Mazda Mazda3 2010–2013 problems by year and mileage
2nd generation (BL)
NHTSA data through 24 September 20261,207 complaints, 873 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2010 Mazda Mazda3
Close- Median failure report
- 60,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 718
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2010
- Body structure174 reports · median 49,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise137 reports · median 80,000 mi
- Seats124 reports · median 70,000 mi
3 recall campaigns name the 2010: Seats; Structure — body; Electrical system. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2011 Mazda Mazda3
Close- Median failure report
- 45,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 137
- Recalls naming this year
- 2
Most reported on the 2011
- Airbag system29 reports
- Seats20 reports
- Problems owners could not categorise18 reports
2 recall campaigns name the 2011: Seats; Structure — body. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2012 Mazda Mazda3
Close- Median failure report
- 39,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 232
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2012
- Transmission and driveline43 reports · median 19,000 mi
- Engine32 reports · median 20,000 mi
- Exterior lighting32 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2012: Structure — body. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2013 Mazda Mazda3
Close- Median failure report
- 42,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 120
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2013
- Exterior lighting36 reports · median 45,000 mi
- Electrical system32 reports
- Transmission and driveline18 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2013: Structure — body. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. The 2010 reports latest and the 2012 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2010 has had 2 more years on the road to accumulate mileage.
The short answer
“Is the 2010–2013 Mazda Mazda3 reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 52,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 119,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 873
- Recalls
- 3
Most reported
- Body structure18.1% of complaints · median 49,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise15.2% of complaints · median 76,000 mi
- Seats14.3% of complaints · median 70,000 mi
Documented problems
Owners filed 1,207 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010–2013 Mazda Mazda3; body structure leads with 18.1% of them, and half of the 873 that record an odometer reading came by 52,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 30,000 and 84,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2010–2013 Mazda Mazda3 last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2010–2013 Mazda Mazda3, half of the 873 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 52,000 miles and 90% by 119,000 miles.
35 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 4 past 200,000 — each one proof that a Mazda3 reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Mazda Mazda3 2010–2013 · 873 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 95 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 4 complaints (0.5%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 12,000
- 25%
- 30,000
- Median
- 52,300
- 75%
- 84,000
- 90%
- 119,420
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 76 | 8.7% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 65 | 7.4% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 71 | 8.1% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 90 | 10.3% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 95 | 10.9% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 93 | 10.7% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 82 | 9.4% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 52 | 6.0% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 54 | 6.2% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 47 | 5.4% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 39 | 4.5% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 22 | 2.5% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 22 | 2.5% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 18 | 2.1% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 12 | 1.4% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 10 | 1.1% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 12 | 1.4% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 6 | 0.7% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 2 | 0.2% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 200,000+ | 4 | 0.5% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Mazda3 problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Mazda Mazda3 2010–2013
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Transmission and driveline115 reports30,00017,000–60,000Transmission and driveline: 115 reports, median 30,000 miles, middle half 17,000 to 60,000 miles.
- Body structure218 reports49,00034,000–65,000Body structure: 218 reports, median 49,000 miles, middle half 34,000 to 65,000 miles.
- Exterior lighting104 reports51,00036,000–80,000Exterior lighting: 104 reports, median 51,000 miles, middle half 36,000 to 80,000 miles.
- Visibility/wiper115 reports58,00039,000–79,000Visibility/wiper: 115 reports, median 58,000 miles, middle half 39,000 to 79,000 miles.
- Electrical system124 reports64,00038,000–101,000Electrical system: 124 reports, median 64,000 miles, middle half 38,000 to 101,000 miles.
- Seats172 reports70,00051,000–100,000Seats: 172 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 51,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise183 reports76,00050,000–99,000Problems owners could not categorise: 183 reports, median 76,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 99,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body structure | 218 | 18.1% | 49,000 | 34,000–65,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 183 | 15.2% | 76,000 | 50,000–99,000 |
| Seats | 172 | 14.3% | 70,000 | 51,000–100,000 |
| Electrical system | 124 | 10.3% | 64,000 | 38,000–101,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 115 | 9.5% | 30,000 | 17,000–60,000 |
| Visibility/wiper | 115 | 9.5% | 58,000 | 39,000–79,000 |
| Exterior lighting | 104 | 8.6% | 51,000 | 36,000–80,000 |
| Airbag system | 82 | 6.8% | 60,000 | 38,000–90,000 |
| Wheels | 73 | 6.0% | 49,000 | 35,000–70,000 |
| Engine | 70 | 5.8% | 38,000 | 12,000–100,000 |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 52,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Body structure accounts for 18.1% of complaints (218 reports, 126 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 49,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 34,000 and 65,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 15.2% of complaints (183 reports, 94 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 76,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 50,000 and 99,000 miles.
Seats account for 14.3% of complaints (172 reports, 134 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 51,000 and 100,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 10.3% of complaints (124 reports, 90 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 64,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 38,000 and 101,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 9.5% of complaints (115 reports, 101 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 30,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 17,000 and 60,000 miles.
