Headlights Problems of Mazda MAZDA3 - part 1

There has always been a massive voltage drop when slowing down or lowering speed. Happens consistently in all driving conditions, highway/city, nighttime/daytime. This leads to all interior lights and more importantly, headlights dimming and flashing whenever the engine speed drops. This often means at nighttime when going around corners visibility is nearly zero until the lights come back on after a few seconds. Electrical systems are all fine with inspection. Upon googling it, appears to be a common problem and software related.

See all problems of the 2012 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

When you press on the brakes all the vehicles lights flashing from bright to deem the headlights, inside panel lights flashing from bright to deem making it difficult to see at night it acts like car is losing power.

See all problems of the 2013 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

Ongoing problem - reported by others in many forums. Technical service bulletin issued. During breaking headlights pulse brighter and dimmer.

Description this vehicle exhibits the headlights flickering when the vehicle is decelerating (by applying the brakes) with the headlights on. This concern is caused by inadequate alternator output (controlled by the pcm) when the battery is under heavy load. To correct the problem, the control logic of the pcm has been changed. Mazda will not update the pcm without charging customers a diagnostic and reprogramming fee in the us.

Headlights flicker while decelerating. Especially bad when braking. It has been happening for a long time, just decided now to report it. I see a lot of complaints for the same issue online.

Headlights flicker when braking causing diminished visibility at night. This is a know problem and safety hazard. Known enough to have a service bulliten. This is a factory defect causing safety issues that Mazda wants customers to pay for in order to be fixed. This should be a recall as it is a safety hazard.

While driving at night when you brake the headlights dim significantly and flicker until you go back to the gas or stop. I noticed this when I drove the car I bought for my daughter one night in October 2019.

Lighting:when applying breaks, headlights flicker. Windshield: leaks. Adhesive expanded, causing seal to break. Water pours in on dash from side during bad weather conditions or car wash. Adhesive also expanded on gauge panel, causing display window to lift. Was this way when purchased. Did not notice headlights and window seal at time of purchase.

Mechanic's report 12/28/2019: "right front (passenger side) headlight assembly has major moisture contamination. Hid controller failure due to moisture; hid bulb out. Repair est. $1,500 - $2,000. " my 2011 Mazda 3 mileage is 36,915. I will take this to Mazda service dept. On 1/2/2020 for evalutaion. Their repair est. On phone was $2,000+ - parts only. This is a known problem reported online by many owners of this make and year. Clearly this is a factory defect issue. One that has caused accidents at night. (I first noticed moisture sometime after a drive-thru car wash 3 months ago. ).

See all problems of the 2011 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

When driving at night with the lights on and putting on brakes or slowing down, headlights and taillights flicker and dim noticeably.

When the vehicle slows down or I hit the brakes, the headlights and interior lights flicker.

Upon downshifting or braking from normal driving speed the 2012 Mazda3 I headlights flicker like a strobe light creating distraction for both the driver and other drivers. Mazda has no recalls on a software update for pdm to easily correct the problem. This is only occurring on skyactive models.

When driving at night, and applying the brakes to slow down, the headlights and taillights flicker/pulse. Over the last 6-12 months this issue has become more pronounced so that it has begun reducing visibility. Plus, nearby cars are distracted, evidently thinking we are in distress. We believe this creates an additional traffic hazard. Note: initially, the problem was only noticeable when slowing from an initial speed of about 25-40mph. Now it seems to have advanced to happen at any speed above about 25mph.

Tl the contact owns a 2012 Mazda 3. While driving with the headlights activated, the headlights flickered and pulsated when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to aoxmoor Mazda (7913 shelbyville rd, louisville, ky) where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to a software malfunction. The power train control module was updated and the failure was remedied. The the manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no solution was offered. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Takata recall , dashboard starting to meltdown really bad. I seen alot of people got same problem. The vehicle is my commuter over time it starts to get sticky fibers get stuck on it needs to recalled ASAP for the timing of the air bag deployment it's really unsafe please help . The headlights assembly contains alot of moister after a car wash. Moisture can cause an electrical problem and burn the computer itself.

