Exterior Lighting Problems of Mazda MAZDA3 - part 1

2012 Mazda3i 5dr hatchback. Persistent issue with headlights, both low beam and high beam, as well as interior lighting and other lighting. The headlights flicker for several seconds any time the brake pedal is applied. Interior lighting also flickers when brake pedal is applied. Headlights sometimes flicker when vehicle is decelerating and no brake pedal is applied, most notable when vehicle is traveling downhill. Further, the luminosity (brightness) of the headlights visibly dims, but does not flash, when the vehicle is parked and the brake pedal is applied. A high volume of others report the same issue, including documented complaints. These vehicles are unsafe, defective as designed, and do not conform to fmvss no. 108. Nhtsa must investigate further. Many other owners are not aware of the cause of the issue and attempt to fix it by replacing headlights, alternator, etc. Mazda was aware of issue prior to July 2013, when it issued TSB 01-019/13. This document states, "some vehicles may exhibit 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 a heavy load. To correct the problem, the control logic of the pcm has been changed. " this appears to be at best a temporary fix. Bommarito Mazda in missouri required payment of $199. 88 to "diagnose" this problem and address it in the manner prescribed in TSB 01-019/13. This service was not covered under warranty. Service manager m. D. Claimed to have never heard of this issue before and that it would need to be diagnosed, despite being informed by the owner of the precise issue, that others reported experiencing the same issue, and that others reported the issue was addressed by reprogramming the pcm. Immediately following this service, the headlights continued to visibly dim when the vehicle is parked and the brake pedal applied.

See all problems of the 2012 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

Vehicle touch screen has aggressive and persistent “ghost touch” during vehicle operation (while in drive), which should not be possible while in drive at all. This causes any setting or feature accessible through the vehicle “infotainment” system to be activated at random leading to distracting, undesired operation. There is no setting within the “infotainment” system that allows you to disable the touch screen, leading to dangerously distracting situations. There is a voluntary extended warranty period provided by Mazda, but I was not notified required by law, nor was the warranty service offered to me when bringing my car to dealership(s) during the warranty period. Mazda is not willing to pay to fix the acknowledged safety defect.

See all problems of the 2015 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

Google search shows Mazda has common problem with their front sensing camera, people are reporting the issue for different Mazda models across the board for the last few years including newer models as well. My car display shows few malfunction warning messages. Following captured from mymazda app. 1. Forward sensing camera malfunction. I-activesense advanced safety and driver support systems may not operate correctly. 2. High beam control system is disabled. Automatic switching between high and low beams is unavailable.

See all problems of the 2020 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

There seems to be a lot of people who own 2012 and 2013 Mazda 3 sedans (with skyactiv-g 2. 0l and halogen type headlights) that are dealing with the same issue I am dealing with myself. I have just purchased a used 2013 Mazda 3 with skyactive technology and I noticed that when I was braking the headlights would pulse on and off and would continue while I braked. I have been told there is a TSB on this issue (attached) and Mazda is well aware of this happening. This concern is caused by inadequate alternator output controlled by the pcm when the battery is under a heavy load. They are to the point now of charging people for a doing the TSB on the car that is causing the problem of the alternator not producing the proper wattage to support both the headlights and the brake lights at the same time. There are numerous online forum entries that speak of this issue with 2012 and 2013 Mazda 3's. I am very concerned that my headlights may stop working which could result in my death or the death of my occupants of my vehicle not to mention the other motorists on the road around me if my head lights were to eventually fail at night due to lack of proper wattage to the headlights. There are videos on you tube that show these pulsing headlights on Mazda's. I believe that headlights are important enough safety issue that their failing could result in death if the headlights completely failed due to the known fault in these vehicles over time.

See all problems of the 2013 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

Car began to smoke. Roof caught fire at driver's visor while occupied with 2 people. Both able to exit safely. Neighbor put out with fire extinguisher. Inspected by insurance adjuster - total loss. Dealership notified. No warning lamps or messages.

See all problems of the 2016 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

TSB 01-019/13 covers a safety oriented problem with my car. Jim ellis Mazda in marietta refuses to work on my car because it is more than 10 years old. This is a proprietary issue since it deals with the computer system in the car.

There has been no accident- the vehicle is my mother in laws vehicle- my concern is while at work she has at times loaded our daughter into the vehicle- I inspected the vehicle one day while as an employee of les schwab- the driver cvc axle vibrates so bad from the boot being torn and having no lubrication- these axles power the vehicle forward and if not maintained can snap and cause damage- the wipers no longer work correctly- the tires are 2017 and old and weather cracked- potential to separate while driving or blow out on the heated pavement. Upon inspection also found that the front shocks are blown out and bouncing in the mounts under the hood- causing the tires to not have the correct contact patch on the road thus decreasing traction and control- on top of all this the vehicle hasn't been registered since 2020 and has no insurance on the vehicle- again there has been no accident. . . Yet- this is my concern- that if this vehicle continues to remain operational and on the road it not only puts the driver and occupants at risk but also other drivers- kids- teens and anyone that may be on the other end o the crash when the vehicle does snap the cvc axle or blow I out a tire.

