2008 MAZDA MAZDA3 Complaints

DURING PARALLEL PARKING PRACTICE WITH BRAND NEW (LESS THAN 500 MILES ON CAR) MAZDA3 SEDAN (2.3) FOR A DRIVER LICENSE EXAM, ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES, RENDERING STEERING COMPLETELY INOPERABLE (CANNOT EVEN STEER MANUALLY SINCE STEERING RESISTANCE IS EXTREME). NO DASHBOARD LIGHTS INDICATING A PROBLEM. UPON TURNING IGNITION OFF AND THEN IMMEDIATELY RESTARTING CAR, STEERING WOULD RECOVER BUT THEN FAIL AGAIN SEVERAL MINUTES LATER. CAR ALSO DEVELOPED HIGH-PITCHED WHISTLING SOUND, SOURCE UNCLEAR. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED CAR AND CLAIMS STEERING UNIT OK (ALTHOUGH CODE INDICATED POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION) AND IS SAFE TO DRIVE. DEALERSHIP HYPOTHESIZES THAT ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ASSIST UNIT OVERHEATED AND SUGGESTS NOT TURNING STEERING WHEEL TO EXTREMES FOR MORE THAN 5 SECONDS--HOWEVER, THE STEERING FAILED AT TIMES WHEN STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT TURNED TO EXTREME (WHEELS STRAIGHT), AND IF THIS IS AN "ACCEPTED" OR "EXPECTED" FINDING IN THESE CARS IT SEEMS THE SAFETY MARGIN FOR SUCH A SYSTEM FAILURE IS VERY LOW. DEALERSHIP CANNOT EXPLAIN HIGH-PITCHED WHISTLE NOISE OR FAILURE OF DASHBOARD LIGHT TO INDICATE STEERING SYSTEM FAILURE. *TR

PRODUCT INVOLVED = 2008 MAZDA 3 PRODUCT BRAND NAME/MANUFACTURER = BUTCH OUSTALET MAZDA MANUFACTURER STREET ADDRESS = AIRPORT RD PLACE WHERE MANUFACTURED (CITY AND STATE OR COUNTRY) = GULFPORT, MS - FROM JAPAN PRODUCT MODEL, SERIAL #, DATE OF MANUFACTURER OR DATE CODEWHEN PRODUCT PURCHASED = 11/30/2007 DO YOU STILL HAVE THE PRODUCT? = YES USE YOUR NAME WITH THIS REPORT? = RELEASE NAME TO THE MANUFACTURER AND PUBLIC INCIDENT OR HAZARD DESCRIPTION = I BOUGHT A 2008 MAZDA 3, 4 MONTHS AGO. THE CAR BEGAN MAKING ME SICK - BAD HEADACHES AND LOSS OF CONCENTRATION. MY WIFE FOR 2 MONTHS AND GAVE CAR BACK TO ME IN MARCH. I SENT FOR A FORMALDEHYDE TESTING KIT FROM A LAB AND TESTED THE CAR AFTER DRIVING AND GETTING REALLY SICK. THE RESULTS CAME BACK POSITIVE WITH A .075PPM (ALMOST EXACT FEMA TRAILER LITIGATION AVERAGE). THIS TESTING WAS DONE ON A 60 - 65 DEGREE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE DAY. THE FORMALDEHYDE LEVELS SEEM TO GET WORSE THE WARMER IT GETS. I TOOK CAR TO DEALER, DEALER INSPECTED, WROTE IT UP AS AN AIR LEAK - COULD NOT DUPLICATE. I FILED A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH MAZDA. I SOUGHT HELP FROM THE BBB. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER TOOK THE CAR AND DID NOTHING. THE DEALER WOULD NOT EVEN GIVE ME ANY PAPERWORK PROVING I HAD THE CAR THERE. THE DEALER TOLD ME I NEED TO CONTACT MY AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY FOR REPAIR. I DID AND THEY STATED THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR BAD PRODUCT. THE DEALER GAVE ME ERRONEOUS INFORMATION, WILL NOT EVEN DOCUMENT THAT A RETURNED THE CAR THE SECOND TIME AND REFUSED ME A LOANER - NOT EVEN A VOC MASK. I GET SICK EVERYTIME IN THE TOXIC MAZDA - THESE CARS NEED TO BE RECALLED - I HAVE BEEN SOLD A TOXIC MAZDA AND THE DEALER OR MAZDA REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. *TR

PAINT OF INFERIOR QUALITY. VEHICLE PAINT FINISH APPEARS NORMAL IN MEDIUM TO DIM LIGHTING. HOWEVER, UNDER BRIGHT LIGHTING, MICROSCRATCHES ARE APPARENT OVER THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. NEW CAR STOCK AT THE DEALER I PURCHASED FROM AS WELL AS ANOTHER DEALER IN THE STATE SHOWS THE SAME DEFECTS. *TR

TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR CONSTANTLY TURNING OFF ON RANDOMLY. DEALER SAYS THEY ARE CONSTANTLY GETTING COMPLAINTS. NO RECALL. SO WHEN THERE IS AN ACTUAL TIRE PROBLEM, YOU MAY NOT TAKE THE WARNING LIGHT SERIOUSLY. BECAUSE IT TURNS ON ALL THE TIME FOR NO REASON. *TR

THE WARNING CHIME FOR SEAT BELTS NOT BEING USED IS INAUDIBLE ON THE 2008 MAZDA3 EVEN WITH ALL ACCESSORIES TURNED OFF. THE DEALER EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE CHANGED DUE TO CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS THAT PREVIOUS YEARS WERE TOO LOUD AND PERSISTENT. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THE DEALER CHECKED IT OUT AND DECLARED "THAT'S THE WAY THEY ARE". *TR

VEHICLE HAS EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS CAUSING A DETECTABLE NOISE AT THE EXHAUST FLANGE SEAL. *TR