Mazda problems by model
Owners have filed 21,515 complaints with NHTSA about the 17 Mazda models with enough data to profile here, covering 81 model years from 1993 through 2024. The Mazda3 draws the most at 3,803, 17.7% of the make's total.
Complaint volume tracks how many cars a make sold as much as how they held up, and NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports rather than confirmed defects. Nothing on this page compares Mazda against another manufacturer. Use it to find the model, then the model year, then read what owners of that year actually filed.
Every Mazda model
| Model | Model years | Complaints | Most-reported year | Top system that year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mazda3 | 16 2004–2019 | 3,803 | 2010 920 | Structure (18.5%) |
| 626 | 9 1993–2001 | 3,405 | 1995 587 | Power train (59.5%) |
| CX-5 | 9 2013–2021 | 2,960 | 2016 628 | Exterior lighting (25.6%) |
| Tribute | 7 2001–2008 | 2,708 | 2001 734 | Engine and engine cooling (23.4%) |
| Mazda6 | 12 2003–2016 | 2,602 | 2009 529 | Structure (23.4%) |
| CX-7 | 4 2007–2011 | 1,400 | 2007 716 | Engine and engine cooling (29.6%) |
| CX-9 | 6 2008–2018 | 1,209 | 2012 263 | Service brakes (52.9%) |
| Protege | 6 1995–2003 | 841 | 1995 232 | Air bags (21.6%) |
| RX-8 | 2 2004–2005 | 837 | 2004 625 | Power train (25.0%) |
| CX-90 | 1 2024–2024 | 479 | 2024 479 | Steering (34.7%) |
| MPV | 3 2000–2003 | 468 | 2000 184 | Engine and engine cooling (14.1%) |
| CX-90 Plug-In Hybrid | 1 2024–2024 | 162 | 2024 162 | Electrical system (20.4%) |
| B-Series Truck | 1 1994–1994 | 157 | 1994 157 | Service brakes, hydraulic (15.3%) |
| CX-30 | 1 2021–2021 | 138 | 2021 138 | Engine (35.5%) |
| Millenia | 1 1995–1995 | 132 | 1995 132 | Engine and engine cooling (25.8%) |
| RX-7 | 1 1993–1993 | 111 | 1993 111 | Engine and engine cooling (36.9%) |
| Mazda5 | 1 2006–2006 | 103 | 2006 103 | Suspension (20.4%) |
Model years shown are those with at least 100 complaints on file, the gate every page on this site has to clear.
Reading the numbers
Across every Mazda model year on the site, power train is the system named most often: 3,492 complaints, 21.3% of those filed under a named system. Individual model years diverge from that sharply, which is the reason to read the year rather than the badge.
The three most-reported Mazda models (Mazda3, 626 and CX-5) account for 47.3% of the make's complaint volume. The rest is spread across the other 14 models. Bear in mind that a nameplate selling in the millions will out-file a niche one whatever its record.
Of the 21,515 complaints, 1,394 describe a crash, 375 describe a fire and 127 report a death.
Most-reported Mazda model years
The single heaviest model year of each Mazda nameplate, 1993–2024. Heaviest is not worst. Read it alongside the model page.