"How reliable is the 2011 Mazda Mazda3?"

"Based on 179 NHTSA complaints, the 2011 Mazda Mazda3 has a median complaint mileage of 44850 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS."

"What are common problems with the 2011 Mazda Mazda3?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2011 Mazda Mazda3 is AIR BAGS, accounting for a significant portion of the 179 total complaints filed."

2011 Mazda Mazda3: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 179 complaints

179

Total Complaints

44,850mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

21,750 25th Percentile

44,850 Median Mileage

76,250 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS

SEATS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

STEERING

STRUCTURE:BODY

POWER TRAIN

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TIRES

SUSPENSION

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"ON FRIDAY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY CAR (SHE LEARNED HOW TO DRIVE ON A MANUAL AND HAS NO PROBLEMS DRIVING IT) ON A BACK COUNTRY 2 LANE ROAD WITH OUR SON IN THE BACK AND OUT OF CELL PHONE COVERAGE. SHE WAS DRIVING ALONG AT 60 MPH, IN 6TH GEAR WHEN THE RPS STARTED TO BOUNCE OFF THE REV LIMITER. SHE CHECK..."

"APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD. THERE WAS A PASSENGER SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DIAGNOSE A FAILURE. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED BECAUSE T..."

"CLUNKING NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS OR ROUGH ROAD STARTED AT ABOUT 500 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. DEALER FOUND THAT THE SWAY BAR LINK NUT IN THE REAR WAS LOOSE AND TIGHTENED IT. AFTERWARDS READ ONLINE MANY COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER OWNERS OF THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *TT"

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