Mazda Mazda3 2004–2009
1st generation (BK)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20261,364 complaints, 1,108 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 1,108
- Median of reported failures
- 55,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Steering (22.6%)
- Recalls
- 3
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 27,514 and 94,501 miles.
Figure 1 · Mazda Mazda3 2004–2009 · 1,108 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 111 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 9 complaints (0.8%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 9,650
- 25%
- 27,514
- Median
- 55,325
- 75%
- 94,501
- 90%
- 130,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 111 | 10.0% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 86 | 7.8% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 99 | 8.9% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 110 | 9.9% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 88 | 7.9% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 90 | 8.1% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 63 | 5.7% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 76 | 6.9% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 81 | 7.3% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 58 | 5.2% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 48 | 4.3% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 44 | 4.0% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 41 | 3.7% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 35 | 3.2% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 18 | 1.6% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 14 | 1.3% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 15 | 1.4% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 6 | 0.5% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 9 | 0.8% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 7 | 0.6% |
| 200,000+ | 9 | 0.8% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 1,364 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004–2009 Mazda Mazda3, and 1,108 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 27,514 and 94,501 miles. The median is 55,325 miles.
The most-reported areas are the steering (22.6% of complaints, typically around 50,000 miles), the airbag system (10.6% of complaints, typically around 67,000 miles), the tyres (7.6% of complaints, typically around 40,000 miles).
3 recall campaigns cover this generation.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2004–2009 Mazda Mazda3 last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2004–2009 Mazda Mazda3 were filed by 55,000 miles and 90% by 130,000 miles — figures drawn from 1,108 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
9 reports (0.8%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Mazda3 reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2004–2009 Mazda3: the 3-minute check
Generated from 1,108 mileage-tagged complaints, 3 recall campaigns, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 3 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check body / corrosion on 2004–2009 cars. Rear wheel arch and rocker panel rust perforation on salt-belt cars, often visible before 8 years of age — the defining durability complaint for this generation.
- Check electrical. Clock spring failure in the steering column causing airbag warning lights, inoperative horn and dead steering wheel controls.
- Check airbags. Takata inflator recalls cover a large share of this generation.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 28,000 and 95,000 miles, with a median of 55,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the steering and the airbag system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The steering in particular shows a median failure mileage of 50,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Mazda Mazda3 2004–2009
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Tyres104 reports40,00021,000–70,000Tyres: 104 reports, median 40,000 miles, middle half 21,000 to 70,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system74 reports41,00022,000–65,000Engine and its cooling system: 74 reports, median 41,000 miles, middle half 22,000 to 65,000 miles.
- Steering308 reports50,00027,000–90,000Steering: 308 reports, median 50,000 miles, middle half 27,000 to 90,000 miles.
- Airbag system145 reports67,00028,000–110,000Airbag system: 145 reports, median 67,000 miles, middle half 28,000 to 110,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline88 reports74,00031,000–101,000Transmission and driveline: 88 reports, median 74,000 miles, middle half 31,000 to 101,000 miles.
- Electrical system88 reports77,00043,000–120,000Electrical system: 88 reports, median 77,000 miles, middle half 43,000 to 120,000 miles.
- Engine65 reports87,00068,000–118,000Engine: 65 reports, median 87,000 miles, middle half 68,000 to 118,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 308 | 22.6% | 50,000 | 27,000–90,000 |
| Airbag system | 145 | 10.6% | 67,000 | 28,000–110,000 |
| Tyres | 104 | 7.6% | 40,000 | 21,000–70,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 88 | 6.5% | 74,000 | 31,000–101,000 |
| Electrical system | 88 | 6.5% | 77,000 | 43,000–120,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 74 | 5.4% | 41,000 | 22,000–65,000 |
| Engine | 65 | 4.8% | 87,000 | 68,000–118,000 |
| Wheels | 63 | 4.6% | 58,000 | 38,000–78,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 55 | 4.0% | 16,000 | 1,000–38,000 |
| Suspension | 53 | 3.9% | 36,000 | 20,000–92,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Mazda Mazda3 2004–2009 · 1,108 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 53% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 73% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 86% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 0.8% of reports (9) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
53% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Steering — middle half 27,000–90,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 28,000–110,000 mi
- Tyres — middle half 21,000–70,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 31,000–101,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 43,000–120,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 22,000–65,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Engine — middle half 68,000–118,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
73% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Steering — median 50,000 mi
- Tyres — median 40,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 41,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Airbag system — middle half 28,000–110,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 31,000–101,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 43,000–120,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 68,000–118,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
86% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Steering — median 50,000 mi
- Airbag system — median 67,000 mi
- Tyres — median 40,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 74,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 77,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 41,000 mi
- Engine — median 87,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 55,325 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The steering accounts for 22.6% of complaints (308 reports, 276 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 50,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 27,000 and 90,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 10.6% of complaints (145 reports, 112 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 67,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 28,000 and 110,000 miles.
