2008 MAZDA MAZDA3 Complaints

AFTER DRIVING ON SNOW COVERED ROAD, ABS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND ABS IS NON-OPERATIONAL. THE ABS WOULD RESUME FUNCTION AFTER AT LEAST 30-45 MIN OF DRIVING. DEALER STATED THAT SNOW BECAME TRAPPED IN ABS SENSOR BUT PROBLEM CANNOT BE RESOLVED. ABS FAILURE OCCURRED 3-4 TIMES OVER THE PAST WINTER WHEN ABS WAS ESSENTIAL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA3 SEDAN. HE NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WERE WEARING FASTER THAN NORMAL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE NEGATIVE CAMBER CAUSED THE TIRES TO WEAR AND THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE DEFECT; HOWEVER, THEY CANNOT CORRECT THE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THEY WILL NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,514. UPDATED 09/23/09. *LJ UPDATED 09/23/09

MAZDA 3 2008 PARKING BRAKE FAILED AND THE CAR ROLLED DOWN A SLOPE AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2008 MAZDA 3S IN OCTOBER 07 WITH TOYO TIRES. AT 12,000 MILES MY TIRES WERE DOWN TO SAFETY BAR...HAD TO PURCHASE NEW TIRES. THE TOYO TIRE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE REAR CAMBER ON THE CAR WAS THE PROBLEM. MAZDA SAYS CAMBER CANNOT BE ADJUSTED. TOYO TIRE PEOPLE SAY THE PROBLEM IS THE AGGRESSIVE REAR CAMBER AND THAT IS THE WAY MAZDA BUILT IT. I ONLY GOT 17,000 MILES ON NEW SET OF TIRES. AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS TRYING TO GET MAZDA TO FIX THE PROBLEM, AND THEM ALWAYS SAYING THE CAMBER WAS WITHIN SPECS. THE DEALER FINALLY ADMITTED THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. BUT THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IF THIS IS THEIR DESIGN FLAW, THEY SHOULD PUT A DISCLAIMER WITH THE CAR AT TIME OF PURCHASE THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO PURCHASE TIRES EVERY 15,000 MILES. AFTER REVIEWING ON LINE, I CAME ACROSS SEVERAL BLOGS OF MAZDA OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. MAZDA NEEDS TO PROVIDE THE PART TO FIX THE CAR. WHO EXPECTS TO HAVE TO PURCHASE TIRES EVERY 15,000 MILES WHEN THEY ARE RATED FOR 40-60,000 MILES. AT THIS TIME, MY CAR WILL NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THE TIRES AND I WILL HAVE TO PURCHASE NEW ONES. THIS IS WRONG....AND MAZDA NEEDS TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS POOR ENGINEERING/DESIGN AND INFORM NEW BUYERS OF THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THEIR CAR. MAZDA ACTS LIKE THIS IS NORMAL TIRE WEAR BECAUSE THE MAZDA 3S HAS "SPIRITED HANDLING". *TR

NO ACCIDENT - - THE CAMBER SETTING ON THE REAR WHEELS OF THE MAZDA 3 CAUSES EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. MAZDA DEALERS ACT LIKE THEY ARE UNAWARE AND BLAME POOR TIRE ROTATION. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETECT AS THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE LOOKS FINE, BUT THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE WHERE THE CONTACT IS ACTUALLY BEING MADE IS SLICK AND MAY ACTUALLY LEAD TO A BLOW-OUT, THUS AN ACCIDENT. *TR

THE POWER STEERING IN MY 2008 MAZDA 3 FAILED THE DAY BEFORE MY BROTHER WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE IT FOR HIS ROAD TEST. MY CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AT MY DEALERSHIP FOR 4 WEEKS NOW, AND THE NEW ESTIMATE TIME FOR THE PARTS REPLACEMENT IS MID-JULY. ACCORDING TO THEM, THEY HAVE OVER 40 CARS IN THEIR PARKING LOT ALONE WAITING FOR THE SAME PART. AND MAZDA USA HAS YET TO RECALL IT. THEY PROVIDED ME WITH ME LOANER CAR, FREE OF CHARGE, BUT I AM ONLY 20 YEARS OLD SO MY MOTHER HAD TO USE IT AND I HAVE TO USE HER VEHICLE. IT HAS CREATED A BIT OF STRESS SEEING AS SHE DRIVES A FORD EXPEDITION AND THE GAS IS TWICE AS MUCH AS MINE. AND I HAVE JUST RECEIVED MY SECOND MONTHLY BILL IN WHICH I DO NOT EVEN HAVE MY CAR. *TR

AFTER IDLING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES IN A PARKING LOT, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE WHEEL LOCKED. AFTER COOLING DOWN , WAS ABLE TO STEER AND DRIVE TO DEALER. THREE WEEKS LATER, THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED BECAUSE PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER WITH NO ESTIMATED TIME OF SHIPPING. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE, WHEN IDLING OR DRIVING FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND LOCKS UP DURING OPERATION. THIS HAPPENED TO ME ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE DOING 65MPH WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A THREE CAR PILE UP BECAUSE THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED SHORT LUCKILY THE SHOULDER WAS EMPTY AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE LEFT WITH ALL MY STRENGTH. *TR

AFTER MY FIRST GAS FUEL FILL-UP THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CHECKED THE FUEL CAP BUT WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE FUEL CAP. AFTER TRYING FOR 15 MINUTES, IT FINALLY CAME OFF. AFTER PUTTING THE CAP BACK ON AND DRIVING A WHILE, THE LIGHT WENT OFF. THE CAR ONLY HAD 500 MILES. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE CAP AND SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. WE WERE ABLE TO PLACE AND REMOVE THE CAP WITH NO PROBLEM. ON MY NEXT 2 FILL-UPS THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I BOUGHT A STAND REPLACEMENT CAP AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS AFTER 6,200 MILES. I BELIEVE THE OEM CAP HAS A DESIGN FLAW. THE REPLACEMENT'S LATCHING TABS HAVE A DIFFERENT SHAPE AND IT WORKS. *TR

2008 MAZDA 3 HAS ELECTRONIC VARIABLE ORFICE IN THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM THE FUSE THAT CONTROLS THIS VALVE BLEW FOR THE FIRST TIME ON MAY 11TH, 2009. IT HAS BLOWN 2 ADDITIONAL TIMES, INCLUDING TODAY IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. UNLIKE OTHER MANUFACTURERS, WHEN THIS FUSE BLOWS, THE VALVE CLOSES, CUTTING OFF ALL FLOW TO THE RACK, DISABLING THE POWER ASSIST. WHEN THE FUSE BLEW TODAY, I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION, TURNING LEFT. I HAD TO STRUGGLE TO TURN SHARP ENOUGH TO AVOID HITTING A CAR WAITING TO GO STRAIGHT. THE VALVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO STAY OPEN WHEN POWER IS REMOVED, WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE ASSIST TO BE AT IS GREATEST AMOUNT, NOT LOSING ALL ASSIST BY CLOSING. *TR