See all problems of the 2004 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

While driving in snow storm I had to pull over and I noticed lights were covered with snow . Led lights will not produce heat to melt snow the lip above and the ledge below traps the snow and with the way the headlights are set up the snow sticks on the lights which affects visibility creating a safety issue. Same thing happens in rain. I have been to a parts store and a mechanic shop both shops said this is a poor design. The lip and lower ledge trap the snow and led lights will not melt the snow. This vehicle would be unsafe to drive in a snowstorm because of poor vision. Thank you.

See all problems of the 2023 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that after pulling over to the shoulder the vehicle would not immediately restart. The contact stated that approximately five minutes later, the vehicle restarted without pressing the start button. The contact stated that the message "network malfunction" was displayed. The contact stated that several electrical malfunctions had previously occurred with the vehicle including the front windshield wipers independently activating, with the headlights and instrument cluster lights flickering. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 59,000.

See all problems of the 2019 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

A substantial amount of water has made its way into the headlight housing. This has caused the driver side light to go out. There is no evidence of any damage, cracks, or failure otherwise. It seems, like thousands of other Mazda3 drivers, the seals have failed. My particular model has the auto leveling and turning headlights. Cost to repair will be well over $1,000. This is a well known problem to Mazda. Lack of lighting is a safety issue. High price of repair is a serious bar to fixing the issue and returning to safe driving. I was unaware of the failure as no warning is communicated to the driver.

See all problems of the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

Brake lights are causing the top of the tail light to melt on the housing.

See all problems of the 2009 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

When driving at night with exterior lights on, when brake and or gas pedal is pressed the exterior lights strobe/flashes. The Mazda dealership has been contacted about this issue and there is a technician service bulletin stating that the ecm needs to be reflashed/programmed. No recall has been set for this issue and the Mazda dealership stated that I would have to pay $265 out of pocket to have the problem fixed. I believe that because it's a problem with there programming or software that the company should have to issue a safety recall and fix the factory defect. I'm currently in the process of filing a lawsuit against Mazda because of this and I have already filed a complaint with the better business bureau for this issue.

This model car has a fuse box under the glove box known as a "passenger junction box" that has a faulty or defective relay soldered onto the circuit board. The relay is tied to lighting that includes the interior lights, exterior front parking lights, exterior rear tail lights, and the license plate light and is controlled by the left turn signal stalk (rotating switch). Based on my experience and many others (on the Mazda 3 forums), this relay has the tendency to fail and cause all of these lights tied to this relay to intermittently or permanently be disabled. There is no warning for this; the driver will only notice when driving at night that the interior illumination of the dashboard goes completely dark, which could cause disorientation and confusion as to whether or not the car is operable. Subsequently, the problem can be recreated by attempting to turn the lights on and off and there will be no response (and no clicking noise. . . It is audible when working and it switches on); the relay fails to operate and all the lights will not turn on. Driving at night without tail lights is extremely dangerous and I am surprised this has not caused serious injury from rear-ending incidents in nighttime or inclement weather situations. The serial/model number of junction box on my vehicle is bn8b-66730-c and many others on the forums have had the same issue with the same model, as well as other variations of the box. Some on the forums went as far as replacing the culprit relay (see attachment); however, at the risk of destroying the entire junction box and rendering the vehicle unusable. I finally ended up purchasing a replacement unit on ebay which corrected the issue so far and has made the lights reliable again.

When driving at highway speeds and applying brakes, the headlights will pulse bright to dim for the duration of braking. I have seen this problem reported online by several dealers and it has a known software update to fix the problem, but it is not listed under the recalls for this vehicle. A similar problem exists on the 2014 Mazda's and a recall does exist for that vehicle.

High beam lights blink/flash when breaking low beam lights dim when breaking instrument lights dim slightly when breaking with both conditions mentioned.

Headlamps pulse during braking while deceleration.

Automatic light malfunctions when the car is parked outside under the broad day light. When automatic light malfunctions, the head light turns on automatically and dash meter lighting dims automatically. When the dash meter dims, I can not see the speed or anything within the meter. Have talked to Mazda and stated that I need to turn on an a/c to cool the system down. It is very dangerous that I can not see the speed meter. It has happened few times.

