2008 MAZDA MAZDA3 Complaints

WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING DURING A SNOW FALL AND SINGLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES. THERE WAS NO ICE ON THE WINDSHIELD YET. I HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR IN A PARKING LOT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND AFTER SITTING IN THE WARM BAY OVERNIGHT THEY STARTED WORKING AGAIN. I PICKED UP THE CAR THAT NIGHT AFTER SITTING OUTSIDE AGAIN AND THEY FAILED TO WORK. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE WIPER MOTOR AND WOULD BE $350! THE CAR IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD AND 39,000 MILES! THERE SEEMS TO BE A COMMON THREAD WITH THE 2008 MAZDA 3S. THIS MOTOR SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE COLD AND POSES A SAFETY HAZARD TO SUDDENLY STOP WORKING WHEN IT IS COLD. THIS SHOULD BE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE. *TR

REAR CAMBER ON LEFT WHEEL IS OFF -2.7. LOCAL SHOP SAYS THAT THIS IS TOO MUCH AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BY INSTALLING AN ADJUSTABLE ARM SINCE THE STOCK PARTS HAVE NO ADJUSTMENT. LOCAL SHOP SAYS THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF ANY IMPACT SUCH AS A HARD HIT ON SOMETHING OR CURB STRIKE. MAZDA DEALERSHIPS SAY 99.9 PERCENT OF THE TIME THIS IS BECAUSE OF A CURB STRIKE AND IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I BECAME FRUSTRATED AND SUSPICIOUS AFTER READING MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE. I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE STOCK TIRES AFTER 19K MILES DESPITE CHECKING TIRE PRESSURE, ROTATING THEM, ETC. I THOUGHT THEN MAYBE IT WAS DUE TO POOR QUALITY TIRES BUT NOW SUSPECT IT IS MAZDA'S NEGATIVE CAMBER ISSUE. *LN

I WAS ADVISED OF A RECALL FOR A POTENTIAL POWER STEERING (#6010H) IN SEPTEMBER OF 2010. UNLESS YOU ALREADY HAD THE SYMPTOMS, THEY ADVISED TO DO NOTHING UNTIL A SECOND NOTICE WAS SENT, AS PARTS WERE IN SHORT SUPPLY. IT WOULD SEEM 4+ MONTHS WOULD BE MORE THAN ADEQUATE TIME TO SECURE THE PARTS. I DRIVE ON WINDY 2 LANE MOUNTAINOUS ROADS EVERY WORKDAY; FAILURE OF POWER STEERING ASSIST ON THESE ROADS COULD BE DEADLY. WHY IS IT TAKING MAZDA SO LONG TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM?

ONE TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS OVER AN APPROXIMATE 3 MONTH PERIOD THE GAS CAP COULD NOT BE UNSCREWED AND REMAINED AFFIXED TO THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE POTENTIAL TO BE UNABLE TO REFUEL THE VEHICLE AND RUN OUT OF GAS WHILE DRIVING OR IN AN UNSAFE LOCATION. BOTH TIMES I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAVE HAD "MANY" MAZDA 3 OWNERS BRING THEIR CARS IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM.

FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 25,900 MILES; BRAKE WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON CONSOLE DASH. DEALER IDENTIFIED A FAILURE OF THE ABS (ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM) MODULE WHICH WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. DEALER REPLACED ABS MODULE UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND OCCURRENCE AT 37,600 MILES; BRAKE, ABS, AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED ON DASH. DEALER IDENTIFIED FAILURE OF THE ABS MODULE WHICH HAD STOPPED COMMUNICATING WITH THE PCM. AS A RESULT OF THIS SECOND FAILURE, THE ABS AND/OR TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WAS NOT FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. DEALER COULD NOT IDENTIFY A ROOT CAUSE FOR THE CONSECUTIVE FAILURES OF THE ABS MODULE. COST TO REPLACE THE ABS MODULE WAS QUOTED BY DEALER AT APPROXIMATELY $1,600.00 (PART + LABOR). UPDATED PORTABLE 02/24/11

I HAVE A 2008 MAZDA 3 WITH POWER STEERING ISSUES. I DID GET THE RECALL REPAIR FIXED IN OCT 2010 BUT THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN THIS WEEK (JAN 19TH 2011). I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TELL ME THAT IT IS THE ELECTRICAL PART OF THE RECALLED PUMP AND NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR IT OR SHOW ME OTHER CASES LIKE THIS THAT WHERE TAKEN CARE OF BUT NOT MINE. I HAVE REVIEWED CLOSE TO 1000 COMPLAINTS AND ISSUES WHERE MAZDA PAID FOR A LOANER CAR AND MADE CAR PAYMENTS UNTIL THIS ISSUE WAS FIXED. I AM NOT WILING TO PAY $920 FOR AN ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE COVERED 100% BY THE DEALER WITH THIS RECALL. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I AM WILLING TO GO TO THE NEXT STEP TO MAKE SURE JUSTICE IS TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE A DEATH HAPPENS (MORE DEATHS) FROM THE LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY OF MAZDA. *TR

I OWN A MAZDA 3 5 DOOR HATCHBACK. I LOVE THE CAR. I DO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE REAR CAMBER OF THE CAR. I HAD TO PUT A NEW SET OF TIRES ON THE CAR AFTER 24,000 MILES. I ROTATED MY TIRES EVERY OTHER OIL CHANGE AND THE ROAD NOISE WAS UNBEARABLE BECAUSE THE REAR CAMBER IS TOO EXTREME AND WEARS THE INNER TREADS TOO FAST.SO WHEN YOU ROTATE THE REAR TIRES TO THE FRONT THEY MAKE VERY LOUD NOISE. I PUT A NEW SET OF TIRES ON AT 24,000 MILES AT THE DEALER AND WHEN I ROTATED THEM AT 27,000 MILES I HAVE EXTREME ROAD NOISE AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE REAR CAMBER ISSUE IS TO PURCHASE A CAMBER KIT. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR A FACTORY DEFECT. I'VE READ ON THE FORUMS AND MOST OTHER MAZDA 3 OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH REAR TIRES WEARING DOWN TOO FAST. PLEASE FIX MY PROBLEM. THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL, BEING THAT THE TIRES WEAR DOWN VERY FAST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 32 MPH WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO AVOID AN ANIMAL. THE CONTACT STEERED TO THE LEFT BUT THE VEHICLE INSTEAD VIOLENTLY VEERED TO THE LEFT CAUSING HER TO CRASH INTO AN EMBANKMENT. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO ROLL OVER ONCE CRASHING AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES AS A RESULT. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME ABNORMALLY STIFF CAUSING THE CONTACT LIMITED ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE AND WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE AND WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 33,000.

PREMATURE CLUTCH PROBLEMS AT 31K MILES. MY CLUTCH CHATTERS AND ENGAGES POORLY DUE TO A POORLY MADE CLUTCH, WHICH MAZDA WILL NOT REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD.