2008 MAZDA MAZDA3 Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN MY TIRE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY MY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE GOING COMPLETELY FLAT. LUCKILY THERE WAS NOBODY TOO CLOSE TO ME, SO THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT WHEN I SWERVED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I CHANGED MY TIRE AND MADE IT TO A SERVICE CENTER WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS MY TPMS AND VALVE STEM ASSEMBLY THAT HAD CORRODED AND FAILED, CAUSING MY TIRE TO IMMEDIATELY GO FLAT. NOT ONLY DID I HAVE TO PAY TO INSTALL A NEW TIRE ($300) I HAD TO REPLACE THE DESTROYED TPMS SENSOR AND REPLACE ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS ALSO CORRODING. ($100 EA). THE ENTIRE INCIDENT COST ME ABOUT $500 DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW FROM MAZDA THAT I HAVE NO POWER TO AVOID. THE ISSUE IS THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO REMOVE OR NOT HAVE THE SENSORS RE-INSTALLED, AS THEY ARE A SAFETY FEATURE. THE IRONY IS THAT I HAVE TO PAY $100 EACH TO INSTALL A COMPONENT THAT CAUSES ONE OF MY TIRES TO IMMEDIATELY DEFLATE RANDOMLY IN THE NEXT 3-5 YEARS, DEPENDING ON WHEN IT CORRODES AGAIN. IT IS INFURIATING THAT I HAVE TO INSTALL A "SAFETY FEATURE" THAT WILL RANDOMLY CAUSE ME TO LOSE CONTROL OVER MY CAR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, I WILL BE FORCED TO DRIVE WITH A COMPONENT THAT, OVER TIME, WILL CORRODE AND FAIL, CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF MY CAR, THEN RE-INSTALL THE EXACT FAULTY COMPONENT. THE SENSOR / VALVE ASSEMBLY SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN MADE OF A MATERIAL THAT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO CORROSION IN THE FIRST PLACE. I WAS LUCKY THIS TIME THAT THIS DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, BUT IF THE SITUATION WERE DIFFERENT I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED OR HAVE KILLED SOMEONE. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. BOTH MAZDA AND THE GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS ISSUE FOR A LONG TIME NOW. WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN SOMEONE DOES DIE FROM THIS, AND IT COMES OUT THAT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR YEARS, BUT NOBODY DID ANYTHING? *TR

MY BOYFRIEND WAS IN A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT WHERE THE AIRBAG SENSORS WERE COMPLETELY RIPPED OFF ALONG WITH THE BUMPER AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK UP UNTIL HE CAME TO A STOP. *TR

TPMS VALVE STEM BROKE WHILE CHECKING TIRE PRESSURE. TOOK VEHICLE TO TIRE DEALER AND FOUND THAT 3 TPMS SENSORS HAD CRACKS IN VALVE STEMS. *TR

MY TAIL LIGHTS HAVE MELTED THE RED PLASTIC COVER SEVERELY IN BOTH LIGHTS. MY FRIEND DRIVING BEHIND ME THOUGHT MY REVERSE LIGHTS WERE ON EVERY TIME I BRAKED. MY LIGHTS WERE THE ORIGINAL BULBS AND NOT AFTERMARKET. I DID NOT NOTICE THE MELTING UNTIL AUGUST 2014. *TR

COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE ON WELL MAINTAINED MAZDA 3I AT 75000 MILES. TRAVELING ON FREEWAY IN SLOWEST LANE OF TRAFFIC, FIRST HEARD A CLICKING NOISE AND ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. CAR SEEMED TO BE LOSING POWER. CALLED AAA ROADSIDE HELP, WHO CHECKED THE CAR AND DETERMINED IT WAS OK AND COULD BE DRIVEN HOME, ABOUT 10 MILES AWAY. PROCEEDED TO DRIVE HOME, 5 MILES INTO TRIP BEGAN LOSING POWER, CLICKING NOISE RETURNED SO I PULLED OVER TO SHOULDER AS CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER, ENGINE OVERHEATED. PROGNOSIS: TIMING CHAIN BROKE, ENGINE OVERHEATED AND THIS CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. FINDING NOW THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE WITH MAZDA ENGINES. THIS COMPANY IS A FRAUD, AND PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE IN DANGER AS THE RESULT. NEVER AGAIN WILL I HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MAZDA CARS. *TR

TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA3. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY SEIZED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE SPUN AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE CONTACT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM BY AMBULANCE AND WAS TREATED FOR BRUISING, WHIPLASH, ACUTE NECK, BACK, SHOULDER, AND LEG TRAUMAS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V374000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I WAS INFORMED BY MY FRIEND DRIVING IN BACK OF ME THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS SEEMED TO BE MELTING AWAY, I LOOKED AT THE LIGHT AND REALIZED IT WAS THE LIGHT BULB MELTING THE COVER FOR THE BRAKE. I ASKED MAZDA WHAT WAS THE REASON BUT THEY DIDN'T LOOK INTO IT AND JUST ADVISED ME THE AMOUNT I WOULD NEED TO HAVE THIS FIXED BUT BECAUSE THEY ADVISED ME THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS DAMAGE THAT LOOKS LIKE A MANUFACTURER DAMAGE, I JUST LEFT IT ALONE UNTIL THE LIGHT BULB WENT OUT AND I HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL TO REPLACE IT NOT TO GET HURT FROM IT. AS 1 MONTH PASSED, I REALIZED THAT THE COVER WAS MELTING AWAY AND IT LOOKED JUST LIKE A BACKUP LIGHT AND ALSO REALIZED THAT MY RIGHT SIDE WAS DOING THE SAME. I THOUGHT IT THIS RED COVER WEARS AWAY, THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS FOR THE DRIVERS IN BACK OF ME THAT WOULD ONLY PAY ATTENTION TO THE RED LIGHTS WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE. THIS MAY BE A HAZARD ON THE ROAD AND LEAD TO ACCIDENTS IF DRIVERS WERE NOT PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION THAT MY BRAKE LIGHT WAS NO LONGER RED. I THEN STARTED DOING RESEARCH AND NOTICED ON THE MAZDA FORUM THAT MANY OTHERS HAD THE SAME SITUATION AS ME, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN LOOK INTO IT. *JS

IN THE PAST MONTH THE RADIO, LIGHTS, THE CLUSTER, ALL SHUT DOWN AND RESTART AS DRIVING. LAST NIGHT AS DRIVING ON TELEGRAPH RD, 45 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING, I COULD NOT CONTROL THE CAR, AND ANOTHER VEHICLE BEHIND ME ALMOST HIT ME, AS I WAS SWITCHING IN NEUTRAL, AND BACK IN DRIVE. ALL OF THE SUDDEN REGAIN CONTROL AND WAS ABLE TO TURN RIGHT INTO A PARKING LOT. I REMEMBER HAVING THIS ISSUE BACK IN JAN. OF 2011, AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR IT, THAT I HAVE HAD FIXED. THE PATTERN IS THAT I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN 2008, 3 YEARS LATER - IN 2011 THE RECALL TOOK CARE OF THE DEFECTIVE PART, AND NOW, 3 YEARS AFTER THE REPLACEMENT THE SAME ISSUE ARISE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS, AS IS HAPPENS AS DRIVING UNEXPECTEDLY. *TR

ABOUT A YEAR AGO I BOUGHT 4 NEW TIRES FOR MY MAZDA 3. SIX MONTHS LATER I WENT IN FOR MY ROUTINE ALIGNMENT AND TIRE ROTATION. THEY SAID MY TWO REAR TIRES WERE WORN DOWN TO SHOWING THE WIRING AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A BLOW OUT. THEY REFUSED TO PUT THE TIRES BACK ON FOR SAFETY CONCERNS. I HAD TO PURCHASE TWO USED TIRES THAT HAD ABOUT THE SAME MILEAGE MY OTHER TIRES HAD ON THEM. AGAIN 5-6 MONTHS LATER I GO INTO LES SCHWAB FOR MY TIRE ROTATION AND ALIGNMENT AND AGAIN THEY TELL ME MY TWO REAR TIRES ARE SHOWING EXCESSIVE WEAR. WHEN COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING TO GET TIRES SO SOON THEY STATED THAT MAZDA DESIGNED THE CAR THIS WAY TO HAVE A TOE IN ALIGNMENT. BASICALLY THIS WILL BE A RECURRING ISSUE UNLESS I PUT A $500 CAMBER KIT ON THE BACK. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THAT THEY SAID IT MAY CHANGE THE WAY THE CAR HANDLES AND HAVE LOUDER ROAD NOISE. NONE OF THIS WAS MENTIONED BY MAZDA WHEN I PURCHASED THAT CAR BACK IN 2008. NOT ONLY IS THIS ISSUE CAUSING ME TO SPEND MONEY EVERY 5-6 MONTHS BUT IF I WERE TO GO TO LONG WITHOUT CHECKING MY TIRES I COULD HAVE A BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING, POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, INJURY OR DEATH. I SEE THIS AS BEING A VERY BIG ISSUE WITH THE MAZDA AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAZDA HAVE TO RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THE RED PLASTIC ON MY TAIL LIGHT HAS MELTED. I ASSUME THAT THIS COULD HAVE AT SOME POINT CREATED A FIRE OR SOME OTHER SAFETY HAZARD. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VERY PROBLEM IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL CAR AND THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY MAZDA EVEN IF THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I BELIEVE THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND MOVE TO ACTION AGAINST MAZDA FOR THIS FLAW IN THEIR MANUFACTURING. WE ARE NOW HAVING TO REPLACE THIS PART AND IT WILL COST ABOUT $600.00. *TR