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2015 Mazda Mazda3: engine and transmission complaints

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
17%
20 of 129 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2015 Mazda Mazda3. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 17% of relevant complaints.

Better than 91% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
20
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
129
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
4
8 crashes · 9 injuries

Complaints by component

SERVICE BRAKES26 · 20%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER26 · 20%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM24 · 19%
BACK OVER PREVENTION12 · 9%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM12 · 9%
ENGINE6 · 5%

The years either side

2010
11%
68 of 686
2011
20%
18 of 132
2012
42%
75 of 226
2013
40%
28 of 117
2014
29%
38 of 138
2015
17%
20 of 129
2016
20%
19 of 102
2017
14%
11 of 83
2018
19%
20 of 108
2019
41%
26 of 74
2020
13%
4 of 32
2021
50%
22 of 49
2022
too few complaints
2023
too few complaints

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

What owners reported

ENGINE03/28/2023FIRE1 INJURED
The contact owns a 2015 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, smoke was coming from under the hood of the vehicle, followed by the vehicle shut down and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's son opened the hood and flames came out from under the hood. The contact son burned his fing…
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE06/19/20161 INJURED
VEHICLE WAS INADVERTANTLY TURNED OFF WHILE IN DRIVE, WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE NO ALARM SOUNDED. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS, FORCING ME TO JUMP BACK INTO THE CAR AND JAM ON THE BRAKE. ONE WOULD THINK THAT AS A SAFETY MEASURE, THE CAR WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE IN PARK, BEFORE TURNING O…
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM03/24/2026
While parked on a slight downhill grade, gasoline started leaking and created a significant puddle on the ground. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms. An independent service center ran numerous tests over two days, including a smoke test. Diagnosis: There is a hole in top section of fuel tank and the fuel tank…

Three of 20 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (4)

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
Mazda Motors North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles manufactured January 4, 2014, to September 18, 2015. The fuel ta…
PARKING BRAKE
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda6 and 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles. Water could possibly enter the brake caliper causing the par…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Mazda3 vehicles manufactured May 21, 2015, to August 25, 2015. The affected vehicles ar…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2015 Mazda Mazda3

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.