Mazda MAZDA3 2014–2018 — technical service bulletin
Bulletin 09-006-18-3409 · NHTSA communication 10136369 · issued Feb 6, 2018
Technical service bulletin
communication type
Structure
component
2014–2018
model years
5
vehicle entries
Official summary
Some vehicles may exhibit rust/paint blisters (1) on the surface of the front side sill near the the scuff plates(2). This is likely caused by the driver's or passenger's shoe(s) contacting the side sill when stepping in and/or out of the vehicle since the side sill of the Mazda3 is wider than other models. When this happens, mud/sand stuck to the sole of the shoe scratches the paint surface, which then develops into rust/paint blisters. When you receive a customer complaint on this concern, use the following repair procedure.
Vehicles covered
What a TSB means. Technical service bulletins are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls, and repairs are not automatically free (warranty extensions are an exception worth checking). The full document is available via NHTSA’s vehicle lookup.