2004 Mazda MAZDA3 Problems and Recalls (139 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2004 Mazda MAZDA3 is Brakes (17% of 139 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 139 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2004 Mazda MAZDA3?

24 of 139 filings named Brakes (17% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (23 reports).

There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.

What to check before you buy a 2004 Mazda MAZDA3

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 3 campaigns on file below.
  2. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Brakes. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Brakes 24 complaints · 17.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 16
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 13
  • Deaths 0
All Mazda MAZDA3 years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) appears in 24 of 139 owner complaints (17.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 24 complaints, 17.3% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 crash reports 24 · 17.3% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 23 complaints, 16.6% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 11 crash reports 23 · 16.6% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 18 complaints, 13.0% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 fire reports 18 · 13.0% Engine (ENGINE): 16 complaints, 11.5% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 fire reports 16 · 11.5% Steering (STEERING): 15 complaints, 10.8% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 crash reports 15 · 10.8% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 7 complaints, 5.0% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 7 · 5.0% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 7 complaints, 5.0% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 crash reports 7 · 5.0% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 6 complaints, 4.3% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 6 · 4.3% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 4 complaints, 2.9% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 4 · 2.9% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 74 complaints, 53.2% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 7 crash reports 1 fire reports 74 · 53.2% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 24 17.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 23 16.6% 11 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 18 13.0% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 16 11.5% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Steering (STEERING) 15 10.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 7 5.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 7 5.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 6 4.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 4 2.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 74 53.2% 7 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 2004; the first recall shown was reported in Sep 2004. 2004-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2004-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2004-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2008-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 2004 Jul 2024 Recall campaign 04V468000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V468000 Recall campaign 09E011000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E011000 Recall campaign 21V494000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V494000
  • Campaign 04V468000 was reported 136 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V494000 was reported 6,260 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2004-Q2 Owner reports 13
2004-Q3 Owner reports 10
2004-Q4 Owner reports 4
2005-Q1 Owner reports 3
2005-Q2 Owner reports 2
2005-Q3 Owner reports 2
2005-Q4 Owner reports 5
2006-Q1 Owner reports 4
2006-Q2 Owner reports 2
2006-Q3 Owner reports 4
2006-Q4 Owner reports 1
2007-Q2 Owner reports 1
2007-Q3 Owner reports 2
2007-Q4 Owner reports 4
2008-Q1 Owner reports 2
2008-Q2 Owner reports 6
2008-Q3 Owner reports 1
2008-Q4 Owner reports 3
2009-Q1 Owner reports 3
2009-Q2 Owner reports 3
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 4
2010-Q2 Owner reports 2
2010-Q3 Owner reports 7
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 4
2011-Q2 Owner reports 4
2011-Q3 Owner reports 3
2012-Q2 Owner reports 2
2012-Q4 Owner reports 2
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2013-Q4 Owner reports 3
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 4
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q2 Owner reports 4
2015-Q3 Owner reports 2
2015-Q4 Owner reports 2
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 04V468000
Recall campaign 1 09E011000
Recall campaign 1 21V494000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (3)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags.

  1. Recall campaign 04V468000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    IF THIS PROBLEM EXISTS, THE AIR WILL NOT DEPLOY AS DESIGNED IN CERTAIN TYPES OF FRONTAL CRASHES, INCREASING THE RISK OF DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY TO THE DRIVER AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGER.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CRASH ZONE SENSOR AND REPLACE IT, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 28, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 09E011000

