Most common 2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 problems
Share of the 38 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mazda Mazdaspeed3 complaints by model year
Best Mazdaspeed3 years: 2011, 2012. Years to avoid: 2007, 2008, 2010. Compare all years →
2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 recalls (2)
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles, the no. 4 left side engine mount bolt May loosen if a sudden rapid acceleration is repeatedly performed.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the no. 4 engine mount bolt with a modified one, and, if necessary, replace the no. 4 engine mount rubber and bracket with new ones free of charge. The recallbegan on July 13, 2007.
Equipment
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with optional accessory all weather floor mats, there is insufficient clearance between the floor mat and accelerator pedal.
Remedy: Owners will be instructed to return the floor mats to dealers and will be shipped a new floor mat free of charge. The recall began on March 7, 2007. Owners May contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed3:
Failure of engine/transmission mount
On July 2, 2007 Mazda north American operations submitted a defect information report to NHTSA regarding the left hand side (lhs) engine mount bolts in approximately 5,700 model year (my) 2007 mazdaspeed3 vehicles built from June 26, 2006 through May 19, 2007 (Mazda recall 4607f, NHTSA recall 07v-295).according to Mazda, the lhs engine mount could loosen under repeated loads produced during rapid accelerations.loose…
What 2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
I had read reports of transmission mount bolt failure with my new car that had resulted in the engine falling out of the engine bay onto the ground. It was discovered that the reason this was happening was due to a transmission mount bolt that had worked its way loose until the point of breaking off. This was brought to the attention of several dealers across the USA by several owners and none seemed to show any interest in checking the problem for free, since no official service notice had come from Mazda and they would not be paid for the labor of checking it out. As a preventable measure, I checked my bolt personally and hooked up a torque wrench to see how tight it was. I started at 10lbs and went up in 2lb increments. I was able to tighten the bolt beginning at 26 ft/lbs. I got almost a full turn before it bottomed out and then I set a final torque at 75 ft/lb. …
On April 28, 2009 while driving home from work I shifted gears from second into third I heard a big thunk from the transmission. I stopped the car and looked under the body but did not notice any broken or loose parts. Occasionally in the past while driving the car the gear would slip and move into neutral, and I thought this might be related to that seemingly minor problem. However, as I started to drive I noticed the gears were very hard to change and clutch was not as smooth as it used to be. Early the next morning I took the car to o'brien auto park of urbana. This business is located at 1111 o'brien drive, urbana, il 61802 (telephone [phone]). I spoke to josh berbaum, the service consultant for Mazda o'brien, and explained to him what happened. On Monday, May 4, 2009 and told me that the clutch has failed and the flywheel had hot spots and could not be repaired. …
Engine & cooling
On Saturday 19 July 2014, my wife and I were driving north on highway 131, 18 miles south of grand rapids, mi when without notice the engine's number 1 cylinder blow a hole through the casting and damaging the inner axle shaft carrier bearing. When the engine blew, it caused the car to shake violently causing me, the driver, to lose control of the vehicle. I was able to regain control of the vehicle before the car swerved into an adjacent lane. Prior to the incident the vehicle was in good running condition and had just passed the virginia state inspection a few months prior. All of the regular vehicle maintenance was completed according to the vehicles maintenance schedule. Each servicing that was completed was documented in my own personal records for reference. …
On Saturday 19 July 2014, my wife and I were driving north on highway 131, 18 miles south of grand rapids, mi when without notice the engine's number 1 cylinder blow a hole through the casting and damaging the inner axle shaft carrier bearing. When the engine blew, it caused the car to shake violently causing me, the driver, to lose control of the vehicle. I was able to regain control of the vehicle before the car swerved into an adjacent lane. Prior to the incident the vehicle was in good running condition and had just passed the virginia state inspection a few months prior. All of the regular vehicle maintenance was completed according to the vehicles maintenance schedule. Each servicing that was completed was documented in my own personal records for reference. …
Suspension
I installed the aftermarket mazdaspeed lowering springs on my Mazdaspeed3, carefully following the supplied instructions. The instructions require removing the bump stops from the strut mounts. I thought this was strange, but I did it, and later found that my right-front tire tread surface had made contact with the top of the inside of the fender. The result was deep circumferential grooves in the tire, and the plastic fender liner was completely worn away in one area. This is potentially very dangerous since it could lead to a tire blowout. And yes, I am certain that the instructions show the removal of the bump stops. I have the instructions and photos of the damage.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Mazda, Mazdaspeed3. While driving approximately 30 MPH on an uneven road surface, the contact heard a clunking noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. The failure recurred sporadically. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. There was a technical service bulletin under NHTSA action number: 10023313 (suspension: front). The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 a good car?
Based on 38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2007 Mazdaspeed3 rates use caution: 1.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the Mazdaspeed3 at the same age. It is one of the Mazdaspeed3 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed3?
The transmission & drivetrain — 17 complaints, 45% of all complaints for this model year, most often about manual transmission. Next are the engine & cooling (15) and suspension (4).
How many recalls does the 2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed3, the most recent from July 10, 2007 (engine and engine cooling). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mazda Mazdaspeed3?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2007, 2008 and 2010. See the full Mazda Mazdaspeed3 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 12,000 miles; 82% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.