The tyres account for 7.6% of complaints (104 reports, 83 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 40,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 21,000 and 70,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 6.5% of complaints (88 reports, 70 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 74,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 31,000 and 101,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 6.5% of complaints (88 reports, 69 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 77,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 43,000 and 120,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 5.4% of complaints (74 reports, 62 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 41,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 22,000 and 65,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2008 model year drew the most — 387 complaints — while 2005 drew the fewest at 127. The median year sits at 204.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 3 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,364 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 169 (12.4%)
- Fires
- 18
- Injury reports
- 101
- Fatality reports
- 0
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Body / Corrosion 2004–2009
Rear wheel arch and rocker panel rust perforation on salt-belt cars, often visible before 8 years of age — the defining durability complaint for this generation.
Electrical
Clock spring failure in the steering column causing airbag warning lights, inoperative horn and dead steering wheel controls.
Airbags
Takata inflator recalls cover a large share of this generation.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 185 | 143 |
| 2005 | 127 | 103 |
| 2006 | 224 | 171 |
| 2007 | 301 | 245 |
| 2008 | 387 | 330 |
| 2009 | 140 | 116 |
Recalls (3) — is your car included?
Aug 2021 · 2004–2007 · Air BagsPlastic fragments can hit occupants during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
The defect. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Mazda3 vehicles. During air bag deployment, the plastic emblem on the steering wheel air bag module cover may shatter, and project plastic fragments into the vehicle.
What can happen. Plastic fragments can hit occupants during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the air bag module cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed between August 28, 2021 and October 28, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4921G.
Jul 2011 · 2008–2009 · VisibilityThe loss of wiper function in adverse weather could potentially increase the risk of a crash.
The defect. Mazda is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Mazda3 and mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured from january 7, 2008, through november 28, 2008. The ground terminal of the windshield wiper motor may have been inadvertently bent during assembly. If this condition exists then over time the electrical resistance of the motor circuit may increase up to a point that the windshield wipers would not work.
What can happen. The loss of wiper function in adverse weather could potentially increase the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will install an additional ground harness on the wiper motor free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before july 15, 2011. Owners may contact Mazda customer assistance center at 1-800-222-5500.
Sep 2010 · 2007–2009 · SteeringPower steering assist is suddenly lost reducing the driver's ability to steer the vehicle as typically…
The defect. Mazda is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Mazda3 and mazda5 vehicles manufactured from april 2, 2007 through november 30, 2008. These vehicles may have a condition in which a sudden loss of power steering assist could occur at any time while driving the vehicle.
What can happen. Power steering assist is suddenly lost reducing the driver's ability to steer the vehicle as typically expected, and increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering pump and lines free of charge. The safety recall began on september 15, 2010. Owners may contact Mazda customer assistance center at 1-800-222-5500.
What owners reported
1)4 Days after buying the car my front brake rotors had 3 large (1m wide more than .5Mm deep) grooves and the rear brake rotors were starting to develop the same problem. The pads must have some type of hard metalic pieces in them that gradually destroys the brake rotors. 2)It's only a matter of time before the pads…
2004 · 100 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
The airconditioner in my Mazda 3 barely functions at all. I had it in to the dealer twice in the first week of ownership. They stated it was up to standards. When i asked what the standard was, they said if it cooled at all it passed the standard. With the air on, the car accelerates very poorly. When the gas pedal is…
2004 · 100 miles · Equipment
Excessive brake wear and noise days after purchasing my Mazda3 i placed a call to the dealership where i purchased it. I stated that the vehicle's braking system was creating an excessive amount of noise and brake dust from wear. I was told that during the first weeks of a new car that this was expected. The gentleman…
2004 · 100 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
There is brake noise in my 2004 model year Mazda 3. I have just bought my car 3 days ago. I noticed the noise in the first day, i called the dealer and i was told that it is normal because the car is new and it will disappear in a few days. But it is not disappearing on the contrary it is now more noticeable. It does…
2004 · 150 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
Built from 1,108 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page