Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Mazda Mazda3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I applied the brakes, and the car kept moving forward even though I was pressing the brake pedal. I pulled the emergency brake but that didn't stop the car from moving forward and hitting the back of the truck in front of me. I was on a highway.
I purchased my 2012 Mazda 3 one year ago (2017). I first noticed the issue about a month after owning my car. I turned on my air conditioner at first low, then all the way up, it felt slightly cool, but only as if my fans were blowing and nowhere near what an air conditioner should properly feel like. This was after letting the car warm up, and driving on back roads or highways as well as when parked. I brought the car back and the technician had some trouble figuring out how to fix it. The ac compressor was replaced, and yet I am still now dealing with a car that will not blow cold air! Only semi cool on the highest fan setting ! Also when accelerating and having the air conditioner on my car does not accelerate as well or feel as though it is driving as well as it does without needing the air conditioner on. My car really feels like it is working extra hard to put out semi cool air. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that when driving approximately 5 MPH and pulling into her driveway the accelerator pedal got jammed and as a result the contact crashed into her garage. The driver sustained injuries to her upper back and neck. The police were not contacted. The dealer was later contacted and they offered no assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who they advised her that they would look into the issue. The vehicle was not removed from the contacts garage. The failure and current mileage was approximately 700.
I have an automatic Skyactiv 2012 5dr hatchback. I was pulling out on a back road that was 60mph and as soon as I pressed the gas to speed up with traffic it was as if the car lost all power. The traction control light came on and the car slowly accelerated as I had the gas pressed to the floor. It very slowly sped up to 60mph and would not go any faster. I tried pressing the traction control button to turn it off and nothing happened. My wife and I got lunch and afterwards it worked fine. Last time I was at the dealership they told me there was a recall for the stalling issue and that they had fixed it. This was about a month or so before I experienced the stall. Before then I had not had any issues with stalling, just with pulling out onto roads. That leads me to mention that this car does not do well when pulling out onto roads. The car does not respond well. …
I was driving in city in the evening temp. About 65-70 f,dry and smooth road(my daily route to work) in steady speed of I would say 45 MPH, trying to change lane my car traction light went on and engine light and at light below my gear screen, my car locked my transmission,car was in drive mode so I put on manual to try change gear manually but did not change gear, I was stuck on one gear and I could not slow down because I would loose my RPM middle of the road, I drove about 2 mile till I had safe place to stop, pulled over turn off the car and wait for few minutes,then turn engine back on,traction light was off so as the at light but engine light was still on,car was behaving normal and I could drive it home, next day I took it to dealer I turned it off for waiting to check-in my car when the dealer service personal turned it on as she said the engine light was off too, be she said we …
Approximately two or three times a week when downshifting out of a right or left hand curve or turn, my 2012 manual transmission Mazda 3 hatchback will accelerate on its own. This is characterized by a varying increase of rpms: 2100 rpms to 4500 rpms, depending on the incident, and a sudden lurching or surging forward of the vehicle itself. When approaching curves or turns, at 30 or 40 MPH, that do not have to be taken at a complete stop, I engage the clutch, apply the brakes, and slow the vehicle to 15-20 MPH. Upon coming out of the turn I shift the vehicle into second gear. When I slowly release the clutch, without depressing the gas pedal at all, the car's engine will rev, rpms will surge to as high as 4000 - 4500, and the car will lurch forward until the clutch is once again depressed. These incidents are random and are not dependent on speed, weather conditions, or location. …
After taking a left hand turn onto a local road,I noticed that my car was decelerating despite the fact I was pressing on the gas. The traction control light on the dash came on and the car appeared to be stuck in 1st or 2nd gear; I could not go faster than 40 MPH without the rpms going too high. This car has automatic transmission. I tried turning off the traction control by pressing its button, but this did not work. I also tried switching to manual mode but couldn't get the car to shift or the traction control light to shutoff. I finally had to pull over and restart the car to get the light to turn off and the transmission to act normally. I have seen others post a similar problem, though they were in much more serious environments - on the highway going 70 and all of a sudden having to pull across traffic and restart the car because of this weird transmission-traction control issue. …
My 2012 Mazda 3 Skyactiv hatchback with the 6 speed manual transmission is exhibiting unintended acceleration. After downshifting into 2nd or 3rd gear, or after coasting in one of those gears with the clutch disengaged, the engine revs and the car "surges" forward upon re-engagement of the clutch. When this occurs, the accelerator pedal is only being slightly pushed, but the car acts as if it has been pushed almost to the floor. Depending on the position of the clutch pedal when this occurs, the engine will either rev to 3000 to 4000 RPM, or the car will accelerate forward until either the brake or clutch pedal is pressed. This issue was presented to the service department and I told them that you have to drive in those conditions in order to re-create the problem. …
The vehicle will randomly and sporadically speed up and the rpms increase unexpectedly when the clutch is released after downshifting from 3rd to 2nd or 4th to 3rd. Mostly from 3rd to 2nd. The vehicle really pulls forward and does not slow down when this is happening. Instinct is to jump the brake, which slows the car, decreases the rpms and appears to stop the incident. This is a definite safety concern, especially with snowy, icy roads just around the corner. I have been unable to replicate this as it is sporadic. This has happened numerous times since first driving this vehicle June, 02, 2012. Mileage,speed and date of occurrence entered are approximates as several incidents occurred prior to the start of documenting each one. The state and zip code entered in the address information is the closet one to me. …
I was driving along a city street on the way to a mall when I noticed the traction control warning light come on. My car then started to decelerate. I pressed on the gas and noticed that the needle on my tachometer was running high indicating high rate of RPM. I could not drive faster than 35 MPH for fear of redlining and possibly damaging the engine. I went back home and parked my car. Later when I started my car the traction control warning light had turned off and I was able to drive the car normally again. This is a very serious matter that could result in serious accident if it had happened on a freeway or on a mountain road. I no longer feel safe driving this car, not knowing when this might occur again. I will be having the car inspected at the dealership since it is still under warranty.
Acceleration complaints in other Mazda3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2012 Mazda Mazda3?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2012 Mazda Mazda3, 9% of the model year's 226 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Mazda Mazda3 acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2012 Mazda Mazda3, though it has 1 recall 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 2012 Mazda Mazda3 acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 12,000 miles, and 74% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration 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.