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2005 Mazda Mazda3 Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Serious

127 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.09 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious21V494000

Air Bags:Frontal

Plastic fragments can hit occupants during air bag deployment, raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

Dealers will replace the air bag module cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed between August 28, 2021 and October 28, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4921G.

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Mazda3 vehicles. During air bag deployment, the plastic emblem on the steering wheel air bag module cover may shatter, and project plastic fragments into the vehicle.

Serious09E011000

Equipment

THIS MAY RESULT IN THE BOLT(S) SNAPPING OFF DURING USE OR WITHOUT A LOAD.

Remedy & full details

THULE WILL MAIL A RETRO FIT KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS TO OWNERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 13, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THULE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-238-2388.

THULE, INC. IS RECALLING 2,323 OWNER-INSTALLED ROOF-MOUNTED FIT KITS, MODELS 3068 AND 3069, MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2008 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2009 THAT ARE USED WITH THULE PODIUM FOOT PACKS, MODELS 460 AND 460R. THESE FIT KITS WERE SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE BOLT(S) USED TO SECURE THE FOOT TO THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED TO A HARDNESS THAT MAY CAUSE THE BOLT(S) TO BE BRITTLE AND POTENTIALLY BREAK UNDER STRESS.

Serious04V559000

Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module-Inactive

THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL CRASH AND IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURIES.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS REPAIRED THESE VEHICLES. THE TWO VEHICLE OWNERS WERE CONTACTED BY TELEPHONE ON NOVEMBER 22, 2004, AND THESE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED.

ON TWO PASSENGER VEHICLES, A CRACK IN THE SOLDER CONNECTION ATTACHING THE ACCELERATION SENSOR IN THE SAS UNIT MADE CONTACT WITH THE BASE PLATE, DAMAGING THE SOLDER CONNECTION.

Complaint volume

127 this model-year 6 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

25Crashes
3Fires
20Injuries
0Deaths

Across 127 complaints. Severity Index 1.09.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags22 · 17%Electrical System16 · 13%Steering14 · 11%Engine And Engine Cooling9 · 7%Exterior Lighting6 · 5%Equipment · Appliance · A…4 · 3%Fuel System, Gasoline4 · 3%Engine And Engine Cooling…4 · 3%
  1. Air Bags — 22 reports
  2. Electrical System — 16 reports
  3. Steering — 14 reports
  4. Engine And Engine Cooling — 9 reports
  5. Exterior Lighting — 6 reports
  6. Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner — 4 reports
  7. Fuel System, Gasoline — 4 reports
  8. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 4 reports
  9. Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System — 4 reports
  10. Engine — 4 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2004 (3) · 2005 · 2006 (2) · 2007 (3) · 2008 (3) · 2009 (4) · 2010 (3) · 2011 (2) · 2012 (1) · 2013 (1) · 2014 (4) · 2015 (4) · 2016 (6) · 2017 (2) · 2018 (4) · 2019 (6) · 2020 (2) · 2021 (1) · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 (3) · 2025 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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