WenmarOpen by Wenmar Pro

Service bulletins for the 2016 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.

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

By type

By component

By trouble code

By topic

Bulletins, newest first
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-058-192019-12-21. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN; UNKNOWN OR OTHER. WARRANTY GUIDELINES FOR RETURNED TRANSMISSION CORES. Be advised that the Mazda Remanufactured Transmission Center (MRTC) has found that up to 30% of the returned transmission cores either included the wrong transmission oil cooler, or the oil cooler was missing altogether. IMPORTANT NOTE: ALWAYS REMEMBER TO INCLUDE THE ORIGINAL OIL COOLER WITH THE RETURNED TRANSMISSION CORE!
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.
02-006-19-36462019-12-21. Service bulletin. SUSPENSION. Some vehicles may exhibit a knocking noise from the rear of the vehicle when driving over a road bump. Upon inspection of the rear suspension, the bump stop (bound stopper) of the rear shock absorber is coming out of the mounting rubber.This is caused by the adhesive surface of the mounting rubber bracket having inadequate roughness opposite to the bound stopper and the bracket shape being inapporopriate to have sufficient holding force. The bound stopper may come out under any of the following conditions:• When the bound stopper shrinks during cold weather • When the bound stopper expands during cold weather after absorbing water • When the shock absorber moves down after freezing over in between the shock absorber and the dust cover.
SA-027-192019-12-20. Service bulletin. VISIBILITY; TRAILER HITCHES; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; EQUIPMENT. Accessory instructions can be found in the Accessory eCatalog. https://ecatalog.trademotion.com/. Audio/Electrical, Exterior, Interior: - Mazda Mobile Start (MMS) - Remote Engine Start - Wireless Charging Pad - Mirror - Navigation - Rear Parking Sensors - Rear Seat Entertainment - Smartphone Screen Mirroring - Bumper Trim/Guards - Door Mirror Caps - Fog Lights - Moonroof Wind Deflector - Roof Rack - Side Window Deflectors - Splash Guards - Trailer Hitch - Thule Products - Wheels Locks - Aero Kit - Air Dam - Rear Spoiler - Tunnel Under Bars - Lower Arm Bar - Side Sill Extensions - Arm Rest - Illuminated Door sill Trim Plates - Interior Lighting
09-022-19-3599a2019-12-20. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; EQUIPMENT. All Mazda Connect vehicles in new car inventory must be updated to the software version listed below in this TSB as part of the New Car Ready Step 3 process. Make sure the new vehicle specialist receives a copy of this bulletin. Some vehicles may experience the symptoms mentioned below, which can be fixed with the latest software update (Version 70.00.352 or later).
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.
01-019-19-36282019-12-05. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Some vehicles may exhibit oil leakage from the drive belt auto tensioner and rattling noises from the engine compartment. This may be caused by insufficient sealing at the drive belt auto tensioner damper when the auto tensioner fully operates under both high ambient temperature and high load conditions. To eliminate this concern, the shape of the drive belt auto tensioner damper has been changed.
MT-004-192019-11-24. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; EQUIPMENT; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Some customers may complain about: • Intermittent engine no start • Instrument cluster red security indicator light ON • Engine Start/Start Button Amber indicator light flashing • Battery discharge • Electrical relay buzzing noise • DTC B13D3:94 (Communication error with remote transmitter) stored.This may be caused by: • A key in a purse near a cell phone. The cell phone radio waves may interrupt the immobilizer system. • An aftermarket cell phone charger. The charger may produce electrical noise that interrupts the immobilizer system. • An aftermarket GPS tracker. Some aftermarket devices that are wired to the vehicles’s wiring harness may create unusual electrical symptoms.
SA-049-192019-11-21. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Some customers may complain about a Mazda Mobile Start (MMS) system malfunction. Use the information below to troubleshoot the customers complaint: • MAZDA MOBILE START (MMS) TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE • CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITH VEHICLE • ERROR MESSAGE INSTALLED ON ANDROID DEVICES • COMMUNICATION ERRORS • MMS CHECK MODE - Use to verify system operation (see below).
SA-048-192019-11-21. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT. Some customers may expierience one or more of the following: • intermittent no start • engine stall • many DTC's stored • no communication with the PCM. This may be caused by a poor C-11 or C-12 electrical connection.
01-017-19-36012019-11-21. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; EQUIPMENT. Some customers may complain about a vibration through the driver and passenger seats at idle in (D)rive and (R)everse when the engine rpm drops down to 550. This vibration is caused by: 1.5L The No.3 and No.4 engine mount rubber hardening during vehicle usage at high ambient temperatures which decreases the damping force. 2.0L Components of the No.3 engine mount rubber melting inside the mount at high ambient temperatures which creates deposits on the engine mount plate that restrict engine mount plate movement. Mass production change has not been determined at this time, but modified No.3 and No.4 engine mounts have been newly established as service parts. Their material and spring characteristic have been changed.
