2009 MAZDA MAZDA6 Complaints

THE SUBFRAME ON MY 2009 MAZDA6 HAS BEEN NOTICEABLY RUSTING OVER THE YEARS SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM A MAZDA DEALER AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER. OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR, MID 2016 TO MID 2017, MY MECHANIC HAD BECOME INCREASINGLY CONCERNED WITH THE CONSEQUENCES THAT WOULD COME FROM THE SUBFRAME RUST AND SUGGESTED WE START DOCUMENTING AND REFERRING THE PROBLEM TO MAZDA. THE MECHANIC'S CONCERN WAS RELATED TO THE DECREASE IN STRENGTH OF THE SUBFRAME AND ITS ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE ENGINE WEIGHT. HIS FEAR WAS THAT THE ENGINE WOULD DROP OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR ONTO THE ROAD AFTER GOING OVER A BUMP ON THE HIGHWAY. THE MAZDA6 WAS BROUGHT INTO A MAZDA DEALER IN MARCH AND JUNE OF 2017 FOR SERVICE RELATED TO BRAKE LIGHT AND TAKATA INFLATOR RECALL. THE PROBLEM WITH THE RUSTED SUBFRAME WAS IDENTIFIED BY THE SERVICE MECHANIC DURING THE SECOND VISIT, JUNE 1, 2017, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT NOTED ON THE SERVICE TICKET "SUBFRAME ROTTED" AND "CAR IS NOT SAFE"(ATTACHED). THE PROBLEM WAS ALSO DIRECTED TO MAZDA ON THEIR ON-LINE COMPLAINT SERVICE. THE ORIGINAL TEXT TO MAZDA IS NOT AVAILABLE FROM ME AS THIS WAS AN ON-LINE FORM AS THIS ONE IS. THE RESPONSE FROM MAZDA (ATTACHED) WAS THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE SUBFRAME RUST PROBLEM AND THAT THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE DID NOT COVER THE SUBFRAME RUST PROBLEM. IT IS UNIMAGINABLE TO ME OR ANYONE THAT I HAVE PRESENTED THIS ISSUE TOO, THAT A CAR WITH DAILY USE AND TYPICAL MILEAGE WOULD HAVE A SUBFRAME THAT IS RESULTS IN A VEHICLE THAT IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE AFTER ONLY 7-8 YEARS.

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AT 45 MILE PER HOUR. SUDDENLY NOTICED STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF CENTER. I DID NOT HIT A POTHOLE OR ANY OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS ON THE ROAD. STEERING BECAME VERY LOOSE AND VEHICLE HARD TO STEER. WHEN BRAKING THE VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE SQUEALING SOUND AND PULLED TO ONE SIDE. SUSPENSION BECAME VERY HARSH EVEN ON GOOD SURFACE ROAD.. THIS IS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH NO WARNING. FORTUNATELY WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE TO AUTO REPAIR CENTER WITHOUT GETTING INTO ACCIDENT. AUTO REPAIR FACILITY EXAMINED VEHICLE AND SHOWED ME THAT ENGINE CRADLE - SUBFRAME HAD RUSTED THOUGHT AND BROKE. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO GO OFF CENTER WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKING, STEERING, AND SUSPENSION ISSUES. AUTO REPAIR FACILITY TOLD ME THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND MADE ME SIGN A WAIVER TO RELEASE THE VEHICLE.

SUBFRAME AND ROTTING. LIVE IN MENOMONEE FALLS AS WELL. RUST OCCURS ABNORMALLY FAST IN THE WHOLE HOIUSING OF MAZDA 6.

VEHICLE HAS A GRINDING/BUZZING SOUND (WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION) COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC TO BE INSPECTED AND EXTENSIVE RUST AND CORROSION WAS FOUND ON THE SUBFRAME. I AM THANKFUL THAT THIS WAS DISCOVERED BEFORE A MAJOR MALFUNCTION WHICH COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR DEATH. FROM READING THE MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM ON THIS WEBSITE, I HOPE THAT MADZA WILL ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.

I BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, WHICH HAS A SLIGHT CURB TO IT, AND HEARD A CLUNK OR POP FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. DROVE DOWN MY STREET AND TO A HIGHWAY ON-RAMP AND WHILE TURNING ONTO THE RAMP THE STEERING FELT LOOSE (REQUIRED MORE STEERING ANGLE THAN NORMAL TO TURN SAME AMOUNT). WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, TO KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT, THE WHEEL NEEDED TO BE HELD TURNED LEFT ~20DEGREES. I DROVE TO THE 1ST EXIT TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY RIGHT AWAY, AND WHILE APPLYING BRAKES, THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT. GOING ON CITY STREETS TO TRY TO RETURN HOME, A TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED YELLOW, AND APPLIED BRAKES AGAIN AND CAR PULLED ALMOST OVER INTO THE RIGHT HAND LANE. IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND CALLED A TOWTRUCK, AND TOWED IT TO A SHOP. PICTURES FROM INSPECTION PERFORMED BY THE SHOP ARE ATTACHED.

STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. WE THOUGHT IT NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT NUT 2 DAYS LATER THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. THIS WAS DRIVING ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. WE TOOK THE CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP TO DISCOVER THE SUB FRAME HAS RUSTED INTO TWO. $1700 MINIMUM TO REPAIR WITH A USED PART.

INSPECTION AGENCY FOUND THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS CORRODED TO THE POINT OF NEAR FAILURE. HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT A REPLACEMENT USING A USED CHASSIS WILL COST OVER $1500. I HAVE LIVED IN NEW JERSEY/PENNSYLVANIA FOR ALL BUT 8 MONTHS I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE 2009. FROM READING ABOUT OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE, IT SEEMS THE ENGINE CRADLES WERE NOT MADE TO HANDLE THOSE WINTER CONDITIONS. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL GENERATE A RECALL SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE A COMMON OCCURRENCE. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE MY FRONT AXLE REPLACED ABOUT A YEAR AGO FOR A RUSTING ISSUE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO THE SAME MATERIAL CORROSION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA 6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE, AND FRONT AND REAR FRAME, THE CONTACT NOTICED EXTENSIVE RUST AND CORROSION. THE FRAME ALSO HAD CRACKS NEAR THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V457000 (AIR BAGS), BUT THE CONTACT WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS TO FOLLOW-UP ON THE RECALL INFORMATION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,151.

I HAVE RECEIVED MULTIPLE ESTIMATES (PLEASE SEE ATTACHED FILES) THAT INDICATE THE BEGINNING OF A PROBLEM OTHER MAZDA6 2009 OWNERS HAVE HAD--THE SUBFRAME HAS RUSTED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. FIRST TIME THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED TO ME WAS AT 65,000; PREVIOUS OWNER MAY HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BUT PROBLEM HAS GROWN MORE SEVERE. NO INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED AS OF YET BUT ESTIMATES RANGE FROM $2,000 TO $4,000 TO REPLACE; MAZDA DEALERSHIP CLAIMS PART WOULD TAKE 1-3 MONTHS TO ORDER. I DATED THE INCIDENT AS OF THE FIRST ESTIMATE I RECEIVED. I HAVE BEEN WARNED THAT THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION COULD DROP OUT OF PLACE!!! AT ONLY ~60K MILES, THIS CAR HAS A LOT LEFT IN IT!

CAR SUDDENLY VEERED RIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY AND SCRAPED BOTH FENDERS AND THE MIRROR AGAINST A CEMENT BARRICADE. STEERING HAS BEEN UNPREDICTABLE. WHILE ELEVATED ON JACK STANDS WITH BOTH FRONT WHEELS HANGING, CROUCHED FACING THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE, THE TIRE CAN BE GRIPPED WITH THE LEFT HAND ON THE REAR FACING TREAD AND RIGHT HAND ON THE FRONT FACING TIRE TREAD, THEN MOVED IN AND OUT WITH LARGE AMOUNTS OF PLAY, WOBBLE, AND CLUNKING NOISES. THERE IS ALSO A LARGE AMOUNT OF NOISE AND CLUNKING COMING FROM THE AREA WHERE THE STREERING " LINKAGE" ( TERM?) CONNECTS TO THE HYDRAULIC RACK WHEN THE FRONT OF THE CAR IS ON JACKSTANDS AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED TO BOTH EXTREMITIES. THE HYDRAULIC STEERING RACK APPEARS TO FLEX LEFT AND RIGHT WHEN THE CAR IS ON THE GROUND IN THE NORMAL DRIVING POSITION AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED TO BOTH EXTREMITIES. THE LEFT DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL BEARING IS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. WHILE ASSESSING THAT IS WHEN THE EXTREME RUSTING OF THE FRONT SUBFRAME WAS NOTICED, ALONG WITH A HUGE RUST HOLE ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE AS DESCRIBED BY OTHERS. VERY CLOSE TO THE ATTACHMENT OF THE LOWER A-ARM OF THE SAME SIDE. CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM DEALERSHIP WITH 1500 MILES BY AN IN HOUSEHOLD FAMILY MEMBER AND HAS HAD ALL/NEARLY ALL OF ITS SCHEDULED DEALERSHIP MAINTENANCE AT THE PLACE OR PURCHASE UP UNTILL THE BEGINNING/MIDDLE 2017. AFTERWHICH I RECIEVED THE VEHICLE. THIS WAS ALL NOTICED ON OR APROX JULY 1ST 2018 AND THE CAR HASNT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE.