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Service bulletins for the 2012 Mazda Mazda3

A bulletin is a manufacturer's communication to its dealers, as NHTSA indexes it. The summary is NHTSA's. The document is the manufacturer's: read it at NHTSA. A bulletin is not a recall, and listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned.

446 on file from NHTSA, as of 2026-10-19.

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Bulletins, newest first
09-001-172021-01-25. Service bulletin. EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH. Excessive condensation or water within the headlamp assembly caustion.
MT-005-202020-12-03. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Some customers may complain about high engine oil consumption. Before attempting any repairs, verify the complaint by using the guideline below to determine if an engine repair is necessary: Engine Oil Consumption Inspection Guideline 1. Record the vehicle mileage. 2. Engine at normal operating temperature, top off engine oil level to the full mark on the dipstick. 3. Ask the customer to return to the dealer after 1200 miles to recheck the engine oil level. 4. After 1200 miles, engine at normal operating temperature, check the engine oil level on the dipstick. 5. Is the engine oil level above the low mark on the dipstick? • Yes - No repair is necessary. • No - Proceed to MGSS online or Workshop Manual (section 01-03 NO. 16 HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION/LEAKAGE).
09-036-20-37562020-12-03. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY. Some vehicles may exhibit a Connectivity Master Unit (CMU), a BLUETOOTH® hands-free unit or text messaging related concerns. To improve the handling of BLUETOOTH® hands-free and/or text messaging customer concerns, Mazda created a special service and parts exchange program as of February 2010.
05-005-20-37522020-12-03. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN. Some customers may complain of a whining noise from the automatic transaxle when driving at 10 mph and above. The noise: • Depends on the vehicle’s speed only (the more speed, the more noise) • Occurs with all types of driving (acceleration, deceleration, steady speed) • Does not depend on rpm, gear, or ATF temperature
SSP99_SSPA92020-11-04. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL; STRUCTURE; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY. SSP99 - 2010 MAZDA3 - DASHBOARD UPPER PANEL STICKY SURFACE: For certain 2010 Mazda3 vehicles, the warranty coverage for dashboard replacement for sticky surface condition only is extended to 10 years (120 months) from the original Warranty Start Date, with no mileage limitations. Any other condition for dashboard replacement, such as discoloration, warp, or material splitting, is covered only for 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. SSPA9 - 2010-2013 MAZDA3 - GAP BETWEEN INSTRUMENT PANEL AND INFORMATION DISPLAY WARRANTY EXTENSION PROGRAM: On certain 2010-2013 Mazda3 vehicles, the instrument panel just above the information display may be warping, generating a gap between the instrument panel and information display, if exposed to heat under high ambient temperature. The warranty coverage for instrument panel replacement due to warping or a gap is extended to 7 years (84 months) from the original New Vehicle Limited Warranty (Normal Warranty) start date or April 30, 2018 whichever is later, with no mileage limitation.
SA-071-202020-11-04. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Currently, the instructions on MGSS recommend the use of Loctite 962T or equivalent when installing a SKYACTIV cylinder head, but it is no longer available. The following 3 adhesives are alternatives available as an equivalent to Loctite 962T: Loctite 272, Loctite 518 Threebond TB-1386H
MT-002-202020-09-02. Service bulletin. TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS; WHEELS. New CARB regulation regarding mandatory checking and documenting of tire pressure whenever a vehicle is in for service work. This applies to all service shops (including Mazda dealerships) in California effective September 1, 2010.
01-011-20-37342020-09-01. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Some customers may complain about an unusual noise coming from the engine compartment for about 20 seconds after a cold engine start. This noise is a normal engine operation for improved exhaust gas emissions. The noise does not indicate a malfunction. ACCELERATED WARM-UP SYSTEM (AWS): All SKYACTIV-G engines adopt AWS to reduce exhaust gas emissions immediately after a cold engine start. AWS increases the engine idling speed and retards the ignition timing for about 20 seconds after the cold engine start to quickly warm up the catalytic converter. The customer may identify the engine sound during the AWS operation as a unusual noise.
MT-001-202020-08-04. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal Workshop Manual diagnosis. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Ask the customer if any aftermarket devices have been installed. Below are a couple of examples of unusual electrical concerns caused by aftermarket devices.
09-006-20-3673a2020-08-04. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT. When encountering a vehicle with paint damage, refer to the "Mazda Paint Warranty Guide" to determine cause, prevention, remedy, and warranty coverage (if applicable).
05-004-20-37272020-08-04. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN. Some vehicles may exhibit one of the following concerns: • Sometimes the shifter may jump out of 3rd gear over a road bump when accelerating after deceleration at 25-40 mph (40-65 km/h) • Hard to shift into 3rd, 4th, 5th, and/or 6th gear • Shift lever vibrates when driving in 3rd or 4th gear. This is caused by inappropriate transmission internal parts.
05-003-20-37252020-08-04. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; POWER TRAIN; EQUIPMENT; ENGINE. Some vehicles may experience the check engine light and automatic transaxle warning light ON with one or more of these DTCs stored in the TCM memory (P0842, P0847, P0872, P0877, P0780, P1738). This is caused by the oil pressure switch A and/or B at the control valve body temporarily or permanently getting stuck due to contamination entering the passage. To correct the problem, some mass production changes have been implemented to reduce contamination and improve the DTC diagnostic logic.
