Power Train Problems of Mazda MAZDA3 - part 1

Left-most lane of a three-lane highway, I pressed the accelerator to maintain the flow of traffic. The vehicle suddenly began revving between 4,000–5,000 rpm without increasing speed. When I attempted to accelerate again, the rpm remained around 3,000, and I immediately received multiple warning messages on the dashboard, including: “skyactiv partially disabled” warning engine malfunction warning atf (automatic transmission fluid) warning light simultaneously, the vehicle rapidly decelerated from 65 mph to approximately 55 mph, creating an extremely hazardous situation and nearly resulting in a collision. I had to carefully maneuver across lanes to reach the shoulder. After shutting the vehicle off and restarting it, the warning lights temporarily cleared; however, the vehicle appeared to be operating in limp mode. I had the car towed home via aaa. After this near-fatal incident, I scanned the vehicle using an obd2 reader and retrieved diagnostic trouble codes p0780 and p0761, indicating shift malfunction and shift solenoid 3 performance issues. To address the issue proactively, I had my mechanic perform two full transmission fluid and filter exchanges on Monday, February 16, 2026, and again on February 18, 2026. Both services included a pan drop, replacement of the transmission filter, use of Mazda oem transmission fluid (0000a7115qt and fz01-21-500), and a complete transmission relearn procedure after each service. Despite these efforts, the same codes (p0761 and p0780) reappeared when scanned with a professional-grade diagnostic tool. The battery has been tested and confirmed fully charged. Additionally, my mechanic identified oil leaking from the timing chain cover.

See all problems of the 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the high-pressure fuel pump failed. This component failure prevents the car from starting or staying running. The check engine code confirmed the high-pressure fuel pump failure. The failed component is currently at the Mazda dealership and is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk the car suddenly stalled while driving on the roadway, creating a dangerous situation. If this had happened on the freeway or in fast-moving traffic, it could have led to a serious accident. Losing power and control of the vehicle at higher speeds poses a major safety risk to both the driver and surrounding vehicles. I was fortunate that the failure occurred on a city street rather than on the freeway. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes. The Mazda dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the high-pressure fuel pump had failed, which was also verified by the check engine code. This failure caused the stalling and starting issues. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? the vehicle was inspected by an authorized Mazda dealership, which diagnosed and confirmed the high-pressure fuel pump failure. It has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? before the final failure, the car was hesitant to start, and after it stalled, the check engine light appeared. There were no prior warning messages or signs before the car suddenly stalled while driving. Additional details: the car is only seven years old with approximately 52,000 miles, and it is concerning that such a critical component would fail this early.

See all problems of the 2018 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

My Mazda3 began producing a chirp when shifting from 3rd to 4th gear (automatic transmission). The dealer stated that the car needed a new torque converter. At the time the car only 37,000 miles on it, quite low mileage for a torque converter to fail. Mazda has previously admitted to producing cars with faulty torque converters, as specified in Mazda txxxxxx] ). While my car fit the description of both the problem and proposed fix, and also fell within the applicable models/vins listed on the TSB, Mazda corporate hq stated that my specific VIN was not covered by the TSB, and therefore the repair cost was my responsibility. Since the problem, solution, and general vehicle type are entirely as described in the TSB, it appears possible that the TSB was too narrowly scoped and omitted impacted vehicles, to the detriment of owners. This would also cause potential safety concerns, since an unrepaired torque converter could produce unexpected shifting problems. Therefore I suggest that NHTSA investigate to determine if additional vehicles are impacted by Mazda's faulty torque converters. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2020 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

I am writing to formally report a serious safety issue with my 2016 Mazda 3 manual transmission, which experienced a sudden and complete clutch failure at less 60,000 miles — without any warning lights or diagnostic alerts. I am deeply concerned that: •there was no dashboard warning, even as the clutch system failed •the gear indicator was inaccurate in prior days, which may have been an early sign of failure •there was no protection mechanism to prevent complete drivetrain failure during normal use.

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My rear differential case cracked, anytime the four wheel drive system was engaged the entire drivetrain would lock up. Luckily we were only on side roads so going less than 30 mph if we had been on the highway when this happened we could have been in an accident or lost control. The dealer did confirm the problem and it was fixed under an extended warranty. There was no warning just all of a sudden a loud bang and all the wheels locked up. I have a copy of the video inspection done at the dealer if there's anyway to send that. I can get a copy of the repair invoice if needed.

See all problems of the 2021 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

I was driving when all the sudden there was a loud bang sound. The differential housing cracked. The when awd is demanded the rear diff was was locking up instead of engaging. Luckily we were just on city streets and not on the highway as this rear wheel locking up could cause a crash. Mazda wasn't very helpful with the replacement. Luckily I had a aftermarket warranty but it only paid for a used replacement, which is also failing. I have read lots of stories of this rear differential failure across all types of Mazda's from this era and really wish they would do the correct thing and resolve the problem.

Radiators are failing 3 years after the warranty period. Its leading to coolant lost and perhaps overheating the engine.

1. Automatic transmission suffered a catastrophic failure during operation. Transmission was discarded by bountiful Mazda, utah. 2. Both other and I were at risk as the vehicle could not be controlled. 3. I read similar findings on social media posts. 4. Bountiful Mazda confirmed metal shavings in the drain trans fluid. 5. No prior warning on car instrumentation, or while driving, or on prior inspection by cardinaleway Mazda, gilbert, az 6. Neither Mazda USA (mfr) nor protective asset protection have taken responsibility for the initial equipment failure nor reimbursement through the extended service contract even with extenuating circumstances for late notification. I can provide copies of additional relevant material.

See all problems of the 2015 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

Car started jerking and on the way home, the car lost all power to the transmission. The check engine light came on as well as the at and traction lights. Absolutely no power to the transmission. Codes p0780 and p0751.

See all problems of the 2012 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

Transmission is pulling during shifting. Dealer updated transmission software twice already during warranty. Car is doing it again. This can be a safety problem when pulling in front of traffic and transmission fails to shift smoothly and it jerks/delays.

See all problems of the 2017 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

I noticed oil was leaking and my engine was steaming after driving. My mechanic found a crack in a cylinder after watching youtube and finding out Mazda has this issue.

See all problems of the 2019 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

I was driving on the highway in sixth gear and went to down shift to get on to the off ramp and was unable to get it out of sixth gear. I had it towed to the dealer where they were going to charge 4 grand just to tear down the transmission to tell me what might be wrong. So I towed it home and once I was able to get the transmission open, I found the roll pin that connects the shifting shaft to the shift selector plate had worked itself out. If the transmission had been in neutral, it would have taken less than 20 minutes to fix. But, because it was stuck in gear the whole transmission had to be taken apart.

Transmission control module.

See all problems of the 2008 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

The car started to stall, hesitate and even stop completely for no apparent reason. The mechanic first recommended a new ecu/tcu which did not help the problem and in the course of duplicating the problem check engine light has come on for the transmission with problems shifting/sticking in a gear and not returning to first gear. My mechanic has stated that there is a known problem with Mazda3 transmission, and I should reach out to Mazda. They indicate there is no recall, but mechanic provided me TSB reference number 0500814 from a service bulletin. The car is a death trap and I have stalled while driving on the streets and freeway so obviously I can't drive the car. The car is still at the mechanics since parts cannot be found. Please help any way possible. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2019 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the vehicle lost motive power with the vehicle network malfunction, vehicle inspection”, the check engine waring light and all the safety features were disabled, and the windshield wipers turned on independently. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road. The contact mentioned that the gear shifter failed to shift out of park(p) and the vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact was able to operate the vehicle normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic test and stated that no failure was found however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the dealer stated that they were aware of the failure, but the vehicle needed to be diagnosed by a tech. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 36,329.

Humming or wining noise coming from back of vehicle when driving in highways around 75 mph.

See all problems of the 2022 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while exiting a parking lot, the vehicle failed to accelerate as designed with the power train warning light blinking. The vehicle also started jerking. After the vehicle accelerated, the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 150,000.

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For the past 9-10 months and on occasions, when I step on the brake pedal to either slow down or stop from a normal cruise speed, the engine rpm quickly jumps up to 2000 - 2500 rpm. I have to quickly brake harder and *place the auto transmission selector in neutral to fully stop the car from lunging forward*. The date below is the most recent date.

See all problems of the 2009 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

Cars lurches/jerks at low speeds when shifting 1-2 gears and sometimes rpm bounces up and down when downshifting.

See all problems of the 2023 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

With less than 7000 miles on a new Mazda3, the transfer and transfer housing went out. This meant the all wheel drive did not operate properly, which could have caused an accident in the right conditions. This was covered by warranty, as well as a shock, strut, and numerous related parts. In total, the warranty covered the total $4395 to repair a car with less than 7000 miles on it.

Steering becomes unpredictable and stiff accompanied by surging and loss of power. Check engine light comes on. Code p0882.

