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2011 Mazda Mazda3

The Verdict

68 Solid Pick

The 2011 Mazda Mazda3 has 131 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (69 complaints) and electrical (41 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 68/100, it earns a "Solid Pick" rating. If you're shopping for a Mazda Mazda3, consider the 2024 model year which has 92% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2024 has 92% fewer complaints

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68

Klunk Score: Solid Pick

Fewer complaints than most vehicles. Generally dependable, but check the top problems below.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
20043827394323
200528835284
20066011423617
200710915493613
200819622393312
20098471485
201049935793833
201169341810
20128214515028
20133115431315
2014512421356
2015522827193
2016441524127
20174462383
201852626212
2019221312179
2020233231
202114310193
2022401522
202332223
202441401

By Category

Body
69
Electrical
41
Transmission
10
Engine
8
Brakes
3

By Severity

1
61
2
54
3
2
4
14

Worst Problems

Compare Against

See how the 2011 Mazda Mazda3 stacks up against rivals.

Complaints

Electrical 4

The airbag system failed to deploy during a major accident I was in, where my car rolled multiple times, and the collision that totaled my car. This includes the front airbags, impact sensors, and/or the airbag control module not activating. The vehicle is currently in the possession of the insurance company and can be made available for inspection upon request. During the crash, no airbags deployed, which significantly increased the risk of serious injury or death. The lack of airbag deployment left my partner and me completely unprotected at the moment of impact, including the number of times we rolled, seriously putting our safety at severe risk The vehicle is no longer drivable. The police report notes that the airbags did not deploy. The vehicle is in the process of inspection by my insurance adjusters as part of the total‑loss evaluation. The manufacturer has not yet inspected the airbag system, but the vehicle can be made available if Mazda requests an inspection. There were no warning lights, messages, or symptoms indicating an airbag or safety system issue before the crash. The airbag system gave no indication of malfunction before the failure occurred.

5mo ago
Body 1

I was driving it and randomly the AT and TC , and check engine light came on and the car went into limp mode, after doing some research it appears to happen to all 2009-2011 Mazda3's and it's a safety hazard. It's a safety hazard because of when it's stuck in limp mode sometimes if your at a light or something it'll start shifting and if you're not holding the brake completely down it will make the car lurch forward like 2-3 feet more if you don't react fast enough. This is a serious problem as it can cause a wreck. And you never know when it's going to happen there will be no symptoms it will just go into limp mode sometimes it'll rapidly go in and out and I'm sure that's causing damage to my transmission. Please make Mazda recall the TCM part and replace it. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my complaint/safety issue. Have a good day or night!!!

7mo ago
Body 1

The instrument panel above the information display in my 2011 Mazda3 has warped and created a visible gap, which is a known defect previously covered under Mazda’s Special Service Program A9 (SSP A9). While originally described as a cosmetic issue, in my vehicle the gap now allows engine odors and emissions to enter the passenger cabin. This condition presents a safety and health risk to occupants. My daughter drives the vehicle daily to college and is regularly exposed to these fumes. To confirm the problem, I used a Temtop M2000C Advanced Air Quality Monitor and recorded the following CO₂ levels inside the cabin compared to outside air: - Outside vehicle (baseline): 348 ppm - Inside after 1 minute: 436 ppm - Inside after 5 minutes: 1,027 ppm - Inside after 15 minutes: 1,645 ppm According to the monitor’s air quality guide, 1,501–2,500 ppm CO₂ is classified as “Unhealthy.” These readings indicate a measurable intrusion of emissions into the cabin. Mazda Customer Experience has acknowledged the vehicle is outside the SSP A9 warranty window and denied repair assistance, but I believe this issue is no longer cosmetic. The defect now creates a condition that may adversely affect occupant health and safety and should be considered under NHTSA’s authority for potential investigation. The vehicle can be inspected upon request. A Mazda dealer (Group 1 Mazda Denton, Texas) has provided a repair estimate of $1,307.77 for instrument panel replacement. Photos of the gap and air quality readings are available.

