Model Years

2021 Mazda3 Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 49 owner complaints for the 2021 Mazda3.

1Safety recalls
49Owner complaints
2Complaints citing a crash
2Complaints citing a fire

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at Mazda dealers.

Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Recalled components: tires. Most-reported area: engine (18 complaints, 37%). Includes the sedan and hatchback.

1 safety recall for the 2021 Mazda3

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Tires

Feb 22, 2021

valve

Air may suddenly leak from the tire air valve.

Risk: A sudden air leak from the tire air valve may cause a loss of vehicle control while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four tire air valves with new parts, free of charge. The recall began April 6, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4721B.

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2021 Mazda3 and CX-30 vehicles.

NHTSA listing: MAZDA3. Mazda campaign 4721B.

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 49 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Mazda3. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

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 2021 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 2021 drew 31.

Owner complaints

2021: 49 complaints

Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Mazda3
Model yearComplaints
2016104
201783
2018108
201974
202032
202149
202224
202312
202412
20257
20261

Safety recalls

2021: 1 recall

Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Mazda3
Model yearRecalls
20166
20172
20184
20196
20202
20211
20220
20230
20243
20251
20260

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 versionOverallFrontalSideRollover
Mazda Mazda3 4 DR AWD
Rollover risk 10.1%
Mazda Mazda3 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.1%
Mazda Mazda3 5 HB AWD
Rollover risk 10.1%
Mazda Mazda3 5 HB FWD
Rollover risk 10.1%

Questions

What are the most common 2021 Mazda3 problems?

The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (18), forward collision avoidance (7), electrical system (6). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.

Is the 2021 Mazda3 safe?

In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 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.