What are the most common problems with the 2011 Mazda 3?

Owners filed the most complaints about air bags and seats. Electrical and steering reports follow.

Does the 2011 Mazda 3 have recalls?

Yes, the by-year data shows recalls for 2011. They are listed in the Recalls section of this page.

Is the 2011 Mazda 3 reliable?

Owner complaints are spread across several parts, with air bags and seats on top. See the by-year section for how it compares with other years of this model.

What is the gas mileage of the 2011 Mazda 3?

See the fuel economy section of this page.

2011 Mazda 3 Problems, Recalls and MPG

Q: How many complaints does the 2011 Mazda 3 have?

NHTSA has 132 owner complaints on file.

NHTSA has 132 owner complaints on file for the 2011 Mazda 3^[1]. Air bags lead the list, and seats come next^[2]^[3].

132owner complaints^[1]

2recalls^[4]

23–28MPG combined (EPA)^[5]

4★NHTSA overall rating^[6]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups owners filed, biggest first.

Air Bags. 29 complaints^[2]. Owners describe a passenger air bag warning light that stays on or comes on with an adult in the seat, and dealers who could not find a fault. A few stories say the bags did not deploy in a crash.
Seats. 20 complaints^[3]. In the stories we read, the driver seat slips off its track or will not lock in place, and one owner describes the seat moving back in a rear impact. Others say the heated seat gets too hot.
Unknown Or Other. 18 complaints^[7]. These reports do not point to one clear part.
Electrical System. 15 complaints^[8]. Owners describe a battery that drains when the car sits, door locks that act up, and headlights that fog with water and then fail.
Steering. 13 complaints^[9]. The details here are thin, so check the numbers in the generated sections.
Structure. 13 complaints^[10]. Owners describe a snapped inside door handle cable, a dashboard that turns sticky or lifts away, and a rusty hood latch part.
Power Train. 12 complaints^[11]. These tend to come in at lower mileage than the groups above.
Exterior Lighting. 10 complaints^[12]. These also tend to come in at lower mileage.

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2011 3 is necessarily included.

Seats (17V082), February 2017. About 173,859 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Structure › Body › Hatchback/Liftgate (16V644), September 2016. About 580,455 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: injury. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[14]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
3, 2.0L 4-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[5]	25 / 32 / 28	$2,400
3, 2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (S5), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[15]	24 / 32 / 27	$2,500
3, 2.5L 4-cyl, Manual 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[16]	20 / 28 / 23	$2,900
3, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic (S5), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[17]	22 / 28 / 25	$2,700

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD^[6]	4	5	2	4	10.9%
5 HB FWD^[18]	4	5	2	4	10.9%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2011 Mazda 3 with 2.0L 4-cylinder^[19]	144 to 148 hp
2011 Mazda 3 with 2.5L 4-cylinder^[20]	165 to 167 hp

These are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, so US models can differ slightly.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
MAZDA3 4DR HATCH FWD GS/GT^[21]	178 in	69 in	58 in	104 in	3,025 lb
MAZDA3 4DR HATCH FWD GX^[22]	177 in	69 in	58 in	104 in	2,895 lb
MAZDA3 4DR SEDAN FWD GT^[23]	181 in	69 in	58 in	104 in	2,985 lb
MAZDA3 4DR SEDAN FWD GX/GS^[24]	181 in	69 in	58 in	104 in	2,855 lb
MAZDA3 MAZDASPEED3 4DR HATCH FWD^[25]	177 in	69 in	57 in	104 in	3,221 lb
RX-8 2DR COUPE RWD R3/GT^[26]	174 in	70 in	53 in	106 in	3,109 lb

How 2011 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each 3 model year. The 2011 is highlighted^[4].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2004	145	2
2005	97	2
2006	166	1
2007	222	2
2008	303	2
2009	115	3
2010	686	3
2011	132	2
2012	226	1
2013	117	1
2014	138	4
2015	130	4
2016	104	6
2017	84	2
2018	109	4
2019	74	6
2020	32	2
2021	54	1
2022	24	0
2023	12	0
2024	12	3
2025	8	1
2026	1	0

NHTSA's counts for the 3 show 132 complaints and 2 recalls for 2011^[4]. Among the 23 model years listed, 15 have fewer complaints than 2011 and 7 have more^[4]. The fewest complaints are for 2026 (1) and the most are for 2010 (686)^[4]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2011 3?

