The 2004 Mazda 3 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 302,915 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 185 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the steering. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS21V4940002021-07-01260,915 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
Plastic fragments can hit occupants during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
AIR BAGS04V4680002004-09-2442,000 affected
Defect
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.
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.
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.
Complaints by component
STEERING
17
1crashes2injuries
AIR BAGS
16
7crashes7injuries
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
11
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
8
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
8
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
7
3crashes4injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
7
1fires
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
7
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
7
POWER TRAIN
7
1fires
Total complaints185
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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.”
“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.”
“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,…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2004 Mazda 3 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.