"Mazda CX-3 years to avoid" is a common search phrase, and neither NHTSA nor RideTruth hands out that kind of verdict. What I pulled instead is every complaint and recall campaign NHTSA has on file for the CX-3's six US model years, 2016 through 2021, sorted by year. The numbers below are what I found. Drawing a conclusion from them is on you.
The photo above is NHTSA's own crash-test file for this body style. Our database has it filed under the 2020 model year, but the copy NHTSA provides is too low-resolution to read the placard and confirm that, so treat it as illustrative of the CX-3 generally rather than a dated 2020-specific test.
How many complaints does each Mazda CX-3 model year have?
The 2016 CX-3 has 48 NHTSA complaints as of September 16, 2026, the most of any year in its run. The 2019 is next at 27. The other four years are all lower, and two of them are barely on the board.
| Model year | NHTSA complaints |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 48 |
| 2017 | 21 |
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2019 | 27 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 4 |
This is a low-volume model. Mazda never sold the CX-3 in Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4 numbers, and it shows. Even the 2016's 48 complaints is a small pile next to what a popular compact SUV racks up in one model year. A 2020 with a single complaint on file does not mean the 2020 CX-3 had one problem. It more likely means few people bought one, few have filed a complaint yet, or both. None of these counts are adjusted for sales or miles driven. Read the table as "where owners reported something," not a ranking of which year is more reliable.
What do 2016 CX-3 owners complain about most?
Electrical leads, named in 11 of the 2016's 48 complaints (22.9%). Three other categories sit close behind it, tied at 10 each: Driver Assistance & Speed Control, Other, and Visibility & Lighting.
| Area | Complaints | Share of 48 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 11 | 22.9% |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 10 | 20.8% |
| Other | 10 | 20.8% |
| Visibility & Lighting | 10 | 20.8% |
| Fuel System | 5 | 10.4% |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 4 | 8.3% |
| Engine | 4 | 8.3% |
| Airbags & Restraints | 2 | 4.2% |
| Brakes | 2 | 4.2% |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 1 | 2.1% |
The rows add up to more than 48. That's normal, not an error. One owner can name the electrical system and a fuel-system problem on the same complaint form. It counts in both rows, but only once in the 48 total.
With 11 complaints naming electrical issues, that is not a large enough sample to say the 2016 CX-3 has an electrical problem area, only that it is the most-named category among a small pool of reports.
Which Mazda CX-3 years have recall campaigns?
Every CX-3 from 2016 through 2021 carries the same recall: a 2023 campaign listed under the backup camera's sensing system. Two model years have more than that shared one. The 2016 has three recall campaigns total, and the 2019 has two.
| Model year | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
The 2016's other two campaigns cover the steering system and the rear hatchback/liftgate structure, both reported in 2016. The 2019's extra campaign is a fuel pump delivery recall reported in 2021. A recall campaign listing a model year does not mean every car built that year needs the fix; check your own VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup to see what actually applies.
So which Mazda CX-3 year should you avoid?
I'm not going to answer that, because the data doesn't support a clean answer. The 2016 has the most complaints and the most recall campaigns. If you're weighing two used CX-3s and one is a 2016, that's worth a closer look with a pre-purchase inspection and a VIN check. But 48 complaints in a model year, for a car sold in modest numbers, is thin evidence next to what a mainstream compact SUV generates. The honest reading is that the 2016 has the most reports on file, not that it's unreliable.
The full complaint and recall history for the 2016 lives on its model-year page, and every year's own numbers are on the CX-3 hub. For the rest of Mazda's lineup, start at the Mazda hub. If you're also weighing how a lighter subcompact crossover like the CX-3 fares against something bigger, RideTruth's crash comparison lets you put any two model years side by side using their EPA test weights.