Mazda bulletin 09-038-23
What it saysSome customers may complain about the poor appearance due to an uneven rear beltline molding joint. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mazda filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Nov 8, 2023, received Dec 5, 2023, about the suspension. It names 6 model years (2019–2024). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
Some customers may complain about the poor appearance due to an uneven rear beltline molding joint. This concern is caused by the rear beltline molding not being manufactured according to the original designed shape. To eliminate this concern, the rear beltline molding manufacturing process was improved to prevent form shape discrepancies from the original design.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09-038-23 | Service bulletin | Nov 8, 2023 | 10246146 | PDF, 158 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| BDMT-50-660G | MOULDING (R), RR. BELTLINE | 1 | eBay Motors → |
| BDMT-50-670G | MOULDING (L), RR. BELTLINE | 1 | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (2 pages), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Mazda’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
Find the air suspension system for the 2024 Mazda3 →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 6 model years this bulletin names have filed 208 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
I pulled into the driveway (at about 5 mph) of my passenger's home, when a very loud, metallic pop occurred somewhere inside my vehicle. I could not discern the problem by visually inspecting the car. Upon returning to my home, I arranged for the dealership to inspect the car's suspension.
2020 Mazda Mazda3 · Suspension · filed with NHTSA Nov 18, 2025 · ODI 11700190
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the suspension
Source: same model, same component group4 other manufacturer communications filed against the Mazda Mazda3 under the same component group (suspension), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| PF-26-02 | Other | Jul 28, 2026 | Supersession between B60S-34-300G/350G and B60S-34- 300H/350H. Please be advised that the G-level and H-level control arms are not interchan… |
| SA-051-25 | Service bulletin | Nov 8, 2025 | Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) Diagnostic Guidelines Diagnostic Guidelines When diagnosing NVH concerns, it is essential to first cla… |
| 02-003-24 | Service bulletin | Aug 24, 2024 | Some customers may experience a rattle noise coming from the front suspension while driving the vehicle, with no other driveability concerns… |
| SA-013-24 | Service bulletin | Feb 16, 2024 | Some vehicles may exhibit a steering shimmy or body vibration during the PDI test drive or during the first few miles of driving after the v… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Mazda, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Mazda 09-038-23 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the 09-038-23 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Mazda warranty extension on file lists the ones Mazda has filed.
Which vehicles does 09-038-23 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2024 Mazda Mazda3, 2023 Mazda Mazda3, 2022 Mazda Mazda3, 2021 Mazda Mazda3, 2020 Mazda Mazda3, 2019 Mazda Mazda3. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: built before 1 Sep 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.