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2016 Mazda Mazda3

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
6
on record
MPG
combined

Do not drive until repaired

1 active "park it" recall — NHTSA advises against driving this vehicle until the remedy is complete.

Vehicle Summary

2016 Mazda Mazda3

6 recalls
102 complaints
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 6 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 7 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 102 owner complaints on record
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Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
6
Owner complaints
102
Complaints citing a crash
7

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

6 Recalls on Record

1 of these is high-severity. Some may require you to stop driving the vehicle until repaired.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

6 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 19V272000high

    Visibility issue

    VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Mazda3 vehicles. A defective windshield wiper relay may cause the windshield wipers to become inoperative, reducing the driver's visibility.

    Consequence

    Reduced visibility while driving can increase the risk of crash.

    Remedy

    Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front body control module with a new module which uses an improved wiper relay design, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3219D.

    Full campaign record
  • 16V684000high

    Fuel system issue

    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

    Mazda Motors North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles manufactured January 4, 2014, to September 18, 2015. The fuel tank of the affected vehicles may have been improperly handled during manufacturing and, as a result, the welded attachment of the Inlet Check Valve (ICV) may fail and allow fuel to leak.

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 16V685000high

    Fuel system issue

    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 Mazda3 vehicles manufactured September 24, 2015, to October 16, 2015. During manufacturing, the fuel tanks for the affected vehicles may have deformed, resulting in a fuel leak from the recirculation pipe welded connection.

    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 recirculation pipe 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 0216I.

    Full campaign record
  • 17V393000high

    Brake system issue

    PARKING BRAKE

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda6 and 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles. Water could possibly enter the brake caliper causing the parking brake actuator shaft to corrode and possibly bind.

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 15V621000critical Do not drive

    Fuel system issue

    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Mazda3 vehicles manufactured May 21, 2015, to August 25, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with a fuel tank with a shut-off valve that can allow fuel to enter into the fuel tank emissions systems. If enough fuel enters the emission system it may leak out onto the ground or result in an engine stall.

    Consequence

    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire. An engine that stalls increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle's fuel shut-off valve. As needed, the fuel shut-off valve and the affected fuel tank emissions system components will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on October 20, 2015. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the repairs have been completed. Mazda will provide rental cars until that time. Owners may contact the Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800- 222-5500, option #6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8615J.

    Full campaign record
  • 23V487000high

    Rear-visibility system issue

    BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Mazda3 and 2016-2021 CX-3 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display properly by showing a flickering or distorted image.

    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.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2016 Mazda Mazda3.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    4 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    4 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    10.5%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
No
Lane departure warning
No

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2016 Mazda Mazda3 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 10.5% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

Fuel economy & emissions

The EPA holds no fuel-economy record for this model year.

The EPA does not publish a record for every model year.

Consumer complaints

102 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

102
Total
7
Crashes
1
Fires
5
Injuries

Most reported components

  • OTHER27
  • ELECTRICAL18
  • BRAKES16
  • ENGINE12
  • SEAT BELTS6

Notable Issues

102 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 5 reports involve injuries. 7 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

miscellaneous issues27
electrical issues (battery, wiring, infotainment)18
brake problems (soft pedal, noise, failure)16

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2016 Mazda Mazda3, newest first.

  1. Recall

    Recall 23V487000

    A rearview camera that does not display properly can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

  2. Recall

    Recall 19V272000

    Reduced visibility while driving can increase the risk of crash.

  3. Recall

    Recall 17V393000

    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.

  4. Recall

    Recall 16V685000

    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

  5. Recall

    Recall 16V684000

    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

  6. Do not drive

    Do-not-drive recall 15V621000

    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire. An engine that stalls increases the risk of a crash.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Unknown
Drive type
Unknown
Engine
0L 0-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Unknown
Seats
0

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 23V487000

    A rearview camera that does not display properly can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

  2. Recall

    Recall 19V272000

    Reduced visibility while driving can increase the risk of crash.

  3. Recall

    Recall 17V393000

    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.

  4. Recall

    Recall 16V685000

    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

  5. Recall

    Recall 16V684000

    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.