There are 7 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2006 Mazda Mazda3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE BACK REAR WHEEL WELLS COLLECT SO MUCH DIRT AND SALT IT ENDS UP RUSTING IT OUT! THERE NEEDS TO BE PLASTIC COVER FOR THE WHEEL WELLS OR BETTER DRAIN HOLES! I WASH MY CAR EVERY WEEK IN THE WINTER AND IT IS STILL HARD TO PREVENT IT! THE REAR STRUT MOUNT TAKES A TOLL ON THE ABUSE FROM ALL THE SALT AND DIRT THAT COLLECTS NEAR THE TOP WHERE IT IS SCREWED IN! HAD MY STRUT BREAK TWICE IN ONE MONTH! THERE NEEDS TO BE BETTER DRAIN HOLES FOR THE DOORS TOO! *TR
THE DASH IS STARTING TO CRACK NEAR THE DRIVER SIDE. ITS JUST GETTING LARGER OVER TIME. I'M AFRAID IT COULD POSE A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE. MAZDA DEALER TOLD ME ITS A COMMON ISSUE ON MY YEAR, EVEN THE YEAR AFTER TOO. SEEMS PEOPLE ONLINE TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME TOO. WHY WONT MAZDA RECALL? NOT THE FIRST ISSUE I'VE HAD. *TR
A MAJOR CRACK IN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DASHBOARD, IT GOES RIGHT THROUGH THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR. I WOULD ASSUME IS DUE TO THE HOT WEATHER AND THE QUICK TEMPERATURE CHANGES WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO. DUE TO THE CRACK, A SLIGHT SINKING OF THE ACTUAL DASH HAS STARTED TO OCCUR, MEANING , YOU COULD TELL THAT SOMETHING HAS CRACKED AND THE SIDES ARE SLIDING DOWN. I HAVE GONE ON MANY THREADS ON FORUMS THAT ARE ALL ABOUT THAT ISSUE. 5 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IT ALSO HAPPENS ON THE 2ND GENERATION AS WELL. LAST THING THAT MIGHT BE CAUSED BY THAT "CRACKAGE" ARE THE RETAINING CLIPS LOCATED RIGHT BEHIND THE WHOLE DASHBOARD MORE TOWARDS THE LEFT SIDE BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL. IT MAKES A VIBRATING, MORE LIKE A DANGLING NOISE AS OF SOMETHING IS LOOSE OR IN THE WORST CASE BROKEN. *TR
I HAD GOTTEN A FLAT TIRE AFTER HITTING A POT HOLE AND KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO NEED NEW TIRES SHORTLY ANYWAYS SO I HAD THEM PUT ON A USED TIRE TO GET ME THROUGH TWO WEEKS AND WHILE DURING THE TWO WEEKS I WAS GONE FOR A FEW DAYS AND HAD NEW BRAKES PUT ON AND ASKED THEM TO JUST DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE- THERE WAS- A BUSTED STRUT ON MY FRONT PASSENGER SIDE (SIDE THAT I GOT A FLAT). I WAITED UNTIL I GOT HOME FROM A VACATION (CAR WASN'T DRIVEN) AND GOT THAT FIXED BUT EVERYONE WAS SURPRISED WITH THE STRUT BEING OUT. ALL 4 TIRES WERE REPLACED AS WERE BOTH FRONT STRUTS. CAR WAS GREAT FOR ~2 WKS. THEN IT WAS LOUD AND TERRIBLE VIBRATIONS. AFTER ARGUING AND COMPLAINING A MONTH LATER THEY REPLACED TIRES FOR ME BECAUSE TWO WEREN'T EVEN KEEPING TIRE PRESSURE AND THEN I REMEMBERED THAT A FEW MONTHS PRIOR I WAS AT THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP (WHERE I REALLY CAN'T STAND THE JERKS!