Problems · NHTSA complaints
2019 Mazda CX-3 problems
Owners filed 27 complaints about the 2019 Mazda CX-3 with NHTSA between Oct 2018 and Aug 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (9).
Complaints
27
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system9
- Steering5
- Air bags2
- Fuel/propulsion system2
- Visibility/wiper2
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Latches/locks/linkages1
- Back over prevention1
- Structure1
- Wheels1
- Forward collision avoidance1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Seats1
- Electronic stability control (esc)1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
2
3
1
6
7
5
1
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Electrical system
9 reports
“So the sport mode on cx3 have not bracket under the sport mode and if try to activeit the sport mode whole switch goes down you cant active with grabbing it will fall out of socket”
Steering
5 reports1 crash
“Dec 7, 2023, I was driving on [XXX] in Gaston County and someone slammed my vehicle as I was driving safely and not fast. I was in the middle lane and barely saw the vehicle that slammed me pushing me to the left of the interstate. Officer Talley, J was there to help me: The report number is [XXX]. The vehicle was totally damaged and I am waiting for Progressive to complete the claim so I can get another vehicle. I am currently renting a vehicle from Enterprise for 28 days.”
Air bags
2 reports
“Ok so the front seat passenger side i put my phone it think there a person there and it dings constantly until I plug seatbelt it annoying I dont want to hear that all the time madza know about it they won't help unless there a recall”
Fuel/propulsion system
2 reports
“I have two issues. The front crash warning light goes on and off intermittently even when alone on the highway. This happens about once a month. The second issue is more serious. My car showed 40 miles of gas left in the tank, and ran out of gas. Fortunately I was in the right hand lane and there was a shoulder. Had this happed anyplace else I'd likely be dead. I took my car to the dealer where I bought it. they could not explain the problem and told me to assume it would never happen again (!). I contacted Mazda directly twice. The first time they took my info and did nothing. The second time they told me to take it to another dealership. I cannot tell that the issue has been reported anywhere so I'm reporting it here. Thank you.”
Visibility/wiper
2 reports
“In early November 2022, a stress crack appeared on the left side of the front windshield. The crack was about 20 inches long, about halfway down the windshield, and impaired my view of the road. I took it to the dealership (Jeff Haas Mazda at 16711 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas) for inspection and they confirmed it was a stress crack from the pillar, not caused by an object hitting the windshield. They refused to replace the windshield at no cost. I called Mazda to file a complaint about and was told to file a claim with my insurance. I believe this is a defect with the vehicle and should be covered by the manufacturer.”
Fuel system, gasoline
2 reports1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX3. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.