07-007-19-36382019-11-21. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE. Some customers may complain about poor heater performance even after the engine reaches normal operating temperature. This may be caused by a plugged heater core. For 2014-2016 Mazda6 and 2013-2016 (US spec) / 2017 (Mexico spec) CX-5, the CHECK ENGINE light may turn on with DTC P011A:00 (ECT sensor No.1/No.2 performance problem) stored at the same time. NOTE: Refer to TSB 01-015/15 if the customer is using a block heater at temperatures below freezing. To solve this concern, two mass production changes have been implemented. a) The concentration of the coolant has been increased so that the amount of the contained anti-rust additive is higher. b) The composition of the coolant has been changed (the ratio of the anti-rust additive has increased).
SSPB6b2019-11-01. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. For certain 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles, the warranty coverage for specific repair of the Mazda Connect Center Display is extended to 7 years (84 months) from the original warranty start date, with no mileage limitation. On certain 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles, the Mazda Connect touch screen in the center display may not accept touch commands properly or may operate by itself (ghost touch). The ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) film of touch screen may be corroded due to moisture, which may adhere on the lens of touch screen during the cleaning process at the plant. The corrosion may allow the electrostatic capacity to vary without any input, causing the malfunction of touch screen.
SSPB6a2019-11-01. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY. On certain 2014-2016 Mazda3 vehicles, the Mazda Connect touch screen in the center display may not accept touch commands properly or may operate by itself (ghost touch). The ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) film of touch screen may be corroded due to moisture, which may adhere on the lens of touch screen during the cleaning process at the plant. The corrosion may allow the electrostatic capacity to vary without any input, causing the malfunction of touch screen.
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.
04-005-19-35122019-10-04. Service bulletin. SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC. Some vehicles may exhibit a rattle / knock noise from the front disc brake caliper (1) when driving on a rough road surface.This is caused by the slide pin (1) hitting the mounting support (2) due to insufficient holding power of the dust boots (3) when a shock (4) is applied from the road. To eliminate this concern, the dust boots have been modified to increase holding power.
SA-040-192019-09-23. Service bulletin. STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Some customers may complain of a lack of power under heavy load without any warning lights or DTCs. This concern may be due to a loose or detached hood weatherstrip, which can cause a blockage or restriction in the air intake system.
07-005-19-36322019-09-23. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER. Some customers may complain about no cool air from the vents when the air conditioner (A/C) is ON. This concern may be caused by A/C refrigerant leaking from the evaporator at the joint between the tubes and the header due to improper brazing. To correct the problem, the configuration of the header has been changed to improve the brazing performance in this area.
01-016-19-36272019-08-30. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Some vehicles may experience a rough idle with the check engine light on and DTC P0015 / P0524 stored in memory. P0015:00 - Exhaust CMP timing over-retarded. P0524:00 - Engine oil pressure too low. This is caused by a drop in engine oil pressure due to a piece of foreign object stuck on the oil pump pressure relief valve or oil control valve (OCV). The temporary entry of the foreign object triggers a check engine light on, but rough idle will not be produced until a later time.
09-010-19-36242019-08-15. Service bulletin. VISIBILITY; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC; EXTERIOR LIGHTING; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Some customers may experience one or more electrical malfunctions after a vehicle body repair. The newly painted fender stay (2) may be causing a poor front harness (1) ground connection.The front fender stay (2) newly painted surface at ground point (3), where attachment bolt (4) is seated, may create a poor front harness ground connection. Customers concern can be resolved by sanding off paint at ground point (3) where attachment bolt (4) is seated. After installing the bolt (4), apply touch-up paint to the exposed base material area of the front fender stay.
09-026-19-36132019-08-02. Service bulletin. STRUCTURE; VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD. Some vehicles may exhibit the cushion tape (1) attached to the front end of dashboard coming off and showing at the base of the windshield. This is caused by the cushion tape peeling off from the end(s) due to interference with the windshield and vehicle vibration (CX-5/Mazda6) or from the gap between the dashboard and the cushion tape because there there is no rib (1) at the dashboard ends (Mazda3). To prevent the tape from peeling off, both ends of the cushion tape are now folded over to the back side of the dashboard (CX-5/Mazda6) or stapled (Mazda3).

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