-THEY'RE AWFUL!) AND THEY SAID I HAD A BUSTED MOTOR MOUNT BUT REFUSED TO SHOW ME. I HAD MY MAIN DEALER CHECK IT OUT BUT THEY FOUND NOTHING THEN A FAMILY FRIEND, BUT AGAIN NOTHING. FF TO DECEMBER AND I GIVE IN AND GO BACK TO MAZDA- MOTOR MOUNT WOULD BE IN MULTIPLE PIECES IF IT WASN'T IN A CAPSULE LIKE DEVICE. IN JANUARY THEY GOT MY PART IN AND REPLACED IT- ALSO KNOCKING OUT A STOPPER- AND VIBRATIONS STOPPED. MOUNT SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE OUT SO FAST- AT INITIAL DX I THINK CAR WAS AT 45K-50K MILES (LATE SUMMER OF '10) I THINK THERE'S A DEFECT WITH MOUNTS (MINE WAS PASSENGER SIDE OVER TIRE AREA) AND ALSO WITH STRUTS. EVERYONE HAS TOLD ME- MAZDA, MY DEALER (ZIMBRICK-WHO IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!), AND A FEW OTHER SERVICE CENTERS THAT THE STRUTS SHOULD'VE LASTED A LOT LONGER. *TR
I AM FILLING THIS FORM OUT IN RESPONSE TO NEGLIGENCE AND FALSE ADVERTISING ON THE PART OF CLAY COOLEY OF DALLAS TEXAS. WHEN ME AND MY FIANCE WENT TO TRADE IN OUR CAR THE FORD DEALER (FIVE STAR FORD) RAN A AUTO CHECK AND FOUND THAT IT HAS FRAME DAMAGE AND WOULD NOT TAKE IT FOR LESS THAN 2000$ BUT WE OWED 14000$ SO WE COULD NEVER GET A LOAN ON ANOTHER CAR WITH THAT CARS REPORT. WHEN WE TALKED TO CLAY COOLEY WE TALKED TO ALEX SERANGA HE SAID WE COULD BRING THE CAR IN AND INSINUATED THAT THEY WOULD TAKE THE LOAN IF WE GOT ANOTHER CAR, BUT OF COURSE WHEN WE GOT THERE THEY WANTED TO US TO TRADE IN THE VEHICLE FOR ANOTHER CAR. ALSO THEY WOULD NOT TELL US WHAT THE AUCTION PAPER WORK SAID FOR THE CAR THEY TRIED TO SELL US AND REFUSED TO SHOW IT TO US. WHEN WE SHOWED THEM THE AUTO CHECK REPORT THAT SAYS THE FRAME WAS DAMAGED ON OUR CAR AND THEY BOUGHT AND SOLD IT KNOWINGLY FROM AUCTION WITH UNIBODY DAMAGE THEY SAID THEY NEVER HEARD OF AUTO CHECK. BUT AFTER DOING RESEARCH ON THE AUTO CHECK WEBSITE I HAVE FOUND THAT THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES PROMOTED BY THE NADA SO THERE CAN BE LITTLE WAY THEY NEVER HEARD OF THEM. PLEASE HELP ME I AND MY FAMILY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW. THE CAR IS A 2006 MAZDA 3 *TR
THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CENTER INFORMATION DISPLAY PANEL IS VERY POOR-TO READ IT REQUIRES THE DRIVER TO TAKE HIS EYES OFF THE ROAD TOO LONG WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD MY DEALER RECOGNIZES THIS PROBLEM BUT STATES THERE IS NO "FACTORY BULLETIN" TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. *NM
2006 MAZDA 3 MAKES A NOISE AT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. *TS THREE MONTHS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASE THE CONSUMER BEGAN TO HEAR AN ANNOYING CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT EH PROBLEM WAS NOT MECHANICAL AND THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE BODY SHOP FOR SEVEN WEEKS. THEY CLAIM THAT THE UNIBODY WELD HAD TO BE REPAIRED BUT WHEN THE CONSUMER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE THE NOISE WAS STILL PRESENT. *NM
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026