10mo ago
Body 1

The car is jerking and check engine light is on. Also when you are stopped and press on the gar it takes a bit to get speed. The transmission control module needs to be replaced. There seems to be this issue on many mazda's just not sure why a recall hasn't been done for this case.

23mo ago
Engine 1

Defective Driver's seat construction made by Mazda Mfg Corp. I was the first person to report this cheaply made driver's seat failure to Mazda Corp in Irvine, CA in early 2015 or 2016. Recall was finally issued a year afterwards because Mazda dragged their feet, and only after I threatened to sue them if I was ever in an accident, and the seat was to totally fall apart, and maim me for life did they finally take action. The Recall fix (cheap bandaid clamp that again failed because seat frame welds had failed as well) was never done right, and as a result the seat totally fell apart, and Ed Howard Lincoln Mazda of Sarasota, FL didn't want to do anything further at that point (cost out of pocket wise). I was told by a different Mazda Dealership in Ft Myers, FL that that defective seat should have been totally replaced if they would've handled it correctly. So Ed Howard Lincoln Mazda really screwed me on that one! As related to the 2.5L Mazda engine, I also had/have a engine failure part there as well. It's called the ENGINE COOLANT (WATER) OUTLET FLANGE, and the bottom left hand bolt (1 of 4 bolts total) that's suppose to hold this cheap plastic part in place was stripped (over-torqued) at the production assembly line time that the engine was made (put together). Now the cheap plastic replacement part is leaking again from the same lower left hand corner, and this is a well Known Ford & Mazda 2.5L engine failure design as stated in many a Mazda online forum! This also should have been recalled, as now my 2011 Mazda 3 is down again. Engine overheated again on Oct 13, 2023. Prior repair to replace this defective Flange was done in Feb or Mar of 2022. Cheap Plastic parts put on a Metal engine just don't work well at all. Common Physics would tell you that! I have documents in my storage unit if you need them.

30mo ago
Body 1

My seat lifter broke causing the driver's seat to rock back and forth. I brought my vehicle to my local dealer on 05/18/2022 to have an outstanding NHTSA recall 17V-082 performed to repair the issue. I was informed that the necessary part to repair the seat was on backorder and there was no ETA, but that I would be contacted when a part was available. Over the following nine months, I periodically followed up to see if they had received the part, culminating with being told by the dealer on 03/02/2023 that the part order was canceled and flagged as no longer available and that I needed to contact Mazda directly. I then called Mazda, who told me that the part was indeed marked as retired and advised that I seek an aftermarket replacement, of which none is available. They did check in my local area and found only one remaining part in a dealer's inventory, which I'll be driving to on 03/11/2023 to have the repair done. There has been no consideration made by Mazda for my safety while driving the vehicle, and for anyone still requiring this repair, the part is "retired" and no longer available from Mazda for an open recall.

41mo ago
Transmission 2

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the clutch became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

43mo ago
Body 2

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel started to shake. The contact stated that the tire pressure warning light and check engine warning lights intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the suspension, seat connector, and an unknown software needed to be updated. The contact then stated that due to the suspension failure, the tires were worn prematurely. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

43mo ago
Body 1

Transmission Control Module Failed while driving. Do to this there was a loss in ability to properly shift which made driving dangerous. There has been several online reports and accounts about this specific car signaling a check engine light coming on, AT light coming on and when other indirect or incorrect codes like Solenoid (A), (B), or (C). Luckily I did not crash therefore, I have no inspections have been necessary by police or insurance representatives. But I did have my local mechanic shop diagnose the problem. I noticed the car shifted a little weird but, no lights, warning, or messages came prior to failure. In the first couple of minutes prior to the first failure, was a simple check engine light which read a code for the Solenoid. Local shop diagnosed Transmission Control Module Failure and proceeded to "fix" the module. Second Failure was mid drive, AT light came on and a few minutes into my drive back home to park the car, it failed.

