2004 MAZDA MAZDA3 Complaints

ON OCTOBER 2004 I BOUGHT A NEW 2004 MAZDA 3 . AFTER THE 1ST WEEK I NOTICED A ROTTEN EGG SMELL . THE DEALER DENIES THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS BAD AND WILL NOT REPLACE IT. THIS SMELL IS SICKENING. HOW CAN YOU HELP.*JB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE VEHICLE, MAZDA 3 MANUAL, WAS RETURNED TO DEALER AFTER AIRBAG RECALL MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED. VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SUFFERED FROM MANY COMPLAINTS. SERVICE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT A LOOSE GROUND WIRE AT ONE OF THE FUSE PANELS WAS THE FAULT. VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RAN AS PROMISED FOR MONTHS UNTIL BOTH LOW-BEAM HEADLAMPS BLEW AT THE SAME TIME. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND ACTION WILL TAKE PLACE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ELECTRICAL FAULTS IN THE VEHICLE AND ASSUME MANY MORE ARE TO COME. SAFETY WAS SEVERELY COMPROMISED. NO HEADLAMPS AT NIGHT IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE IS VERY MUCH A PROBLEM. *JB

VEHICLE WILL NOT START OR IDLE FALLS VEHICLE, MAZDA3 MANUAL, WOULD NOT START IN DRIVEWAY ON COOL SPRING SUNDAY EVENING. TOWING SERVICE WAS DISPATCHED AND VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE CLOSEST MAZDA DEALERSHIP. AFTER SEVERAL DEALERS CALLS TO MAZDA'S CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, THE SERVICE PROFESSIONAL WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION KEY AND MICROCHIPS. AFTER FOUR DAYS I WENT TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE IN THE DEALERS LOT THE IDLE BEGAN TO FALL ONCE AGAIN; HOWEVER, IT DID START THIS TIME. A FEW MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP THE IDLE BECAME SO HARD TO DEAL WITH THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE ORIGINAL SERVICE DEALERSHIP ONCE AGAIN. SEVERAL MORE CALLS WERE PLACED TO THE HEADQUARTERS AND FINALLY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO REPLACE THE O2 SENSOR. THE CAR HAS STARTED AND RUN EVER SINCE THE REPAIR, BUT THE IDLE IS MUCH LOWER THAN IT WAS ON ORIGINAL RECEIPT OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE ENGINE AT IDLE SPEEDS IS MUCH LOUDER AND SOUNDS LABORED. ONCE WINTER COMES I FEAR THE PROBLEM WILL REAPPEAR. THE FUTURE OF THE VEHICLE'S PERFORMANCE IS UNKNOWN. POSSIBLE SAFETY COMPROMISE. *JB

EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR AND NOISE DAYS AFTER PURCHASING MY MAZDA3 I PLACED A CALL TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT. I STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S BRAKING SYSTEM WAS CREATING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF NOISE AND BRAKE DUST FROM WEAR. I WAS TOLD THAT DURING THE FIRST WEEKS OF A NEW CAR THAT THIS WAS EXPECTED. THE GENTLEMAN REFERRED TO IT AS SEATING. HOWEVER, AFTER SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES, MOSTLY HIGHWAY (NO BRAKES REQUIRED), THE PADS AND ROTORS ARE BOTH DEEPLY GROOVED AND WORN. MOST WEAR OCCURS ON THE REAR BRAKES. MOST ALL BRAKING IS DONE BY THE FRONT; THEREFORE, IF WEAR SHOULD OCCUR IT WOULD BE PRESENT IN THE FRONT BRAKING SYSTEM. DEALER REQUESTED PERMISSION TO TURN THE ROTORS, WHICH I DECLINED. TURNING THE ROTORS WOULD DO NOTHING MORE THAN QUITE THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW HUNDRED MILES, UNTIL THE GROOVES AND DUST WOULD REAPPEAR. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OVERTLY OBVIOUS; HOWEVER, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. VEHICLE'S SAFETY IS COMPROMISED. *JB

THE CAR IS A MAZDA 3 2004 WITH 18000 MILES. I BOUGHT MY WIFE THIS MAZDA 3 IN MAY OF 2005. WITH 16000 MILES. THE CAR WAS RUNNING GREAT AND IT IS A PLEASURE TO DRIVE. 3 DAYS AGO I STARTED TO HEAR A NOISE WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. SOUND IS LIKE A CLICKING SOUND THAT YOU MADE WHEN YOU PUT YOUR BASEBALL CARDS ON YOUR BICYCLE TIRE. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, THE TRANSMISSION IS BEING REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *NM

