Mazda bulletin SA-021-26
What it saysThis Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SAs and bulletin(s) listed below: The changes are noted below in red. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mazda filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 4, 2026, received May 5, 2026, about the structure. It names 29 model years (2016–2026). 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 communicationThis Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SAs and bulletin(s) listed below: The changes are noted below in red. SA-010/23 02/09/23 DESCRIPTION Some customers may experience one or more electrical malfunctions after a vehicle body repair. A newly painted fender stay (2) may be causing a poor front harness (1) ground connection. The front fender stay (2) newly painted surface at ground point (3), where attachment bolt (4) is seated, may create a poor front harness ground connection. NOTE: DO NOT paint ground point (3) attachment bolt (4) is seated. NEWLY INSTALLED FRONT FENDER STAY NOTE: CAUTION: If the bolt (4) contact area (3) is painted when the front fender stay (2) is newly replaced, it could cause a malfunction in the PCM. Before painting a newly replaced part, protect the bolt (4) contact area (3) with masking tape (5) as shown in the figure.
Trouble codes it names: C0023 C1001 U0121 U3003 all 4 read from the document itself; NHTSA’s summary names none
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA-021-26 | Service bulletin | Apr 4, 2026 | 11032100 | PDF, 530 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.
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.
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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 29 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,546 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 424 of them name Electrical System, Structure — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2016 Mazda CX-5, the 34 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 35,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The charge warning system came on and then a few minutes later my car completely shuts down in the middle of traffic it happened on february 3rd and I had another incident on february the 9th 2021 I took the car in to get looked at my Mazda and they couldn't find anything wrong without having the indication when I clearly told them my…
2018 Mazda Mazda3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 9, 2021 · ODI 11395489
Door handle cables detach easily which prevents the door from being opened from the inside. It has happened to me twice on my driver side door the last 5 months. Research online shows this is a very common problem with newer Mazdas and it is a major safety hazard as it prevents easy exit from the vehicle in the event of an emergency…
2025 Mazda CX-50 · Structure · filed with NHTSA May 2, 2026 · ODI 11735272
I have had this happen multiple times. I try to turn off the car and it will not shut off. It makes noises and beeps, but you can do nothing to turn off the car. This makes the battery die. The first time I freaked out and called Mazda headquarters. They got a tow truck sent to me and my car was taken to Brown's Mazda in Fairfax.
2017 Mazda CX-3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Nov 4, 2021 · ODI 11439428
In depth: 2016 Mazda CX-5 electrical problems →
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 structure
Source: same model, same component group50 other manufacturer communications filed against these Mazda models under the same component group (structure), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Mazda list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| DRW60 | Service campaign | Sep 25, 2026 | Subject: Notification of Dealer Re-Work (DRW60) – 2026MY CX-50 and CX-50 Hybrid - Rear Door Glass Holder Detach Issue Dear Mazda Dealer Coll… |
| 09-026-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 3, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. 09-043/25 11/26/2025 DESCRIPTION… |
| 09-025-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 18, 2026 | DESCRIPTION Some vehicles may exhibit a rattling or knocking noise from the upper B-pillar trim area. The noise is due to insufficient anti… |
| SA-031-26 | Service bulletin | Apr 30, 2026 | DESCRIPTION Some vehicles may require the replacement of a damaged VIN plate or vehicle certification label. To obtain a replacement VIN pla… |
| SA-008-26a | Service bulletin | Apr 21, 2026 | During PDI, an indentation in the rear bumper may be noticed, or in some cases, the customer may return after delivery to report the indenta… |
| 09-013-26 | Service bulletin | Mar 31, 2026 | DESCRIPTION Some customers may experience one or both of the following symptoms while locking and unlocking the doors works fine using the r… |
| SA-019-26 | Service bulletin | Mar 20, 2026 | This SA supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. SA-045/22 12/06/22 and 07/12/22 NOTE: All vehicle… |
| SA-008-26 | Service bulletin | Feb 21, 2026 | This SA supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. SA-041/25 10/31/25 and 09/10/25 During PDI, an in… |
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-021-26 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-021-26 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-021-26 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 29 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.