Worst 2003 Mazda Mazda6 Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
AIR BAGS
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2003 Mazda Mazda6.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 28 | 7 | — | 58,586 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 18 | — | — | 88,502 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 14 | — | — | 66,743 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 12 | — | — | 75,806 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 12 | — | — | 56,342 mi | |
| ENGINE | 10 | — | 1 | 110,410 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 10 | — | — | 23,134 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN | 7 | — | — | 61,687 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 7 | — | — | 54,972 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 7 | — | — | 31,233 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 6 | — | — | 100,100 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 6 | — | — | 86,033 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 5 | — | — | 11,000 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 4 | — | — | 700 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE) | 4 | — | — | 35,388 mi | |
| STRUCTURE | 4 | — | — | 27,367 mi | |
| SUSPENSION | 4 | — | — | — | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 | — | — | 205,000 mi | |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 1 | — | 72,375 mi | |
| STEERING | 3 | — | 1 | 89,825 mi | |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 3 | — | — | 105,000 mi | |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 3 | — | — | 44,500 mi | |
| TIRES | 3 | 1 | — | 31,650 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 | 2 | — | 39,500 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 | 1 | — | 2,200 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 2 | — | — | 16,406 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL | 2 | — | — | 750 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 2 | — | — | 67,000 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | 2 | — | — | 71,000 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 2 | — | — | 8,000 mi |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2003 Mazda Mazda6. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2003 Mazda Mazda6
3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~664,589 vehicles.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2005 MPV, 2004 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 and 2004 MPV vehicles nationwide. Mazda is also recalling 2005-2006 MPV vehicles in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On July 9, 2019 this recall was expanded to include certain 2004-2011 RX-8 vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-354 but have not yet been repaired. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2004-2008 RX-8, and 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Other Mazda Mazda6 Years
Wider context: See the full Mazda Mazda6 reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2003 Mazda Mazda6
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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