Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
Vehicle overview: my 2004 Mazda3 s sedan is not equipped with ABS and has 16" inch factory wheels. The car has an automatic transmission. Problem description: after aproximately 1800 miles of driving (city/highway), I began to notice slight discolored bands on each of the brake rotor discs at all four wheels. After another 600 miles of driving, I began to notice grooving in the places with the discolored bands. At this point, the groove could be felt by a fingertip. The grooves are visible on the outward side of each rotor. I have not inspected the opposite side of each rotor (the side that would be closest to the vechicle chassis) to verify grooving on either side. Efforts to correct: I have requested that my dealership inspect the brakes, and they have also noted the grooving. However, they claim that there is no fix for this other than re-surfacing each rotor. …
Tl contact owns a 2004 Mazda3. She stated that the vehicle could be driven as an automatic or a manual. While driving 20 MPH in manual mode she attempted to shift gears, to no avail. She had to take her foot off of the gas pedal in order for the gears to release and afterwards the gears started to shift on their own. She was able to exit the freeway when the vehicle lost all power, but continued to accelerate. She was unable to stop the vehicle or make a turn. The vehicle began moving from one lane to another and accelerated through a red light to avoid a collision. The vehicle stopped accelerating within in a few minutes. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who diagnosed the failure as the intake manifold. The intake manifold melted, damaged the sensor and the catalytic converter. …
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......
I have a 04 Mazda 3 w/ automatic trans / driving into parking lot heard a loud noise , car quit moving , driver side axle was hanging / the engine had almost drop to the floor , vehicle was towed to a shop , they found out that the bracket which holds transaxle / engine , on driver side had broken !! It is a aluminum bracket with 3 bolts that carry all the weight of engine / transaxle it damaged both axle shafts , caused about $ 950.00 on repairs my concern is that it a very bad / poor / weak / design / the good thing it happened at low speed , if it would have broken at freeway speed it would have caused a major damage / accident !!
While driving the vehicle the transmission became increasingly difficult to shift between 1, 2 and 3 gears. The other gears shifted smoothly without problem and the transmission made no abnormal noises. The vehicle eventually became stuck in first gear and I was only able to get out of it with great effort. It feels like the transmission is filled with concrete. Being unable to shift causes a problem in operating the vehicle safely. The dealer doesn't know what the problem is and is balking at replacing the transmission. The vehicle has only 500 miles on it.
I went to a dealership on May 2, 2004 and purchased a 2004 Mazda 3. It had 16 miles on it. Drove fine for a week! On May 9th, my familiy and I were driving and the car would not change gears. Would not go in reverse. We slowly made it home in 1st gear. The dealership picked it up on Monday May 10th and has said it is the transmission. The full transmission is being replaced at 250 miles. It has been there for 4 days now. I have no idea when it will be repaired.
The car is a Mazda 3 2004 with 18000 miles. I bought my wife this Mazda 3 in May of 2005. With 16000 miles. The car was running great and it is a pleasure to drive. 3 days ago I started to hear a noise when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal. Sound is like a clicking sound that you made when you put your baseball cards on your bicycle tire. To make a long story short, the transmission is being replaced under warranty.
When driving on the highway, the transmission of my 2004 Mazda 3 with only 84,000km died as it lost the ability to reach 3rd and 4th gear. This incident nearly cost me my life yet Mazda Canada would do nothing about it. What kind of company can not stand behind their product after such a near-fatal incident. Suffice to say that Mazda will never get my business again. $3,200 later, I'm still alive no thanks to Mazda.
1) driving at 60 MPH on highway, at 4th gear. 2) transmission failed to put power into the wheels, causing the car to decelerate rapidly even though RPM rises when throttle is pressed. Only 1st and 2nd gears are able to transfer power from engine to wheels. 3) dealer refuse to replace transmission, even though malfunctioning of this particular part are apparent to many of the owners of this vehicle.
Automatic transmission/manual jerks when going from 1st to 2nd gear and after a period of hard driving the jerking stops. This should not occur in a quality vehicle like this one, however it shouldn't occur at all. Please provide me a solution to this annoying problem. Fyi: I have had the transmission flushed and new fluid added however the problem still remains..help!!!
Transmission complaints in other Mazda3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2004 Mazda Mazda3?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2004 Mazda Mazda3, 17% of the model year's 145 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Mazda Mazda3 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 38,000 miles, and 41% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.