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2010 Mazda Mazda3 Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Serious

920 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.15 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious17V082000

Seats

If the driver cannot maintain an appropriate driving position, there is an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat lifter links and install a reinforcement bracket to the lifter links, or replace the entire seat adjuster unit, free of charge. The recall began April 7, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 0917B.

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2011 Mazda2 and 2010-2011 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles equipped with a manual seat lifter. In the affected vehicles, the seat height adjustment lifter links may break or detach from the seat frame and the seat angle may incline causing the driver to not be able to maintain an appropriate driving position.

Serious16V644000

Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate

If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9916H.

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.

Serious09V126000

Electrical System

THE MAIN FUSE MAY BLOW OUT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL AND INABILITY OF RESTART, raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL HAVE THE ENGINE HARNESS INSPECT AND ADD A PROTECTOR CLIP ON THE AFFECTED SECTION OF THE HARNESS. IF NECESSARY, THE HARNESS WILL BE REPAIRED. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON MAY 6, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.

MAZDA IS RECALLING 25,400 MY 2010 MAZDA3 VEHICLES. A CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE ENGINE HARNESS AND THE HOUSING OF STARTER MOTOR MAY BE INSUFFICIENT. DUE TO THIS, THE COVERING OF THE HARNESS MAY BE DAMAGED THROUGH VIBRATION DURING OPERATION POSSIBLY CAUSING A SHORT-CIRCUIT BETWEEN CERTAIN HARNESS WIRES AND THE STARTER HOUSING. A SHORT-CIRCUIT CAN RESULT IN ENGINE CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND/OR POOR SHIFT QUALITY.

Complaint volume

920 this model-year 11 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

26Crashes
6Fires
16Injuries
0Deaths

Across 920 complaints. Severity Index 0.15.

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

Unknown Or Other133 · 14%Structure115 · 13%Seats106 · 12%Visibility/Wiper100 · 11%Wheels53 · 6%Structure · Body52 · 6%Electrical System47 · 5%Power Train35 · 4%
  1. Unknown Or Other — 133 reports
  2. Structure — 115 reports
  3. Seats — 106 reports
  4. Visibility/Wiper — 100 reports
  5. Wheels — 53 reports
  6. Structure:Body — 52 reports
  7. Electrical System — 47 reports
  8. Power Train — 35 reports
  9. Steering — 31 reports
  10. Service Brakes — 31 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 (3) · 2006 (2) · 2007 (3) · 2008 (3) · 2009 (4) · 2010 · 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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