"How reliable is the 2009 Mazda Mazda3?"

"Based on 140 NHTSA complaints, the 2009 Mazda Mazda3 has a median complaint mileage of 36105 miles. The most common issue is STEERING."

"What are common problems with the 2009 Mazda Mazda3?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2009 Mazda Mazda3 is STEERING, accounting for a significant portion of the 140 total complaints filed."

2009 Mazda Mazda3: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 140 complaints

140

Total Complaints

36,105mi

Median Mileage

STEERING

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

18,000 25th Percentile

36,105 Median Mileage

58,612 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

STEERING

WHEELS

TIRES

TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

AIR BAGS

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TURBO SEALS LEAKING OIL CAUSING VEHICLE TO SMOKE AT IDLE. COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE VEHICLES AND ON MAZDASPEED6 AND ON THE CX7. *TR"

"WE PURCHASED A 2009 MAZDA 3 AND HAVE FOUND THE CAR/TIRE COMBINATION TO BE UNSAFE FOR WINTER DRIVING ON SHOW AND ICE. THE CAR HAS GOODYEAR EAGLE RS-A TIRES WHICH ARE "ALL SEASON" RATED TIRES. THERE NEEDS TO BE STRICTER REQUIREMENTS FOR CARS SOLD IN NOTHERN STATES AND FOR TIRES THAT USE THE "ALL SEA..."

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESTIATES TO ACCELERATE APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 QUARTER TO 1 1/4 BEFORE THE VEHICLE MOVED. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE AUGUST OF 2008. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE AUTO SHOP TWICE FOR THE ISSUE AND EACH TIME THE CONT..."

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

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