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: Apr 21, 2022
When adjusting the driver seat, the vehicle began to display "Air Bag System Malfunction. Have the vehicle inspected." This was with roughly 20 total miles on the odometer. It is a new car - Mazda3 Turbo Sedan 2022. After researching online, this is a very common problem with new Mazda3s and there are many customers with the exact same issue. The customers have also made complaints to the NHTSA. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2022
Brake power boost failure
Incident date: Jun 20, 2022
Driving home from work today I got a "low engine oil level" alert/warning. First time this has happened. I have approx. 15,500 miles on my vehicle and it was serviced on 3/22/22 (11,828 miles). That service included a full oil and filter change. I see it has been noted that there is an oil leak with this particular vehicle but Mazda has not been able to figure out what is causing it. Just wanted... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
For some reason this vehicle will make a whoop sound after driving it for a little then idle, either at a stop light or sitting in a parking lot. The first time we heard it we thought that there was a police vehicle in the area. We took it to Mazda dealership, and they didn't what why it was making that sound. The vehicle has less than 25K miles. We are not sure if it could be a big safety issue o... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2022
While driving the rear wheel trim piece went flying off and struck the car behind. Noting was loose, showed signs or issues beforehand and nothing was struck on the road. Online searching has shown this is an issue others have experienced.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2022
The issue I am experiencing is one that many are in regards to the oil consumption. My check oil light came on prematurely in regards to the recommended scheduling for these sorts of vehicles, at around 3500 miles approximately. This is a vehicle that experienced this issue under 10k miles.
Incident date: May 4, 2022
The windshield in my 2021 CX30 had a distorted view on the passenger side of vehicle. Took it in to dealership who confirmed that there was obvious distortion in the windshield. Windshield was replaced and the new windshield has the same issue. Mazda is now saying that it is "normal" to have some distortion on this particular model and they will not replace the windshield again.
Incident date: Jun 9, 2022
Every 4,000 miles my engine oil warming light comes. When the dealership checked my oil level, it was about a quart low.
Incident date: Mar 30, 2021
heading south doing 70 mph on 95 in the far left lane on a rainy day ....came over a hill and started to hydraplayne.....seems like the automatic pilot took the car over ,,,,,i lost the fight with the steering wheel and did two 360s all away across 4 lanes of traffic to the grass inbankment on the other side,,,,,lucky to be alive ......very lucky
Incident date: Mar 30, 2021
heading south doing 70 mph on 95 in the far left lane on a rainy day ....came over a hill and started to hydraplayne.....seems like the automatic pilot took the car over ,,,,,i lost the fight with the steering wheel and did two 360s all away across 4 lanes of traffic to the grass inbankment on the other side,,,,,lucky to be alive ......very lucky
Incident date: Mar 30, 2021
heading south doing 70 mph on 95 in the far left lane on a rainy day ....came over a hill and started to hydraplayne.....seems like the automatic pilot took the car over ,,,,,i lost the fight with the steering wheel and did two 360s all away across 4 lanes of traffic to the grass inbankment on the other side,,,,,lucky to be alive ......very lucky
Incident date: Jun 15, 2022
The main screen in the middle of the vehicle experiences “ghost touches” or acts like it’s being controlled sporadically without any buttons or the screen being touched. It does it so aggressively that it causes major distraction while driving and will even change navigation routes while driving and make calls while trying to navigate. This is a huge safety issue especially for younger driv... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2022
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Cylinder head has cracked and the vehicle leaked coolant and overheated while driving leading to engine failure. Vehicle is available for inspection How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Car overheated while driving leading to engine failure Has the problem been reproduced or confi... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
My 2014 Mazda CX-5 will not shut off completely. I put it in park and turn off the vehicle and the radio and electrical stays on, this has drained my battery on more than one occasion and was actually stuck in the middle of nowhere for one of the incidents. This needs to be recalled after researching this there are HUNDREDS of people with the same year, same vehicle and same issue. This has been r... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2021
Low engine oil light came on at 4600 miles. Brand new vehicle. Excessive consumption of oil known issue with this make/model
Incident date: Jun 14, 2022
Low engine oil light came on at 8990 miles. Bought vehicle brand new. Has occurred before with this same vehicle. Excessive oil consumption is a known issue with this make/model
Incident date: Jun 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been serviced at the dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V631000 (Suspension, Structure). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she lost control of the vehicle. The failure caused the passenger's side rear tire to rub on the fender while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independe... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been serviced at the dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V631000 (Suspension, Structure). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she lost control of the vehicle. The failure caused the passenger's side rear tire to rub on the fender while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independe... Read more
MAZDA
MX-5 MIATA
(1994) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Jun 14, 2022
Incident date: Jun 13, 2022
Car was in storage for 3.5 years and upon starting the engine fuel sprayed from the fuel rail/fuel injector interface (I would estimate 0.2 liters per minute). 10 mb file size limit, LOL. I zoomed my photo to about 5% of the original area to show a 1/2” picture of the fuel spray. Also, FWIW, this is a race car with original/OEM engine.
