Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points...
1986-1995 · 10 model years
Mazda 323 Problems by year
Owners have filed 164 complaints about the Mazda 323 across 10 model years, and it has 3 recalls. The 1989 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (38), while 1986, 1995 have far fewer than a typical year. The most reported problem area is the seats & seat belts, followed by the engine & cooling.
- Complaints
- 164
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 14
- Fires
- 4
- Injuries
- 9
- Deaths
- 0
323 complaints by model year
Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.
Most common 323 problems
Mazda 323 recalls 3
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with front seat automatic shoulder belts. The rail of the automatic shoulder belt can wear sufficiently such that the cable which retracts the buckle assembly can become jammed in the rail rendering the...
The front safety belt buckle release buttons can break. These red plastic release buttons are marked "press." If a button breaks, pieces can fall into the buckle assembly causing the buckle to operate improperly.
Latest 323 complaints
The air bag light in the dash started blinking a code (51) indicating failure of the air bag module. I took the car to the mazda dealer. They returned the car to me with no repair. They indicated that mazda no longer makes or supplies the air bag module. They recommended finding a used module from a junk yard dealer. I contacted mazda corporation. They told me the same thing; buy a used air bag module from a junk yard dealer. I went online and found the used modules selling for about 10 times the price...
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that mazda corp had sold them for. I also found entries from individuals who had been injured by the air bags. There were multiple recommendations that the module not be replaced because the air bags could kill. I have written to mazda corp. Telling them that I expected them to replace the whole system. A secretary called me--and offered to do nothing. *Tr
I was using my seat belt as was my passenger. I stopped to get out of the car and when I got back in the car and started it, my seat belt would not slide back over my body. My passenger's seat belt was still in place as it had not been removed when I stopped the car and got out. The following day my seat belt worked when I first started the car. When I drove for about 3 miles, I stopped the car and got out. When I got back in the car and started it, the seat belt did not work and has not since in the past...
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couple of days. There is a clicking noise in the center console where the gear shift is when the car is started while the gear is in park and stops making the noise when the car is put into drive, however the red seat belt light continues to blink. *Tr
The rail of the automatic shoulder belt wore sufficiently such that the cable which retracts the buckle assembly became jammed in the rail rendering the shoulder belt inoperative. When I went to get out of my car the buckle assembly stopped about 3/4 of the way towards the front of the car. In this position it makes my car totally unsafe and illegal to drive. Either a recall similar to 97v211000 should be issued for the 1995 model or that recall should extend to cover the 1995 model by mazda. It's the same issue/problem and mazda is liable and responsible for fixing it. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1990 mazda 323. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration and whenever the vehicle idled excessively the rpms also increased. The dealer was notified and stated that there was nothing that they could do. The dealer also told him to contact the manufacturer for further instructions. There was only one dealer in his area which is not a certified mazda dealer. The failure mileage was 97,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1993 mazda 323. The contact drove a long distance without realizing that the parking brake was applied. She believed that there was failure with the instrument panel that did not indicate the parking brake was applied. The contact spoke with mazda and they offered no assistance. The vin, purchase date, engine size, number of cylinders, powertrain, speed, and failure mileage were unknown. The current mileage was 275,000. Updated 03/18/08. *Lj updated 03/18/08 *tr
The driver was sitting at an intersection without warning another vehicle rear ended the vehicle in front. The left side and right side seat belts disengaged on their own,the seat belts retractor was not retractable. No injuries to report. The driver was able to drive to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the seat belts needed to be replaced. *Ak
Questions about the Mazda 323
Which Mazda 323 years have the most problems?
Which Mazda 323 years have the fewest complaints?
What are the most common Mazda 323 problems?
Across every model year, owners report problems with the seats & seat belts (107), engine & cooling (18), transmission & drivetrain (10) most often.
How many recalls does the Mazda 323 have?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls across all Mazda 323 model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data