44mo ago
Engine 2

The Baffle in my tank has broken loose for uncertain reasons. This seems to be a common problem with Mazda and has had a recall in the 2015 models even.

45mo ago
Body 1

UNKNOWN. Electric power steering just suddenly stopped working for no apparent reason. Very hard to steer. DANGEROUS!

46mo ago
Electrical 2

The Dashboard is peeling above the display screen that shows information for Radio,CD, AUX, Time, Volume, Temp Outside, etc (black display screen with orange text/font). Above this display screen the dashboard is lifting up. Which has created about a 1 inch+ gap/spacing between the display and dashboard This gap has resulted in the following: 1). Inhaling of windshield fluid through AC vents (4 total on dashboard) -- when using windshield wipers to dispense windshield fluid to wipe windshield clean of dirt/debris. You can smell the funes from the windshield fluid. And windows are not open when using the windshield wipers. 2). The material used for the dashboard has peeled off and gone in between the gap. It has resulted in the AC vents dispensing the material when adjusting the open and close feature of the AC vent or making any direction adjustment of where I want the air conditioning to blow in the car. 3) The gap/spacing between dashboard and display screen has also resulted in the interior side of the windshield to have a buildup of smog on the windshield. It has resulted in issues seeing at night time when cars are driving towards me with their headlights on. When i wipe down, it will be covered again with smog/film in a few days.

49mo ago
Electrical 1

When I’m driving the car, electricity of the car goes off, including headlights. The steering wheel gets locked. It doesn’t do that regularly. Sometimes, it takes weeks to do that, but sometimes it happens once in every five minutes. The red airbag light on the odometer turns on or off randomly. But, the worse case is that the airbags are not working while my steering wheel gets locked at the same time. They all start happening around the same time. I took my car to the Mazda Service and another mechanics. Neither of them found the issue. When I leave the car with them, the car doesn’t show these malfunctions. It literally randomly occurs. Therefore, they told me that I need to bring the car when it start happening in regular basis to understand the exact cause for the issue. I don’t know when it becomes a regular issue. 4-5 days ago, when I was turning right on a small street, the wheel locked again. I was about to crash. It’s a deadly malfunction, so I don’t want to wait until then.

51mo ago
Body 2

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V082000 (Seats) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the front driver's seat was unsteady while driving and the failure had been recurring since 2017. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

52mo ago
Body 2

Automatic transmission failure. It causes the vehicle to jar around and have misproper steering. For example improper acceleration causes inability to move in a fluid motion. Causes risks of someone rearending or hitting another vehicle.

54mo ago
Body 2

My Mazda 3 2011 dash is splitting and it was inspected by the Mazda dealership. It pulls a safety issue because the glue and sticky material that was coming from the dash is shining into my eyes every time I drive during daylight. I am afraid the airbags will be affected too because the dash is coming part that means air bags can be a malfunction also.

58mo ago
Electrical 1

my Mazda 3 2011 passenger headlight always had water coming into the headlight itself. It has condensation and it is hard to see when using the headlight itself at night. have to wait a few days or so to clear up and then my headlights will flicker because of the water seeping inside of it.

58mo ago
Body 2

The seat height adjustment lifter link has broken and my driver seat wobbles tilting up and down during normal operation. There is a recall for this exact issue for this exact model of vehicle 2011 Mazda 3.

61mo ago
Body 2

My exact make and model and year was recalled in 2017 for a driver seat problem. My specific vehicle avoided recall because it was manufactured in November 2010, as the recall only included those manufactured up until September 2010. How is it that my vehicle had the same EXACT problem of those models but was not included? The seat lifter clamp BROKE-the same exact problem warned about in the recall. I can't afford the $800 repair and this is NOT even my fault.

61mo ago
Engine 1

Transmission slips out and shift shock in first gear to second year. Over revving and bucking on the freeway. These are BAD transmissions

62mo ago

131 total

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