(1) I PURCHASED MY 2004 MAZDA 3S IN MARCH OF 2004. I HAVE ENJOYED IT VIRTUALLY MAINTENANCE FREE (BESIDES ROUTINE) FOR OVER 1 YEAR. (2) IN APRIL OF 2005, I TURNED THE KEY TO START THE CAR. IT HESITATED FOR OVER 10 SECONDS AND FINALLY TURNED OVER. I WAS ALARMED, AND AFTER A FEW MORE TIMES OF THIS HAPPENING, I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY. (3) IT WAS DECIDED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. I RECEIVED A NEW FUEL PUMP (UNDER WARRANTY) AND AFTER A WEEK, IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN, AND MY CAR WENT BACK INTO THE SHOP. THEY CLEANED THE BATTERY, AND ALL OF THE CONNECTIONS, RULING OUT A POSSIBLE ELECTRIC PROBLEM. IT WAS OKAY, THEN IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN. I HAD IT IN FOR THE THIRD TIME, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THE FUEL PUMP THEY USED TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL MUST HAVE BEEN OF THE SAME POOR QUALITY, SO FUEL PUMP #3 WENT IN. WELL, WHEN I STARTED THE CAR TO DRIVE IT OUT OF THE SERVICE LOT, IT HESITATED AGAIN! I SAT IN MY CAR AND CRIED. I WENT RIGHT BACK INTO THE SERVICE DEPT., AND ASKED THEM TO TAKE CARE OF IT.THEY SAID SINCE IT RAN FINE, IT WAS ONLY THE STARTING ISSUE, IT WAS OKAY TO DRIVE 700 MILES ROUND TRIP TO MASSACHUSETTS (MY PREVIOUSLY PLANNED WEEKEND TRIP) AND THEY'D SEE ME WHEN I RETURNED. WELL, IT SURVIVED THE DRIVE, AND I HAD THE CHANCE TO REFILL THE FUEL TANK 3 WHOLE TIMES WITH 2 DIFFERENT TYPES OF GAS THAN I NORMALLY USE. IT STILL HESITIATED A LOT, BUT WAS ACTING THE SAME. I DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO THE SHOP THAT WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AFTER I RETURNED TO PA, AND JUST RECEIVED A CALL TODAY THAT THE TECHNICIAN FROM JAPAN WAS LOOKING AT IT, AND DECIDED IT NEEDED A NEW FUEL PUMP. YES, FUEL PUMP #4! I AM BEYOND FED UP WITH THIS CAR, AND I AM CONTACTING THE PA LEMON LAW ATTORNEYS TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO DESPITE THE FACT THAT MY CAR IS OVER 12 MONTHS AND 12,000 MILES OLD. (P.S. I AM ALSO EXPERIENCING THE ROTOR WEAR PROBLEMS, BUT I'M TAKING CARE OF ONE PROBLEM AT A TIME. MAYBE MAZDA WILL BUY THIS SUCKER BACK!) *TR

INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISON ON APRIL 18 2005 AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY HAVE CALLED AND EMAILS MAZDA ABOUT THIS AND THEY WILL NOT HELP ME. THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FOR THE AIR BAG LIGHTS FLASHING. I WAS TRAVING AT 25 TO 30MPH AND THE OTHER CAR ( THERE FAULT ) WAS GOING ABOUT 20MPH. I SUFFERD HEAD, BACK, GROIN INJURYS. I VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE WAY MAZDA IS TREATING ME ON THIS!!!

THE LIGHTS ON THE CONSOLE KEEPS POPPING ON. FIRST IT WAS THE AIR BAG LIGHT THAT TOOK 4 UNSUCCESSFUL VISITS TO THE DEALER. THAT PROBLEM SUBSIDED? AND NOW THE ENGINE LIGHT IS POPPING ON... *NM

CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, SHORTLY THEREAFTER ALL FOUR TIRES STARTED TO WEAR. THE TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $700.00. THE TIRE DEALER STATED THE WEAR WAS NORMAL, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH THE SAME ORIGINAL TIRE HE WAS REMOVING FROM THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER NOTICED ALL OF THE TIRES HAD BUBBLES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DRIVER'S, AND THEY ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOUND.*AK

THE CONSUMER HAD A CONCERN THAT THE PLASTIC COVER THAT GOES AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD COME LOOSE WHILE DRIVING A 2004 MAZDA 3, WHEN THIS OCCURRED IT INTERFERED WITH THE BRAKING WHEN NEEDED. THE CONDITION ALMOST CAUSED A VEHICLE CRASH.*JB AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN THE CONSUMER NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN FOUND BRAKE PEDAL HINDERED BY LOOSE COVER ON STERING COLUMN. *EH THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS BENT.