NHTSA vehicle safety data

2004 Mazda MAZDA3 Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2004 Mazda MAZDA3 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 145 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Mazda dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2004 Mazda MAZDA3, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2004 Mazda MAZDA3 owner complaints

Owners have filed 145 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Mazda MAZDA3, describing incidents dated March 15, 2004 to August 13, 2023.

Most-cited components

Service Brakes 26 complaints
Air Bags 25 complaints
Power Train 24 complaints
Engine 21 complaints
Steering 19 complaints
Tires 9 complaints

Of the 145 complaints on file, 18 report a crash and 2 a fire; across all 145 complaints, owners report 14 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11609269 · Filed August 18, 2024
This model car has a fuse box under the glove box known as a "passenger junction box" that has a faulty or defective relay soldered onto the circuit board. The relay is tied to lighting that includes the interior lights, exterior front parking lights, exterior rear tail lights, and the license plate…
ODI #11561370 · Filed December 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2004 Mazda 3 equipped with Hankook Tires, Tire Line: Ventus S1 Noble2, Tire Size: 205/50/R17, DOT Number: N/A. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, a loud explosion was heard. The contact's wife alerted him that the rear driver's side tire had blown out…
ODI #11538237 · Filed August 13, 2023
There has been no accident- the vehicle is my mother in laws vehicle- my concern is while at work she has at times loaded our daughter into the vehicle- I inspected the vehicle one day while as an employee of Les Schwab- the driver cvc axle vibrates so bad from the boot being torn and having no…

Read all 145 complaints

Air Bag Cover Emblem May Shatter

NHTSA #21V494000 · Air Bags — Frontal · NHTSA notice

Reported July 1, 2021 · Mazda North American Operations

Potentially affected: 260,915 vehicles

Repair completion: 6.62% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Mazda campaign 4921G · Owners notified August 28, 2021

Defect description

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Mazda3 vehicles. During air bag deployment, the plastic emblem on the steering wheel air bag module cover may shatter, and project plastic fragments into the vehicle.

Safety consequence

Plastic fragments can hit occupants during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the air bag module cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed between August 28, 2021 and October 28, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4921G.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

AFTERMARKET ROOF MOUNTED LOAD CARRIERS

NHTSA #09E011000 · Equipment · NHTSA notice

Reported April 2, 2009 · THULE, INC.

Potentially affected: 2,323 vehicles

Owners notified April 17, 2009

Defect description

THULE, INC. IS RECALLING 2,323 OWNER-INSTALLED ROOF-MOUNTED FIT KITS, MODELS 3068 AND 3069, MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2008 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2009 THAT ARE USED WITH THULE PODIUM FOOT PACKS, MODELS 460 AND 460R. THESE FIT KITS WERE SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE BOLT(S) USED TO SECURE THE FOOT TO THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED TO A HARDNESS THAT MAY CAUSE THE BOLT(S) TO BE BRITTLE AND POTENTIALLY BREAK UNDER STRESS.

Safety consequence

THIS MAY RESULT IN THE BOLT(S) SNAPPING OFF DURING USE OR WITHOUT A LOAD. THE UNSECURED RACK AND LOAD CAN THEN COME LOOSE WHILE DRIVING CREATING A POTENTIAL ROAD HAZARD, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

THULE WILL MAIL A RETRO FIT KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS TO OWNERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 13, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THULE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-238-2388.

Notes

THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO THULE AFTERMARKET ROOF MOUNTED LOAD CARRIERS AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON THE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES.OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

MAZDA/AIRBAG CRASH ZONE SENSOR

NHTSA #04V468000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Sensor/Control Module-Inactive · NHTSA notice

Reported September 24, 2004 · MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS

Potentially affected: 42,000 vehicles

Mazda campaign 2304J · Owners notified October 28, 2004 · Vehicles built June 24, 2003 – March 22, 2004 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A CRACK IN THE AIR BAG CRASH ZONE SENSOR HOUSING CAN ALLOW WATER TO ENTER THE SENSOR, CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT AND ILLUMINATING THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT.

Safety consequence

IF THIS PROBLEM EXISTS, THE AIR WILL NOT DEPLOY AS DESIGNED IN CERTAIN TYPES OF FRONTAL CRASHES, INCREASING THE RISK OF DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY TO THE DRIVER AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGER.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CRASH ZONE SENSOR AND REPLACE IT, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 28, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500.

Notes

MAZDA RECALL NO.2304J.CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

2004 Mazda3 4-DR.

—

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Not Rated

Frontal Crash

Not Rated

Driver: 4, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Driver: 3, Passenger: 3

Side Pole

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

Safety Technology

145 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Mazda MAZDA3.

