1993 Mazda 323

Routine

Owners filed 10 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seat Belts4
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission2
000
Seat Belts › Front › Webbing1
000
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor1
000
Parking Brake1
000
Electrical System › Ignition › Module1
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
Parking Brake
Filed Mar 4, 2008CA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MAZDA 323. THE CONTACT DROVE A LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT REALIZING THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS APPLIED. SHE BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS FAILURE WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL THAT DID NOT INDICATE THE PARKING BRAKE WAS APPLIED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH MAZDA AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VIN, PURCHASE DATE, ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, POWERTRAIN, SPEED, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 275,000. UPDATED 03/18/08. *LJ UPDATED 03/18/08 *TR

Seat Belts › Front › Webbing
Filed Apr 15, 2002OH

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, DRIVERSIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT LOCK AT ALL, ALSO DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT CLOSE ON SHOULDER HARNESS, DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK. CONSUMER STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER HARNESS WILL NOT RETRACT TO SECURE THE PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE, ALSO THE FRONT DOOR LATCH SWITCH WAS REPLACED, ALSO THE LAP BELT MOTORS ARE NOT RETRACTING, THE BELT OR SHOULDER BELT MOTOR ARE NOT TIGHTENING.

Seat Belts
Filed Dec 23, 1999IN

PASSIVE SHOULDER RESTRAINT ON DRIVER'S SIDE WILL NOT RETRACT WHEN CAR IS STARTED. THE CABLE APPEARS TO HAVE COME OFF ITS TRACT AND IS HANGING LOOSE. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSIVE RESTRAINT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Oct 5, 1999FL

TRANSMISSION LEAKING CAUSING VIBRATION AT IDLE,JERKING AND HESITATION. NLM

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Nov 16, 1998VA

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CHOKES UP, DOES GO INTO REVERSE OR FORWARD. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Aug 18, 1997CA

ABRUPT/CATASTROPHIC ENGINE SYSTEM FAILURE. VEHICLE SHUTDOWN. WILL NOT RESTART.AD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER AND DEALER DID NOT KNOW CAUSE OF PROBLEM. THINKS, HOWEVER, IT IS THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. MANUFACTURER/DEALER STALLING REPAIRS. *AK

Seat Belts
Filed Jul 17, 1996PA

WHEN LEFT FRONT PASSIVE SHOULDER BELT ENGAGES, THE BELT TIGHTENS/CRUSHES YOUR CHEST. *SD

Seat Belts
Filed Dec 1, 1995PA

DRIVERS SIDE PASSIVE RESTRAINT WILL TIGHTEN WHEN USED W/NO WARNING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

Seat Belts
Filed Dec 1, 1995CA

DRIVERS PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM STOPPED MIDWAY W/PASSENGER SIDE EXPERIENCING SAME INTERMITTENTLY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Aug 30, 1995CA

EA94-039 ACTIVE, LAP/SHOULDER BELT RETRACTOR WILL NOT RETRACT AND FASTEN PROPERLY. WARNING LIGHTS AND BEEPS INTERMITTENTLY EVEN WHEN BELTS ARE FASTENED. TT

10 of 10 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1991
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19954100Routine
199411200Routine
1993 — this page10200Routine
199215200Routine
199120200Routine
199019200Routine

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.