What breaks most · 1991 to 1999 model years
Mazda MX3 problems by year
Owners have filed 98 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mazda MX3 across model years 1991 to 1999. Three years stand out: 1993 for seat belts complaints, 1992 for seat belts complaints and 1991 for air bags complaints.
- Years to check closely: 1993, 1992, 1991
- Complaints on file
- 981991 to 1999, all trims
- Worst year
- 199352 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 41 fires · 7 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 127kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 6Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 44 | 1 | 3 | Seat belts (30) | |
| 52 | 2 | 3 | Seat belts (29) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Fuel System, Other (1) |
What fails on the 1993 Mazda MX3
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 56% |
29 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 13% |
7 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 12% |
6 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 6% |
3 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 6% |
3 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 6% |
3 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 6% |
3 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Unknown or other | 4% |
2 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Lease car brand new car in the shop replace transmission for time first one that in a year second only a week three that about two months. Tt
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While driving 55 mph a loud noise was heard coming from the front of the vehicle. Consumer drove vehicle to dealer for inspection, and the mechanic determined that both frontal upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to worn out parts. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mazda MX3 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1993, 1992, 1991 carry the most filings on the Mazda MX3. The 1993 alone has 52 complaints, led by seat belts.
What is the most common Mazda MX3 problem?
On the 1993 model year, the most-reported component is seat belts with 29 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mazda MX3 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mazda MX3 complaints that include mileage is about 127,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.