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2026 Mazda Mazda3

Gas
Midsize Cars
7 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
A
Safety Signal
100 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 0
Complaintsnone reporting a crash, fire or injury 1
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 30 mpg
Starting MSRP11 trims · manufacturer $24,650
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2026 Mazda Mazda3 is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan with 7 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the 3 4-Door 2WD, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 1 complaint, most often about the steering. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $24,650 to $38,090 across 11 trims.

2026 Mazda Mazda3

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →
TrimPowertrainDriveMSRPHPTorqueMPG combSeatsWheels
2.5 S SedanGasFWD$24,650186 hp186 lb-ft30 mpg516 in
2.5 S HatchbackGasFWD$25,650186 hp186 lb-ft29 mpg516 in
2.5 S Select Sport SedanGasFWD$25,540186 hp186 lb-ft30 mpg518 in
2.5 S Select Sport HatchbackGasFWD$26,840186 hp186 lb-ft29 mpg518 in
2.5 S Preferred SedanGasFWD$27,290186 hp186 lb-ft30 mpg518 in
2.5 S Preferred HatchbackGasFWD$28,640186 hp186 lb-ft29 mpg518 in
2.5 S Premium HatchbackGasFWD$31,650186 hp186 lb-ft28 mpg518 in
2.5 S Carbon Edition SedanGasAWD$29,815186 hp186 lb-ft29 mpg518 in
2.5 S Carbon Edition HatchbackGasAWD$30,965186 hp186 lb-ft28 mpg518 in
2.5 Turbo Premium Plus SedanGasAWD$36,940227 hp310 lb-ft27 mpg518 in
2.5 Turbo Premium Plus HatchbackGasAWD$38,090227 hp310 lb-ft26 mpg518 in

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
3 4-Door 2WDGasFWD2.5L 4-cyl273630$2,250
3 4-Door 4WDGas4WD2.5L 4-cyl263429$2,300
3 5-Door 2WDGasFWD2.5L 4-cyl263429$2,300
3 5-Door 2WDGasFWD2.5L 4-cyl253428$2,400
3 5-Door 4WDGas4WD2.5L 4-cyl253428$2,400
3 4-Door 4WDGas4WD2.5L 4-cyl turbo233227$2,500
3 5-Door 4WDGas4WD2.5L 4-cyl turbo233126$2,600

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49256, 49257, 49291, 49290, 49292, 49258, 49293.

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The cheapest ownership win

Insurers price the 2026 Mazda3 very differently, and the gap between the best and worst quote on the same car and driver is usually larger than any option you are weighing on this page.

How to compare cover →

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Recalls (0)

Source: NHTSA recall database

No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2026 Mazda Mazda3. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2026 Mazda Mazda3, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2026 Mazda Mazda3

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this Mazda3 →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
1complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

0.4 per 10,000 built · Mazda reported 24,809 Mazda3 built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Steering 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Steering sticks in one direction doesn’t recenter by itself stiff while driving even city or freeway
Steering Apr 3, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11729124

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%
5 HB AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%
5 HB FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 76
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-25
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 72 service bulletins, 4 service campaigns

Most often about: Unknown Or Other, Electrical System, Engine, Structure, Power Train.

