Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 29,895 complaints for MAZDA
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
In mid-2021, the Mazda Connect infotainment system suddenly stopped working. Upon starting the car, the software boots over and over again. The Bluetooth is inoperable; radio plays but I cannot change stations; steering wheel functionality of these features is absent; backup camera is intermittent and dimmer. The latter is a safety issue. The Mazda dealer diagnosed a malfunction of the connectivit... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2021
I received a notice from NHTSA (Campaign No. 20V-063) in May 2020 regarding a recall on daytime running lights due a problem with flickering or not lighting at all. A local dealership changed the lights in September 2020 at no charge to me. Now in September 2021 I see that the passenger side DRL is flickering constantly.
Incident date: May 4, 2021
Car will not sense that it is in park. It constantly says to put car in park when it already is. The car needs to be turned On and off several times to get it to work and one time it took 45 minutes. It happens nearly every day. It’s been going on for months and I’ve had 3 shops look at it. I called Mazda as well and they acted like they never heard of such a thing. Searching online it is very... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
The error code "B14FO-76 FORWARD SENSING CAMERA DEVIATION - WRONG MOUNTING POSITION" was discovered, and verified, by a Safelite Auto Glass service center when the 2021 Mazda 3 was in for a repair (stone chip) to the windshield on September 21, 2021. There were no warning messages nor lights to alert the driver as to the improper installation/mounting of this device. There has been no known modifi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
The error code "B14FO-76 FORWARD SENSING CAMERA DEVIATION - WRONG MOUNTING POSITION" was discovered, and verified, by a Safelite Auto Glass service center when the 2021 Mazda 3 was in for a repair (stone chip) to the windshield on September 21, 2021. There were no warning messages nor lights to alert the driver as to the improper installation/mounting of this device. There has been no known modifi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
The error code "B14FO-76 FORWARD SENSING CAMERA DEVIATION - WRONG MOUNTING POSITION" was discovered, and verified, by a Safelite Auto Glass service center when the 2021 Mazda 3 was in for a repair (stone chip) to the windshield on September 21, 2021. There were no warning messages nor lights to alert the driver as to the improper installation/mounting of this device. There has been no known modifi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2021
My vehicle detects other vehicles and/or objects on the left side periodically when there is nothing there.
Incident date: Sep 28, 2021
Timing cover leak, all maintenance was completed before the service bulletin. This is a TSB but should be a recall for how common this issue is as they stated it could be caused from the assembly line during a pressurized test. “ This may be caused by oil escaping from a fine clearance created at the sealant applied to joint (A)between the cylinder block (B) and head (C) when the engine was pres... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2021
Timing cover leak, all maintenance was completed before the service bulletin. This is a TSB but should be a recall for how common this issue is as they stated it could be caused from the assembly line during a pressurized test. “ This may be caused by oil escaping from a fine clearance created at the sealant applied to joint (A)between the cylinder block (B) and head (C) when the engine was pres... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2021
Hello i am a 2nd owner of a Mazda 2007 6. And the man i brought car from said it always did it to him as well.i would explain it as in stopping or speeding up the dashboard lights flicker or goes off, the engine gets real loud and car jerks and shakes and loses power check engine light comes on and AT.and Cars dyes in reverse a few times on me. Auto lots said that it is common and known for electr... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2021
Hello i am a 2nd owner of a Mazda 2007 6. And the man i brought car from said it always did it to him as well.i would explain it as in stopping or speeding up the dashboard lights flicker or goes off, the engine gets real loud and car jerks and shakes and loses power check engine light comes on and AT.and Cars dyes in reverse a few times on me. Auto lots said that it is common and known for electr... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2021
Hello i am a 2nd owner of a Mazda 2007 6. And the man i brought car from said it always did it to him as well.i would explain it as in stopping or speeding up the dashboard lights flicker or goes off, the engine gets real loud and car jerks and shakes and loses power check engine light comes on and AT.and Cars dyes in reverse a few times on me. Auto lots said that it is common and known for electr... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2021
Intermittently, the doors will not unlock when inside the vehicle, effectively trapping the occupants inside. Additionally, the locks will fail to lock or lock with either the key or the remote fob. trapping occupants inside or prohibiting someone on the outside from getting in to retrieve children inside.