Visibility/wiper accounts for 9.5% of complaints (115 reports, 67 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 58,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 39,000 and 79,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2010–2013 Mazda3
Powertrain (generation Split) 2012–2013
Major mid-generation powertrain change: MY2012-2013 replaced the 2.0L MZR and its 5-speed transmissions with the SkyActiv-G 2.0 and SkyActiv 6-speed manual/automatic. Complaint patterns for 2010-2011 and 2012-2013 should not be pooled.
Electrical
Clock spring and traction control module faults; door lock actuator failures.
Body / Corrosion
Continued rear arch and subframe corrosion complaints in salt-belt states, though reduced versus the BK.
Before you buy a 2010–2013 Mazda3: the 3-minute check
Generated from 873 mileage-tagged complaints, 3 recall campaigns, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 3 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check powertrain (generation split) on 2012–2013 cars. Major mid-generation powertrain change: MY2012-2013 replaced the 2.0L MZR and its 5-speed transmissions with the SkyActiv-G 2.0 and SkyActiv 6-speed manual/automatic. Complaint patterns for 2010-2011 and 2012-2013…
- Check electrical. Clock spring and traction control module faults; door lock actuator failures.
- Check body / corrosion. Continued rear arch and subframe corrosion complaints in salt-belt states, though reduced versus the BK.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 30,000 and 84,000 miles, with a median of 52,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, body structure and problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Body structure in particular shows a median failure mileage of 49,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Mazda3 problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi56% below | At 90k mi78% below | At 120k mi90% below | At 150k mi96% below | At 200k mi100% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body structure | 34,000–65,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 50,000–99,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Seats | 51,000–100,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 38,000–101,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Transmission and driveline | 17,000–60,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Visibility/wiper | 39,000–79,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Exterior lighting | 36,000–80,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Mazda Mazda3 2010–2013 · 873 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 56% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 78% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 90% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 96% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 100% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
The staircase tops out at 100%: the remaining 0.5% of reports (4) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2010–2013 Mazda Mazda3 recalls (3)
NHTSA records 3 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Feb 2017 · 2010–2011 · SeatsIf the driver cannot maintain an appropriate driving position, there is an increased risk of a crash.
The defect. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2011 Mazda2 and 2010-2011 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles equipped with a manual seat lifter. In the affected vehicles, the seat height adjustment lifter links may break or detach from the seat…
What can happen. If the driver cannot maintain an appropriate driving position, there is an increased risk of a crash.
The free fix. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat lifter links and install a reinforcement bracket to the lifter links, or replace the entire seat adjuster unit, free of charge. The recall…
Sep 2016 · 2010–2013 · StructureIf the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.
The defect. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles…
What can happen. If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.
The free fix. Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at…
Apr 2009 · 2010 · Electrical SystemThe main fuse may blow out causing the engine to stall and inability of restart, increasing the risk of a…
The defect. Mazda is recalling 25,400 my 2010 Mazda3 vehicles. A clearance between the engine harness and the housing of starter motor may be insufficient. Due to this, the covering of the harness may be damaged through vibration during operation possibly causing a…
What can happen. The main fuse may blow out causing the engine to stall and inability of restart, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will have the engine harness inspect and add a protector clip on the affected section of the harness. If necessary, the harness will be repaired. This service will be performed free of…
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,207 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 48 (4.0%)
- Fires
- 10
- Injury reports
- 27
- Fatality reports
- 0
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Mazda3 problems by model year
The 2010 drew the most complaints of this generation, 718, most of them about body structure, and the 2013 the fewest, 120. A typical year drew about 184.
That makes the 2010 stand out at roughly 3.9 times a typical year. A count like this follows how many cars of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as how often they failed, so it is not by itself evidence of a worse year; what each year's reports name, in its card and row, is the useful part.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 718 | 516 | 60,000 | Body structure (174) | 3 |
| 2011 | 137 | 99 | 45,000 | Airbag system (29) | 2 |
| 2012 | 232 | 176 | 39,000 | Transmission and driveline (43) | 1 |
| 2013 | 120 | 82 | 42,000 | Exterior lighting (36) | 1 |
What Mazda3 owners reported
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver’s side seat wobbled and was unsecured. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who determined that the front driver’s side seat lifter link was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet…
2011 · 168,000 miles · Airbag system
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda3. The vehicle was transported from the east to Texas, and the vehicle was bought used. The contact stated that the dashboard was sticky and that a gap was between the instrument panel and cover. The contact stated that a small to medium bubble had started to form. The vehicle was…
2012 · 100,000 miles · Body structure
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside and outside the vehicle for the next 5 days, prompting the contact to only fuel the vehicle halfway. The contact observed fuel leaking underneath the vehicle near the fuel tank. No…
2012 · 81,000 miles · Fuel system
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that the adhesive tape on the instrument panel was melt, making it difficult to see the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the instrument panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted…
2010 · 105,000 miles · Electrical system
Built from 873 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Mazda3 generations
- Mazda3 2004–2009 914 reports with mileage, most about the steering
- Mazda3 2014–2018 278 reports with mileage, most about problems owners could not categorise