2012 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (3) · Service Brakes (1) · Seats (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mazda Mazdaspeed3 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Structure:body:hatchback/Liftgate 2016-09-06 · campaign 16V644000 · 580,455 vehicles
Defect: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or
Risk: If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9916H.
Service bulletins (27)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-20 · SA-055-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
product quality information (pqi) description service information mt-041/12 is no longer valid. it has been unpublished and superseded by the field quality information report (fqir) reporting system.
Unknown Or Other 2024-08-08 · 09-038-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
in accordance with federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. note: tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by federal, and state laws. it is the dealer’s responsibility to comply with federal, state, and local laws concerning odometer
Electrical System:instrument Panel:speedometer/Odometer 2023-02-28 · 09-016-23 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
speedometer replacement procedure
Equipment 2021-08-17 · 09-025-21-3824 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this service bulletin provides information regarding the proper use of the driverã¢ââs floor mat to avoid any potential interference with the foot pedals. the following are possible causes of floor mat interference, which can be avoided with proper usage.
Electrical System 2021-02-08 · 01-006-21-3779 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost. for new vehicles in stock at the dealer, inspect and maintain the battery periodica
Electrical System 2021-02-08 · 01-005-21-3778 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the mazda dca-8000pm is required for all warranty battery testing. if the mazda dca-8000pm is not used, incorrect battery testing may result in unnecessary battery replacement. use the following test procedures in this service bulletin to test mazda vehicle batteries and to generate a warranty code.
Showing the 6 most recent of 27 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2017-01-27 · Seats · 68,000 mi“while driving, specifically while slowing down on an exit ramp from the highway, the seat made a loud popping noise and my seat began to move back and forth freely under acceleration and braking. upon further inspection, i found that the metal connector between the seat height adjustment and the seat rail had snapped. the vehicle has 68,xxx miles o…”
2016-12-11 · Exterior Lighting · 60,000 mi“headlights voluntarily and uncontrollably flickering during routine driving straightaways, turning, or encountering bumpy road. issue arises at varying rates of speed. had vehicle since 2012 and never had issue. end of nov. 2016, took car in for 60,000 check-up. dealership installed new battery. issue began shortly thereafter. definite safety issu…”
2015-07-19 · Power Train · 18,000 mi“end of 2013, the vehicle began randomly popping out of 2nd gear and back into neutral. dealer rebuilt trans under warranty and all was okay until october 2014 when the same issue began again. dealer replaced trans under warranty but advised transmission warranty was no longer valid. currently, july 2015, the same issue is happening again. vehicle w…”
2014-12-26 · Service Brakes · 25,100 mi · 💥 crash“driver attempted an emergency braking event. brake pedal failed to maintain form-bent under moderate pressure, allowing brake pedal cover to fall off resulting in driver's foot to lose contact with brake pedal. driver lost control of brakes and resulted in a collision. *tr…”
2013-06-03 · Power Train · 12,500 mi“went to shift from 3rd to 4th, and the knob fell into two pieces while driving. *tr…”
2012-10-28 · Power Train · 21 mi“recently purchased a brand new 2012 mazda speed3. 17 miles off the lot. in the 4 mile drive to my house 15 minutes after signing paperwork, the clutch blows out. had it towed back and was told we were lucky they fixed it under warranty because this item is a "wear & tear" item because going 4 miles is apparently too long. we were told to "break…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.