MazdaCX32018Overview/mazda/cx3/2018/base/

2018 Mazda CX3

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2018 CX3.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2018 Mazda CX-3 is a compact SUV that pairs a six-speed automatic transmission with fuel economy ratings of 29 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, and 31 mpg combined, making it an efficient entry in the subcompact crossover segment. Routine maintenance centers on a 4.4-quart oil capacity using 0W-20 viscosity, keeping the powertrain serviced to Mazda's specification. From a reliability standpoint, this model year carries a modest owner-complaint history of just 10 recorded issues, with the most common area being back over prevention and a single recall on record — a profile that places the 2018 CX-3 on the cleaner end of the model's timeline and suggests it is a relatively low-risk used choice for researchers weighing long-term ownership.

Model year20202019201820172016

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.4 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type0W-20OEM · verified
Lug nut torque80-108 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy29/34/31 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 35 · 520 CCA battery, OE oil filter 1WPE14302. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 35 · 520 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnFUSEOEM · verified
Tire sizeP215/60R16, P215/50R18OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6.5-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter1WPE14302 alt PE0114342
Engine air filterPEHH133A0
Fuel filterP31L13ZE0 alt P31H13ZE0
Spark plugPE5R18110A
Battery0000800035WB
Front wiper bladesD11B67330 alt DB4G67330
Serpentine beltPEDD15908 alt PE0815909C
ThermostatP50215171
Cabin air filterD09W61J6X

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S6)

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined29 / 34 / 31 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.4 qt of 0W-20 engine oil, Mazda Gear oil type SG1 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 80-108 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity8.2
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilMazda Gear oil type SG1
Differential Gear Oil Capacity0.74 qt
Engine CoolantCheck cap: if cap is marked FL-22, use FL-22
Engine Coolant Capacity5.9-6.1
Engine Oil0W-20

Engine torques

Engine Flywheel Bolts80.0-85.0 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts12-14 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts32-47 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs15.0-19.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts80-108 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)750 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (Secondary Under Load)750 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (Secondary Under Load)50 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerMazda
Spark Plug Gap.041 - .055 in
Spark Plug Torque12 - 14 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity0.85-0.88 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type100
Oil Capacity3.72 oz
Standard BCI Group Number35
Standard BCI Cranking Performance520 cca

Service checks

Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum61.7 psi
Fuel Pump Pressure Maximum73.2 psi
Residual PressureIgnition off fuel holding pressure 36.2
Engine Compression101

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 20-; Rear: 17-
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 68-; Rear: 38-
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: .906; Rear: .330 /; Front: .906; Rear: .300
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.0006
Maximum Rotor RunoutFront: .002; Rear: .004

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Front Wheel Hub — tightening sequence 1 stages
1110.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: Back off 180 degrees, Step 3: 175.0-202.0110 ft. lbs
Rear Wheel Hub — tightening sequence 1 stages
1110.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: Back off 180 degrees, Step 3: 175.0-202.0110 ft. lbs
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 2 stages
127.0-53.0 inch lbs.27–53 in
271.0-97.0 inch lbs.71–97 in
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 2 stages
120.0-23.0 ft. lbs.20–23 ft. lbs
280.0-100.0
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
167.0-81.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 55 degrees-6567–81 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
167.0-81.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 55 degrees-6567–81 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 4 stages

Prep Inner bolts

129.0-30.0 ft. lbs.29–30 ft. lbs
2Back off 360.0 degrees360 degrees
318.0-20.0 ft. lbs.18–20 ft. lbs
458.0-63.0 degrees; Outer bolts58–63 degrees
115.0-18.0

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 75,000 mi; coolant at 120,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 120,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miBrake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Tire Pressure Monitoring System (reset)
Every 15,000 miBody Fasteners (torque) · Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension Ball Joint (inspect)
Every 22,500 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 30,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect)
Every 37,500 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect)
Every 75,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 120,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 180,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2018 Mazda CX3 lead in one area — the back over prevention, 2 of 10 reports (20%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the back over prevention are also the target of recall 23V-487 on this vehicle — so the single most useful check before buying or servicing one is confirming it was actually performed. 1 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the back over prevention pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
475
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
10
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 10 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Back Over Prevention2
Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System1
Exterior Lighting1
Suspension,Engine,Service Brakes1
Forward Collision Avoidance1
Electrical System,Lane Departure1
Wheels1
Electrical System,Unknown Or Other1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

23V487000Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: CameraReported 14/07/2023

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Mazda3 and 2016-2021 CX-3 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display properly by showing a flickering or distorted image. Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera, as necessary. In addition, dealers will install a wiring harness fastening seal. All repairs will be performed free of…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 475 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SA-041-262026-06-18Electrical SystemThis SA supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below. The changes are noted in…
01-008-262026-05-01Power TrainThis bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. The changes are…
SA-031-262026-04-30StructureDESCRIPTION Some vehicles may require the replacement of a damaged VIN plate or vehicle…
SA-029-262026-04-21Power TrainThis Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are…
SA-026-262026-04-16EngineThis Service Alert supersedes the previously issued M-Tip(s) listed below. The changes…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific CX3. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2018 CX3 take?

4.4 qt of 0W-20 STARBURST, per the factory manual.

Does the 2018 CX3 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the CX3 get?

EPA figures are 29 city / 34 highway / 31 combined mpg.