NHTSA has received 54 owner complaints about the 2021 Mazda Mazda3, or 9.3 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.23, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #17 of 85 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Mazda models its rate is 19% lower; against other Compact cars it is 58% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2021-02-14 and 2026-10-13. Median delay from incident to filing: 6 days.
54Complaints
9.3Complaints per year on the road
0.23Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
1Recalls
7.4%Share involving a crash or fire
7Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 4.7 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 5.0 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 25 complaints, 59% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (35.2% of complaints), followed by Electrical (13.0%) and Brakes (9.3%). Engine complaints are 1.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 4 reports (7.4%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 22 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the second year (33% of incidents). 7 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists 1 safety recall for this model year.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.23
vs. other Mazda models0.81
vs. other 2021 models0.24
vs. other Compact cars0.42
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (25)0.41
During the incident, the vehicle exhibited an uncontrollable malfunction—the steering wheel suddenly jerked sharply to the right while accelerating violently, leaving me unable to steer or brake effectively, the car was looking forward.
Electrical · 2025-02-28 · ODI 11645615 · Crash
The vehicle was badly rear ended and the airbags didn't deploy. The dashboard indicated an "airbag malfunction" after the collision happened.
While driving to work, the dashboard displayed “Charging system malfunction, pull over.” The driver pulled over safely.
Electrical · 2026-10-13 · ODI 11770741
Vehicle: 2021 Mazda Mazda3 VIN: [XXX] Mileage at failure: 111,777 Date the problem started: [date you first heard the clunk] Location: [town], [XXX] Crash / fire / injury / death: No Was the vehicle moving?
Wheels, tires & suspension · 2026-10-08 · ODI 11769872
Car made grinding sound with notable vibration when starting to move after shifting into drive. Felt like brakes weren't releasing.
Brakes · 2026-09-28 · ODI 11767607
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2021 Mazda3 and CX-30 vehicles. Air may suddenly leak from the tire air valve.
Risk: A sudden air leak from the tire air valve may cause a loss of vehicle control while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four tire air valves with new parts, free of charge. The recall began April 6, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4721B.
