2018 Mazda Mazda3: engine and transmission complaints
NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
19%
20 of 108 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2018 Mazda Mazda3. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 19% of relevant complaints.
Better than 89% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
What owners reported
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE03/26/2019CRASH2 INJURED
ON 2/14/19 BETWEEN 2:30 AND 3 P.M., MY MOTHER (MELISSA DODSON) WAS INVOLVED IN A FATAL CAR ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE (A 2004 GMC ENVOY) THAT RESULTED IN BEING DOA. SHE WAS DRIVING A 2018 MAZDA MAZDA3 SPORT FOUR DR AND TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON EAST HANOVER RD IN GRAHAM, NC AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE…
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE11/19/2025
My 2018 Mazda 3 has an intermittent electrical failure on the high-speed CAN network that causes multiple safety-critical systems to fail while driving. When the fault occurs, the dash lights up with warnings for powertrain, ABS/traction, lane departure, collision-avoidance, TPMS, immobilizer, and the check-engine ligh…
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE10/20/2025
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 M…
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)
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Mazda3 vehicles. A defective windshield wiper relay may cause the windshield wipers to become inop…
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3 vehicles, equipped with an incorrect exhaust valve spring. The incorrect exhaust valve spring ma…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller insi…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2018 Mazda Mazda3
No elevated drivetrain pattern for this model year. That describes the model, not the car in front of you.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose.
4 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
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.