See all problems of the 2013 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

On three occasions thus far when the vehicle was started and placed in drive the transmission slipped terribly, the engine rpms would race when pressing the accelerator and the vehicle would move at no more than a few mph. The problem is intermittent but can be inspected. The problem has occurred on public roads when stopped at a light or stop sign and I was unable to move forward again after stopping. The problem was reproduced by the dealer. The dealer had the vehicle for 29 days for repair attempts and returned it to me one day before my states lemon law would have been triggered. There were several vehicle malfunction warnings displayed on the dash 10 to 15 minutes after the vehicle failed to move under its own power. I also purchased an obdii code reader after the initial vehicle failure and was able to read transmission error codes on subsequent failures.

The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted from 5th gear to 3rd gear with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle started to slide and the contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle came to a stop. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 19v072000 (power train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.

Tracking number 11461728 added information email from manufacture mitsubushi electric incorporated.

The vehicle started surging at low soeeds and accelarating and control module issues for the transmission.

My gear box was popping out of gear at highway speeds into neutral. The service provider informed me the transmission in the car was bad, adding that it the bad transmission caused excessive wear on the clutch-and-flywheel assembly. It later came to my attention that there is an ongoing class action lawsuit in the state of California, represented by cafferty clobis meriwether & spengel regarding defectively-engineered transmissions of 5- and 6-speed Mazda 3s manufactured between 2010-2015. I had the clutch, flywheel, and transmission all replaced. I cannot be certain that the new oem transmission part was re-engineered to correct for the original engineering defect and I am greatly concerned that the issues will repeat themselves soon, putting my family and me at risk. I am attaching a letter I sent to Mazda regarding this concern.

See all problems of the 2014 Mazda MAZDA3 🔎.

Car will stall out and restart immediately and I temporarily lose power steering when turn signal is engaged, sometimes when the wheel turns and when I disengage the e-brake. My mechanic cannot find the problem and I have read many many forums that show the same issue with the same vehicle. Happens every time I drive the car for weeks and then will disappear for a couple weeks and then come back. This happens even when I'm doing 65 on the highway!.

Timing cover leak, all maintenance was completed before the service bulletin. This is a TSB but should be a recall for how common this issue is as they stated it could be caused from the assembly line during a pressurized test. “ this may be caused by oil escaping from a fine clearance created at the sealant applied to joint (a)between the cylinder block (b) and head (c) when the engine was pressurized during leak testing on the engine assembly line. ” TSB bulletin no. : 01-018/18. Timing cover issues are not something that should be happening under 100k miles.

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda m3s. The contact stated while driving at an undetermined speed the clutch became inoperable. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

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The contact owns a 2018 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving 25 mph, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The contact was unaware if there were any warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact's husband added fuel to the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle restarted 15 minutes later. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer who informed the contact that the failure could not be duplicated because there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired, and the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred upon shifting from reverse(r) to drive (d). The power train warning light and several unknown waring lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the automatic trans-axle warning light illuminated and the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle however, the failure reoccurred for a second time that day and she was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the battery cables had detached. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer who diagnosed that the transmission control module had failed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 85,598.

There is a loud winding sound sound coming from the transmission and sound of metal (broken teeth) as well. We took it to a Mazda dealer and they quickly identified the issue as a failing transmission. As a result I was able to find that a service bulletin aligned with this issue (TSB no. 0500414) and confirmed this with the dealer. This service bulletin indicates a manufacturing issue but only applied a warranty of 6 years or 60,000 miles. Yes, our car is over the 6 yrs and only 800 miles over the 60,000 miles, however, my concern is that this is a known issue that clearly becomes a safety issue. We got a price from the dealer of $4,500 for a new transmission so I took it to a transmission shop for a 2nd opinion. They confirmed the failing transmission and indicated the car should not be driven for safety reasons. They said the transmission is in bad shape and when it fails the car will just stop creating a very unsafe condition. They are able to find a used transmission and install it for an estimate of $2,700 but I believe this should be covered by Mazda due to the safety concerns. I have no choice to proceed with this replacement but hope that you can help to get Mazda's attention and have them stand behind this and cover this cost.

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.

I was driving home from work on 2-16-2021, all of a sudden with out warning, every warning and information light light up like a xmas tree, the power steering went away making it hard to drive, the engine ran in limp mode. , I manage to get it pulled off to a safe spot , turn off the car, and then try to restart . No go , dead the dash lights light up but the starter will not engage . Towed to dealer, 1st they says its the engine computer, then its the , transmission computer. . Read more...

My wife was driving her vehicle and the front cv axle completely snapped in half. Still not sure what could have possibly occured being there is no accident report on this vehicle. Perhaps the part was corroded or faulty.