand register; 10% arrived as used imports, 89% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 0 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Mazda Mazda3 4 DR FWD | ★★★★☆ | 10.9 % |
| 2012 Mazda Mazda3 5 HB FWD | ★★★★☆ | 10.9 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- 4 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 8 variants: combined 7.2–10.1 L/100 km (about 23–33 mpg US), CO₂ 166–232 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mazda3 DI 4-Door · Compact · Regular gasoline | 8.3 | 5.9 | 7.2 |
| Mazda3 DI 5-Door · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 8.3 | 6.0 | 7.3 |
| Mazda3 DI 4-Door · Compact · Regular gasoline | 8.9 | 6.0 | 7.6 |
| Mazda3 DI 5-Door · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 8.8 | 6.2 | 7.6 |
| Mazda3 · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.4 | 7.1 | 8.3 |
| Mazda3 · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.0 | 7.2 | 8.7 |
| Mazda3 · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.5 | 8.0 | 9.4 |
| Mazda3 · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.6 | 8.2 | 10.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2012 Mazda Mazda3.
| 2016431 6 Sept 2016 | Structure On certain vehicles, the anti-corrosion treatment of the outer tube of the rear lift gate stay may be insufficient. Over time, the outer tube of the rear lift g… |
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 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, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.
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 2012 Mazda Mazda3: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11009654 | The SKYACTIV-DRIVE FW6A-EL AT uses Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) Type: FZ. Only use ATF-FZ to fill or top off the fluid level. ATF-FZ is specially designed for use in the SKYACTIV-DRIVE series AT. It is a low viscosity formula with less friction for better fuel economy. NOTE: ATF-FZ is colored blue for easy identification. |
| 11007029 | For improvement of electrical diagnosis, the SKYACTIV Wiring Terminal Test Kits has been delivered all the dealers. The terminal test kit enables you: To check pin fit drag of all PCM terminals used in SKYACTIV vehicles and compare suspect terminal drag with a known good terminal. To measure the voltage/resistance avoiding any terminal damage. |
| 11007022 | Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage such (melted, separating, etc.) when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection. |
| 11007019 | If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been installed. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Below are a few examples of unusual electrical concerns caused by aftermarket devices. |
| 11007010 | Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a fluid or oil leak and use the following examples as a guide to determine if it is severe enough to require a repair, or just to clean the area and monitor it at the next service. |
| 11006987 | 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 dealers 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 mi |
| 11005671 | Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers. |
| 11003398 | Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers. |
| 10251387 | Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers. |
| 10244679 | If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been installed. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Below are a few examples of unusual electrical concerns caused by aftermarket devices. |
| 10243569 | Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection. |
| 10240496 | Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection. |
| 10237216 | If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been installed. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Below are a few examples of unusual electrical concerns caused by aftermarket devices. |
| 10237199 | Some vehicles may experience the check engine light and automatic transaxle warning light ON with one or more of these DTCs stored in the TCM memory (P0842, P0847, P0872, P0877, P0780, P1738). |
| 10232299 | Speedometer replacement procedure |
| 10230865 | When servicing SKYACTIV engine vehicles requiring to replace the Oil Galley Plug and Crush Washer, order the required part numbers below. These parts are not listed in GEPC and were previously listed as "non-serviceable" in the cylinder block diagram. |
| 10228648 | Some vehicles may experience the Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0171 (Fuel Trim too Lean) and possibly DTCs P030X (Misfire). Vehicles having this concern should use the following Inspection/Repair procedure. |
| 10226924 | If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been installed. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Below are a few examples of unusual electrical concerns caused by aftermarket devices. Examples: 1. Devices connected to the DLC-2 (battery discharge/DTC stored) 2. Cell phone charger/accessory in 12V socket (engine no start or unable to turn off) 3. GPS tracking device (engine no start/battery discha |
| 10226814 | Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the shaft seal. Follow the inspection guidelines below to determine if the condition is a result of the normal sweeping process or a failure of the shaft seal. |
| 10225767 | The new SKYACTIV-DRIVE FW6A-EL AT uses "Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) Type: FZ". Only use "ATF-FZ" to fill or top off the fluid level. ATF-FZ is specially designed for use in the SKYACTIV-DRIVE series AT. It is a low viscosity formula with less friction for better fuel economy. NOTE: ATF-FZ is colored blue for easy identification. |
| 10225724 | Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection. |
| 10217209 | In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. |
| 10215274 | This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost. For new vehicles in stock at the dealer, inspect and maintain the battery periodically according to the repair procedure. |
| 10215238 | Service part Automatic Transaxles (ATX) manufactured on or after July, 2018 are shipped with a blank TCM that requires configuration. |
| 10213430 | Excessive condensation or water within the headlamp assembly caustion |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation