2017 Mazda Mazda3
This year drew an ordinary 83 complaints for a Mazda Mazda3 — the model's median is 107. What they were about is the unusual part: 18.1% of them mention models, against 4.7% across the other years of this generation.
Generation 3 of the Mazda Mazda3, which began in 2014 and ran to 2018. Everything below compares this year against the others in that generation, not against a different car wearing the same name.
NHTSA opened a defect investigation into this model year.
| Complaints filed | 83 |
|---|---|
| Median for this model | 107 |
| Involving a crash | 6 |
| Recalls | 2 |
| NHTSA crash rating | 5/5 |
| EPA combined | 30.5 mpg |
What the complaints were about
- models — 18.1% of this year's complaints, against 4.7% across the other years of this generation (3.9×). Owners wrote it as: models, causes, refuses, refuses fix.
- similar — 14.5% of this year's complaints, against 5.7% across the other years of this generation (2.5×). Owners wrote it as: similar, related, widespread, noticed other.
- avoid — 7.2% of this year's complaints, against 0.9% across the other years of this generation (8.5×). Owners wrote it as: avoid, equipment.
Words owners used for the same problem are counted together, so a fault written four different ways is measured once. Grouped by which complaints they appear in, not by a list anyone wrote in advance.
What owners wrote
My 2017 Mazda Mazda3 Sport is affected by a problem widely known as "ghost touch" by owners of this vehicle. This issue causes the touch screen to behave erratically and activate random functions, which is extremely distracting while driving. Mazda has a recal…
I AM NOTICING EXCESSIVE PAINT CHIPS ON THE HOOD AND FRONT FENDERS OF MY 2017 MAZDA 3. THE PAINT IS: SOUL RED CRYSTAL PAINT. I HAVE NOT NOTICED OR HEARD ROAD DEBRIS HIT THE CAR. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 23000 MILES. THE PAINT SEEMS VERY THIN. I HAVE NOTICED OTHER MAZD…
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint filings, with identifying details removed.
Recalls for this year
- 19V272000 VISIBILITY Fixed free of charge.
- 23V487000 BACK OVER PREVENTION Fixed free of charge.
How this was worked out
Every year of the Mazda Mazda3 was compared against its own history rather than against other cars, which removes popularity and age from the answer — a common car draws more complaints at equal reliability, and an older one has had longer to accumulate them. A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints.
This is a fault record, not a review. Nobody files a federal complaint to say the car was fine, so it shows what tends to go wrong — not whether owners liked it, and not whether it is a good car.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . Look this vehicle up directly on NHTSA's site to check anything here.
Own a 2017 Mazda Mazda3? What happened to yours?
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