The 2011 Mazda 3 has 132 complaints on file^[1]. The biggest groups are air bags, seats and unknown or other^[2]^[3]^[7]. Some air bag and seat reports involve crashes or injuries, so those deserve a close look^[2]^[3]. These are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales. Check the recalls and the by-year section on this page before you buy, and have a mechanic look at the seat track, the air bag light and the headlights.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Mazda 3?: Owners filed the most complaints about air bags and seats^[2]^[3]. Electrical and steering reports follow^[8]^[9].
Does the 2011 Mazda 3 have recalls?: Yes, the by-year data shows recalls for 2011^[4]. They are listed in the Recalls section of this page.
How many complaints does the 2011 Mazda 3 have?: NHTSA has 132 owner complaints on file^[1].
Is the 2011 Mazda 3 reliable?: Owner complaints are spread across several parts, with air bags and seats on top^[2]^[3]. See the by-year section for how it compares with other years of this model.
What is the gas mileage of the 2011 Mazda 3?: See the fuel economy section of this page.

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Mazda 3

2008 303 complaints, 2 recalls
2010 686 complaints, 3 recalls
2011 this page
2012 226 complaints, 1 recall
2014 138 complaints, 4 recalls
2015 130 complaints, 4 recalls
2016 104 complaints, 6 recalls
2017 84 complaints, 2 recalls

Compare all model years of the Mazda 3

Other Mazda models from 2011

2011 Mazda CX-9 170 complaints, 4 recalls

All Mazda models

Similar cars from 2011: compact cars

2011 Ford Focus 113 complaints, 0 recalls
2011 Honda Insight 41 complaints, 10 recalls
2011 Subaru Impreza/Outback Sport 58 complaints, 14 recalls
2011 Volkswagen Jetta 640 complaints, 8 recalls
2011 Audi A4 43 complaints, 0 recalls
2011 BMW 3 Series 829 complaints, 12 recalls

All compact cars we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 132 owner complaints on file for the 2011 Mazda 3 (12 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 13 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
29 complaints name the air bags component group (8 crashes, 0 fires, 10 injuries, median mileage at failure 70,210). NHTSA vehicle records
20 complaints name the seats component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, median mileage at failure 72,000). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Mazda 3 model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for 3, 2.0L 4-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 25 city / 32 highway / 28 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,400. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR FWD: overall 4 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 2 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 10.9%. NHTSA vehicle records
18 complaints name the unknown or other component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 70,500). NHTSA vehicle records
15 complaints name the electrical system component group (2 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 60,000). NHTSA vehicle records
13 complaints name the steering component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 65,000). NHTSA vehicle records
13 complaints name the structure component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 68,000). NHTSA vehicle records
12 complaints name the power train component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 27,250). NHTSA vehicle records
10 complaints name the exterior lighting component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 32,000). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 17V082, filed February 9, 2017: Seats. NHTSA recall database
Recall 16V644, filed September 6, 2016: Structure › Body › Hatchback / Liftgate. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for 3, 2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (S5), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 24 city / 32 highway / 27 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,500. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for 3, 2.5L 4-cyl, Manual 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 20 city / 28 highway / 23 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,900. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for 3, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic (S5), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 22 city / 28 highway / 25 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,700. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 5 HB FWD: overall 4 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 2 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 10.9%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2011 Mazda 3 with 2.0L 4-cylinder: rated 144 to 148 hp depending on version. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2011 Mazda 3 with 2.5L 4-cylinder: rated 165 to 167 hp depending on version. www.epa.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, MAZDA3 4DR HATCH FWD GS/GT: length 178 in, width 69 in, height 58 in, wheelbase 104 in, curb weight 3,025 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, MAZDA3 4DR HATCH FWD GX: length 177 in, width 69 in, height 58 in, wheelbase 104 in, curb weight 2,895 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, MAZDA3 4DR SEDAN FWD GT: length 181 in, width 69 in, height 58 in, wheelbase 104 in, curb weight 2,985 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, MAZDA3 4DR SEDAN FWD GX/GS: length 181 in, width 69 in, height 58 in, wheelbase 104 in, curb weight 2,855 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, MAZDA3 MAZDASPEED3 4DR HATCH FWD: length 177 in, width 69 in, height 57 in, wheelbase 104 in, curb weight 3,221 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, RX-8 2DR COUPE RWD R3/GT: length 174 in, width 70 in, height 53 in, wheelbase 106 in, curb weight 3,109 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2011 Mazda 3: problems, recalls and fuel economy