Model year record

2012 Mazda MAZDA3

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 336 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 16V644000

Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate

Component: Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate
Manufacturer: Mazda North American Operations
Vehicles affected: 580,455
Reported to NHTSA: 2016-09-06
Owners notified: 2017-03-08

Defect description

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 manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.

Safety risk

If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

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 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9916H.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

Component	Complaints	Median mileage
Power train	38	20,000 mi
Engine	32	20,000 mi
Exterior lighting	32	60,000 mi
Electrical system	25	60,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	20	48,000 mi
Vehicle speed control	20	12,000 mi
Unknown or other	18	40,400 mi
Seats	17	75,000 mi
Air bags	16	49,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)	16	16,490 mi
Service brakes	15	56,617 mi
Steering	15	48,865 mi
Wheels	12	28,000 mi
Structure: body	10	45,000 mi
Suspension	9	48,865 mi
Fuel system, gasoline	5	16,000 mi
Visibility/wiper	5	60,000 mi
Tires	4	23,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling	3	2,500 mi
Structure	3	12,048 mi
Structure: interior panels: dashboard	3	100,000 mi
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly	3	22,000 mi
Seat belts	2	69,009 mi
Traction control system	2	6,000 mi
Air bags: frontal	1	10 mi
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: status indicator lamp/light	1	—
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel	1	62,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control	1	142,000 mi
Equipment adaptive/mobility	1	29,387 mi
Lane departure: warning	1	—
Power train: clutch assembly	1	10,000 mi
Power train: manual transmission	1	100 mi
Structure: body: door	1	4,164 mi
Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate	1	—
Visibility	1	21,140 mi

The 2011 model has 2 times as many complaints as this one. The 2013 model has 2 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Open investigations

An investigation is not a recall. It indicates that NHTSA is currently evaluating an alleged defect but has not reached a final determination.

EA21002Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.