Mazda bulletin SA-038-26b
What it saysThis Service Alert supersedes the previously issued service alert listed below. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mazda filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 10, 2026, received Oct 1, 2026, about the electrical system. It names 38 model years (2019–2026). 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 service alert listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-038/26 08/18/26 and 06/15/26 DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain about any of the following: 1. Infotainment Center Display does not provide the Authorization Code (OTP) during the MyMazda App
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA-038-26b | Service bulletin | Sep 10, 2026 | 11037634 | PDF, 11,795 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 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 38 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,601 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 214 of them name Electrical System — 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 14th, 2026, while traveling at approximately 60 mph on the northbound 55 Freeway near the Katella exit, my vehicle suddenly began to shake violently without any prior warning. In response, I attempted to slow down by applying the brakes; however, the speedometer rapidly increased even as I maintained firm pressure on the brake pedal.
2023 Mazda Mazda3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 22, 2026
Google search shows Mazda has common problem with their front sensing camera, people are reporting the issue for different Mazda models across the board for the last few years including newer models as well. My car display shows few malfunction warning messages. Following captured from MyMazda app. 1. Forward sensing camera malfunction.
2020 Mazda Mazda3 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 16, 2024
While driving on February 12, 2026, the steering system failed, resulting in the steering wheel locking and becoming impossible to turn. While making a right-hand turn, the steering wheel suddenly locked. I had to forcefully jerk the wheel to regain control and avoid colliding with a concrete barrier on the right shoulder.
2025 Mazda CX-5 · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Apr 19, 2026
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group215 other manufacturer communications filed against these Mazda models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Mazda list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09-027-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | DESCRIPTION Some CX-70 and CX-90 PHEV vehicles may fail to start (enter READY mode) in cold weather, but the vehicle can often be started su… |
| SA-012-26d | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2026 | DESCRIPTION Some customers may experience a message "TCU Malfunction. Have the Vehicle Inspected" in the instrument cluster. Additional sym… |
| SA-015-26e | Service bulletin | Sep 4, 2026 | This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red. SA-015/26 05/27/26, 04/20/26, 04/09/2… |
| SSPE2 MSP67 | Over-the-air update | Aug 22, 2026 | Subject: Announcement of Special Service Program (SSPE2) Ethernet Communication – Over The Air (OTA) Update Concerns and Manufacturer Servic… |
| SSPE1 | Emissions | Aug 20, 2026 | Special Service Program (SSPE1) - 2026 CX-50 Hybrid – Battery Label Concern Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct a Special Service… |
| SA-054-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued Service Alerts listed below: The changes are noted in Red. Infotainment Reboot With Nav… |
| SA-046-26a | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | Use this procedure if Body Control Module (BCM) failure occurs due to the laptop rebooting or crashing during a BCM software update with MDA… |
| SA-053-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 19, 2026 | This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-006/23 01/23/23 DESCRI… |
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-038-26b 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-038-26b 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.
Which vehicles does SA-038-26b cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 38 model years: 2026 Mazda CX-30, 2025 Mazda CX-30, 2024 Mazda CX-30, 2023 Mazda CX-30, 2022 Mazda CX-30, 2021 Mazda CX-30 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.