2010 Mazda MAZDA3 Structure Problems
Owners have filed 169 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 49,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “dashboard melting” (37% of reports).
- 169structure complaints
- 49,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,250typical repair cost reported by owners
- 30%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Dashboard melting: mentioned in 62 of 169 complaints (37%)
- Glare windshield: mentioned in 26 of 169 complaints (15%)
- Difficult see: mentioned in 12 of 169 complaints (7%)
- Sticky shiny: mentioned in 10 of 169 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical structure repair on the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 at $1,250, and half of them between $600 and $1,500.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2022), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 102 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 169 complaints, 2 mention a crash.
Mazda MAZDA3 structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 MAZDA3 | 2 | 17% | — |
| 2023 MAZDA3 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2022 MAZDA3 | 2 | 8% | — |
| 2021 MAZDA3 | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2020 MAZDA3 | 1 | 3% | 2,000 |
| 2019 MAZDA3 | 5 | 7% | 4,750 |
| 2018 MAZDA3 | 2 | 2% | 19,025 |
| 2017 MAZDA3 | 4 | 5% | 23,000 |
| 2016 MAZDA3 | 4 | 4% | 26,000 |
| 2015 MAZDA3 | 6 | 5% | 26,500 |
| 2013 MAZDA3 | 11 | 9% | 52,500 |
| 2012 MAZDA3 | 17 | 8% | 37,000 |
| 2011 MAZDA3 | 13 | 10% | 68,000 |
| 2010 MAZDA3 | 169 | 25% | 49,000 |
| 2009 MAZDA3 | 4 | 3% | 30,534 |
| 2008 MAZDA3 | 8 | 3% | 47,000 |
| 2007 MAZDA3 | 9 | 4% | 46,302 |
| 2006 MAZDA3 | 12 | 7% | 70,500 |
| 2005 MAZDA3 | 2 | 2% | 84,000 |
| 2004 MAZDA3 | 8 | 6% | 115,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate
Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.
Risk: If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9916H.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
See attached document for complaint.
The dashboards should be subject to a recall immediately since badly reduced visibility from glare is a recipe for an accident. The defective (melting) material is so bad that if the sun hits it just right, I can hardly see anything ahead of me; it is an accident waiting to happen. I called my…
The dash of the car is melting. It causes a reflection that is bright and impairs visibility. Mazda addressed this problem with extending the warranty. When I called the local dealerships, none of them had the dash to replace per warranty. I made several calls throughout the year and each time was…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2010 Mazda MAZDA3s have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 169 owner complaints about structure for the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 (25% of the 686 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 structure?
Yes: 1 safety recall list structure. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 49,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix structure problems on the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,250 (half paid between $600 and $1,500), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3?
The most frequent phrase is “dashboard melting”, in 62 of 169 complaints, followed by “glare windshield” (26).
Other 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 problems
- Seats problems (106)
- Visibility/wiper problems (100)
- Wheels problems (54)
- Electrical System problems (50)
See all 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 problems or structure problems across all MAZDA3 years.