2011 MAZDA MAZDA3 Complaints

I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF A KNOWN REAR CAMBER ISSUE ON THE REAR SUSPENSION OF THE MAZDA 3. THE REAR WHEELS ON MAZDA 3 TILT INWARD AT THE TOP. REAR CAMBER ALIGNMENT MATCHED TO "FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS" DOES NOT CORRECT THE ISSUE, AND TILT IS STILL PRESENT - CAUSING UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. MAZDA RECOMMENDS ROTATING THE TIRES TO AVOID UNEVEN WEAR, BUT THIS DOES NOT CORRECT THE TILT. ROTATING THE TIRES ACCORDING TO MAZDA'S RECOMMENDATION WITH REAR WORN TIRES BEING PLACED ON THE FRONT CAUSES ROAD NOISE ISSUES. I JUST PURCHASED MY VEHICLE AND WAS TOLD, "THIS IS HOW THE MAZDA3 WAS BUILT TO ASSIST IN ROAD HANDLING." THE REAR CAMBERS OF THE VEHICLE ARE NON-ADJUSTABLE. IF THEY WERE ADJUSTABLE FROM THE FACTORY, MAZDA COULD RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. I AM UPSET BECAUSE I WILL HAVE TO PURCHASE TIRES MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY NOW THAT WHAT IS CONSIDERED STANDARD - ON VEHICLES THAT ARE ABLE TO BE ADJUSTED SO THAT THE CAMBER IS AT 0. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, AND MAZDA IS AWARE OF IT, BUT WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I DISCOVERED HUNDREDS OF OTHER MAZDA CUSTOMERS DEALING WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. *TR

TIRES CUPPING AND WEARING QUICKLY ON INSIDE OF BOTH TIRES IN THE SAME MANNER. RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION WITH MECHANICS INDICATE THE ISSUE IS LIKELY DUE TO CAMBER. CAMBER IS WITHIN MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS, BUT CAUSES EXTREMELY RAPID TIRE WEAR. *TR

DRIVING FROM WISCONSIN TO CHICAGO ILLINOIS THE POWER STEERING FAILED. WHEN I STOPPED AT A TOLL BOOTH AND STARTED ON THE ROAD AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING WAS OK AS SOON AS THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE. SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE SAME DAY DRIVING ON SOUTH ON HWY I55 ABOUT 30 MILES FROM HOME. WHEN I STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT COMING INTO TOWN AND THEN LEFT THE STOP LIGHT, AGAIN THE POWER STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. ON ANOTHER DAY, IT HAPPENED ONE TIME AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED ON AN INCLINED. I BACKED THE CAR UP AND COULD FEEL THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE BUT AFTER THE STOP AND THEN GOING FORWARD, THE POWER STEERING WAS OK. AGAIN ANOTHER DAY, IT HAPPENED BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE BUT AFTER STOPPING AND THEN GOING FORWARD, IT WAS OK ONCE AGAIN. STOPPING THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO CAUSE THE POWER STEERING TO FIX ITSELF. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. NO CODES COULD BE RETRIEVED. I ONLY SAW THE LITTLE STEERING WHEEL LIGHT ON THE DASH ONE TIME DURING THESE EPISODES ALTHOUGH THE LIGHT MAY HAVE BEEN ON AND I DIDN'T NOTICE IT EXCEPT FOR THE ONE TIME. NOT GETTING ANY SATISFACTION FROM MY DEALERSHIP, I CALLED [XXX] , THE CAR DOCTOR. I WAS TOLD BY HIM, THAT THIS SHOULD BE REPORTED AT THIS SITE AS HE FELT IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND APPROACHING A STOP SIGN MY BRAKING WAS NORMAL AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED UNTIL ABOUT 10-15 MPH, HOWEVER FURTHER APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE DIDN'T CONTINUE TO STOP THE VEHICLE SMOOTHLY AND I NOTICED THE ENGINE REVVING AND 'JERKY' CONTINUED FORWARD MOTION. HAD A VEHICLE BEEN STOPPED AT THE SIGN IN FRONT OF ME I WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE CRASHED, INSTEAD I RAN THE SIGN SLIGHTLY. I QUICKLY FIGURED OUT THE PROXIMITY OF THE BRAKE/ACCELERATOR PEDAL ALLOWED MY (LARGE) FOOT/SHOE TO CATCH THE EDGE OF THE ACCELERATOR WHEN I WAS BRAKING. I COULDN'T DETECT A CHANGE IN PEDAL 'FEEL' WHEN I WAS ENGAGING THE BRAKE VERSUS THE BRAKE PLUS ACCELERATOR. WHILE NOT AN ELECTRONIC MYSTERY AND CLEARLY MY BIG FOOT THAT HIT THE PEDAL, I FIND IT TROUBLING THAT AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER WITH 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, NO CRASHES OR TICKETS IN 25 YEARS, WHOSE OWNED ABOUT 12 VEHICLES IN THAT TIME SPAN CAN HAVE THIS HAPPEN FOR THE FIRST TIME - I WONDER IF THIS VEHICLE'S PEDAL GEOMETRY IS OFF. I NOTICED A SIMILAR COMPLAINT FOR THE 2012 MODEL, ALTHOUGH IT SIMPLY SAID IT LURCHED INTO A POLE WHILE PARKING. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD BE SAYING IF I WAS TRYING TO PARK RATHER THAN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, LUCKILY WITH NO LEAD VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO HIS FROM THE REAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT MOVED BACKWARD ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES AS A RESULT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE SEAT TRACK WOULD LIKELY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA MAZDA3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH THE RPMS INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE WHILE ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO DRIVER ERROR. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FLY WHEEL, CLUTCH, PRESSURE PLATE, AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

