KnownCarProblems2004 Mazda Mazda3 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 145 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Mazda Mazda3, most often about the brakes (19% of complaints, typically around 24,000 miles). It is 6th of 23 Mazda3 model years by number of complaints and has 2 recalls.
Most common 2004 Mazda Mazda3 problems
Brakes
28 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 24,000 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, disc.
Rear brake rotor and pads experiencing excessive wear. Abs system seems to activate prematurely at the rear wheels under heavy braking in dry conditions. Rear brakes will need complete replacement at 32k miles while the fronts look to last 100k. Dealer says wear is normal, independent repair shops say not. This may be…
I have notify by the repair shop said the rear brake pad is not good fit with the brake socket, it have a loose space, and it created some noise I can't concentrate on driving.
Air bags
25 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 85,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.
Airbag/SRS light coming on intermittently. Dealer says it is not covered by NHTSA campaign id number 04v468000. Diagnosis and estimate was for a driver's side seat belt pre-tensioner and an airbag module. They quoted $818.59 parts and labor.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Mazda3. The contact stated that NHTSA campaign id 04v468000, air bag sensor, control module was a part of his year, make and model vehicle; however, the dealer stated that it was not although it was exhibiting the identical failure. The contact stated that the light illuminated whenever was…
Transmission
24 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 38,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, manual transmission, clutch assembly.
2004 Mazda 3, brought brand new from dealer. Had rear brake problems, was fixed due to bad equipment/metal used for rotors or that was what I was told. Warranty covered. Now I am at just under 50,000 miles and my clutch needs replaced, cause they said I burned it up. Not covered by warranty. I told them over a year…
1) driving at 60 MPH on highway, at 4th gear. 2) transmission failed to put power into the wheels, causing the car to decelerate rapidly even though RPM rises when throttle is pressed. Only 1st and 2nd gears are able to transfer power from engine to wheels. 3) dealer refuse to replace transmission, even though…
Engine
21 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 56,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system, cooling system.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Mazda Mazda 3. While driving 15 MPH, the contact heard a thumping noise coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact noticed that the belt on the pulley for the power had failed. The dealer stated that the pulley needed to be replaced. The current and failure mileages were 56,000.
The engine mounts have failed and the car's engine lurches approximately 2 inches in each direction and vibrates while idling. The independent mechanic indicates they have seen a number of these engine mounts fail on this model due to poor/flimsy design.
Steering
19 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 81,000 miles. Parts named most often: linkages, column.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Mazda3. The contact stated that while driving, the power steering failed and the power steering lamp illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the steering pump was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not…
The contact owns a 2004 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering failed to operate normally as the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic stated that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was…
Wheels and tires
11 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 21,500 miles. Parts named most often: sidewall, bead.
All 4 eagle rs a p205 goodyear tires on my 2004 Mazda 3 4 door sedan are defective. One tire the sidewall totally cracked and separted and the other 3 tires are beginning to crack and separte. I believe these tires are defective and are a safety hazzard. The goodyear dealer has refused to rectify this situation. I…
About one month after my purchase of my brand new Mazda3, I checked the tire pressures. All 4 tyres were 50 psi!! 18 psi more than the recommended tire pressure and 6 psi more than maximum allowable pressure. I could not believe that it might be possible, I made sure that the device was measuring accurately and also…
Body and structure
8 complaints · 6%Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
On 4/17/08 my wife happened to be following me and she called me on my cell phone and said it appears you have something hanging under your car. I immediately pulled over and it was the splash shield again. Three of the front bolts were missing but four other bolts, two on each side,were still attached, so it was just…
I have a 04 Mazda 3 w/ automatic trans / driving into parking lot heard a loud noise , car quit moving , driver side axle was hanging / the engine had almost drop to the floor , vehicle was towed to a shop , they found out that the bracket which holds transaxle / engine , on driver side had broken !! It is a aluminum…
Lights
8 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 120,000 miles. Parts named most often: headlights.
I had my mechanic working on replacing a burnt out license plate light when he discovered that the tail lights were not working. He turned the lights off and back on, and the tail lights started working again, turned the lights back off and on again, and the tail lights were back to not working again. He identified…
The contact owns a 2004 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that the power steering warning light illuminated and the steering wheel became inoperable. Also, the contact mentioned that the exterior and interior lights failed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2004 Mazda Mazda3 recalls
Air bags: frontal
Risk: Plastic fragments can hit occupants during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags: sensor/control module-inactive
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2004 Mazda Mazda3
- What are the most common problems with the 2004 Mazda Mazda3?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: brakes (28 complaints, typically around 24,000 miles); air bags (25 complaints, typically around 85,000 miles); transmission (24 complaints, typically around 38,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2004 Mazda Mazda3 have?
- 2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from July 1, 2021 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2004 a bad year for the Mazda Mazda3?
- It is 6th of 23 Mazda3 model years by number of complaints, with 145 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.