1.5

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
109,462 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.

2012 Mazda MAZDA3 body / paint problems

body / paint problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2012 Mazda MAZDA3:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2012 Mazda MAZDA3 Owner Comments

problem #10

Oct 012020

MAZDA3

  • 850,000 miles

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

I recently have been experiencing visibility issues with my 2012 Mazda 3 sedan. It started when the plastic interior above the steering wheel became "goopy" as it heats up from the sun. It is impossible to remove and has left behind a shiny surface that reflects on the windshield in front of my driving peripheral. I've researched this issue and have found recalls for other years of Mazda makes/models, but not mine. There is nothing I can do and it's becoming worse making it so I can barely see out my front windshild on bright, sunny days. Please let me know if this issue can be resolved in anyway as it affects my everyday life and is becoming more and more dangerous to drive, especially when the sun is at high noon. I have attached some photos to show how the interior panel has become naturally. It's currently a cloudy day so the glare issue is not showcased as much. I have temporally laid a tan cloth over to reduce some of the glare because it's less shinny than the melted interior (which seems to reduce the glare problem by 50%). thank you for listening and I hope to hear back soon.

- Eau Claire, WI, USA

problem #9

May 012018

MAZDA3

  • 55,000 miles
The clear coat was not properly applied during manufacturing of the vehicle leading to extensive paint loss and corrosion beginning on the roof of the vehicle and hood. Eventually the failure of the paint will lead to rust and corrosion of the roof and support system of the vehicle which can cause bodily harm if the vehicle is involved in an accident.

- Providence Forge, VA, USA

problem #8

Jul 202016

MAZDA3

  • 45,000 miles
On the dashboard in the center front windshield area, part of the car seems to have come detached. There is a large gap above the ventilation/radio and it seems to continue pulling further away. I am not sure if it is directly affecting the ventilation/air system but I was hearing some strange noises. It has been happening for a while (approx. 3+ years) but continues too progressively worsen.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #7

Jun 212017

MAZDA3

  • miles

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

The contact owns a 2012 Mazda 3. the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V644000 (structure). The part for the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer (corey fairbanks Mazda) informed the contact that they had not received the parts for the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that they would send a second letter once parts were available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Sandford, FL, USA

problem #6

Oct 132016

MAZDA3

  • miles
I got a notice from Mazda telling me my car has a recall on a lift gate damper this has been over 6 months ago and they fail to replace

- Sanford, FL, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #5

May 282017

MAZDA3

  • 60,000 miles
Vehicle was parked in the drive way when for no reason, the moonroof exploded. The glass had no previous impact from rocks, etc. It was a mild day, not hot and not cold.

- Phillipsburg, NJ, USA

problem #4

Sep 062016

MAZDA3

  • miles

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

The contact owns a 2012 Mazda 3. the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V644000 (structure); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Bridgeport, CT, USA

problem #3

Jul 042016

MAZDA3

  • 37,000 miles
About a year ago, I had to replace my tires at just under 30,000 mi because the treads wore improperly. Fast forward a few months, my axle wore out and had to be replaced. However, the real problem comes when about 3 weeks ago, I was driving at about 75 miles an hour on a major highway, four lanes of traffic, and the engine starts jumping. The rpms go up and down, but the car won't accelerate. I get the car to the side of the road on pure momentum. The car then turns completely off with the key in the on position, but not lights come on. I remove the key, wait 5 minutes and the car turns back on. It died again a few min later so I have it towed to a mechanic, who can't find anything wrong. 5 min after leaving the mechanic's shop, my car starts jumping again; I barely made it back. The mechanic is at a loss and recommends the dealership since there are no codes. The dealer gets it and works with it for a few days and says that the mass air flow sensor (mafs) was clogged, which was turning off the car, and the bearings were also causing problems because they were worn out (from the axle being improperly installed). They replaced the bearings, cleaned the mafs, and reset the computer, under the warranty, and told me my car was ok. 2 days later, I'm driving on a major highway again and the car starts jumping again. I was able to barely make it out of traffic before the car died again. The car starts up again 5 min later and I take about 10 min to get to safety as this repeats. The dealer has my car for almost 3 wks, Mazda's field engineers get involved, they-checked the fuel components, the computer, filters etc, and then Mazda recommends checking the wiring harness. A clip had broken above the axle on the engine that allowed the wiring to wear out. They had to redo the wiring in a different way so it wouldn't wear--this seems like it has happen to others w/O resolution.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

problem #2

Apr 032015

MAZDA3

  • 34,944 miles
Dashboard pops out in temperatures over 90 degrees.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #1

Nov 202012

MAZDA3 4-cyl

  • 12,681 miles
Drivers door cannot be opened from the inside. Dealer reports latch cable is broken. This is the second occurrence of the drivers door latch cable breaking.

- Montpelier, VT, USA

Not what you are looking for?