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686 owners have filed defect reports on this one. That's not a small number. 1 active recall campaign on file.
Average for the segment. Some recurring trouble spots worth knowing about.
The data says walk unless this exact vehicle has documented proof the powertrain was repaired or replaced.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
The dashboard is melted and sticky and that makes it bright with the sun and reflected in the glass internally and makes day driving very difficult.
I was driving to work today and similar to the previous posts, my power steering light lit up and steering assist failed. 4 times in the 4 mile trip. *js
The dashboard of my Mazda 3 is melted from the sun and causes glare on the windshield. It blocks vision of a portion of the road. *tr
At less than 24,000 miles, my clutch has begun to slip terribly and creates a terrible burning smell. I know there are hundreds of other Mazda owners who have also had to replace their clutches before they've had to replace brake pads. This is a drain on consumers, and a…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
The main fuse may blow out causing the engine to stall and inability of restart, increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. EA21002 on NHTSA →
How NHTSA investigations work, and what's open now →
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 6.6 out of 10 based on 686 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 Mazda Mazda3 has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
On the NHTSA data, the 2010 Mazda Mazda3 is one to avoid unless a specific vehicle proves otherwise. The data says walk unless this exact vehicle has documented proof the powertrain was repaired or replaced. The record behind that call: Powertrain: 36 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 26,000–90,000 mi; Steering: 31 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 26,000–90,000 mi; Reliability score 6.6/10 — around the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is body, with 161 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 53,854 miles. Average repair cost runs about $1,500 at an independent shop.
The body is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $1,500 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 53,854 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 686 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $1,500, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.