2003 MAZDA MAZDA6 Complaints

I HAVE A 2003 MAZDA 6S WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. SINCE IT WAS NEW IT MADE NOISES AND DID NOT FEEL AS THOUGH IT WAS SHIFTING RIGHT. IT HANGS BETWEEN GEARS AND THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING. HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES, WENT THROUGH THE LEMON LAW, AND EVEN THOUGH WITH THE TECH IN THE CAR I GOT THE CAR TO GLITCH AND HANG, HE INDICATED NORMAL OPERATION. HE INSISTED THAT THE SWITCH TO SYNTHETIC TRANSMISSION FLUID IS THE CULPRIT; HOWEVER, QUALITY OF OPERATION HAS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THE DEALER FLUSHED THE FLUID AND WENT BACK TO CONVENTIONAL TRANSMISSION FLUID. *LA

HEARD RUBBING NOISE FROM THE REAR END WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS CAUSED BY 18" INCH RIMS RUBBING ON THE WHEELS. THIS COULD CAUSE THE TIRES TO WEAR OUT OR BLOW OUT, PER THE DEALERSHIP. THESE WERE AFTER MARKET RIMS BUT WERE ON THE VEHICLE AT TIME OF PURCHASE. THE RIMS MODEL NAME WAS LE COLLECTION LM. *AK

RUST HAS BEGUN TO FORM UNDER THE WEATHER STRIPPING OF THE DOORS AS WELL AS ON THE SASH ON THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR. CAR WAS PURCHASED IN MARCH 2003. IN A SERVICE BULLETIN (09-020/02) MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS CLAIMS IT IS NOT RUST BUT A ORANGE/YELLOW SURFACE STAIN CAUSED BY NEGATIVE REACTION WITH A LUBRICANT USED AT THE FACTORY. HOWEVER THE FOLLOWING EMAIL IS FROM MAZDA OPERATIONS STATING IT IS INDEED RUST. SO WHICH IS IT? "OCTOBER 22, 2003 OWNER NULLUNIT2000" RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL FROM MAZDA AND POSTED IT IN THE RUST PROBLEM TOPIC AT MAZDA6CLUB.COM. THANK YOU FOR CONTACTING MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO YOU. MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS HAS BECOME AWARE OF A SURFACE RUST SITUATION ON THE DOORS OF CERTAIN MAZDA6 SEDANS BUILT AT THE COMPANY'S AUTO ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION FACILITY IN FLAT ROCK, MICHIGAN. WHEN THE DOOR-SASH WEATHER-STRIPPING IS INSTALLED ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE, A SOAPY WATER SOLUTION IS USED TO EASE INSTALLATION OF THE STRIPPING INTO A CHANNEL ON THE DOOR. DURING THE AFFECTED TIME PERIOD, THAT SOAPY SOLUTION WAS FOUND TO HAVE INCLUDED A SUBSTANCE THAT HAS CAUSED SURFACE RUST TO APPEAR ON THE CHANNEL UNDERNEATH THE DOOR WEATHER-STRIPPING ON A NUMBER OF VEHICLES. THE SOLUTION HAS SINCE BEEN REPLACED, AND VEHICLES BUILT AFTER JULY 22, 2003 ARE NOT AFFECTED. MAZDA IS WORKING ON A SERVICE PROCEDURE TO CORRECT THE SITUATION AND WILL BE NOTIFYING OWNERS OF AFFECTED VEHICLES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO GIVE US YOUR OPINION ABOUT OUR E-MAIL SERVICE. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO COMPLETE A BRIEF, ONLINE SURVEY. HTTP://WWW.ZOOMERANG.COM/SURVEY.ZGI?F3TSHLV0X57GC4NHRSHLSH44 REGARDS, LISA LASKY" I CERTAINLY DID NOT INTEND TO PURCHASE A CAR THAT WILL EVENTUALLY RUST THROUGH. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE MATTER.*AK

WAS LEFT STRANDED WHEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND AT LIGHT CAME ON. CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 20 MPH AND HAD SOME JERKING. HAD CAR TOWED IN. SERVICE DEPT REPLACED THROTTLE BODY AND SENSOR. CAR STILL REPEATEDLY HAS A JERK/HESITATION WHEN HOLDING STEADY BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 40MPH AND 50MPH. HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR IN THREE TIMES FOR THE JERKING/HESITATION AND THE SERVICE MECHANIC DOES NOT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. THEY TRIED REDOWNLOADING THE COMPUTER WHICH WORKED FOR ABOUT 1 WEEK AND THEN THE JERKING/HESITATION PROCEEDED. MY SERVICE DEPT HAS SPOKEN TO CUSTOMER SERVICE OF CALIFORNIA AND THEY SAY THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH ANY OTHER MAZDA 6'S AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT IS. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED A WATER LEAK IN MY VEHICLE ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT IT WHICH FLOODED MY WHOLE PASSENGER SIDE. CARPET HAD TO BE REPLACED. MY BRAKES HAVE A SQUEAKY, GRINDING NOISE WHEN TURNING. MY BACK SEAT SEAMS ARE COMING UNSEWED. WILL HAVE TO GET THE FABRIC REPLACED. MY QUESTION IS, "WHAT'S NEXT?" I HAVE ALREADY RECIEVED LEGAL ADVICE AND MY LAWYER THINKS I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD CASE. IF NOTHING CAN BE DONE, THEN WHY NOT REPLACE THE VEHICLE. I AM FED UP WITH SPENDING MY TIME AT THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP. I BOUGHT A NEW VECHICLE TO STAY AWAY FROM MECHANICAL DIFFICULITIES.*AK

CONSUMER BEGAN TO HEAR POPPING NOISES IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. *LA THERE WAS A POP NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHEN THE VEHICLE SAT FOR A WHILE AND WHEN GOING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, THE STRUTS AND MOUNTS WERE NOISY, THE LOWER BODY FAIRING HAD COME APART TWICE, AND THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE IN THE BRAKES DUE TO THE WARPED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. *SC *JB

SULFUR ODOR COMING FROM CAR. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE GASOLINE BEING USED AND IT WOULD EVENTUALLY GO AWAY. WELL, NOW THERE IS 26,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND THE SMELL IS STILL EVIDENT, IF NOT EVEN WORSE.*AK

5-SPEED MANUAL IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SHIFT IN LOWER GEARS. VERY NOTICEABLE WHEN DOWNSHIFTING INTO 1ST OR 2ND GEAR. WHEN VERY COLD, YOU CANNOT GET INTO 2ND GEAR WHEN UPSHIFTING. HAVE TAKEN INTO DEALER 3 TIMES WITH THEM NOT BEING ABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT GO FAST ENOUGH DURING HEAVY RAINS. THE FASTEST SPEED IS NOT ENOUGH TO CLEAR THE WATER AWAY FOR VISIBILITY. *AK

THERE IS A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN 3 TIMES, AND THE NOISE IS STILL THERE. THEY REPLACED SOME PADDING AND TIGHTENED A CHARCOAL FILTER. IT IS VERY ANNOYING HAVING A BRAND NEW CAR WITH A LOUD RATTLE.*AK

I PURCHASED A 2003 MAZDA6 2 WEEKS AGO, THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN A TOTAL OF 100 MILES AND HAS BEEN COVERED SINCE PURCHASE. LAST NIGHT, I FOUND RUST AROUND THE WEATHER STRIPS IN ALL 4 DOORS. I CALLED MAZDA AND APPARENTLY THEY KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM FOR A WHILE BUT DID NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM BEFORE SELLING THE CAR TO ME. THE CAR HAS BEEN ON THE DEALER LOT FOR 5 MONTHS AND THEY NEVER TOOK CARE OF THAT PROBLEM WHILE IT WAS SITTING ON THE LOT....I HAD TO FIND AND POINT THE PROBLEM OUT TO THEM. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY MONEY FOR A "NEW" VEHICLE WITH RUST ON IT. *JB