1990 Mazda 323

Routine

Owners filed 19 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts › front › buckle assembly. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seat Belts › Front › Webbing3
000
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor3
100
Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly3
101
Vehicle Speed Control2
100
Seat Belts2
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components1
100
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage1
000
Seat Belts › Front1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch15V674000
Filed Oct 19, 20151,368,500 vehiclesMazda North American Operations

Defect. Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 1989-1998 MPV, 1990-1995 323, 1990-1998 Protege, 1992-1993 MX-3, 1993-1995 929, 1993-1997 MX-6, and 1993-1998 626 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, grease applied to the contact points inside the ignition switch may become conductive and overheat.

Risk. If the ignition switch overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.

Remedy. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8715J.

Seat Belts › Front › Webbing97V211000
Filed Nov 18, 1997134,000 vehiclesMazda (north America),inc

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELTS. THE RAIL OF THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT CAN WEAR SUFFICIENTLY SUCH THAT THE CABLE WHICH RETRACTS THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAN BECOME JAMMED IN THE RAIL RENDERING THE SHOULDER BELT INOPERATIVE.

Risk. A SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PASSIVE SHOULDER BELT ASSEMBLY WITH A MODIFIED ONE (WITH ADDITIONAL DUST LIP) IN VEHICLES WHICH HAVE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM. IN VEHICLES IN WHICH THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT FUNCTIONS PROPERLY, THE RAILS WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED WITH MODIFIED RAILS IF THEY EXCEED THE INSPECTION CRITERIA.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Mar 4, 201097,000 milesAK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 MAZDA 323. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IDLED EXCESSIVELY THE RPMS ALSO INCREASED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. THE DEALER ALSO TOLD HIM TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. THERE WAS ONLY ONE DEALER IN HIS AREA WHICH IS NOT A CERTIFIED MAZDA DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

Seat Belts › Front › RetractorCrash
Filed Jan 11, 2005IL

THE DRIVER WAS SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION WITHOUT WARNING ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE LEFT SIDE AND RIGHT SIDE SEAT BELTS DISENGAGED ON THEIR OWN,THE SEAT BELTS RETRACTOR WAS NOT RETRACTABLE. NO INJURIES TO REPORT. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE SEAT BELTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

Seat Belts › Front
Filed Jul 25, 2002CA

CONSUMER STATES DEALER TOLD HER THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT HER RECALL NOTICE BECAUSE CAR WAS TO OLD AND SEAT BELT WILL NOT STICK.*JB

Seat Belts
Filed Mar 8, 2002CO

WHEN CLOSING DOOR SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT. CAN HEAR CLICKING SOUND, BUT SEATBELT DOES NOT GO BACK IN. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Webbing
Filed Aug 19, 1999IA

MOTOR BELT/SHOULDER FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE, DURING RECALL REPAIR EXTRA CHARGES DUE TO PARTS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NOTICE.(97V-211) MJS

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Oct 9, 1998OH

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. AW

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Oct 8, 1998CT

INTERMITTENTLY THE FRONT SEAT BELTS RETRACT BACK AND FORTH ON THEIR OWN. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Webbing
Filed May 11, 1998FL

RECALL # 97V211000, SHOULDER BELTS; WHEN OWNER ARRIVED FOR SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT HE WAS INFORMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO CORRECT RECALL. OWNER HAS CONTACTED DEALER ON (3) OTHER OCCASIONS. THE DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO TELL OWNER WHEN PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Mar 19, 1997SC

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED AND THE LIGHT COMES ON.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly
Filed Jan 16, 1997CA

PLASTIC RADIATOR MELTED AND SPLIT OPEN, SPEWING OUT FLUID.

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Nov 26, 1996WA

OWNER STATES THAT SEAT BELTS ON DRIVERS SIDE DO NOT RETRACT. HE NOTES THAT HE HAD SEAT BELTS ON DRIVER'S SIDE REPAIRED AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE WENT OUT. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed May 28, 1996MO

CAM GEAR/BOLT SECURING CAM GEAR BROKE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. *SD

Seat Belts
Filed Dec 18, 1995UT

EA94-039 PASSIVE RESTRAINT; DRIVERS SIDE FAILED TO COMPLETE CYCLE AND NOT RESTRAIN DRIVER. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation ComponentsCrash
Filed Sep 29, 1995GA

BRAKES HAVE VERY HIGH METALLIC SOUND WHEN BRAKING ON WET/DRY SURFACE; FOLLOWED BY INCREASE IN BRAKING; ANY SPEED. TT

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash
Filed Jun 29, 199500

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK, RESULTING IN ACCIDENT. TT

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Jun 13, 1995CA

PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE PUSH BUTTON BROKE. PASSENGER SEAT BELT HARDLY IS USED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle AssemblyCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 1, 199500

PASSENGER SEATBELT BUCKLE CAME LOOSE DURING IMPACT. TT

Seat Belts › Front › Webbing
Filed Apr 24, 1995NY

FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT CAME OUT OF THE CAR ONE DAY. PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Mar 2, 1995NE

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT FASTEN FOR USE. TT

19 of 19 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1991
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19954100Routine
199411200Routine
199310200Routine
199215200Routine
199120200Routine
1990 — this page19200Routine

Compare every 323 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 19, 2015. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.