Incident date: May 16, 2022
Crossmember rust from recall campaign 2818I is able to effect structural attachment despite recall work. The recall installed an "improved: cross member. This was not an actually replacement cross member, rather additional plate steel between the rear and front of the existing attachment points of the defective OE cross member. Improved cross member contains no provisions to support rapidly corrod... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2022
Hi, I have a 2019 Mazda CX-9. It is a certified pre-owned vehicle we purchased in October 2020. Upon going out to our car yesterday, June 12th, 20212, I noticed that the top left of the center console screen appeared to be damaged. I was perplexed because the car was locked and it wasn't there previously. As I touched the screen, I realized that cracks/peeling were all internal within the scre... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2022
Hi, I have a 2019 Mazda CX-9. It is a certified pre-owned vehicle we purchased in October 2020. Upon going out to our car yesterday, June 12th, 20212, I noticed that the top left of the center console screen appeared to be damaged. I was perplexed because the car was locked and it wasn't there previously. As I touched the screen, I realized that cracks/peeling were all internal within the scre... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2022
Randomly accelerated on its own; burns oil- low oil levels twice in 6 months; randomly says cruise control is available under 25 mph when car is traveling at highway speeds; the unlock and lock functions randomly fail; lift gate randomly opens; alarm system randomly goes off; TERRIBLE fuel economy (18-21 mpg)
Incident date: Jun 4, 2022
Randomly accelerated on its own; burns oil- low oil levels twice in 6 months; randomly says cruise control is available under 25 mph when car is traveling at highway speeds; the unlock and lock functions randomly fail; lift gate randomly opens; alarm system randomly goes off; TERRIBLE fuel economy (18-21 mpg)
Incident date: Jun 4, 2022
Randomly accelerated on its own; burns oil- low oil levels twice in 6 months; randomly says cruise control is available under 25 mph when car is traveling at highway speeds; the unlock and lock functions randomly fail; lift gate randomly opens; alarm system randomly goes off; TERRIBLE fuel economy (18-21 mpg)
Incident date: Jun 11, 2022
The vehicle was badly rear ended and the airbags didn't deploy. The dashboard indicated an "airbag malfunction" after the collision happened. The failure of the airbags put myself and my passengers at serious risk; if we weren't wearing our seatbelts, which we were, we would have been gravely injured. The vehicle is less than a year old and still under warranty.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 10, 2021
I was told I have a recall on my fuel pump it can die at any time! Then they tell you they have no solution for fixing it so you're taking your life in your own hands going out of town having a car break down on you! How is that right I buy a new car thinking I can drive it safely and now I'm afraid to go anywhere and this isn't the first recall this car is had either!