High beam lights blink/flash when breaking low beam lights dim when breaking instrument lights dim slightly when breaking with both conditions mentioned. Also I had the alteernator checked and it is working like it should. I found other people have had same problem with same year make and model. I am 2nd owner the person who bought it new didnt drive it much and didnt drive it at night so they never knew it had issues. The people with the issues was able to get it fixed free since they bought it new and had the issue happen to them. Seams there would of been a recall out to have this fixed and most dealers know what the problem is. But not the one I took my car to since it is a newer dealer.

The taillights internal red housing is melting on both driver and passenger sides and making a safety issue for visibility. This internal red housing or fixture surrounds the brake/light bulb. This is a hatchback and I have seen other Mazda 3 hatches with the same issue. Also everyone is having this issue even other Mazdas in this year range that I have seen/read online.

See all problems of the 2008 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

When I hit the brakes, the light flash almost as if it flashing my bright light, no matter where or how fast or slow I'm driving.

Tl the contact owns a 2011 Mazda 3. While driving 15 mph, the rear brake stop lamps illuminated independently without warning. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a possible failure due to the abs malfunction. The contact stated that the rear brake stop lamps were replaced; however, the failure recurred. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000. The VIN was not available.

See all problems of the 2011 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

2010 Mazda3s grand touring, condensation accumulated in head lamp resulting in head lamp bulb failure. The cost to replace head lamp assembly is $2500. 00 $250. 00 just for the bulb. Thousands of noted on line complaints with photos with no damage to assembly but the sealant has failed. Mazda dealership parts department acknowledged this is a known issue with the Mazda3.

The electrical systems is not working right the lights on the in side of the car come on when you get up to 75 to 80 mph they start flashing. The air bag light light come on the steering column lock up a lot of time were I have a hard time getting the key in the ignition.

The car will intermittently not shift out of park due to the shift lock not releasing properly, and the stop lights and horn are not functioning properly as well. This seams to be typical of the Mazda3's due to the horn shorting the fuse and the brake switch going bad, and definitely makes the car more accident prone. Others seam to report the cruise control functions stop working due to the same fuse being used for stop lights and the cruise control function.

One of the two electricals broke loose that's connected to the battery that starts the car. My car literally stalled out on me in the middle of an intersection. I was almost hit because of that. Another issue is my right back tire. One of the lug nuts won't come off and that is a safety issue. If something happens to my tire, I'm not going to be able to get a new tire to replace the old one. Another issue is the light on the ceiling of my car broke. The wires are exposed. My dashboard in my car is also melting.

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda 3. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed water in the passenger side head lamp. As a result, the head lamp failed to illuminate. The dealer diagnosed that the head lamp needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was also included in NHTSA campaign number: 16v644000 (structure). The part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Passenger headlamp getting excessive condenstation build up after car wash or rain storm eventually causes hid bulb and ballast failure due to short caused by water ingress. Housing has been changed and still leaks in almost exact same pattern as old housing. This is a safety defect as it affects my ability to safely, and legally drive my car in low or no light conditions and could cause an accident.

On my Mazda3 I have noticed that driving at night has become more difficult due the head lights were not shining bright enough. I noticed now during the day time that the head light clear covers are corroded. It looks like there is condensation inside the head light cover housing and it has corroded the light covers. It reduces visibility that can cause dangerous conditions at night. I;m afraid I could hit something or someone not being able to fully see them.

Turning to park her vehicle, in a parking lot, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and hit two parked cars in front.

Every time I slow down (braking or just decelerating) the lights flicker. This happens with high or low beams. This has been happening for quite some time. I thought it might be the battery, but after replacement this continued.

While braking the front lights are pulsing from regular to dim and back and forth. They return to normal after releasing the brake pedal. This was first noticed while exiting from highway speeds to a down ramp. There is a service bulletin from Mazda on this, #13-21. It has already been done to my vehicle to no avail. The problem is electrical in nature in my opinion.

Started to notice sticky residue on the inside of the windshield. Hard to clean off making for a visibility issue. Days later after the vehicle had been parked noticed the dashboard was very sticky and appears to be melting. After some investigation online realize this is an going issue with these cars and others. I. E. Toyota/Lexus .

Tl-the contact owns a 2008 Mazda 3. The contact stated that every time it rains water gets inside the head lights compartment blocking the light. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to get a diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact also stated that the failure occurred several times. The approximate failure mileage was 55,937. Bp.

See all problems of the 2006 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

The right front headlamp assy. Get's moisture in it that made the headlamp bulb blow out.

The brake light bulb has melted and burnt out the brake light housing assembly multiple times, I have purchased multiple brake light housing assembly and the issue continues. Clearly this is a manufacturing defect that is a safety/fire hazard.

See all problems of the 2007 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.