Owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the brakes, suspension, and acceleration and cruise control. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2023Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2023 Mazda 3: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2023's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2023 Mazda 3. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | FWD | 31 mpg |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 4WD, FWD | 30–31 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2023 Mazda 3, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The car rolls forward at a stop even with the brake pedal fully pressed. Two of the 3 complaints involve crashes. In both, the dealer could not reproduce the fault or found no defect, and one owner blames brake assist that never engaged. A separate report describes automatic emergency braking on the highway with nothing ahead. The car braked to a full stop and lit the brake warning. Both patterns carry collision risk, either from rolling into traffic or from an unexpected stop at speed.
Neither filing describes a suspension failure. The more serious one reports sudden acceleration while braking into a parking spot, which ended in a collision. Before it, the car showed repeated ActiveSense malfunction warnings, and the dealer blamed sensors overheating in hot weather. The other reports front-end noise and a shifting problem at 4014 miles. The technician also felt the shifting problem but said the car needed to learn the driver's habits. Both filings name a 2023 Mazda CX-30, not a Mazda 3.
Pressing the brake pedal makes the car surge as if the gas pedal were pressed. Both complaints describe this at very low speed: coasting through a parking lot at 5-8 mph, or pulling out of Park. One report also describes a surge in reverse while parking. Drivers had to press the brake hard or release and reapply it to get control back. One report adds that the car does not stop right away when braking on the freeway. These complaints report near misses but no crashes.
Side curtain airbags deploy while the car is moving, with no collision or rollover. Both complaints describe the same conditions: about 20 mph on slushy roads. In one case, the damage led insurance to declare the car a total loss. The manufacturer reportedly cited connected data pointing to a possible rollover but refused to release the Event Data Recorder information. One filing names a 2023 Mazda CX-30. The two reports are so similar that they may describe the same incident.
The windshield has a wavy, orange-peel distortion across the whole glass. Road signs and lane lines look warped, and the effect causes dizziness on longer drives. A warranty replacement windshield turned out worse than the original. The second complaint describes the driver's side wiper failing to clear rain at about 30,000 miles. The failure came back after the dealer replaced the blades and arms. Both filings name a 2023 Mazda CX-30 rather than a Mazda 3.
Excerpts from complaints 3 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
I was driving my car on the highway. The car automatically deployed the emergency braking system with no objects in front of the car. The car automatically braked then flashed the brake warning indicator. Car mad itself come to a complete stop. I began researching and found that others have had issues with “phantom braking” when the car has collision avoidance technology. This needs to be seriously investigated as it is a safety hazard.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2023
While coasting slowly through a parking lot at approximately 5-8mph I tapped the brake to slow further while making a tight turn and to safely pass a vehicle also turning towards me. This caused the car to lurch and accelerate as though my foot was on the gas pedal, but it wasn't. I had to step hard on the brake to bring it under control.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2023 ranks sixth for owner complaints among 7 3 years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2023 is the fifth model year of the 3's fourth generation (2019–2023).
Recall repairs are free at any Mazda dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2022-2023 CX-30 and 2023 CX-50 vehicles. The anti-lock brake system (ABS) Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) may be damaged, which can result in reduced braking ability.
Risk: Reduced braking ability can increase the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the ABS HCU, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 12, 2023. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 5823D.
Cars shoppers compare with the Mazda 3, with their own 2023 checklists.
2023 owner complaints, side by side