I WENT ON A TRIP AND HAD MY TIRES ROTATED AND NO BRAKE WORK HAD BEEN DONE TO MY CAR. THE DEALER THAT ROTATED TIRES MECHANIC CALLED ME TO LOOK AT MY CAR AND SHOWED ME THAT MY BRAKES WERE WEARING UNEVENLY. THE ONE ON THE RIGHT SIDE HAD ABOUT 10MM OF BRAKE PAD ON IT AND THE LEFT SIDE HAD ONLY ABOUT 3MM OF BRAKE PAD LEFT. THE MECHANIC INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE MY CAR BACK TO WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND HAVE THEM CHECK IT OUT BECAUSE THIS TYPE OF BREAK WEARING IS NOT NORMAL. I TOOK IT TO MAZDA THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND STATED THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS YEAR MODEL SO HENCE WHY I AM REPORTING MY PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY NO ONE ELSE HAS THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR CAR. BECAUSE I HAD A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE BUYING MY MAZDA AND SIMPLY LOVE MY CAR. BUT NOTHING THAT IS MADE IN BULK IN A FACTORY IS PERFECT AND SOMETIMES THEIR ARE GLITCHES AND THAT IS WHAT RECALLS ARE FOR AND WARRANTIES RIGHT THAT IS WHAT WE PAY SO MUCH MONEY FOR BUYING BRAND NEW CARS. PEACE OF MIND! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA MAZDA3 EQUIPPED WITH DUNLAP SB SPORT 250 225/40/R18 TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSIDE OF BOTH FRONT TIRES WORE DOWN PREMATURELY AND TORE AWAY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT YOU COULD SEE THE WIRES ON BOTH TIRES. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY A TIRE SHOP THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE EXAMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,900 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND MY CAR STARTED ACCELERATING AS IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS FULLY DEPRESSED. MY FOOT WAS SQUARELY ON THE BRAKE AT THE TIME BUT I WAS BEING PULLED SLOWLY FORWARD ON TO A BUSY ROADWAY. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT ALONG THE SHOULDER TO AVOID ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I SHIFTED INTO PARK, AND THEN SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. MY FOOT PLACEMENT WAS NO WHERE NEAR THE ACCELERATOR, AND THERE WERE NO OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS (I.E. CARPETS). WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL. AS AN ENGINEER, I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT WHAT EVER HAPPENED WAS ELECTRONIC IN NATURE, NOT A MECHANICAL OBSTRUCTION OR STICKING LINKAGE (I DID NOT TOUCH THE GAS PEDAL WHEN I RESTARTED). PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT I HAD BEEN DRIVING SLOW THOUGH A BUSINESS PARK AT 10 TO 15 MILES AND HOUR FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES, I WAS AT A DOCTOR APPOINTMENT. I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS ISSUE BEFORE OR SINCE. MAZDA HAS EXAMINED THE CAR AND DID NOT SEE ANYTHING. I LIKE THE CAR, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GET THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FLAW ON RECORD. *TR

CLUNKING NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS OR ROUGH ROAD. DEALER FOUND THAT THE SWAY BAR LINK NUT IN THE LEFT REAR WAS LOOSE AND TIGHTENED IT. PREVIOUSLY FILED COMPLAINT 10411790 FOR SAME PROBLEM ON RIGHT REAR. ONLINE MAZDA FORUMS INDICATE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. *TR