2008 MAZDA MAZDA5 Complaints

I OWN A 2008 MAZDA 5 WITH JUST OVER 50,000 MILES ON IT. I TRAVEL IN SALES, SO I AM PUT QUITE A FEW MILES ON PER YEAR. IN THE PAST MONTH I HAVE EXPERIENCED 3 OCCASIONS WHERE UPON STARTING MY CAR, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. EACH TIME, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTART AND THE LIGHT GOES OUT AND THE POWER STEERING RETURNS. HEAT SEEMS TO PLAY AN ISSUE IN THIS. ALSO, THE POWER STEERING WILL NOT RESET AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR UNLESS THE AIR CONDITIONING IS FIRST SHUT OFF. THERE IS A SECTION IN THE OWNERS MANUAL THAT ADDRESSES WHAT TO DO IF THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND THE POWER STEERING FAILS TO RESPOND. THIS WOULD INDICATE TO ME THAT MAZDA HAS SEEN THIS OCCUR. AS SOMEONE WHO WAS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 30 YEARS, I HAVE NO CLUE WHY A AUTO MANUFACTURER WOULD ADD ELECTRONICS TO A POWER STEERING SYSTEM. I HAVE CONTACTED MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. APPARENTLY, IT COULD BE THE PUMP OR THE HOSES TO THE STEERING RACK AND NATURALLY THE WARRANTY ENDS AT 36,000 MILES. I KNOW PUMPS RUN OVER $ 650.00 WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR. I AM 58 YEARS OLD AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING ON ANY VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY ONE WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM NOT PLEASED. *TR

2008 MAZDA5 LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING. PS LIGHT CAME ON. PULLED OVER AND TURNED CAR OFF. WAITED WITH ENGINE OFF FOR 30 MINUTES. PS RESTORED AFTER ENGINE TURNED BACK ON. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA5. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE AND THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED TO ACTIVATE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURY TO HIS RIGHT FOOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. THERE WAS DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS DURING THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,143.

WE WERE DRIVING FROM REAGAN AIRPORT TO KENSINGTON, MARYLAND. WHILE CHANGING LANES ON I-495, THE POWER STEERING GAVE OUT ON OUR MAZDA5 WITH 39K MILES ON IT. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE HOME WITH GREAT EFFORT. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THAT IT IS TYPICAL FOR MAZDA5S. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA5. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED EIGHT MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TWICE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,800.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA 5. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER STATED THAT IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AT THAT POINT. SHE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE AREA AND TURN IT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE POWER STEERING PUMP. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND COMMUNICATED THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD PLANNED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 14,428.

I WAS SITTING IN VERY SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC ON A SURFACE STREET, TRAVELED 1/4 MILE IN APPROXIMATELY A 45 MINUTE TIME SPAN. AS I TURNED RIGHT ON TO A NEW STREET I NOTICED THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE PARKING LOT TO MY LEFT. IT TOOK GREAT STRENGTH TO TURN THE WHEEL TO MAKE THE LEFT HAND TURN. I STOPPED THE CAR, CHECKED THE POWER STEERING FLUID. IT WAS AT PROPER LEVEL. I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND STILL NO POWER STEERING. AFTER SITTING FOR APPROCIMATELY 15 MINUTES. I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND THE POWER STEERING HAD RETURNED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I AM READING SEVERAL REPORTS OF SIMILAR INSTANCES OF THIS OCCURRING IN THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE UNDER SIMILAR CIRUMSTANCES.

2008 MAZDA5 WITH 55,000MI (90% HIGHWAY DRIVEN). WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH IN TOWN THE STEERING WHEEL ALL OF A SUDDEN BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND I NOTICED THE STEERING FAILURE LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD. PULLED TO A SAFE LOCATION AND CALLED MY DEALERSHIP. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT IT WAS A VOLTAGE TRIP AND IF I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT WOULD RESET AND WORK AGAIN. THE STEERING DID WORK AFTER I STARTED THE ENGINE AND I HAVE DRIVEN ABOUT 200 MILES WITH NO OTHER OCCURRENCE. ON FRIDAY I HAD MY OIL CHANGED AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WHEN I TOLD THEM OF THE PROBLEM THEY INDICATED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE MY PUMP AND A LENGTH OF HOSE. WHY THE HOSE TOO? ITS 6,000MI OUT OF WARRANTY. AFTER SOME INTERNET SLEUTHING, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON MECHANICAL FAILURE THAT MAZDA IS NOT DEALING WITH RESPONSIBLY. HARD TO IMAGINE THEY ARE NOT LEARNING FROM TOYOTA'S AND HONDA'S EXPERIENCE. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY IF THIS FAILURE OCCURS UNEXPECTEDLY ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVEN BY AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER. NOT SURE ABOUT NOW BUT MANY OWNERS EARLIER IN 2010 WERE HAVING TO WAIT OVER 5 WEEKS TO GET A REPLACEMENT PUMP DUE TO A BACKORDER ISSUE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT MAZDA IS NOT PROACTIVELY DOING A VOLUNTARY RECALL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM AND SUGGEST TO MAZDA THAT REPLACING THE FAULTY PUMPS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY IS GOOD FOR SAFETY AND GOOD FOR BUSINESS. *TR

FLOOR MAT FLIPS UP OVER CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL SOMETIMES WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTAL BRAKE APPLICATION WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. EYELET SECURING MAT TO FLOOR SEPARATES FROM MAT AFTER A FEW MONTHS OF USAGE. ALLOWS FLOOR MAT TO SHIFT FORWARD AND THE FRONT EDGE OF THE MAT CATCHES THE CLUTCH PEDAL. WHEN THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, THE MAT CATCHES THE PEDAL AND FLIPS UP OVER THE BRAKE AND CLUTCH PEDAL. PRESSING THE CLUTCH AGAIN WILL ALSO ENGAGE BRAKE. WHEN OPERATING VEHICLE ON FEB 25, 2010, TWO TIMES THE BRAKES APPLIED WHEN SHIFTING GEARS DUE TO THE MAT INTERFERENCE. THE SECOND TIME THE VEHICLE SKIDDED OUT OF A TURN AND DAMAGED THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL AND TIRE WHEN HITTING A CURB. THE MAT WAS REMOVED TO PREVENT FURTHER PROBLEMS. VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE AFTER INCIDENT. *TR

CLUTCH PEDAL STICKS TO FLOOR WHEN WEATHER IS COLD CAUSING DIFFICULTY SHIFTING AND OR GETTING VEHICLE TO MOVE. WHEN OUTDOOR TEMPS ARE BELOW 35F, CLUTCH PEDAL WILL STAY DEPRESSED UNTIL VEHICLE WARMS UP OR IS MANUALLY PULLED BACK UP WITH HANDS. PEDAL MAY STAY DEPRESSED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE OR POP BACK UP ABRUPTLY CAUSING STALLS IN TRAFFIC, SPINNING THE TIRES OR OTHER DANGEROUS ACTIONS. PROBLEM IS CAUSING EXCESSIVE CLUTCH WEAR AND CHATTER, DAMAGE TO MOTOR MOUNTS AND TIRES. *TR