"How reliable is the 2008 Mazda Mazda3?"

"Based on 387 NHTSA complaints, the 2008 Mazda Mazda3 has a median complaint mileage of 45350 miles. The most common issue is Steering."

"What are common problems with the 2008 Mazda Mazda3?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2008 Mazda Mazda3 is Steering, accounting for a significant portion of the 387 total complaints filed."

2008 Mazda Mazda3: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 387 complaints

387

Total Complaints

45,350mi

Median Mileage

Steering

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

25,000 25th Percentile

45,350 Median Mileage

79,352 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Steering

109

Wheels

Tires

Air Bags

Electrical System

Engine

Exterior Lighting

Power Train

Service Brakes

Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"VEHICLE HAS EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS CAUSING A DETECTABLE NOISE AT THE EXHAUST FLANGE SEAL. *TR"

"THE WARNING CHIME FOR SEAT BELTS NOT BEING USED IS INAUDIBLE ON THE 2008 MAZDA3 EVEN WITH ALL ACCESSORIES TURNED OFF. THE DEALER EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE CHANGED DUE TO CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS THAT PREVIOUS YEARS WERE TOO LOUD AND PERSISTENT. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THE DEALER CHECKED ..."

"TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR CONSTANTLY TURNING OFF ON RANDOMLY. DEALER SAYS THEY ARE CONSTANTLY GETTING COMPLAINTS. NO RECALL. SO WHEN THERE IS AN ACTUAL TIRE PROBLEM, YOU MAY NOT TAKE THE WARNING LIGHT SERIOUSLY. BECAUSE IT TURNS ON ALL THE TIME FOR NO REASON. *TR"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Steering 109 complaints

25th: 23,562 mi Median: 35,125 mi 75th: 50,410 mi

Wheels 33 complaints

25th: 37,050 mi Median: 56,000 mi 75th: 74,892 mi

Tires 27 complaints

25th: 29,000 mi Median: 51,000 mi 75th: 75,927 mi

Air Bags 19 complaints

25th: 40,000 mi Median: 80,000 mi 75th: 109,000 mi

Electrical System 17 complaints

25th: 52,075 mi Median: 68,800 mi 75th: 81,180 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 30 NY: 27 FL: 27 PA: 24 NJ: 21 MA: 19 OH: 18 WA: 17 VA: 17 TX: 15

Who Files Complaints?

2.1%

Original Owners

97.9%

Second+ Owners

Mazda Mazda3 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2004	185	55,650	Steering	25
2005	127	67,295	Air Bags	25
2006	224	71,290	Steering	29
2007	301	77,000	Steering	36
2009	140	36,105	Steering	13
2010	919	59,286	Unknown Or Other	26
2011	179	44,850	Air Bags	18
2012	328	37,000	Power Train	12
2013	176	40,660	Exterior Lighting	7
2014	178	30,100	Unknown Or Other	16
2015	153	25,000	Unknown Or Other	13
2016	136	35,056	Electrical System	12
2017	104	28,692	Unknown Or Other	11
2018	138	19,185	Electrical System	9
2019	116	5,000	Unknown Or Other	7
2020	50	5,500	Automatic Emergency Braking	0
2021	66	-	Engine	4
2022	31	-	Air Bags	2
2023	20	-	Power Train	8
2024	20	-	Electrical System	6

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28