2016 Mazda CX-3
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2016 Mazda CX-3 has 63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.8x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (17% of all complaints), specifically: vehicle a/c quit working after less than 3 yrs, just out of warranty no less. dealer wants nearly $2k for repair. turns out the cause is a defective part mazda has been aware of since 2016. i was not notified of this issue. there are three separate tsb's about the issue and a mazda service progra.
63
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
0.8x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
ELECTRICAL
11 complaints- • VEHICLE A/C QUIT WORKING AFTER LESS THAN 3 YRS, JUST OUT OF WARRANTY NO LESS. DEALER WANTS NEARLY $2K FOR REPAIR. TURNS OUT THE CAUSE IS A DEFECTIVE PART MAZDA HAS BEEN AWARE OF SINCE 2016. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE THREE SEPARATE TSB'S ABOUT THE ISSUE AND A MAZDA SERVICE PROGRA
- • THE HEADLAMPS CONTAIN AND HOLD MOISTURE CAUSING A SOFTER LIGHT AND LESS VISIBILITY. I AM AFRAID THE MOISTURE WILL CAUSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE.
- • DRIVING ON INTERSTATE CAR LOST POWER ALL WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON THEN DIED COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD COULD NOT RESTART CAR HAD ABOUT 1/8 TANK GAS DOT CAME AND PUT IN SOME MORE GAS RESTARTED WENT TO GAS STATION AND OIL CHANGE SHOP THAT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING TO REPAIR RESET WARNING LIGHTS
“VEHICLE A/C QUIT WORKING AFTER LESS THAN 3 YRS, JUST OUT OF WARRANTY NO LESS. DEALER WANTS NEARLY $2K FOR REPAIR. TURNS OUT THE CAUSE IS A DEFECTIVE PART MAZDA HAS BEEN AWARE OF SINCE 2016. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE THREE SEPARATE TSB'S ABOUT THE ISSUE AND A MAZDA SERVICE PROGRA”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
10 complaints- • I BOUGHT A MAZDA CX-3 ON DECEMBER 31ST 2015. ON JANUARY 27TH I DROVE THE CAR FROM HOME TO WORK FOR 20 MINUTES AND I ENTERED PARKING LOT WITH MAY BE 15 MILES AN HOUR! I MADE MY 90 DEGREE TURN INTO PARKING STALL WITH MAY BE 5 MILES AN HOUR AND PUSHED THE BRAKE TO FULLY STOP! CAR ALMOST STOPPED BUT SU
- • WARM ENGINE, VERY HARD/LONG CRANKING TIME. VS. STARTS RIGHT UP WHEN ENGINE COLD
- • VEHICLE A/C QUIT WORKING AFTER LESS THAN 3 YRS, JUST OUT OF WARRANTY NO LESS. DEALER WANTS NEARLY $2K FOR REPAIR. TURNS OUT THE CAUSE IS A DEFECTIVE PART MAZDA HAS BEEN AWARE OF SINCE 2016. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE THREE SEPARATE TSB'S ABOUT THE ISSUE AND A MAZDA SERVICE PROGRA
“I BOUGHT A MAZDA CX-3 ON DECEMBER 31ST 2015. ON JANUARY 27TH I DROVE THE CAR FROM HOME TO WORK FOR 20 MINUTES AND I ENTERED PARKING LOT WITH MAY BE 15 MILES AN HOUR! I MADE MY 90 DEGREE TURN INTO PARKING STALL WITH MAY BE 5 MILES AN HOUR AND PUSHED THE BRAKE TO FULLY STOP! CAR ALMOST STOPPED BUT SU”
— NHTSA complaint filing
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS
9 complaints- • PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION CHIME SOUNDED EVERY 5 SECONDS FOR 35 MINUTES. PASSENGER AIRBAGS ARE NOW DISABLED. BLIND SPOT MONITORING ONLY WORKS SOMETIMES....A MIND OF ITS OWN.
