Reliability & cost of ownership
Mazda Cx-3 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Mazda Cx-3? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Mazda Cx-3 problems by model year
9 recall entries and 112 owner complaints on file across 7 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Cx-3 | 1 | 3 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2020 Cx-3 | 1 | 1 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2019 Cx-3 | 2 | 26 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2018 Cx-3 | 1 | 10 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2017 Cx-3 | 1 | 21 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2016 Cx-3 | 3 | 48 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 Cx-3 | 0 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Mazda Cx-3, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system25 complaints
- unknown or other17 complaints
- fuel/propulsion system16 complaints
- back over prevention10 complaints
- engine10 complaints
- exterior lighting10 complaints
- steering9 complaints
- visibility/wiper7 complaints