Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Mazda Mazda3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that he had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V393000 (Parking Brake) five years ago and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repair. However, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle passed the inspection test and did not need to be repaired. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle and driving from a complete stop, the vehicle drove sluggishly because the parking brake was not properly disengaged. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring and he would slide underneath the vehicle to manually disengage the parking brake. The contact stated the failure caused the brake pads and rotors to overheat. The contact was unsure whether a warning light was illuminated. …
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that when attempting to secure the vehicle, the electric parking brake failed to engage after pulling up the hand lever. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V393000 (Parking Brake); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was previously taken to a dealer for an unrelated recall repair, but the parking brake failure was not addressed or resolved. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Today on 3/6/23 I was parked outside a restaurant picking up food as I was inside the restaurant my hand brake failed to hold and my car rolled back and hit another customers car. My car is a manual and I had it in neutral and I was then approached by the owner of the vehicle I hit asking for my insurance information.
The contact's nephew owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while parked on several occasions, the parking brake failed to engage, and there was no resistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
My 2014 Mazda 3 had very bad wear on the rear brakes, but not on the front. I took them apart, and both calipers were frozen. I contacted the dealership and they told me that there was a recall, but only for the cars manufactured in Mexico, not in Asia. The recall needs to be expanded, as Mazda denied there was any problem with these calipers. Clearly there is a more widespread problem than Mazda will admit.
The car screen displays, GPS, for calls, radio etc, doesn't works, it's off, and the airbags are deactivated and they're off as well and have to press hard on the brake to get the car to stops.
Having spent approximately 10 miles in stop and go traffic, the traffic picked up again, only to come to another stop. I was unable to stop because my brakes had completely failed, my foot went to the floor and I had no braking response at all. I tapped the vehicle in front of me, no damage to his car, so we decided not to call the police. My car sustained cosmetic damage to the front end, pushed the left front fender back so I was unable to open the driver's door. I was approximately 250 miles from my home when this incident happened. The following day I did a test panic stop in a parking lot, and the brakes then responded appropriately.
My 2014 Mazda3 with VIN [redacted] is experiencing squeaking and binding of the manual parking brake while driving. The 2014 Mazda3 has already had a recall for this issue under NHTSA campaign number: 17V393000. They say my car is not covered by this recall, but this car is a manual transmission with a manual parking brake and is less of these are made and less May have been reported. Additionally, this website for mechanics (https://Mazda.oemdtc.com/528/squeakinggrinding-noise-from-rear-brakes-2014-2016-Mazda3) says that this is a recurring issue caused by: "squeaking/grinding noise from the rear brake even after the brake pedal is released. Upon inspection, the caliper mounting support is corroded and one of the disc pad is abnormally worn out (a). This is caused by vehicle usage in an area using road salt. …
July 2018 I noticed the rear passenger wheel getting really hot and making a popping sound after driving it on hot pavement. The brake caliper was stuck and I had to get a new rotor, rear driver's brake caliper and new brake pads. I had to wait 3 weeks for the caliper to come in. The mechanic said it was odd all the other calipers were available for immediate delivery except the rear passenger one. We looked online and noticed a recall but my VIN was not included. Fast forward 1 year - August 2019, I was smelling fuel around the driver's wheel well and inside the vehicle after fill up. I didn't notice any fuel leaking onto the ground underneath the car. I took the car to my mechanic and there is a fuel leak coming from the seem of the gas tank. The whole tank has to be replaced and possibly the fuel pump. Once again I have another wait for the parts from Mazda - at least a week. …
Took my 2014 Mazda3 igt hatch to a local shop to have front and rear brake pads replaced. Tech informed me that he noticed one side on the rear was worn more than the others. Parked on a hill the next day and noticed the parking brake had a lot more play than normal. The parking brake could not hold the car when pulled all the way up. Car rolled forward if shifter was in neutral with parking brake engaged. Took car to martin Mazda in newark, delaware to have brake function checked. From invoice: "found internal malfunction in drivers side caliper with e-brake operation, requested p/a on caliper for repair, caliper is working hydraulically." they did not have the caliper in stock so I have to return when the part comes in. Checking online, I found out that there is a recall for this problem (NHTSA recall no. 17v-393 / mfr recall no.1217f) but my VIN is not covered. …
Related recalls
Parking brake
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda6 and 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles. Water could possibly enter the brake caliper causing the parking brake actuator shaft to corrode and possibly bind.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will check the parking brake actuator shafts, replacing any that are corroded, free of charge. Remedy parts are currently unavailable.
Brake complaints in other Mazda3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2014 Mazda Mazda3?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the brakes of the 2014 Mazda Mazda3, 19% of the model year's 138 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2014 Mazda Mazda3 brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-393 (parking brake, Jun 22, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2014 Mazda Mazda3 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles, and 18% 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.