2014 Mazda MAZDA3 Problems and Recalls (138 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2014 Mazda MAZDA3 is Fuel system (16% of 138 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 138 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2014 Mazda MAZDA3?

22 of 138 filings named Fuel system (16% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Brakes (16 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Electrical, Fuel system, and Rear camera / backup safety. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2013 has 117 reports on file; this year has 138. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2014 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 4 campaigns on file below.
  2. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  3. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Fuel system. 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: Fuel system 22 complaints · 15.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 10
  • Fires 1
  • Injuries 5
  • 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 Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) appears in 22 of 138 owner complaints (15.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 22 complaints, 15.9% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 22 · 15.9% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 16 complaints, 11.6% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 crash reports 16 · 11.6% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 13 complaints, 9.4% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 13 · 9.4% Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION): 11 complaints, 8.0% of reports Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 11 · 8.0% Engine (ENGINE): 9 complaints, 6.5% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 2 crash reports 9 · 6.5% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 8 complaints, 5.8% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 3 crash reports 8 · 5.8% Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE): 6 complaints, 4.4% of reports Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE) 6 · 4.4% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 5 complaints, 3.6% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 5 · 3.6% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 5 complaints, 3.6% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 5 · 3.6% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 40 complaints, 29.0% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 40 · 29.0% 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)
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 22 15.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 16 11.6% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 13 9.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 11 8.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 9 6.5% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 8 5.8% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE) 6 4.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 5 3.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 5 3.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 40 29.0% 1 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 Jan 2014; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 2014. 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2019-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2019-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2022-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2024-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2024-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2025-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2014 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 14V173000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V173000 Recall campaign 16V684000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V684000 Recall campaign 17V393000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V393000 Recall campaign 23V487000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V487000
  • Campaign 16V684000 was reported 674 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 5
2014-Q3 Owner reports 4
2014-Q4 Owner reports 4
2015-Q1 Owner reports 2
2015-Q2 Owner reports 6
2015-Q3 Owner reports 2
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q3 Owner reports 4
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 3
2017-Q3 Owner reports 8
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 6
2018-Q3 Owner reports 3
2018-Q4 Owner reports 3
2019-Q1 Owner reports 6
2019-Q2 Owner reports 6
2019-Q3 Owner reports 7
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 2
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 2
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 4
2022-Q2 Owner reports 2
2022-Q3 Owner reports 2
2022-Q4 Owner reports 2
2023-Q1 Owner reports 4
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 5
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 6
2024-Q2 Owner reports 4
2024-Q3 Owner reports 2
2024-Q4 Owner reports 4
2025-Q1 Owner reports 5
2025-Q2 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 3
2026-Q2 Owner reports 2
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 14V173000
Recall campaign 1 16V684000
Recall campaign 1 17V393000
Recall campaign 1 23V487000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (4)

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

In short, these campaigns were filed about Electrical, Fuel system, and Rear camera / backup safety.

  1. Recall campaign 14V173000

    Electrical

    Report date
    Component:
    Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    Once the PCM assumes that the charging system has failed, the vehicle will stop charging and could result in poor acceleration, loss of steering assist and windshield wiper operation, and a possible engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on May 19, 2014. Owners may contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 7314D.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 16V684000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Mazda will notify owners, and depending on the tank lot number, dealers will inspect the ICV weld, replacing the fuel tank, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 1, 2016. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 0116I.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 17V393000

    Safety recall 17V393000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    If the parking brake actuator shaft binds, the parking brake may not engage or disengage fully. If the parking brake does not engage properly, the vehicle may move unexpectedly if it is parked on a slope, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will check the parking brake actuator shafts, replacing any that are corroded, free of charge. Remedy parts are currently unavailable. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 24, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1217F.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 23V487000

    Rear camera / backup safety

    Report date
    Component:
    Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
    Consequence:
    A rearview camera that does not display properly can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera, as necessary. In addition, dealers will install a wiring harness fastening seal. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 13, 2023. Final owner letters for affected models and model years in the states of CT, MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA and VA were mailed August 14, 2024. The remaining owner notification letters will be mailed at a future date, anticipated on or before May 1, 2025. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 6023G.
    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 10 of 138 complaints · page 1 of 6
2026-07-09Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE)
NHTSA ODI 11749418
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that when attempting to secure the vehicle, the electric parking brake failed to engage after pulling up the hand lever. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V393000 (Parking Brake); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was previously taken to a dealer for an unrelated recall repair, but the parking brake failure was not addressed or resolved. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
2026-06-14Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11744056
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The fuel tank leaks fuel at a full tank and smells of gas in the cabin until about 3/4 tank. Car was dripping a large puddle of gas inside of a parking garage. Problem has been reproduced by my mechanic even after replacing the fuel pump retaining ring. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer or police. CEL did not come on until recently reporting a very small EVAP leak. Inside the car and the surrounding area would smell of gasoline even if there was no leak in the ground.
2026-06-12Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE)
NHTSA ODI 11743735
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact's nephew owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while parked on several occasions, the parking brake failed to engage, and there was no resistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
2026-03-25Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11727114
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The rear backup sensors no longer work and did not give any indication they stopped working. They do not detect cars driving up from behind when driving or switching lanes or objects or people behind the car anymore when you reverse. This happened without any notice or warning indications.
2026-02-27Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11721073
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Airbag warning symbol on dashboard flashes with or without passenger seated in front seat.
2026-01-19Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11711857
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Blend door actuator linkage will not allow for heat to be turned on, will blow cool/cold air, have had it looked at and the gear teeth will not stay in line with on another to be able to turn when the knob inside the car is turned. I was told that this may be a recall but do not see anything listed, but that it is a known problem for this model of mazda 3 and ford expiditions
2025-10-17Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11694054
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Gas tank is leaking from the TOP. I could smell gas after a refill (and refilling a portable tank) that I thought must have been a spill I hadn't noticed, and the smell faded. But then it happened again at the next refill, and I knew it wasn't just a spill. Brought it to our trusted mechanic who said that the TOP of the tank was rusted out (wow!)(so, not from road salt) and needs to be replaced. Not cheap, but worse, I'd been driving around in a very hazardous situation that Mazda knows happens. No warning lights, no recall. Thanks, guys. Here's a thread about this being a common issue: https://www.mazda3revolution.com/threads/2014-mazda3-fuel-tank-replacement.245797/
2025-09-26Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11689873
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal growling sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 140,000. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the motor mounts needed to be replaced. It was later discovered that the Title mileage was 197,687.
2025-06-27Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11669855
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The car screen displays, GPS, for calls, radio etc, doesn’t works, it’s off, and the airbags are deactivated and they’re off as well and have to press hard on the brake to get the car to stops.
2025-04-21Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11655737
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Noticed strong smell of gasoline when the car was parked. Took it to an independent service dealer who diagnosed leaking fuel from top of the tank. Gas tank was removed and replaced. Tank cost was $380.00 plus repair shop labor/supplies cost. See attached invoice. During a recent online search for this vehicles current book value I noticed there was a manufactures recall issued for this same problem, that I paid to have repaired. I never received any recall notice for a leaking gas tank problem for my vehicle.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2014 Mazda MAZDA3?

Owners named Fuel system most often — 22 of 138 reports (16%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2014 Mazda MAZDA3?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Electrical, Fuel system, and Rear camera / backup safety. 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 2014 Mazda MAZDA3?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. 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