2008 MAZDA MAZDA3 Complaints

MY CAR WAS INCLUDED IN A MAZDA RECALL OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. SINCE THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED MY STEERING HAS PERFORMED IN AN ERRATIC, UNPREDICTABLE AND SOMETIMES DANGEROUS MANNER. IN THREE TRIPS TO THE DEALER THE CAR PERFORMED NORMALLY AND BECAUSE NO FAULT CODES WERE GENERATED, NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. HOWEVER THIS DOES NOT NEGATE THE FACT THAT THE STEERING IS FAILING AND THAT MY SAFETY IS BEING COMPROMISED.

2008 MAZDA3 WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE. UNIT 1 HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT CAUSING UNIT 1 TO LOSE CONTROL AND STRIKE THE MEDIA BARRIER. *BF (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0166-91)*JB UPDATED 05/11/11* BF

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 MAZDA3 FROM WORK IN A HEAVY RAINSTORM, MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING CAUSING A SERIOUS SITUATION SINCE THE WINDSHIELD WAS OBSTRUCTED BY RAIN. THE CAR HAD TO BE LEFT ALONG THE ROADWAY UNTIL HOURS LATER WHEN IT STOPPED RAINING. IT WAS DETERMINED BY MECHANICS THAT IT WAS THE WIPER MOTOR AND IT HAS SINCE BEEN REPLACED.. *TR

ON APRIL 8TH 2011, I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 MAZDA 3 WHEN THE TPMS LIGHT CAME ON. I STOPPED AT THE FIRST GAS STATION TO PUT AIR IN THE TIRE. AS SOON AS THE FILLING HOSE CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE VALVE STEM, THE VALVE STEM FELL OUT INTO THE TIRE, RESULTING IN SUDDEN LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE. AFTER BRINGING THE TIRE TO GET REPAIRED, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TPMS SENSOR WAS NO GOOD BECAUSE THE VALVE STEM IS CORRODED. IT WAS ALSO POINTED OUT THE 3 OTHER WHEELS HAVE CORRODED VALVE STEMS AND THE NUTS THAT HOLD THEM IN PLACE ARE ALL CRACKED AND THAT IF THESE NUTS CRACK OFF THE VALVE STEM CAN FALL OFF RESULTING IN SUDDEN LOSS OF AIR. IT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE ALUMINUM CAP CORRODING TO THE VALVE STEM FROM ROAD SALT. THE DEALER SAID "IT JUST HAPPENS" AND THAT THE PARTS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY. THE SENSORS ARE MADE BY SIEMENS VDO. I AM JUST GLAD I WASN'T ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS! NISSAN HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM THAT TURNED INTO A RECALL. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 MAZDA 3 ON I-75 ON 3/22/2011 WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST THE POWER STEERING AND THE CAR BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. I CONTINUED DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT UNCONTROLLABLY, STRUCK A ROAD SIGN, AND ULTIMATELY ENDED UP IN A DITCH. THIS ALL OCCURRED 12 DAYS AFTER I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE THE RECALLED POWER STEERING PUMP. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CAN HAPPEN ONLY 12 DAYS AFTER THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND PUMP LINE WERE REPLACED. I WONDER IF THE PUMP HAD INDEED BEEN REPLACED OR IF A NEW PUMP WAS INSTALLED CORRECTLY. OR MAYBE THE NEW PUMP IS JUST AS DEFECTIVE AS THE OLD PUMP!!! IT WILL COST $8,000-$10,000 TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE AND I AM NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR THE $1,000 INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE. THE ONLY GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE SIDE IMPACT AND HEAD AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED AND THAT I WAS NOT INJURED BADLY. I FEEL THAT MAZDA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF HOW THEY HAVE HANDLED THIS RECALL. I HAVE READ MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE AND OTHERS AND THERE IS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT THIS ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. *TR

UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION WHEN VEHICLE IS STANDING STILL (STOP SIGN, TRAFFIC SIGNAL) HAVE FOUND IT NECESSARY TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL UNTIL ENGINE REVS DOWN TO NORMAL RPMS, AND THEN PROCEED. THIS DOES NOT OCCUR WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION (TOYOTA PRIUS). HAVE ELIMINATED "FLOOR MATS" OR FOOT SLIPPING ONTO GAS PEDAL. *TR

2008 MAZDA 3. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL ON VEHICLE FOR THE POWER STEERING. CONSUMER STATES HE HAS TRIED TO OBTAIN REPAIR BUT HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL*TGW THE CONSUMER STATED BOTH DEALERS INFORMED HIM THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER THE PART, BUT HE NEVER HEARD BACK FROM ONE DEALER AND IT TOOK OVER A MONTH FOR THE OTHER DEALER TO CONTACT HIM. *JB

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON MY 2008 MAZDA QUIT WORKING FOR NO GOOD REASON. IT HAPPENED DURING A THUNDERSTORM. I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE. I CHECKED THE FUSE AND FOUND IT TO BE IN WORKING ORDER. THE ONLY OTHER EXPLANATION WOULD BE THE MOTOR. I'M IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING MY CAR TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. AND FROM READING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WIPER MOTOR, THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO LOSE THEIR LIFE BEFORE MAZDA WILL INITIATE A RECALL? *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY STOPPED. AFTER SITTING BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR ROUGHLY 15 MINUTES THEY DECIDED TO START AGAIN FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE STOPPING AGAIN . AFTER READING OF THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENING TO THE EXACT SAME YEAR, MAKE , AND MODEL, AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME MILEAGE IN A 1/2 DOZEN OTHER VEHICLES I EXPECT I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR, OUT OF POCKET, AS THIS HAPPENS JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY ENDS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V374000 (STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM). THE CONTACT WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE PARTS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE REMEDY WERE ON SHORT SUPPLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE PARTS HAD BEEN ON SHORT SUPPLY FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE MONTHS, PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.