SA-053-202020-07-03. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN. When replacing manual or automatic transmission, make sure to remove the plug from the old transmission (as shown below) and then re-install it to the new transmission with a new washer. The new transmissions (including remanufactured A/T) have a shipping plug, as shown in the figures (M/T: black, rubber made; A/T: pink and black, with breather). This plug is for shipping use only and needs to be removed in order to re-install the original plug from the old transmission.
00-001-20-36892020-04-03. Service bulletin. SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC; POWER TRAIN; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers.
SA-030-202020-02-27. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN. Service part Automatic Transaxles (ATX) manufactured on or after July, 2018 are shipped with a blank TCM that requires configuration. NOTE: The following Caution is included with every ATX that requires configuration.
09-006-20-36732020-01-30. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT. When encountering a vehicle with paint damage, refer to the "Mazda Pocket Paint Guide" to determine cause, prevention, remedy, and warranty coverage (if applicable). Copies of the Mazda Pocket Paint Guide are available for order on Mazda e-Store (part number: 9999-95-MPPG-12).
09-003-20-36712020-01-23. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. NOTE: Tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by Federal, and State laws. It is the dealer’s responsibility to comply with Federal, State, and local laws concerning odometer and related documentation requirements when providing a repair or replacement. • Mazda vehicles are manufactured with tamper-proof speedometers. • When a speedometer is replaced, the new speedometer will read zero (0) miles. • This procedure is extremely important to accurately represent actual vehicle mileage. • Prior to speedometer removal, complete the information required on the “Speedometer Replacement Label”. Labels can only be ordered through Mazda eStore. • In an effort to achieve a higher level of Customer Experience and retain the value of Mazda’s vehicles, MNAO Warranty Operations is allowing all Mazda dealers to utilize a third party, SPECMO Enterprises, Inc., for Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) odometer setting service. With the use of SPECMO’s services, it is possible that the odometer will be set between 10 to 31 miles over the odometer mileage at the time of replacement for both warranty and customer pay repairs. Please make sure that the customer is aware that there may be a slight variance to the odometer, in which case the customer may have to accept the slightly higher mileage. Since odometer setting service is not part of the warranty repair, it is not warrantable nor required, but optional. However, Mazda Warranty policy provides after- warranty assistance (AWA) or DSA that can be utilized to cover this service expense.
04-001-20-36722020-01-23. Service bulletin. SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC. Some vehicles exhibit brake related concerns such as brake noise, brake judder or brake dragging. If you encounter a customer complaint for any one of these symptoms, refer to the following information to understand why symptoms may occur, and to better assist the customer in resolving their specific brake concern.
02-002-20-36512020-01-23. Service bulletin. SUSPENSION; EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY. Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the shaft seal. Follow the inspection guidelines below to determine if the condition is a result of the normal sweeping process or a failure of the shaft seal.
SA-053-192019-12-21. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; POWER TRAIN. GUIDE LINES AND PHOTOS TO DETERMINE IF FLUID/OIL SEEPAGE OR LEAK IS SEVERE ENOUGH TO REQUIRE WARRANTY REPAIR OR TO CLEAN AND MONITOR. Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a fluid or oil leak and use the following examples as a guide to determine if it is severe enough to require a repair, or just to clean the area and monitor it at the next service.
MT-002-192019-12-20. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; EQUIPMENT. If an engine assembly is replaced after a catastrophic internal mechanical failure, clean the intake manifold internally before installing a replacement engine assembly. If the intake manifold is not cleaned properly, the replacement engine may fail prematurely. Metallic debris from the old engine (with catastrophic internal mechanical failure) may rest inside the intake manifold. When the new engine assembly is installed, debris in the intake manifold will be ingested into the new engine and cause internal damage.
07-002-19-3616a2019-12-20. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY. A musty/mildew type odor may come from the vents when the air conditioning (A/C) system is operating. It is most noticeable when the A/C is first turned ON. This odor is the result of mold growth in the A/C evaporator/cooling unit which is caused by condensation, dust, and pollen within the cooling unit. This condition is usually worse during high humidity conditions. “Mazda Air Cooling Coil Coating” is available to encapsulate the mold to reduce odors. If the product is properly applied, it can effectively reduce the musty/mildew odor for up to three years. NOTE: See parts information for Mazda Air Cooling Coil Coating and Kit part numbers.
01-022-19-36572019-12-20. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; EQUIPMENT; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. There is a concern that some water pumps are being replaced that are not faulty, due to signs of a very small coolant leak from the bleed hole. This Service Bulletin is to inform you about the water pump sealing mechanism and the criteria if replacement is necessary or not.
MT-003-192019-10-30. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Some customers may complain about high engine oil consumption. Before attempting any repairs, verify the complaint by using the guideline below to determine if an engine repair is necessary:
MT-002-192019-10-04. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE. If an engine assembly is replaced after a catastrophic internal mechanical failure, clean the intake manifold internally before installing a replacement engine assembly. If the intake manifold is not cleaned properly, the replacement engine may fail prematurely. Metallic debris from the old engine (with catastrophic internal mechanical failure) may rest inside the intake manifold. When the new engine assembly is installed, debris in the intake manifold will be ingested into the new engine and cause internal damage.

The summaries are NHTSA's. Each bulletin's page links NHTSA's copy of the manufacturer's document.