Exterior Lighting

ODI #11609269

Incident: August 1, 2021 · Filed: August 18, 2024

This model car has a fuse box under the glove box known as a "passenger junction box" that has a faulty or defective relay soldered onto the circuit board. The relay is tied to lighting that includes the interior lights, exterior front parking lights, exterior rear tail lights, and the license plate light and is controlled by the left turn signal stalk (rotating switch). Based on my experience and many others (on the Mazda 3 forums), this relay has the tendency to fail and cause all of these lights tied to this relay to intermittently or permanently be disabled. There is no warning for this; the driver will only notice when driving at night that the interior illumination of the dashboard goes completely dark, which could cause disorientation and confusion as to whether or not the car is operable. Subsequently, the problem can be recreated by attempting to turn the lights on and off and there will be no response (and no clicking noise...it is audible when working and it switches on); the relay fails to operate and all the lights will not turn on. Driving at night without tail lights is extremely dangerous and I am surprised this has not caused serious injury from rear-ending incidents in nighttime or inclement weather situations. The serial/model number of junction box on my vehicle is BN8B-66730-C and many others on the forums have had the same issue with the same model, as well as other variations of the box. Some on the forums went as far as replacing the culprit relay (see attachment); however, at the risk of destroying the entire junction box and rendering the vehicle unusable. I finally ended up purchasing a replacement unit on eBay which corrected the issue so far and has made the lights reliable again.

Tires

ODI #11561370

Crash 1 injury

Incident: April 1, 2023 · Filed: December 21, 2023

The contact owns a 2004 Mazda 3 equipped with Hankook Tires, Tire Line: Ventus S1 Noble2, Tire Size: 205/50/R17, DOT Number: N/A. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, a loud explosion was heard. The contact's wife alerted him that the rear driver's side tire had blown out. The contact's vehicle was then rear-ended by another vehicle, causing his vehicle to turn 360 degrees. The air bags did not deploy. The contact was not injured, but his wife suffered from neck pain. Medical attention was not received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's workplace and was not deemed totaled by the insurance company. A body shop repaired the vehicle. The tire manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to send in the faulty tire. The tire failure mileage was unknown. The vehicle failure mileage was 150,000.

Suspension; Exterior Lighting; Structure

ODI #11538237

Incident: August 13, 2023 · Filed: August 13, 2023

There has been no accident- the vehicle is my mother in laws vehicle- my concern is while at work she has at times loaded our daughter into the vehicle- I inspected the vehicle one day while as an employee of Les Schwab- the driver cvc axle vibrates so bad from the boot being torn and having no lubrication- these axles power the vehicle forward and if not maintained can snap and cause damage- the wipers no longer work correctly- the tires are 2017 and old and weather cracked- potential to separate while driving or blow out on the heated pavement. upon inspection also found that the front shocks are blown out and bouncing in the mounts under the hood- causing the tires to not have the correct contact patch on the road thus decreasing traction and control- on top of all this the vehicle hasn't been registered since 2020 and has no insurance on the vehicle- again there has been no accident...yet- this is my concern- that if this vehicle continues to remain operational and on the road it not only puts the driver and occupants at risk but also other drivers- kids- teens and anyone that may be on the other end o the crash when the vehicle does snap the cvc axle or blow i out a tire

Air Bags

ODI #11438521

Incident: October 28, 2016 · Filed: October 28, 2021

The contact owns a 2004 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle and driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V468000 (Air Bags). The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

Engine

ODI #11318945

Incident: January 1, 2020 · Filed: March 22, 2020

THE CAR RAN GREAT FOR THE END OF 2019. I BOUGHT IT USED AT 145,000 MILES. THEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP. NOW ITS STUCK IN LIMP MODE.

Exterior Lighting

ODI #11279063

Incident: August 7, 2018 · Filed: November 8, 2019

THE TAIL LIGHTS GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER JUNCTION BOX (FUSE BOX). TAPPING THE BOX WITH A SCREWDRIVER HANDLE WILL BRING THE TAIL LIGHTS BACK ON FOR A WHILE. THIS HAS BEEN A MAZDA 3 ISSUE OVER THE YEARS. THE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS.

Air Bags

ODI #11206320

Incident: May 1, 2018 · Filed: May 8, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MAIN MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. AN UNKNOWN DEALER WAS CONTACTED, BUT COULD NOT ASSIST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,680.

Steering

ODI #11054858

Incident: January 8, 2013 · Filed: December 15, 2017

THE LOCK RELEASE LEVER ON THE STEERING WHEEL GET LOOSE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND DOES NOT LOCKED IN PLACE. THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND SERIOUS INJURIES. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO GET THIS REPAIR.

Air Bags

ODI #11040978

Incident: February 12, 2008 · Filed: October 29, 2017

I WAS REAR ENDED WHILE PREGNANT AND DRIVING MY 2004 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK. THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED BUT I WAS ON MY WAY TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE AN ULTRASOUND TO ENSURE MY CHILD WAS SAFE. NO INSURANCE CLAIM WAS FILED BUT I WAS CONCERNED. I WAS AT A STOP SIGN.

Engine

ODI #11021388

Incident: January 10, 2017 · Filed: September 4, 2017

NO PROBLEMS FROM CAR NO WARNING LIGHT. BIG BANG THEN ENGINE MAKING VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE...ON INTERSTATE... STILL CRANKS BUT NEEDS MOTOR...READ THAT LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEMS

Other Mazda MAZDA3 model years

Check your 2004 Mazda MAZDA3 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Mazda MAZDA3 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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