See all problems of the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

Tl the contact owns a 2013 Mazda 3. While driving 20-60 mph, the headlights flickered when the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle became difficult to drive. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to a local dealer. The contact called smith haven Mazda (827 jericho turnpike, st james, NY 11780, 631) 724-4070) and Mazda 112 (2112 NY-112, medford, NY 11763, (631) 256-1074), but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided reference number: 1-2451813550 the failure mileage was 78,000. The VIN was not available.

When driving, the headlights flicker severely anytime the brakes are applied. At night, it looks like I'm flashing my lights. This happens at random times, any roadway. We had the car serviced after finding a technical service bulletin (sb-01-019-13). The issue was fixed for a few months, but has returned.

Headlights flicker when braking.

When driving the front headlights will flicker/dim when I touch the brakes. I am driving back roads and highway. Night time with headlights on. Happens pretty consistently and is distracting and greatly reduces my view of the road!! has been happening for at least 4 months. Replaced the battery and still have the same problem.

My driver side headlight was out for an unknown amount of time until a police officer kindly pulled me over and told me. When I went to have the light replaced, the passenger side light was out, not the driver side. I assumed the officer had made a mistake. The passenger side headlight bulb was replaced. A few months later I was driving approx 40mph on an unlit road when both my headlights went completely out. I was able to pull off the road and there were no injuries. After about 30 minutes, the passenger side lightbulb mysteriously came on again but the driver side didn�t. So then the driver side light was replaced at my local dealership and they inspected the passenger side one and reported it �checked good�. It was only good for a few months because it's out again. There has always been excessive condensation in these lights but I dismissed it - Mazda or the mechanics would tell me if it could be a problem, right? I've researched now and found the issue is reported on all the Mazda3 message boards and to you at the ntsb (these are just the ones I found: 11044247,11015855,10865541,10849726,10823321,10723613, 10715457,10683926,10640462,10632527,10573945,10558974,10554823, 10548296, 10443658,10914541,10874861,10865443,10853089). There are at least nine Mazda technical service bulletins about the problem. Neither Mazda itself nor the Mazda service departments where my car was serviced many times had told me about it. This is obviously a safety issue. The next person who has both headlights fail on them might not be so lucky. I have talked to Mazda customer service and they insist this is an environmental factor and normal. Do I need to move to a certain environment, a desert maybe, to have reliable headlights?.

Led daytime running lights flickering going dim and then bright when the headlights are turned on, and the car is in gear.

See all problems of the 2014 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

Headlights pulsate when applying brakes. A technical service bulletin was issued. It is a software issue involving the alternator and re-calibrating the pcm. It happens every time you brake when the headlights are on.

Headlights flicker when brakes are applied applicable model(s)/vins 2012-2013 Mazda3 vehicles (with skyactiv-g 2. 0l and halogen type headlights).

When driving with the headlights on, the headlights appear to pulsate, dimming and brightening very noticeably. This only happens when the vehicle is moving. Mazda has identified the problem, issued a TSB reference sb-01-019-13. This should be a recall since it's distracting and dangerous to the driver and other motorists on the road. Nhtsa has an id number 10053740 associated with this.

Headlights flicker/pulsate when applying brakes. This is a well known issue with 2012-13 Mazda3 that requires a software update to remedy. Currently, Mazda is charging a minimum of $99 to �diagnose� the issue. Since the issue occurs in motion, I do not have photos, but I do have videos. Given that this is a safety issue caused by faulty software that only Mazda can update, there is no reason that owners should have to pay them to fix their own mistake. It's a scam, at best. . Read more...

