2008 MAZDA MAZDA3 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA 3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERS COLLISION CENTER TO REPAIR THE BODY DAMAGES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 26,000.

POWER STEERING LIGHT ON DASH CAME ON THEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING LEADING TO HEAVY STEERING. ACCORDING TO OWNERS MANUAL, WE WERE ADVISED TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE, THEN BACK ON. EVEN THEN, THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND I LOST POWER STEERING AGAIN, LEADING TO VERY HEAVY STEERING. AFTER THOSE TWO INCIDENTS THE POWER STEERING SEEMS TO BE WORKING OK. THERE IS PLENTY OF POWER STEERING FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR. I CALLED MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THE ISSUE IN DETAIL AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NO PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE LIGHT IS NOW OFF AND NORMAL STEERING RESUMED - HE ADVISED THERE IS NO NEED TO BRING IN THE CAR. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY FOR SOMEONE LIKE MY WIFE WHO LACKS UPPER BODY STRENGTH. THE EFFORT REQUIRED TO TURN THE WHEEL WITHOUT POWER STEERING IS A LOT, EVEN FOR A MAN LIKE ME. SLOW SPEED STEERING IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT POWER STEERING. *TR

2008 MAZDA 3 APPROX 28K MILES. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC ON A HOT DAY - POWER STEERING FAILED, WITH WARNING LIGHT ON. LOOKING INTO THIS PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE - THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM OF MAZDA VEHICLES OF STEERING FAILURES IN HOTTER OPERATING CONDITIONS. THIS INFORMATION IS EASILY SEEN WITH A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH. WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO LOOK INTO THIS - BUT IT WAS FUNNY THAT THERE WAS NO ACKNOWLEDGING OF A KNOWN PROBLEM DURING THE INITIAL CALL. *TR

I HAD JUST BOUGHT MY 2008 MAZDA 3 AND AS I WAS GETTING READY TO LEAVE THE DEALERSHIP WITH IT, WHEN I WENT TO BACK OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE THE CAR HAD NO POWER STEERING WHEN NOT 1 HOUR BEFORE I TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE AND IT WAS FINE. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT WAS ON. WHEN I TOOK IT DOWN THE ROAD TO THE SERVICE CENTER THEY STATED THAT THIS IS COMMON FOR THIS VEHICLE WHEN THE WEATHER GETS HOT. IT WAS ABOUT 95 DEGREES THAT DAY. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED. I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT I WAS LUCKY THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING OR SOMETHING SERIOUS MAY HAVE HAPPENED. HE AGREED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 MAZDA 3 "S" AND WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POP AND THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND A GROWLING SOUND COMING FROM THE CAR. TRYING TO PULL OVER WAS DIFFICULT AS THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. MILEAGE ON THE CAR IS 38500. JUST 2000 MILES OVER THE FACTORY WARRANTY. UPON RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOR FAILING ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMPS IN THE 07-10 MAZDA 3'S. THIS SERIOUSLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AS THIS COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. *TR

AFTER I WAS IN LENGTHY TRAFFIC JAM ENTERING BWI FOR DEPARTURE ON THURSDAY AUGUST 5TH, I PULLED TO THE CURB TO LET OUT PASSENGER. ON RESTARTING MY 2008 MAZDA 3I, I NOTICED IT WAS MUCH HARDER TO TURN STEERING WHEEL--I THOUGHT I HAD A FLAT TIRE. THEN I NOTICED THE YELLOW STEERING WHEEL INDICATOR ON THE DASH. I COULD TURN THE WHEEL, BUT IT TOOK MUCH MORE EFFORT THAN NORMAL. MY WIFE CHECKED OWNERS MANUAL AND MAZDA'S SUGGESTION IS TO RESTART THE CAR. ULTIMATELY I DID SO AND THE POWER STEERING RESUMED - WITH NO INDICATOR LIGHT GLOWING. SINCE THEN I DROVE THE CAR 300+ MILES WITHOUT ANOTHER INCIDENT. *TR

MAZDA 3 POWER STEERING. W/O ANY WARNING MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON PULLING ONTO A BUSY HIGHWAY W/ MY 2 YR OLD SON IN THE CAR. PULLED OVER TURNED MY CAR OFF THEN BACK ON AND THE POWER STEERING WAS FINE. I CHECKED POWER STEERING FLUID AND IT WAS FULL. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP YET BECAUSE I WAS RESEARCHING TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE RAN INTO THIS PROBLEM W/ THEIR MAZDA 3. *TR

THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2008 MAZDA 3 SUDDENLY GAVE OUT ON ME WHILE I WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC AND THE POWER STEERING FAULT INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. RE-STARTED THE ENGINE AND IT WAS FINE AFTER THAT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE WHILE MERGING THROUGH TRAFFIC. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, APPROX. 20 MILE DRIVE, WHEN 5 MILES FROM HOME THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT WENT ON AND THEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME WITH NO POWER STEERING. LOOKED AT THE OWNER'S MANUAL, RECOMMENDED SHUTTING OFF ENGINE AND THEN RESTARTING. DID THAT AND THE POWER STEERING WAS BACK. HAS NOT RECURRED SINCE THEN. MAY HAVE DEALER LOOK AT IT AND TRY TO GET THEM TO REPLACE DUE TO RECENT NEWS ON THIS ISSUE. *TR

I DRIVE A 2008 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK. RECENTLY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR IN HOT DAY (ABOUT 95 DEGREES) AND THE POWER STEERING JUST WENT OUT. THE CAR'S EQUIPPED WITH A POWER STEERING FAILURE INDICATOR LIGHT AND IT DID NOT TURN ON WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED UNDER VERY SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. THE CAR WORKED FINE AFTER BEING PARKED IN A GARAGE FOR 24HRS OR SO WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED LAST TIME. UPDATED 08/19/10*BF UPDATED IVOQ 08/23/10*JB *TR