Incident date: Aug 18, 2021
Water is able to get into the back lift gate and has caused the latch to deteriorate and go bad making it unable to be opened and causing a safety issue for the consumer
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact noticed that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the passenger blind spot monitoring light and sound failed to operate. The contact mentioned that the vehicle failed to let her know when a vehicle was nearby her. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they reset the monitor however, the failure recurred days later. The contact mentioned that th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact noticed that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the passenger blind spot monitoring light and sound failed to operate. The contact mentioned that the vehicle failed to let her know when a vehicle was nearby her. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they reset the monitor however, the failure recurred days later. The contact mentioned that th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2021
Seat height adjustment lifter link has lost the push nut which retained it to the seat rail. Driver seat, left hand front link.
Incident date: Sep 24, 2021
Sunroof shattered by itself
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
Front end passages side shaking with 60 mhg. And some time smelling gasoline when first started up my car.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
Front end passages side shaking with 60 mhg. And some time smelling gasoline when first started up my car.
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
2004 MAZDA MPV. CONSUMER WRITES ASKING TO BE REMOVED FROM RECALL LIST BECAUSE THEY NO LONGER OWN THE VEHICLE.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2021
Mazda Motors North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles manufactured January 4, 2014, to September 18, 2015. The fuel tank of the affected vehicles may have been improperly handled during manufacturing and, as a result, the welded attachment of the Inlet Check Valve (ICV) may fail and allow fuel to leak. Consequence A fuel leak in the presence of a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2021
Mazda Motors North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles manufactured January 4, 2014, to September 18, 2015. The fuel tank of the affected vehicles may have been improperly handled during manufacturing and, as a result, the welded attachment of the Inlet Check Valve (ICV) may fail and allow fuel to leak. Consequence A fuel leak in the presence of a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Mazda CX9. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hot engine temperature warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and added coolant to the reservoir and waited for the engine to cool down. The warning light remained illuminated. The contact was concerned that the failure was related to the water pump on the vehicle not working as needed. The... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2021
While driving on an urban road and going over a slight bump, heard a clunk in the left rear wheel well. Pulled over and off road to investigate the situation. Was unable to see any particular cause in the rear suspension. However a small piece of corroded aluminum fell onto the ground from up inside the wheel well. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop and the diagnosis was that both aluminum r... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2019
P 255 / 50 R 20 104V M+S tread physically detached while driving at 70MPH Was able to steer and stop the vehicle and avoid a crash, partially due to fewer traffic on the road and the tire in question was on the rear driver side. Was able to replace the tire with my insurance. However no intimation about the failure was mentioned or no further action taken about safety of other tires previously... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2020
The sensor does not send the speed to the speedometer
Incident date: Sep 17, 2021
The contact owned a 2002 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, a pop noise was heard, the vehicle had unintended acceleration; the engine revved and sped up to 80 - 90 mph, inadvertently, and the brakes failed to engage after the contact had depressed with both feet on the brake pedal. The contact made a turn into a park and the vehicle slid, then crashed into a tree. The... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 12, 2021
On 10/12/2021 we were driving on and urban street when the vehicle infront of us signaled and initiated a right hand turn. At that point were we traveling approximately 20 mph, and we were driving with active cruise disengaged. When we were around 150 feet behind the vehicle taking a right when our CX-9 falsely engaged the emergency braking. Our car with our whole family in it locked up the brakes... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2021
The wheel well rusted out, completely leaving the shock tower and stability of the car at risk, rusted out completely, I'm a light backyard mechanic and I've seen the Ford do the same . The repair is almost the value of the car, and unless you trust them your basically buying a new vehicle, because while you're there may change the set of shock's and absorber that's about 700. To include. This ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH with the accelerator pedal depressed and shifting from second to third gear, the engine revved up, hesitated, and lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the low-beam headlights were inoperable. There was a clunking noise d... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH with the accelerator pedal depressed and shifting from second to third gear, the engine revved up, hesitated, and lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the low-beam headlights were inoperable. There was a clunking noise d... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH with the accelerator pedal depressed and shifting from second to third gear, the engine revved up, hesitated, and lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the low-beam headlights were inoperable. There was a clunking noise d... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2003 Mazda Tribute. The contact had taken his vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that there was severe corrosion on the lower control arm. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V174000 (Structure) which he linked to the failure. After performing a VIN search, the contact also discovered that his vehicle was not included in the recal... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2021
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.
Incident date: May 4, 2012
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.
Incident date: May 4, 2012
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.
Incident date: Sep 10, 2021
I was driving down the highway when my moonroof suddenly and unexpectedly “exploded.” I quickly came to the conclusion that it didn’t happen due to an external cause; I hadn’t gone under an overpass and there weren’t any other vehicles nearby that could have caused an object to hit my car. The weather had been clear that day, and my car had been parked in the shade prior to this happenin... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2020
Will not accelerate at times no matter how far you press down on gas pedal and will stall right after. I will pull over shut off vehicle and restart. This sometimes corrects the problem right away. Other times it lasts longer. System malfunction light randomly comes on.
Incident date: Sep 12, 2020
Will not accelerate at times no matter how far you press down on gas pedal and will stall right after. I will pull over shut off vehicle and restart. This sometimes corrects the problem right away. Other times it lasts longer. System malfunction light randomly comes on.
Incident date: Sep 12, 2020
Will not accelerate at times no matter how far you press down on gas pedal and will stall right after. I will pull over shut off vehicle and restart. This sometimes corrects the problem right away. Other times it lasts longer. System malfunction light randomly comes on.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2021
Trans seems to slip going in and out of 4th gear. Just bought this car 3 days ago and it has been a consistent problem that didn't start until an hour after the purchase once it warmed up. Looks like it's the transfer case, this suv only has 106k on it ! This is absolutely ridiculous, Mazda needs to offer a recall for this issue so those who have the issue don't have to fork out MORE money for an ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2021
When getting off highway engine began to knock. Engine stalled and would not restart. Upon inspection the water pump was found to have failed and leaked engine coolant into oil. This caused engine to have a complete failure. No check engine light illuminated but when car was scanned multiple codes were found. The car was also found to have a bad Transfer Case.
Incident date: Sep 5, 2021
When getting off highway engine began to knock. Engine stalled and would not restart. Upon inspection the water pump was found to have failed and leaked engine coolant into oil. This caused engine to have a complete failure. No check engine light illuminated but when car was scanned multiple codes were found. The car was also found to have a bad Transfer Case.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
The steering was making loud knocking noises at low-speed turns. When looked up Mazda2 issues, found that there was a recall for Steering, Recall no. 16V203000, dated 2016-04-10, states: If the steering knuckle separates from the strut assembly, it can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. When the dealership looked up my VIN, it was not a serial number listed under th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
The steering was making loud knocking noises at low-speed turns. When looked up Mazda2 issues, found that there was a recall for Steering, Recall no. 16V203000, dated 2016-04-10, states: If the steering knuckle separates from the strut assembly, it can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. When the dealership looked up my VIN, it was not a serial number listed under th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The media console screen on my Mazda CX-3 has spiderweb-like cracking. This causes "ghost touch" which means that while I am driving, the system makes consistent loud beeping noises, frantically changes screens, changes music, calls people (if my phone is connected to bluetooth), etc.. There is no way to turn this off and it is incredibly distracting and startling while I am on the road. I know ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2021
My 2015 mazda3 was in a collision on 09/08/2021 and my vehicle was totaled. None of my airbags deployed . Fortunately i only sustained neck and back injuries. I believe that i would have avoided these injuries if my airbags deployed properly. Has anyone else reported a problem with airbags on the 2015 mazda3? If there is a problem with the airbag then other owners need to be notified of this ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 8, 2021
Vehicle was brought in for recall 2818I in January 2020. Still noticed a rough ride afterwards and believed issue to be with the rear suspension. Local independent auto repair shop inspected suspension and said all was well. Brought in for regular check up at Mazda dealer in September 2021. Mechanic took video to show the amount of rust on the rear subframe. Condition is beyond repair without rep... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2021
I was on the Queensboro Bridge headed from Queens, NY into Manhattan on the afternoon of August 29. Weather was partly cloudy and dry conditions. Traffic was bumper to bumper and moving anywhere from 0mph to maybe 5mph. I was in the middle of the bridge driving approximately 5mph and my 2020 Mazda 3 beeped (collision warning) and applied brakes. I was almost rear ended and my two passengers we... Read more