Mazda CX-3: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Mazda CX-3: 6 model years scored from 111 NHTSA owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns. Worst year 2016, best year 2016.
Mazda CX-3: which years to avoid
Across 6 scored model years the Mazda CX-3 ranges from 58/100 in 2016 to 93/100 in 2020 — a 35-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a CX-3 at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Electrical System (11 of them).
Safest years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 — scored 70 or better.
Check carefully: 2016.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Read the guide
Used Mazda CX-9, CX-3 and CX-7: what the record says — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 92 | BUY | $3,104 | 4 | 1 |
| 2020 | 93 | BUY | $3,233 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | 72 | BUY | $3,443 | 27 | 2 |
| 2018 | 91 | BUY | $3,534 | 10 | 1 |
| 2017 | 86 | BUY | $3,694 | 21 | 1 |
| 2016 | 58 | CAUTION | $3,880 | 48 | 3 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the CX-3, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Mazda CX-3
Across every CX-3 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Electrical System25 complaints across all CX-3 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other16 complaints across all CX-3 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System16 complaints across all CX-3 years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Engine9 complaints across all CX-3 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Steering8 complaints across all CX-3 years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
- Exterior Lighting8 complaints across all CX-3 years · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement$360–$1,380
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Mazda CX-3 years to buy?
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2020 at 93/100, on 1 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Mazda CX-3 problem?
25 of the complaints filed against the CX-3 across all its model years sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04