Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, brakes, and wheels and tires. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2025Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2025 Mazda 3: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/1
Engine off, key in hand0/6
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
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.
Nearby years usually share most parts, so their problems are worth checking on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2025 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 4WD, FWD | 30–31 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Mazda 3, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Doors fail to autolock, again and again, and this is the most common report. Some owners also say the dash liftgate button stops working, the rear seat sensor misbehaves, and audio and other settings keep resetting. i-Activsense warnings sometimes flash and can't be dismissed, which pulls the driver's eyes off the road in bad weather. Other reports describe a wireless charger that makes phones too hot to hold after 10 minutes, and key fobs that break into pieces. Several of these filings describe a CX-30, not a Mazda 3.
Several warnings appear together at startup: i-Activsense Malfunction, In Vehicle Network malfunction, ABS Malfunction, plus other warning lights. In the reported case, the dealer traced the problem to a wiring harness at 71 miles. The replacement part was not available, so the car went unrepaired and the owner drove a rental. A separate crash report involves a driver whose foot got stuck between the brake and accelerator at low speed. The manufacturer said the pedal spacing cannot be adjusted. Both filings describe a CX-30.
Tire pressure swings more than owners expect, and the readings don't match from tire to tire. One report describes pressure climbing 3 psi after only 10 miles of mild city driving at 40 mph on a 70-degree day. Another says the uneven readings have continued for 3 months since purchase. Neither filing mentions a loss of control, a flat tire, or a repair.
Excerpts from complaints 3 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
It seems like the computer has defaulted to receive the lowest possible gas mileage- if this is somehow communicating with the fuel system- its definitely affecting how much mileage I could be getting and robbing me of up to 100 miles per tank.
Filed with NHTSA, December 2025
I have been having repeated issues with the doors not autolocking, liftgate functionality, rear seat sensor, and random (collision?) warnings/sensors - among other settings that keep coming undone (audio options, etc) since the purchase of this car that I have been diligently notating/timestamping- i have close to 200 occurences so far. Just submitting another report to let you know it is STILL happening and IS NOT user error.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2025 ranks fifth 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.
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 is recalling certain 2024-2025 Mazda3 and CX30 vehicles. The Sophisticated Air Bag Sensor (SAS) units may set an error code and deactivate the air bags, due to a low battery condition.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy in the event of a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the SAS unit with improved software or replace the unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2025. Mazda's number for this recall is 7525E.
Cars shoppers compare with the Mazda 3, with their own 2025 checklists.
