Mazda bulletin SA-020-25
What it saysThere have been warranty claims submitted for growling or bearing whine noise in differentials, transfer units and transmissions where the source of the noise was a wheel bearing. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mazda filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 16, 2025, received May 3, 2025. It names 68 model years (2016–2025). 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 communicationThere have been warranty claims submitted for growling or bearing whine noise in differentials, transfer units and transmissions where the source of the noise was a wheel bearing. This misdiagnosis can lead to multiple repair attempts, warranty debits, and additional inconvenience and/or cost to the customer. To reduce the chance of this occurring, please follow the steps outlined in the repair procedure.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA-020-25 | Service bulletin | Apr 16, 2025 | 11017697 | PDF, 165 KB |
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.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themand 22 more on this site: 2021 Mazda MX-5, 2020 Mazda MX-5, 2019 Mazda MX-5, 2018 Mazda MX-5, 2017 Mazda MX-5, 2016 Mazda MX-5, 2025 Mazda Mazda3, 2024 Mazda Mazda3, 2023 Mazda Mazda3, 2022 Mazda Mazda3, 2021 Mazda Mazda3, 2020 Mazda Mazda3, 2019 Mazda Mazda3, 2018 Mazda Mazda3, 2017 Mazda Mazda3, 2016 Mazda Mazda3, 2021 Mazda Mazda6, 2020 Mazda Mazda6, 2019 Mazda Mazda6, 2018 Mazda Mazda6, 2017 Mazda Mazda6, 2016 Mazda Mazda6.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2016 Mazda MAZDA2; 2017 Mazda MAZDA2; 2018 Mazda MAZDA2; 2019 Mazda MAZDA2; 2020 Mazda MAZDA2; 2021 Mazda MAZDA2.
A 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 62 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,085 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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.
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 SA-020-25 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 SA-020-25 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 SA-020-25 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 68 model years: 2021 Mazda CX-3, 2020 Mazda CX-3, 2019 Mazda CX-3, 2018 Mazda CX-3, 2017 Mazda CX-3, 2016 Mazda CX-3 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.