2022 Mazda Mazda3 problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 24 owner complaints about the 2022 Mazda Mazda3, or 5.0 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.12, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 92 model-year 2022 vehicles we track, it ranks #11 of 92 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Mazda models its rate is 56% lower; against other Compact cars it is 77% 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
Limited data: fewer than 30 complaints, so shares and indexes are unstable.
Complaints filed between 2022-04-23 and 2026-08-11. Median delay from incident to filing: 15 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2021) drew 9.3 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2023) drew 3.2 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2022 model collected 15 complaints, 80% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Airbags & seat belts (45.8% of complaints), followed by Electrical (20.8%) and Engine (8.3%). Airbags & seat belts complaints are 12.1 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 1 report (4.2%) describes a crash or fire; owners mention 2 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 16 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (38% of incidents). 4 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.12
- vs. other Mazda models0.44
- vs. other 2022 models0.13
- vs. other Compact cars0.23
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (15)0.2
- #11 of 92 · 2022Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Electrical · Engine
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 1
- Fires reported: 0
- Injuries: 2
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 16 months
What owners report
I was rear ended while at complete stop by someone going over 40mph on 12/19/22. My airbags did not deploy and my seat belts did not lock out.
The vehicle's Connectivity Master Unit (CMU) / infotainment system has experienced a complete, permanent internal electronic failure, logged by Diagnostic Trouble Code DTC U3000:49 (Control Module Internal Electronic Failure).
Transmission control unit (TCU) failure with error code P061B in 2022 Mazda 3. Problem began approximately 6 months after purchase (February 2023, mileage 8181).
“My 2022 Mazda 3 is experiencing an ‘in-network malfunction’ related to the vehicle’s internal communication system. Multiple technicians have told me this is an internal vehicle network/communication fault, not caused by wear or damage.
I recently received a warning on the dashboard that there is an airbag malfunction and needs to be taken in to get serviced. The warning continues to appear.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2022 · Compact cars
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Subaru Impreza | 13 | 2.7 | 0.07 |
| 2022 Mazda Mazda3 | 24 | 5.0 | 0.12 |
| 2022 Kia Forte | 28 | 5.8 | 0.14 |
| 2022 Toyota Prius | 32 | 6.7 | 0.17 |
| 2022 Volkswagen Jetta | 43 | 9.0 | 0.22 |
| 2022 Nissan Sentra | 81 | 16.9 | 0.42 |
| 2022 Toyota Corolla | 104 | 21.7 | 0.54 |
| 2022 Hyundai Elantra | 159 | 33.2 | 0.82 |
| 2022 Honda Civic | 959 | 200.3 | 4.96 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.