2026 Mazda 3 Safety Rating
Small cars Β· Current IIHS listing Β· IIHS data updated 2026-09-04
The 2026 Mazda 3 scores 88.5/100, ranking #7 of 16 current small cars and #73 of 137 vehicles overall with complete IIHS records. It holds the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award for 2026.
Every primary IIHS test is rated Good. Rear-passenger restraints in the updated moderate-overlap test: Acceptable; rear-passenger head protection: Good.
IIHS crash-test results
Detailed results by test (57 entries)
IIHS publishes these under the test they belong to, so the same label can appear more than once. Rear restraints and kinematics, rear head protection, structure and safety cage, and front restraints are the four that count toward the score (25%).
Small overlap front
Moderate overlap front: updated test
Side: updated test
Headlights
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0
Front crash prevention: pedestrian
Seat belt reminders
Child seat anchors
Opens on iihs.org in a new tab
How the score is built
Full formula, weights, and missing-data rules β
NHTSA 5-star rating
2026 MAZDA MAZDA3 HATCHBACK 5 HB N/A FWD
NHTSA stars are shown for reference and carry no weight in the score. NHTSA source. Why the two programs disagree β
Real-world context
| Measure | Result | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Class driver death rate | 54 per million registered vehicle-years | Small cars as a class, adjusted for driver age and sex (Farmer, 2023); all vehicles average 38. Class context only. |
Compared with other small cars
Closest-scoring current small cars with complete IIHS records, plus the class leader. See every small car ranked β
| Vehicle | Class rank | IIHS award | Rear restraints | Starts at | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Hyundai Elantra | #1 of 16 | TSP | $22,625 | 94.1 | |
| 2026 Kia K4 | #4 of 16 | TSP+ | $22,290 | 89.6 | |
| 2026 Honda Civic | #5 of 16 | TSP | $27,895 | 89.1 | |
| 2026 Toyota Prius | #6 of 16 | TSP+ | $28,550 | 89.0 | |
| 2026 Mazda 3 (this page) | #7 of 16 | TSP+ | $25,650 | 88.5 |
Our analysis
The 2026 Mazda 3 belongs to the Small cars class. This class has an above-average driver death rate compared with the national average of 38 deaths per million registered vehicle-years, which usually reflects lighter weight and smaller size in multi-vehicle crashes. The class figure is adjusted for driver age and sex, which removes a large part of the selection effect in raw death rates. It is still a class average, not a measurement of this model.
The Mazda 3 earned Top Safety Pick+ for 2026. That award requires Good results in the updated tests plus qualifying headlights and pedestrian front crash prevention on the relevant trims; the linked IIHS report shows the exact trims.
Across the 6 IIHS rating categories reported, the Mazda 3 earned 6 Good ratings. Check the occupant-protection details above as well; a Good headline result can hide a weaker rear-seat subscore.
This analysis is produced independently; we have no affiliation with Mazda or any manufacturer. Read the full methodology or learn more about us.
International crash-test results
International results are supporting context only; market versions differ in structure and equipment, so they are not converted into the U.S. score.
Safety recalls for the 2026 Mazda 3
NHTSA does not yet list this model year in its recall database. That usually means the vehicle is too new to appear, not that it has been cleared.
Use this score on your own site
Writing about the 2026 Mazda 3? Paste this badge into a post or forum reply. It updates on its own whenever IIHS publishes new results for this model.
Free to use with the link left intact. The badge is a plain image and an ordinary link, with no tracking script.
Questions about the 2026 Mazda 3
Continue comparing
Shopping for a family? Compare three-row vehicles and rear-seat evidence. Buying used? See real driver death rates by model.