NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 108 owner complaints for the 2018 Mazda3.
4Safety recalls
108Owner complaints
6Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: backover prevention and rearview camera, fuel system, visibility, and engine and cooling. Most-reported area: electrical system (30 complaints, 28%). Includes the sedan and hatchback.
4 safety recalls for the 2018 Mazda3
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
The rearview camera image may not display properly by showing a flickering or distorted image.
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display properly can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera, as necessary. In addition, dealers will install a wiring harness fastening seal. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 13, 2023. Final owner letters for affected models and model years in the states of CT, MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA and VA were mailed August 14, 2024. The remaining owner notification letters will be mailed at a future date, anticipated on or before May 1, 2025. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 6023G.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Mazda3 and 2016-2021CX-3 vehicles.
The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3,2018-2019MX-5,CX-5,CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles.
A defective windshield wiper relay may cause the windshield wipers to become inoperative, reducing the driver's visibility.
Risk: Reduced visibility while driving can increase the risk of crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front body control module with a new module which uses an improved wiper relay design, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3219D.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Mazda3 vehicles.
The incorrect exhaust valve spring may fail while driving, potentially causing an engine stall.
Risk: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engines and replace any incorrect exhaust valve springs, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 20, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1717K.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3 vehicles, equipped with an incorrect exhaust valve spring.
NHTSA listing: MAZDA3. Mazda campaign 1717K.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 108 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Mazda3. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Electrical system30 · 28%
Visibility/wiper16 · 15%
Backover prevention and rearview camera15 · 14%
Engine12 · 11%
Fuel and propulsion system7 · 6%
Brakes6 · 6%
Forward collision avoidance5 · 5%
Most named: warnings (3)
Unknown or other26 · 24%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Mazda3 recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2018 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Mazda3 drew the most (47) and the 2018 drew 19.
Owner complaints
2018: 108 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Mazda3
Model year
Complaints
2016
104
2017
83
2018
108
2019
74
2020
32
2021
49
2022
24
2023
12
2024
12
2025
7
2026
1
Safety recalls
2018: 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Mazda3
Model year
Recalls
2016
6
2017
2
2018
4
2019
6
2020
2
2021
1
2022
0
2023
0
2024
3
2025
1
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Mazda Mazda3 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.5%
Mazda Mazda3 5 HB FWD
Rollover risk 10.5%
Questions
What are the most common 2018 Mazda3 problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: electrical system (30), visibility/wiper (16), backover prevention and rearview camera (15). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2018 Mazda3 safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2018 Mazda3 earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Mazda3 has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Mazda dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: MAZDA3.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.