- • The Lane Departure Warning on both left and right side mirrors sporadically does not work. This is the first time I'm reporting it to NHTSA. but the problem has been going on for at least three months. The LDW lights appear when I turn on the engine, but sporadically do not appear in traffic when th
- • The contact owns a 2016 Mazda CX-3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V487000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. T
“PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION CHIME SOUNDED EVERY 5 SECONDS FOR 35 MINUTES. PASSENGER AIRBAGS ARE NOW DISABLED. BLIND SPOT MONITORING ONLY WORKS SOMETIMES....A MIND OF ITS OWN.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
LIGHTING
7 complaints- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MAZDA CX-3. WHILE DRIVING UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO PRODUCE ADEQUATE ILLUMINATION WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (SIL TERHAR MOTORS, 1551 US HIGHWAY 287, BROOMFIELD, CO 80020), BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ADJUST THE HEADLIGHTS. THE
- • THE HEADLAMPS CONTAIN AND HOLD MOISTURE CAUSING A SOFTER LIGHT AND LESS VISIBILITY. I AM AFRAID THE MOISTURE WILL CAUSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE.
- • The seals around headlights are failing and causing moisture infiltration. Limiting distance of visibility during night driving. I have found through forums that this is a common occurrence.
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MAZDA CX-3. WHILE DRIVING UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO PRODUCE ADEQUATE ILLUMINATION WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (SIL TERHAR MOTORS, 1551 US HIGHWAY 287, BROOMFIELD, CO 80020), BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ADJUST THE HEADLIGHTS. THE ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
FUEL SYSTEM
5 complaints- • WHILE DRIVING ON A 4-LANE ROAD (~45 MPH), THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND DIED. THE CHECK ENGINE AND BATTERY WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE START/STOP BUTTON LIGHT TURNED RED. AFTER COASTING INTO A GAS STATION, THE CAR COULD NOT INITIALLY BE RESTARTED. IT COULD BE RESTARTED AFTER ADDING GASOLINE, A
- • DRIVING ON INTERSTATE CAR LOST POWER ALL WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON THEN DIED COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD COULD NOT RESTART CAR HAD ABOUT 1/8 TANK GAS DOT CAME AND PUT IN SOME MORE GAS RESTARTED WENT TO GAS STATION AND OIL CHANGE SHOP THAT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING TO REPAIR RESET WARNING LIGHTS
- • Vehicle stalled while driving. On 9/29/21 Suburban Mazda of Troy removed the Mazda mobile start. On 10/13/21, the engine stalled and shut off at approximately 50 mph and coasted the vehicle to the side of the road. There were no warning light prior and the vehicle had approximately 1/4 tank of gas (
“WHILE DRIVING ON A 4-LANE ROAD (~45 MPH), THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND DIED. THE CHECK ENGINE AND BATTERY WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE START/STOP BUTTON LIGHT TURNED RED. AFTER COASTING INTO A GAS STATION, THE CAR COULD NOT INITIALLY BE RESTARTED. IT COULD BE RESTARTED AFTER ADDING GASOLINE, A”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 63 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐ELECTRICAL: VEHICLE A/C QUIT WORKING AFTER LESS THAN 3 YRS, JUST OUT OF WARRANTY NO LESS. DEALER WANTS NEARLY $2K FOR REPAIR. TURNS OUT THE CAUSE IS A DEFECTIVE PART MAZDA HAS BEEN AWARE OF SINCE 2016. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE THREE SEPARATE TSB'S ABOUT THE ISSUE AND A MAZDA SERVICE PROGRA
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐OTHER: I BOUGHT A MAZDA CX-3 ON DECEMBER 31ST 2015. ON JANUARY 27TH I DROVE THE CAR FROM HOME TO WORK FOR 20 MINUTES AND I ENTERED PARKING LOT WITH MAY BE 15 MILES AN HOUR! I MADE MY 90 DEGREE TURN INTO PARKING STALL WITH MAY BE 5 MILES AN HOUR AND PUSHED THE BRAKE TO FULLY STOP! CAR ALMOST STOPPED BUT SU
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION CHIME SOUNDED EVERY 5 SECONDS FOR 35 MINUTES. PASSENGER AIRBAGS ARE NOW DISABLED. BLIND SPOT MONITORING ONLY WORKS SOMETIMES....A MIND OF ITS OWN.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐LIGHTING: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MAZDA CX-3. WHILE DRIVING UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO PRODUCE ADEQUATE ILLUMINATION WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (SIL TERHAR MOTORS, 1551 US HIGHWAY 287, BROOMFIELD, CO 80020), BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ADJUST THE HEADLIGHTS. THE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Mazda CX-3 — Year Comparison
How does 2016 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
Full years-to-avoid analysis →NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 63
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 0
- Crash reports
- 2
- Injury reports
- 2
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2016 Mazda CX-3