2026 Mazda Mazda3
Showing the 2026 Mazda3 Preferred. NHTSA's VIN data shows it with a 2.5 L engine, but that may not be every version of it, so the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
- Fuel economy
- 26–30 mpgcombined; city 23–27, highway 31–36; every version of this model year
- Five years of fuel
- $10,830–$12,490U.S. average; Ohio $9,680–$11,160 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
- NHTSA overall safety rating
- 5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
- Recall campaigns
- 0none on file
- Owner complaints
- 1filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales
Trims
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2026 Mazda3. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
- Base seen with 2.5 L
- Preferred seen with 2.5 L
- Select Sport seen with 2.5 L
Problems owners report
Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA about the 2026 Mazda3. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
| Part | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What the columns count
- Complaints: complaints that name that part. One complaint can name several parts, so the rows overlap and don't add up to the total.
- Crashes and Fires: complaints that report one. Two owners can file about the same event, and NHTSA doesn't link them, so these count reports, not events.
- Injuries: the number of people the complaints say were injured.
- None of these columns shows that a part caused a crash, fire or injury: they're what owners reported, unverified.
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
Every Mazda3 year side by side
Recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2026 Mazda3. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.
Service bulletins and investigations
Carmakers sent NHTSA 76 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 Mazda3, the latest on Sep 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: unknown or other (40), electrical system (37), engine (16), structure (9), power train (6).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2026 Mazda3.
Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5
Specs
EPA class: midsize cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–6 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
| Version | Engine | Transmission | Fuel | City / hwy / comb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 4-Door Front-Wheel Drive | 2.5 L, 4 cyl | Automatic (S6) | Regular Gasoline | 27 / 36 / 30 |
| 3 4-Door 4-Wheel Drive | 2.5 L, 4 cyl | Automatic (S6) | Regular Gasoline | 26 / 34 / 29 |
| 3 4-Door 4-Wheel Drive | 2.5 L, 4 cyl, turbo | Automatic (S6) | Regular Gasoline | 23 / 32 / 27 |
| 3 5-Door Front-Wheel Drive | 2.5 L, 4 cyl | Automatic (S6) | Regular Gasoline | 26 / 34 / 29 |
| 3 5-Door Front-Wheel Drive | 2.5 L, 4 cyl | Manual 6-spd | Regular Gasoline | 25 / 34 / 28 |
| 3 5-Door 4-Wheel Drive | 2.5 L, 4 cyl | Automatic (S6) | Regular Gasoline | 25 / 34 / 28 |
| 3 5-Door 4-Wheel Drive | 2.5 L, 4 cyl, turbo | Automatic (S6) | Regular Gasoline | 23 / 31 / 26 |
Sources and dates
- U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
- NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 18, 2026
- NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 18, 2026
- NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 18, 2026
- NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 18, 2026
- NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data