NHTSA — Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

CarComplaints.com Notes: Except for a minor issue with cracked motor mounts, the 2008 MAZDA3 is a fantastic vehicle with a great reputation.

If you need to replace the motor mounts, first ask your dealer if they'll cover it -- the motor mounts were dealt with in a TSB & were recalled for some model years. Otherwise buy aftermarket motor mounts -- owners report this solves the problem. If you use the same OEM parts, they may just crack again.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
40,800 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Mazda MAZDA3 engine problems

engine problem

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2008 Mazda MAZDA3 Owner Comments

problem #6

Apr 272012

MAZDA3

  • 53,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Passenger side top motor mount defective seen a lot of people mad about this they replace it goes bad 1 to 2 later.

- Park Ridge, IL, USA

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problem #5

Apr 052012

MAZDA3

  • 77,000 miles
The contact owned a 2008 Mazda Mazda3. While driving approximately 40 mph, the contact noticed smoke from under the hood. The contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the road. The contact then opened the hood and noticed flames. The fire spread throughout the entire vehicle. The fire department reported to the scene. There was no report filed. The insurance provider had the vehicle towed to a collision center. The vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the fire was undetermined. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.

- Pageland, SC, USA

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problem #4

Oct 142011

MAZDA3 4-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
Engine mounts failed. Noticed vibration in the cabin when the car was in drive. There was no noticed vibration when the car was idling. When the engine was in drive, with the hood popped, the engine was noticeably pitching forward and returning to it's default position when the gas was released. I checked recalls and there were none shown, but there were many complaints about this on the internet. Local mechanic also stated that this is a known.

- Floral Park, NY, USA

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problem #3

Jul 132010

MAZDA3

  • 53,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Air conditioning compressor failure on 2008 Mazda 3.

- Livingston, NJ, USA

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problem #2

Jul 202010

MAZDA3

  • 12,800 miles
Sitting in parking lot, engine and A/C on, then tried to pull out, power steering failed; had to wait one hour for car to cool before the steering came back on. The power steering pump failed, needs to be flushed, common problem with the Mazda 3's apparently. At least it did not happen on the road.

- Broomfield, CO, USA

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engine failure engine defect noisy engine engine knock intake manifold gasket leaking coolant oil sludge whining noise stalls while driving engine complaint electrical issue heater complaint transmission complaint paint defect MAZDA3 recall
problem #1

Aug 012008

MAZDA3

  • 4,000 miles
Shortly after purchasing a 2008 Mazda3 I 2.0L sedan, I began to feel a shake through the steering wheel and chassis while idling/driving. Dealer verified shake and per tsb due to an ongoing problem, replaced motor mounts. Car felt better but not completely free of engine shake and now appears to be getting worse. When the engine is started cold it shakes the entire car and when warm a suttle but noticeable shake is still felt though the steering wheel and chassis. After reading numerous posts on Mazda3 enthusiast websites, this appears to be a common and ongoing problem spanning several years.

- East Windsor, CT, USA

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