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So you were admiring the somehow sporty and sensible Mazda3 the other day and wondered, “Are those actually reliable?” The truth is that Mazda’s four-door compact sedan/hatchback has very few customer complaints or recalls. The only exception is the 2010 and 2011 years which owners report had clutch issues. Here are three model years that truly stand out.

2009 Mazda3, one of the best years of the OG generation

Mazda introduced the FWD Mazda3 to the U.S. market in 2003. It sold the popular first generation until 2009. If you can still find one of these early Mazda3s in good shape, you can rest assured that they only got more reliable with every year of production.

In the past 15 years, owners of 2009 Mazda3 cars have filed 145 total complaints with the NHTSA and CarComplaints website. The most common report the NHTSA received was for wheel/hub problems (45 total) and the second most common was for steering problems (36 total). The most common problem reported to CarComplaints.com was “Engine Problems” (3), though there was no common single problem unifying those reports.

The 2009 Mazda3 did face four recalls (the average across all vehicles sold is 3.1). None were for major powertrain issues. The most significant was for loss of power steering assist (215k vehicles), while the loss of dynamic stability control affected just a few cars. Other recalls replaced certain windshield wiper motors and roof rack carriers. Obviously, if you are considering any used Mazda3, doublecheck it’s had all applicable recall work done. You can just plug its VIN into the NHTSA or call the local Mazda dealership with the VIN ready.

Mazda sold 96,376 Mazda3 cars in 2009. And the average one’s resale value has dropped to $3,526 according to KBB. But if you want a car this old, you may want to hunt for an especially low mileage and rust-free example which could cost more.

By the 2013 model year, the second-gen Mazda3 achieved perfection

When Mazda debuted the second-gen Mazda3 for 2010, it had a couple issues. Sixty-six drivers complained to CarComplaints of clutch problems, 109 reported interior accessory issues to NHTSA, and it was recalled for a faulty fuse in the engine wiring. The 2011 model year only had 213 total complaints and two minor recalls, and though the 2012 model year had 361 complaints it fell to just one recall. But the best reliability of this generation goes to the 2013 with just 214 complaints and 1 recall.

The most common complain with the NHTSA and CarComplaints.com was an occasional headlight flicker while braking. The only recall was quickly corroding lift gate supports. All frustrating issues, but far from powertrain failures that competitors suffered.

In 2013, drivers bought 104,713 Mazda3 vehicles. Today, the average one has a resale value of $4,131.

2018 is the best recent Mazda3 year for reliability

You won’t be shocked that 2018, the final year of the third generation, yet again had the fewest complaints of its era. Mazda was obviously serious about improving its vehicles year-over-year. It was the first generation of the FWD compact to not share a chassis with Ford products.

To be blunt, even the generation’s first year (2014) had many fewer complaints than 2010 had. But by 2018, it hit an unprecedented low: 104 total complaints across both NHTSA and CarComplaints. The most common was “electrical issues” such as TPMS light that goes on when tire pressure is fine, or a backup camera going out. To Mazda’s credit it did recall the Mazda3 to fix the backup camera issue, and also a windshield wiper glitch. The biggest powertrain recall was a failing fuel pump, though a few cars (144 in total) were also recalled for an engine valve spring.

One of the only downsides of a 2018 Mazda3 is that while other cars began offering Carplay and Android Auto in 2018, Mazda didn’t introduce the software until 2019. Mazda built 64,638 of its Mazda3 cars in 2018. The average Mazda3 has depreciated over $5k in just three years and is now worth $9,748.