Pcm does not regulate alternator output correctly causing the headlights to flash/strobe and horn tone to fluctuate while braking in motion. The headlights flashing could lead other drivers to believe you are signaling them, and lack of power to horn reduces the audibility and may not be heard by other drivers. Dealership/Mazda is aware of the issue and has provided a "software update" to fix the issue, but has not issued a recall, thus requiring consumers to pay $60-$100 usd for the update if out of warranty. On November 22th 2017 I was approaching an intersection and was braking coming to the red light when a vehicle on a side street waved at me and pulled out in front of me I used my horn of which fluctuated with power, I was able to avoid the crash but it was a close call. I suspect the other vehicle thought my flashing headlights were signaling them to "go ahead". I believe this needs to be a recall as this issue has the potential to cause serious injury or loss of life.

The contact owns a 2013 Mazda 3. While driving at any speed at night, the headlights flickered and flashed when the brake pedal was applied. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to maxon Hyundai Mazda (2329 us 22, union, NJ 07083). The contact was informed that the failure was a known issue, but there was no recall and the warranty expired. The vehicle was also taken to crystal Mazda (220 rte 22 west, greenbrookee, NJ 08812) where it was also stated that there was no recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

I have a 2013 Mazda 3i 5-door hatchback with approximately 61,000 miles, 90% highway driving to and from work. After having the battery replaced (original) earlier this year, I then noticed that my headlights would flash intermittently, at that time. As the year progressed, the headlight flashing, which presents itself only upon braking or deceleration, became markedly increased and brighter, including the dashboard information systems window inside. I went to an authorized mechanic, who first put my car on diagnostic, which showed that the alternator was very weak/worn. Since I had extended warranty, through a private company, but only until 60,000/5 years, I rushed to make time for the mechanic to receive authorization and replace the alternator, which he did, and my car runs great. There remains, though, the problem with the headlights flashing. Since the mechanic did reset the computer, we were stumped. Then my husband found a service bulletin from Mazda dealing with this specific issue, stating that the car must go to the dealer because only the dealer can reset all the parts of the computer. I then contacted Mazda, but have yet to receive a response. I do not feel that I should be made to pay for this adjustment/repair since Mazda apparently is well aware of this problem with this model car. Just google it, there are alot of m3 owners out there with similar problems, most got resolved because they were still under warranty. Great for them, but that doesn't help me. Not only is this a problem for me since I drive nearly 40 miles each way to/from work each night, but I am tired of other drivers flashing their lights at me, honking, or yelling. It is most annoying, not to mention a safety hazard, since I am a night-time/early morning driver, predominantly driving in the dark. Please advise.

The headlights flicker when braking or in parked. Drivers seat wobbles/rocks/shifts while driving making it dangerous.

Headlights flicker while applying brakes. Problem occurs only when the car is in motion. Sometimes cars think I am flashing my lights at them so they will turn their bright lights on. Once I almost drove off the side of a winding road because when the flickering lights bounced off of the guard rail reflectors, it was disorienting.

The headlights on a newly purchased used 2013 Mazda 3 flickering when applying the brakes. This is especially dangerous while driving on unlit streets at night. Trying to determine if there is a covered manufactured issue. This is while vehicle is in motion and being driven.

Headlight assembly keeps collecting water which shorts out the headlights and ballast. I keep finding this to be a common problem when researching it online. I can't find any obvious worn seals or cracks. I've changed my lightbulb 3 times so far in six months. I find water every time. My light will magically just go out while I'm driving usually at night.

When driving with the headlights on and I begin to slow down, whether coasting or using the brake, my headlights will flicker really bad. It does not happen all the time but it happens 90% of the time. There are times they flicker bad enough that it looks like I am flashing my highbeams. I have had to pull over multiple times because of how hard it made it to concentrate on the surrounding area. I can only imagine what its like for someone in front of me or driving towards me. Sometimes they will also flash a few times when I come to a complete stop. Ive taken it to the dealer I bought it from and they continue to say nothing is wrong. So it is still an ongoing problem from the day I bought it.

The car wouldnt pass inspection because of water in headlight. Dried it out. Passed. Got wet again. Replaced the light twice and still doing it. Other light is now doing it.

When breaking from a speed of 35 miles per hour the headlights flicker to a very dim degree. It is nearly a strobe light. Apparently there is a software update fix for this from a TSB so why isn't this recalled? it is clearly dangerous and common.