Incident date: Jun 9, 2022
Over the past 2 weeks, it's be hard to turn the engine off. I put the car in park like normal, hit the engine off button. But then the car stays on and an alert on the dashboard says to put the car in park (even though it is already in park). Sometimes, taking the car out of park and then putting it back in park fixes the problem. Other times I have to do it several times or drive the car a little... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2022
Over the past 2 weeks, it's be hard to turn the engine off. I put the car in park like normal, hit the engine off button. But then the car stays on and an alert on the dashboard says to put the car in park (even though it is already in park). Sometimes, taking the car out of park and then putting it back in park fixes the problem. Other times I have to do it several times or drive the car a little... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2022
Hello, I bought my 2022 Mazda 3 Sedan in February of 2022. I’ve had my car for a total of 5 months. From the very first month I bought my car I’ve had problems with the “Air Bag / Seat belt pre tensioner.” I have seen this issue appear on my dashboard as well as my Mazda app to give me warnings numerous times I can’t keep track. I have taken my vehicle to my Mazda dealership a total... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2022
Hello, I bought my 2022 Mazda 3 Sedan in February of 2022. I’ve had my car for a total of 5 months. From the very first month I bought my car I’ve had problems with the “Air Bag / Seat belt pre tensioner.” I have seen this issue appear on my dashboard as well as my Mazda app to give me warnings numerous times I can’t keep track. I have taken my vehicle to my Mazda dealership a total... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
I have noticed cracks on both sides of the front bumper on my 2016 Mazda CX-9. Mazda has issued a TSB 09-022-20-3720, however, the cracks recently appeared and my car is no longer under the manufacturer's warranty.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2021
Cracked cylinder head due to manufacturing defect, left stranded at car wash with no engine coolant due to issue, took several months without a vehicle before it was replaced by Mazda. The vehicle has been repaired. I was left unable to drive in hot weather and could not use air conditioning while waiting for assistance. Dealer had seen the issue before, reported by many on online Mazda forums. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
I purchased this vehicle June 5 2021. The vehicle has approximately 9150 miles at this time. I changed the oil the first time at 3222 miles just because it was new and I wanted to have a starting point on oil changes. The car has an app you load on your cell phone for messages. The first time I received a massage that the engine was low of oil was around 6700 miles. I checked it and it was low wit... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2022
Infotainment system/radio: Radio stations start changing by itself while loudly beeping constantly while I drive. I lose total control of the infotainment system. It becomes possessed. The infotainment system automatically starts moving to different screens and tries to delete stations. Very unsafe. I've seen reports of this happening on other Mazda vehicles and other models were recalled for it. ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2022
While driving across Speer Blvd in Denver, CO (6 lanes) the emergency assist brake engaged and brought my car to a complete stop. There were no cars or objects ahead of me and fortunately the cars behind me were able to stop.
Incident date: Apr 11, 2022
While driving across Speer Blvd in Denver, CO (6 lanes) the emergency assist brake engaged and brought my car to a complete stop. There were no cars or objects ahead of me and fortunately the cars behind me were able to stop.
Incident date: Jun 8, 2022
1993 MAZDA MVP. CONSUMER WRITES SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS MADE RELATED TO A SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER DID NOT PROPERLY COMPLETE SAFETY RECALL 15V-674. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER REBUILT THE IGNITION SWITCH INSTEAD OF REPLACING IT WITH A NEW ONE. THE DEALER CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE RADIO, STARTER, ALTERNATOR, BATTERY AND IGNITION. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED FOR THE IGNITION... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2022
Purchased the car used with 67k miles on it. Within 2 weeks of purchase warning lights went off saying that the engine was overheating due to censor malfunction. After three visits to mechanics (2 to the dealership and 1 to a private mechanic) it was determined that coolant was leaking into the engine causing the engine block to crack. This of course means that the engine will have to be replaced ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX3. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2022
Low engine oil level light & status is coming on for our 2021 Mazda CX-5 turbo. It has 9115 miles and still 1300 miles away from needing oil change. I called our dealership today & was informed we were the 2nd to call today with message. They provided no further info. I have since found there are technical bulletins regarding this issue. Recalls need to be made & Mazda should be covering all rep... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2022
Car is burning oil. The low oil level light has come on twice, requiring additional oil be poured into the engine between oil changes. Appears the car is burning oil.
Incident date: May 28, 2022
Low engine oil pressure light came on forcing me to stop driving the vehicle. Upon investigation, engine oil level was a full quart low of oil, despite no leaks and only having 8000 miles.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool conf... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-9, The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Gasoline, Fuel System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had 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 co... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2022
I was driving, and all of a sudden, I hear a loud pop above my head. I slow down to investigate and notice the sound of the wind coming from above me. I slide back my sunroof door and the entire glass is shattered. This could’ve been a very dangerous situation as I was driving on the highway and the loud sudden pop without warning could’ve affected me to lose control of my vehicle. I’ve ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
had loss of coolant mid to late January 2022, which lead to over heating notifications. Upon inspection at dealer (Pacifico Mazda Philadelphia PA), it was determined that i had a cracked cylinder head. Initially dealer said they were to replace just the cylinder head & after about 1 week they said that the engine would be replaced. Received car back 4/06/22
Incident date: Apr 6, 2022
the Mazda Connect information screen has small spider cracks on the upper right part of screen that are inside the glass (if you run your finger over the crack it feels smooth). Information websites pertaining to Mazda vehicles say it's caused by temperature change.
Incident date: May 29, 2022
Sun/moonroof exploded. My own and others' safety were at risk due to falling broken glass The problem was not confirmed by a dealer yet The vehicle will be inspected from glass company/dealer No warning messages or lights indicated the failure.