There are 2 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2011 Mazda Mazda3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
AIR CONDITIONER COILS ARE CONTINUALLY PRODUCING MOLD. CHANGE AIR CABIN FILTER REGULARLY, MOLD IS EVEN GROWING ON FILTERS. WHEN COILS ARE TOUCHED, BLACK MOLD COMES OFF ON RAG. I HAVE SEVERE MOLD ALLERGIES AND HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE COILS CLEANED PROFESSIONALLY AS WELL AS THE AC VENTS CLEANED TO REMOVE SPORES. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF PROBLEM WITH ANY CAR I'VE EVER HAD. *TR
I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND MY CAR STARTED ACCELERATING AS IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS FULLY DEPRESSED. MY FOOT WAS SQUARELY ON THE BRAKE AT THE TIME BUT I WAS BEING PULLED SLOWLY FORWARD ON TO A BUSY ROADWAY. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT ALONG THE SHOULDER TO AVOID ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I SHIFTED INTO PARK, AND THEN SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. MY FOOT PLACEMENT WAS NO WHERE NEAR THE ACCELERATOR, AND THERE WERE NO OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS (I.E. CARPETS). WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL. AS AN ENGINEER, I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT WHAT EVER HAPPENED WAS ELECTRONIC IN NATURE, NOT A MECHANICAL OBSTRUCTION OR STICKING LINKAGE (I DID NOT TOUCH THE GAS PEDAL WHEN I RESTARTED). PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT I HAD BEEN DRIVING SLOW THOUGH A BUSINESS PARK AT 10 TO 15 MILES AND HOUR FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES, I WAS AT A DOCTOR APPOINTMENT. I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS ISSUE BEFORE OR SINCE. MAZDA HAS EXAMINED THE CAR AND DID NOT SEE ANYTHING. I LIKE THE CAR, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GET THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FLAW ON RECORD. *TR
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