Two problems related to abs brake fail have been reported for the 2008 Mazda MAZDA3. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2008 Mazda MAZDA3 based on all problems reported for the 2008 MAZDA3.
I was driving on a 30 mph road near my apartment and when I went to brake while moving, the brakes failed on my Mazda 3. I was pressing the brakes and then all of the sudden the pedal went to the floor and the car continued rolling. Luckily the car was not going fast and was able to roll to a stop with just the hand brake. My car only has 104,000 miles on the odometer. There were no lit up indicators on the dashboard and no warning signs before the catastrophic failure. Based on my trip to two mechanics and the dealership, the abs unit failed and allowed air into the system which causes a catastrophic loss of brakes without warning. This is a serious and potentially deadly flaw that I believe Mazda should pay in full to remedy. This seems to be a common safety problem in Mazda cars from about 2004 to 2016 based on my research. I found multiple other sources that had the same problem.
After driving on snow covered road, abs warning light comes on and abs is non-operational. The abs would resume function after at least 30-45 min of driving. Dealer stated that snow became trapped in abs sensor but problem cannot be resolved. Abs failure occurred 3-4 times over the past winter when abs was essential.