2008 MAZDA MAZDA3 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA, MAZDA 3. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, AN UNEXPECTED LOSS OF POWER STEERING OCCURRED. THERE WAS DIFFICULTY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO TRAVEL INTO A PARKING LOT UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THAT POWER STEERING UNIT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE; HOWEVER, THE REPAIR PART ARRIVAL DATE WOULD BE JULY 29, 2010. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. UPDATED 11/19/10. *LJ UPDATED 11/1610

SITTING IN PARKING LOT, ENGINE AND A/C ON, THEN TRIED TO PULL OUT, POWER STEERING FAILED; HAD TO WAIT ONE HOUR FOR CAR TO COOL BEFORE THE STEERING CAME BACK ON. *TR THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, NEEDS TO BE FLUSHED, COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MAZDA 3'S APPARENTLY. AT LEAST IT DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE ROAD.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT RUSH HOUR AND MY POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON. WITHIN SECONDS I LOST POWER STEERING AND MY CAR WAS INCREDIBLY HARD TO STEER OFF OF THE ROAD. I HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND HE CALLED TODAY TO SAY THAT THE LIGHT IS OUT NOW AND THE CAR IS DRIVING FINE. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. MY CAR ONLY HAS 48,000 MILES AND I AM AFRAID THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN WITH DIRE CONSEQUENCES. I WILL TAKE IT TO THE DEALER ON MONDAY. MY SISTER ALSO HAS A 2008 MAZDA3 AND SHE ALSO HAD POWER STEERING FAILURE LAST YEAR AT 35,000 MILES WHICH THE DEALERSHIP FIXED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. PLEASE DO SOMETHING!! *TR

2008 MAZDA 3I. STEERING COLUMN SHUDDERED VIOLENTLY WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED AT HIGH SPEEDS (60 MPH). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA MAZDA3. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT IT ACCELERATED WITH BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. SHE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE BUT IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND MOVE FORWARD. WHEN SHE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, IT LUNGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE DID NOT REALIZE IT SINCE IT MADE SUCH A MINIMAL IMPACT. SHE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. SHE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES TO SEE IF THE FAILURE WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN AND IT DID NOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 41,600.

POWER STEERING ON 2008 MAZDA 3 WENT OUT AND INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. FLUID LEVEL IS GOOD AND VEHICLE HAS 33,000 MILES (ORIGINAL OWNER). FORTUNATELY I WAS DRIVING LOW SPEED AND CLOSE TO HOME AS IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. STARTED THE VEHICLE TODAY AND THE PROBLEM IS GONE. NOTED SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS SO I WANT TO ENSURE NHTSA KNOWS ABOUT IT. WILL BE TAKING TO THE DEALER NEXT. *TR

THE POWER STEERING KEEPS GOING OUT ON MY 2008 MAZDA-3. WHEN IT GOES OUT THE LITTLE DASHBOARD INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON, AND ITS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER MY CAR. IT TENDS TO HAPPEN WHEN IM DRIVING ABOVE 60 MPH FOR SOME REASON. IT IS VERY SCARY WHEN IT HAPPENS AND COULD EASILY CAUSE A WRECK. MY CAR IS BARELY 2 YEARS OLD AND IT DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT BE HAVING PROBLEMS LIKE THAT. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND NOTHING I DID TO IT. FURTHERMORE, WHEN I TOOK MY MAZDA INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP THEY NOT ONLY SEEMED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT (AS IF THEY'VE SEEN THIS PROBLEM MORE THAN ONCE) BUT THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO 'OFFICIAL' RECALL AS OF YET. THEN THEY TOLD ME THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS COST ME $800-900 TO FIX. I REALLY CANT AFFORD TO PAY THAT OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AND SHOULDN'T HAVE TO! I AM 26 YEARS OLD & BOUGHT THAT CAR UNDER THE ASSUMPTION OF GETTING MANY GOOD YEARS OUT OF IT WITH NO PROBLEMS. ITS BEEN A GREAT CAR AND I REALLY LIKE (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITS RECENT POWER STEERING PROBLEM AS FORMENTIONED). PLEASE HELP! *TR

MY 2008 MAZDA 3 WAS IDLING IN THE PARKING LOT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND WHEN I WENT TO BACK OUT MY POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND I'M UNABLE TO STEER MY CAR. I AM AFRAID THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHILE I'M DRIVING, AND CAUSE SOMEONE TO GET KILLED. MY POWER STEERING FLUID IS ABOVE THE MAX LINE AND EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE ALRIGHT. AFTER TURNING MY CAR ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES IT EVENTUALLY STARTS WORKING CORRECTLY. *TR

ON 14JUL10 WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN AND TRAFFIC AT HIGH WAY SPEED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SLOWED NOTICEABLY THEN STOPPED. VISUAL SIGHT OF TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME WAS IMPOSSIBLE. AFTER MANAGING TO PULL OVER INTO THE BREAK DOWN LANE WITH OUT A COLLISION I PROCEEDED TO CHECK OUT THE PROBLEM. THE FUSE FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WAS NOT BLOWN NOR COULD I FIND ANY OTHER PROBLEM THAT WOULD HAVE ACCOUNTED TO THIS PROBLEM. AFTER THE RAIN LET UP I PROCEEDED TO CONTINUE MY COMMUTE HOME HAVING TO PULL OVER AND STOP NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN THE RAIN STARTED AGAIN. THIS WAS A NERVE RACKING EXPERIENCE! THE NEXT DAY I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT TO BE CHECKED OUT. I WAS TOLD THAT THE WIND SHIELD WIPER MOTOR WAS BURNED OUT AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $330.00 TO REPAIR IT AND THEY WOULD OVERNIGHT EXPRESS A NEW ONE AS THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY IN STOCK. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETE ON16JUL10 AND I PICKED THE VEHICLE AT APP 3PM, TOTAL COST $337.00. MILEAGE WAS APP. 42900 SO IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. I CONSIDER WIND SHIELD WIPERS IMPORTANT SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD BE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD. THIS VEHICLE IS A 2008 THAT I BOUGHT NEW! WIPER MOTORS BURNING OUT IN TWO YEARS??? I HAVE A 1994 FORD RANGER WITH 213000+ MILES ON IT WITH THE ORIGINAL WIPER MOTOR STILL IN IT!!! I BELIEVE MAZDA SHOULD MAKE GOOD ON THIS TYPE OF PREMATURE FAILURE ON SAFETY EQUIPMENT. I ALL SO HAVE EXCESSIVE TIRE WARE ON THE INSIDE EDGES OF MY TIRES, WORN DOWN SMOOTH AND SCALLOPING BUT DUE TO ROTATING OFTEN I HAVE MANAGED TO GET BETTER LIFE OUT OF THEM AND WILL REPLACE THEM SOON. I HAVE A NOISE THAT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE A WHEEL BEARING OR OTHER ROTATING PART WEARING OUT AND SHIMMY/VIBRATION THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL THAT THE DEALER CLAIMS IS RELATED TO THE WORN/SCALLOPED TIRES. I WILL SOON SEE IF THIS GOES AWAY WHEN I REPLACE THE TIRES. *TR

LOSS OF POWER STEERING DURING THE STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING HARDLY, REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE. TURNED OFF THE ENGINE FOR FEW MINUTES TO COOL DOWN, AFTER FEW MINUTES POWER STEERING STARTED WORKING AGAIN, STEERING KIT REPLACED BY MAZDA DEALER. *TR