Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Mazda Mazda3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving around a turn going approximately 25-30 MPH when I lost control of the car. It is believed that the tire suddenly lost air pressure and ran me off the road. I was left in the creek with my two and three year old. Two guys helped me get the kids and myself out the car safely. My car is now totaled due to the failure of the passenger side tire. Tire size was 205 55 16. There was no puncture holes on the tire so no reaason for the sudden loss of air.
In the summer of 2014, I was traveling on a major highway going approximately 60-65 MPH. My tire sensor light came on and, within just a few miles, my front driver's side tire blew out. I was able to safely guide my car to the shoulder without having an accident. Upon exiting my car and looking at my tire, I noticed the area around my valve stem was completely corroded. How I did not have an accident is an absolute miracle. On Wednesday, July 22, 2015, my tire sensor light came on. Knowing I would be traveling approximately 150 on that Saturday, I checked my tire pressure to see my front passengers side was down approximately 5 psi from the recommended 32 psi. I put air in my tire Friday night and went away on Saturday. On my more than 1 hour drive, my tire sensor came back on. I stopped at a gas station to find my tire psi was in the teens. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Mazda 3. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle veered out of control and the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The tire pressure monitor warning light illuminated. The contact discovered that the front passenger side tire valve stem failed and caused the tire to become deflated. The vehicle was not diagnosed, but the tire was replaced. The failure recurred with the front driver side tire, but the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
2 TPMS sensor valve stems were corroded, while filling the tires with air the stems broke off causing tires to go flat. The remaining 2 did not look any better. Had tire dealer replace all 4 at $280 dollars
In early August 2009 at approx. 21K miles when I performed my 7500 mile tire rotation I noticed that all the 4 oe good year rsa tires were very worn on the inside, not the thread area but the area where the sidewall starts. I had noticed this before but had not thought much of it as it wasn't too bad. I drove on a 500 mile trip shortly after this and became more concerned . I had the alignment checked at the destination and it was within mfg. Spec. The alignment people said the cause was probably due to the negative camber on the rear wheels which at -2.3 and -1.7 was probably the reason for the wear and that I should replace the tires. Mazda does not provide for adjusting the rear camber. Not having the resources at the time, thinking maybe it was a overzealous sales effort, and to me the tires still looked usable I didn't replace them. …
Own a 2008 Mazda 3. Purchased used, but was sold new and serviced locally to original owner. TPMS indicated low tire. When tried to put air in the tire, valve and sensor broke/corroded and all the air came out of tire. Flatbedded to dealership out of town where I was located.. New valve installed and tire fixed . Part was $120 for valve sensor piece. Called my local Mazda place to see if this could possibly be right for such a small piece and to see if it should be under warranty. They confirmed no warranty and average price. Now a second tire indicated low, and tried to check pressure and as soon as the tire valve cap was turned and removed stem/sensor broke again in this different tire and now has lost air . Now needs replacing. Afraid this will be the same issue for the remaining 2 tires. Need to still get snows off, but don't want to pay for the stem/sensors at $120 a piece! …
I was driving down the interstate when all the sudden the pressure sensor light went off for no apparent reason at all. I had assumed that is was just some kind of electronic malfunction and continued to drive for a bit until I noticed the tell-tale signs of a flat tire. The was odd since I had recently purchased new tires with less than 1000 miles on then and the was no debris in the roadway that would account for the rapid deflation. When I pulled over the tire valve and was gone and there was a hole in the interior sidewall. When I brought the car into the tire place he pulled the tire off to try to find the sensor to no avail. He said in his 35 years of experience he had never seen anything like this. On closer inspection we noticed a crack in another one of the valve stems. …
The first time this happened, I was driving on the highway at approximately 75 MPH in the center lane of an express road. While driving, the TPMS sensor warning light/sound came on and the tire went immediately flate - total catastrophic failure. I was able to pull off to the side of the road without further incident and when we looked at the tire, the TPMS sensor had fallen out causing the tire to go flat (it is attached to the valve stem) the treads were corroded and the nut cracked causing the sensor fall out and the tire to go flat. This one was replaced. 8 months later, the same thing happened but this time on the driver's side front tire. The nut cracked and the sensor fell out causing the tire to go flat. …
I got a flat tire yesterday because my tire pressure sensor valve had fallen inside my tire. This is the second time that this has happened since I purchased the vehicle in 2008. Thankfully, I was stuck in rush hour traffic and only going 20 MPH. I realized my tire was flat when the senor light went off and my car veered to the left and fortunately it was the emergency lane or I would have hit a car. Took it to the service shop and the tps sensor now needs replaced because it had corroded and damaged the inside of my tire as well. When the mechanic looked at my other tires and tps sensor/stem valve was corroded. The third tire is fine for now but is showing signs of corroding as well. The 4th one was replaced a couple years ago and appears OK. Mazda needs to recall this problem asap and reimburse everyone that has had to fix this issue. …
About a year ago I bought 4 new tires for my Mazda 3. Six months later I went in for my routine alignment and tire rotation. They said my two rear tires were worn down to showing the wiring and could potentially cause a blow out. They refused to put the tires back on for safety concerns. I had to purchase two used tires that had about the same mileage my other tires had on them. Again 5-6 months later I go into les schwab for my tire rotation and alignment and again they tell me my two rear tires are showing excessive wear. When complaining about having to get tires so soon they stated that Mazda designed the car this way to have a toe in alignment. Basically this will be a recurring issue unless I put a $500 camber kit on the back. When I asked about that they said it May change the way the car handles and have louder road noise. …
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Mazda3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2008 Mazda Mazda3?
NHTSA has 54 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2008 Mazda Mazda3, 18% of the model year's 303 complaints. The component named most often is pressure monitoring and regulating systems (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Mazda Mazda3 wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2008 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 2008 Mazda Mazda3 wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 51,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to wheels & tires 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.