2010 MAZDA MAZDA3 Complaints

Mon-7/10/2023 used the car. Tues 7/11/2023 attempted to use my car opened the door on the drivers side-saw a bizarre position of the seat. It had somehow migrated during the night to approx 4” from the steering wheel when I try to get into the seat my chest stomach area is an inch away can’t reach the pedals very well because my right knee is up against the dashboard. Took the car to the dealership the man in charge told me there’s nothing they could do the car is too old. He told me to take it to an independent repair shop to get the parts from junk yard. Said he would have to cut the bolts on the seat track said he couldn’t do that. Please see the photos and video.

The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated upon opening the driver's side door, she noticed that the front driver's side seat had independently moved closer to the steering wheel. The contact stated that the seat failed to move back to the original position after several attempts. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to squeeze herself into the seat and drove to the dealer, who informed the contact that the driver's side seat bolts needed to be broken to move the seat. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V082000 (Seats); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while exiting a parking lot, the vehicle failed to accelerate as designed with the power train warning light blinking. The vehicle also started jerking. After the vehicle accelerated, the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Electrical system drains battery, have purchased several new batteries annually. With a new battery, the car while being driven, shut off, lost power steering and abs on road. Car has been parked since and battery drain still occurring while car is parked

The dashboards should be subject to a recall immediately since badly reduced visibility from glare is a recipe for an accident. The defective (melting) material is so bad that if the sun hits it just right, I can hardly see anything ahead of me; it is an accident waiting to happen. I called my Mazda dealer (Gray Epperson Mazda in Cleveland, TN (423) 303-1333) but said there was nothing they could do now as there was a warranty before but it had expired. I try to drive the car but always trying to avoid sunny conditions, but unfortunately, when I leave at 5pm conditions are worse if it's sunny. I wish Mazda would accept responsibility soon (or they are forced to do so by NHTSA, if needed) so that I wouldn't have to take such a risk.

These vehicles have a foam based dash board which is falling off in pieces and sections . This can cause choking hazard in small children adults etc also if air bags where to deploy this section would more then likely explode in many hundreds of pieces causing blinding .As well as it decays or falls off in these pieces children may place objects in there mouths or chew or eat on .The dash board does not seem to be able ro handle a air bag deploy situation . I would have thought this would have been replaced or recalled prior to my intation of this matter. Also dash may contain harmful or chemical agents I'm it that would not be safe to child nor adult.

The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the contact made an emergency stop. The contact stated that he struck the steering wheel with his chest. Additionally, the seat belt pretensioner failed to operate as needed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the driver’s side seat pretensioner Part Number: BCY7-57-L90A-01 needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

I am writing to file a complaint regarding the defective dashboard of my Mazda 3. The dash of the car under the windshield has become melty and shines excessively, making it extremely difficult to see when the sun is shining on the dashboard. The reflection on the windshield is so intense that it affects the visibility of the road and makes it hard to see clearly. I was informed by the dealership that there was an extended service available for this issue, but it expired after 10 years. I was never informed of this extended service and only now, after my dashboard has become extremely affected, did I find out about it. This is extremely concerning as the dashboard is an important safety feature of the car and the reflection from the dashboard is affecting my visibility, putting myself and other drivers on the road in danger. I am extremely frustrated with the lack of transparency and communication from the dealership regarding this extended service and the fact that my dashboard has become defective despite proper maintenance and upkeep of the car. I demand that Mazda take responsibility for the defective dashboard and rectify the issue as soon as possible. I kindly request that the NHTSA investigates this matter and ensures that Mazda takes the necessary actions to resolve this issue for all affected car owners.

The Transmission Control Module (TCM) has gone out on my car, causing it to shift to 2nd gear while doing 75mph with cars around me, and would no longer shift out of 2nd gear, or into reverse. It was an extremely dangerous situation that made me come very close to wrecking into a car, as well as the many cars behind me that had to emergency brake due to my rapid deceleration, especially without and brake lights coming on because it was engine braking. Doing a simple google search show that this is an extremely well-known problem effecting almost every Mazda 3 that used this TCM in 2010-2011. Any mechanic will tell you it's a known problem, and that it was due to where and how Mazda placed the computer, which causes it to overheat and fail without warning. I'm not sure why there has not been a recall on this issue with how prevalent it has been, and how easily recognized it is by mechanics. It is not a cheap fix, and can cause many other major issues leading up to requiring a full new transmission, if the problem did not already cause the car to wreck!

The dash of the car is melting. It causes a reflection that is bright and impairs visibility. Mazda addressed this problem with extending the warranty. When I called the local dealerships, none of them had the dash to replace per warranty. I made several calls throughout the year and each time was told the dashboard was not available and to try again. Then COVID hit and I did not venture out. When I finally called again, the warranty had expired. Mazda offered me $200 towards replacing the dash. When I called the dealership, it was almost a $1,000 repair. I've then called Mazda again and they asked me to get a diagnosis at a local dealership. I did that and then have had zero response to my many emails and calls from my assigned rep. I have never seen a dash melt and get sticky and shiny like this before. It is literally dripping down. I believe this is a safety defect. And why Mazda had to extend the warranty. But they didn't go far enough because they extended the warranty but did not have the parts to honor such a warranty.