  • DRW59 Warr a Service campaign
    2026-09-25 · Engine
  • Subject: Notification of Dealer Re-Work (DRW59) – 2026MY CX-30 and 2026MY Mazda3 - Check Engine Light On With DTC P0126:00 Dear Mazda Dealer Colleagues, Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct a Dealer Re-Work on certain 2026MY CX-30 and Mazda3 vehicles. Concern Outline: On certain subject vehicles, the check engine light may illuminate with DTC P0126:00 (Thermostat stuck open) stored due t
  • SA-012-26d Service bulletin
    2026-09-18 · Electrical System
  • DESCRIPTION Some customers may experience a message "TCU Malfunction. Have the Vehicle Inspected" in the instrument cluster. Additional symptoms that may occur: Connected Vehicle One Time Passcode (OTP) may fail. Connected Vehicle Remote functions may fail. The following DTC's may be stored: B1252:87-8B:TCU - COMMUNICATION ERROR WITH CONNECTIVITY MASTER UNIT (CMU) U0198:00-03:CMU - COMMUNICATION
  • SA-042-26a Service bulletin
    2026-09-17 · Unknown Or Other
  • Mazda Connected Services - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SAs listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-042/26 06/30/26 DESCRIPTION Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Index General Questions MAZDA CONNECT Indication Setup and Getting Started Dealer Processes Registration / Enrollment / Take-Over Customer Subscription Status WI-FI Gene
  • SA-041-26a Service bulletin
    2026-09-11 · Electrical System
  • DESCRIPTION If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been installed. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Below are a few examples of unusual electrical concerns caused by aftermarket devices. Example
  • SA-038-26b Service bulletin
    2026-09-10 · Electrical System
  • This 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
  • SA-038-26a Service bulletin
    2026-09-04 · Electrical System
  • This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued service alert listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-038/26 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 Connected Vehicle enrollment. 2. Remote functions inoperative. Engine Start / Stop Door Lock / U
  • 09-026-26 Service bulletin
    2026-09-03 · Structure — Body
  • This bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. 09-043/25 11/26/2025 DESCRIPTION Some vehicles may experience a clicking noise when opening and/or closing the front door due to a broken front door checker plate. To reduce the clicking noise, the material of the plastic component in the door checker has been modified. REPAIR PROCEDURE 1.
  • SA-053-26 Service bulletin
    2026-08-19 · Wheels
  • This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are noted in Red text. SA-006/23 01/23/23 DESCRIPTION Some customers may complain about the infotainment system and/or the MyMazda App showing incorrect clock and/or tire pressures and/or tire pressure missing. This may be caused by: Incorrect calendar entry (month/day/year) after a battery disconnect Infot

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

CodeWhat it meansMost often filed underWhere it appears
B1252
B1252 on Mazda →
Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →6 bulletins
P0126
P0126 on Mazda →
Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine6 bulletins
U0198
U0198 on Mazda →
Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →6 bulletins
C0023Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

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.

Compare the 2026 Mazda3 with

Any vehicle, your weights →
Head-to-headVerdict
2026 Toyota Camry · Midsize Sedan · grade CMazda3 +7.1
2026 Honda Civic · Midsize Sedan · grade AMazda3 +4.5
2026 Hyundai Elantra · Midsize Sedan · grade DMazda3 +3.2
2026 Nissan Sentra · Midsize Sedan · grade AMazda3 +11.6
2026 Tesla Model 3 · Midsize Sedan · grade AMazda3 +15.6

Mazda3 by model year

all years, side by side →

Common questions about the 2026 Mazda3

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2026 Mazda Mazda3 cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $24,650 for the 2.5 S Sedan FWD to $38,090 for the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus Hatchback AWD, across 11 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.

Does the 2026 Mazda Mazda3 have any recalls?

No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2026 Mazda Mazda3. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.

How safe is the 2026 Mazda Mazda3?

NHTSA gave the 2026 Mazda Mazda3 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 5-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (100/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2026 Mazda Mazda3?

Across the 7 EPA-rated configurations of the 2026 Mazda Mazda3, the best EPA combined figure is 30 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2026 Mazda Mazda3?

Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA about the 2026 Mazda Mazda3, most often about steering. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

Are there service bulletins for the 2026 Mazda Mazda3?

The manufacturer has filed 76 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2026 Mazda Mazda3, most often covering unknown or other, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-09-25. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

Which 2026 Mazda Mazda3 trim is the best value?

$13,440 separates the cheapest of the 11 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.

Is the 2026 Mazda Mazda3 better than the 2026 Toyota Camry?

The Mazda Mazda3 wins clearly, 92.6 to 85.5, on safety, tech & comfort, price. The Toyota Camry is ahead on fuel & range and space & cargo. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2026 Mazda Mazda3 against the 2026 Toyota Camry — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations7 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificatesnoneEPA emission certificatesThe EPA published no certificate we could match to a configuration on this page.
RecallsnoneNHTSA recall campaignsNo campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it.
Owner complaints1NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings4 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins76NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
InvestigationsnoneNHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationNo defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSAnoneNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWe had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment11 trimsManufacturer press kitTranscribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

JSON for this page · API