    Safety recall 09E011000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS MAY RESULT IN THE BOLT(S) SNAPPING OFF DURING USE OR WITHOUT A LOAD. THE UNSECURED RACK AND LOAD CAN THEN COME LOOSE WHILE DRIVING CREATING A POTENTIAL ROAD HAZARD, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    THULE WILL MAIL A RETRO FIT KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS TO OWNERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 13, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THULE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-238-2388.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 21V494000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    Plastic fragments can hit occupants during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the air bag module cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed between August 28, 2021 and October 28, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4921G.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 9 of 139 complaints · page 1 of 6
2024-08-18Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
NHTSA ODI 11609269
CrashFireInjuryDeath
This model car has a fuse box under the glove box known as a "passenger junction box" that has a faulty or defective relay soldered onto the circuit board. The relay is tied to lighting that includes the interior lights, exterior front parking lights, exterior rear tail lights, and the license plate light and is controlled by the left turn signal stalk (rotating switch). Based on my experience and many others (on the Mazda 3 forums), this relay has the tendency to fail and cause all of these lights tied to this relay to intermittently or permanently be disabled. There is no warning for this; the driver will only notice when driving at night that the interior illumination of the dashboard goes completely dark, which could cause disorientation and confusion as to whether or not the car is operable. Subsequently, the problem can be recreated by attempting to turn the lights on and off and there will be no response (and no clicking noise...it is audible when working and it switches on); the relay fails to operate and all the lights will not turn on. Driving at night without tail lights is extremely dangerous and I am surprised this has not caused serious injury from rear-ending incidents in nighttime or inclement weather situations. The serial/model number of junction box on my vehicle is BN8B-66730-C and many others on the forums have had the same issue with the same model, as well as other variations of the box. Some on the forums went as far as replacing the culprit relay (see attachment); however, at the risk of destroying the entire junction box and rendering the vehicle unusable. I finally ended up purchasing a replacement unit on eBay which corrected the issue so far and has made the lights reliable again.
2023-08-13SUSPENSION
NHTSA ODI 11538237
CrashFireInjuryDeath
There has been no accident- the vehicle is my mother in laws vehicle- my concern is while at work she has at times loaded our daughter into the vehicle- I inspected the vehicle one day while as an employee of Les Schwab- the driver cvc axle vibrates so bad from the boot being torn and having no lubrication- these axles power the vehicle forward and if not maintained can snap and cause damage- the wipers no longer work correctly- the tires are 2017 and old and weather cracked- potential to separate while driving or blow out on the heated pavement. upon inspection also found that the front shocks are blown out and bouncing in the mounts under the hood- causing the tires to not have the correct contact patch on the road thus decreasing traction and control- on top of all this the vehicle hasn't been registered since 2020 and has no insurance on the vehicle- again there has been no accident...yet- this is my concern- that if this vehicle continues to remain operational and on the road it not only puts the driver and occupants at risk but also other drivers- kids- teens and anyone that may be on the other end o the crash when the vehicle does snap the cvc axle or blow i out a tire
2021-10-28Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11438521
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2004 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle and driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V468000 (Air Bags). The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
2020-03-22Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11318945
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE CAR RAN GREAT FOR THE END OF 2019. I BOUGHT IT USED AT 145,000 MILES. THEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP. NOW ITS STUCK IN LIMP MODE.
2019-11-08Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
NHTSA ODI 11279063
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE TAIL LIGHTS GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER JUNCTION BOX (FUSE BOX). TAPPING THE BOX WITH A SCREWDRIVER HANDLE WILL BRING THE TAIL LIGHTS BACK ON FOR A WHILE. THIS HAS BEEN A MAZDA 3 ISSUE OVER THE YEARS. THE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS.
2019-05-08Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11206320
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MAIN MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. AN UNKNOWN DEALER WAS CONTACTED, BUT COULD NOT ASSIST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,680.
2017-12-15Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11054858
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE LOCK RELEASE LEVER ON THE STEERING WHEEL GET LOOSE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND DOES NOT LOCKED IN PLACE. THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND SERIOUS INJURIES. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO GET THIS REPAIR.
2017-10-29Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11040978
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I WAS REAR ENDED WHILE PREGNANT AND DRIVING MY 2004 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK. THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED BUT I WAS ON MY WAY TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE AN ULTRASOUND TO ENSURE MY CHILD WAS SAFE. NO INSURANCE CLAIM WAS FILED BUT I WAS CONCERNED. I WAS AT A STOP SIGN.
2017-09-04Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11021388
CrashFireInjuryDeath
NO PROBLEMS FROM CAR NO WARNING LIGHT. BIG BANG THEN ENGINE MAKING VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE...ON INTERSTATE... STILL CRANKS BUT NEEDS MOTOR...READ THAT LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEMS

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2004 Mazda MAZDA3?

Owners named Brakes most often — 24 of 139 reports (17%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2004 Mazda MAZDA3?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2004 Mazda MAZDA3?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources