Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Mazda Mazda3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Rear brake rotor and pads experiencing excessive wear. ABS system seems to activate prematurely at the rear wheels under heavy braking in dry conditions. Rear brakes will need complete replacement at 32K miles while the fronts look to last 100K. Dealer says wear is normal, independent repair shops say not. This May be evidence of improper brake balance between front and rear which could cause safety issues either due to premature wear and parts failure or under certain braking conditions. Apparent pemature activation of ABS system during sudden braking startled a young driver of this car who released pressure on the brake mistaking ABS pulsation for a brake failure and struck another car as a result.
Rear brake rotors warped, grooved and worn beyond repair at 49,000 miles. I was told that it was my driving "style" by the Mazda dealership that probably caused the excessive wear. However, the front brake pads have plenty of life left in them and the rotors are smooth as can be (I even checked the inside). My car has a manual transmission and my wife and I commonly "downshift" to control engine speed. My driving style has given me longer braking system life on cars I drive and have driven. I have always noticed the excessive brake dust on the rear wheels of my car and on others on the road since I bought the car in March 2004, and thought it odd since most braking is done by the front wheels. I have spent many hours cleaning the brake dust from my rear wheels, so I know. Unfortunately, it never clicked in my head that the brake rotors were being carved up. …
I own a 2004 Mazda 3-manual (5 speed). It only has 40,000 miles on it and each year I get it inspected. Every year large amounts of brake dust accumulates on the rear wheels from the rear brakes. As a result the brake pads on the rear are completely worn while the front brakes seem to be untouched. This, according to my service professional is an indication of a faulty braking system. I have owned several cars in the past and have only replaced the rear brakes a few times while I have replaced the front several times. When contacting 3 different Mazda dealerships I was told it is normal wear and tear and I will be responsible for replacing the back breaks and they will do nothing for the front since they do not see a problem. This car has failed to engage the ABS 2 times, luckily the other driver was able to drive around me and miss me. …
1)4 days after buying the car my front brake rotors had 3 large (1m wide more than .5mm deep) grooves and the rear brake rotors were starting to develop the same problem. The pads must have some type of hard metalic pieces in them that gradually destroys the brake rotors. 2)it's only a matter of time before the pads wear the rotors to an unsave limit. So, I returned to my Mazda dealer for service. Jim ellis Mazda of marietta 3)the service staff there was horrible and in the end did nothing to fix the cause of the grooves. The shaved an unspecified amount of material off my front rotors and insisted that it was within "spec". The vehicle was only 3 weeks old but now my front rotors are almost out of useable rotor width. They did not replace the break pads despite their obvious link to the problem. My back pads and rotors were not changed at all! …
The rear brakes on our 2004 Mazda3 are worn to the rotors for the third time in 77,000 miles. When we first purchased the vehicle the rear brakes were squeaking, so we informed the service department. We assured that this is normal, it should go away in a few thousand miles. It never went away. I now need a third set of rear brakes, and the fronts are still in good shape. In all my years of working around vehicles, I've never seen a front wheel drive passenger car that the rear brakes wore faster than the front. It's now obvious to me after doing in depth internet research that this is a very common problem with both the Mazda3 and mazda6. Why hasn't there been a recall yet? Is it going to take some getting injured or even killed due to brake malfunction before this is addressed? …
Excessive brake wear and noise days after purchasing my Mazda3 I placed a call to the dealership where I purchased it. I stated that the vehicle's braking system was creating an excessive amount of noise and brake dust from wear. I was told that during the first weeks of a new car that this was expected. The gentleman referred to it as seating. However, after several thousand miles, mostly highway (no brakes required), the pads and rotors are both deeply grooved and worn. Most wear occurs on the rear brakes. Most all braking is done by the front; therefore, if wear should occur it would be present in the front braking system. Dealer requested permission to turn the rotors, which I declined. Turning the rotors would do nothing more than quite the vehicle for a few hundred miles, until the grooves and dust would reappear. …
I took my car to the dealership couple times past couple yrs for excessive break dust & squeaking noise rear of the car. They told me its normal & they couldn't locate or heard any squeaking noise. Recently I went back to get an oil change & they notified me that I need my breaks replaced. I decided to take my car to two national tire retailers for price quotes & both retailers told me its very rare to have front wheel drive car that has little wear down on front break wheels but yet the back rear breaks & rotors needed replaced, just under 40K miles. After being notified of the server deep lips of the rotors I went back to Mazda dealership & it seems they know about the issue but they are trying to cover it up & saying its normal wear & tear. After talking to several other cars experts. I believe their is faulty breaking issue.
2004 Mazda 3, brought brand new from dealer. Had rear brake problems, was fixed due to bad equipment/metal used for rotors or that was what I was told. Warranty covered. Now I am at just under 50,000 miles and my clutch needs replaced, cause they said I burned it up. Not covered by warranty. I told them over a year ago, that it whined/screeched when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, but only when it was cold. Told they couldn't find anything wrong, just warm the vehicle up first. Now a smell something burning and they keep saying it was my fault. I'm the only one that drives it, going back and forth to work and dropping my kids off at school. Very frustrated, because I was told its going to cost over $1,000 to fix......
There is brake noise in my 2004 model year Mazda 3. I have just bought my car 3 days ago. I noticed the noise in the first day, I called the dealer and I was told that it is normal because the car is new and it will disappear in a few days. But it is not disappearing on the contrary it is now more noticeable. It does not matter whether the brakes are cold or hot. It always makes that noise. VIN number of my car is: [redacted] thanks, [redacted]. Updated 07/30/2012
Front wheel bearing fails prematurely. My right front wheel bearing failed at 58K miles and needed to be replaced. My left front wheel bearing is failing at 68K miles and needs replacing. My mechanic stated that these parts should last much longer, and that continued driving with a bad bearing could lead to wheel lockup and an accident. Many others are complaining of similar failure on internet forums. Mazda won't repair this free of charge since vehicle is out of warranty.
Brake complaints in other Mazda3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2004 Mazda Mazda3?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the brakes of the 2004 Mazda Mazda3, 19% of the model year's 145 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › pads (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Mazda Mazda3 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2004 Mazda Mazda3, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Mazda Mazda3 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.