2004 MAZDA MAZDA6 Complaints

RE: MAZDA 6 V6 MADE IN THE FORD/MAZDA AUTO ALLIANCE FACTORY IN FLAT ROCK, MI. THE MILES/SPEED I LISTED ARE ACTUALLY N/A - THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT HAS EXISTED FOR MOST OF THE 10 YEARS I'VE OWNED THIS CAR. I COMPLAINED ABOUT SMELLING BURNING OIL COMING INTO THE CAR'S CABIN SINCE THE CAR WAS ONLY 1 YEAR OLD, BUT THE MAZDA REPAIR TECHS APPEARED TO "NEVER NOTICE THE SMELL". IT WAS MORE THAN A YEAR OR SO AFTER MY WARRANTY ENDED - DESPITE A DOZEN INSTANCES OF COMPLAINING TO MAZDA DEALERS OF THIS SMELL - THAT I REALIZED MY PROBLEM WAS OIL LEAKING FROM MY V6 MOTOR'S TIMING CHAIN COVER. THE OIL LEAKS DOWN THE SIDE & BOTTOM OF THE MOTOR & DRIPS (ONLY WHILE DRIVING, NEVER WHILE RESTING) ONTO THE TOP OF ONE OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM'S CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. THE INTENSE HEAT OF THE CONVERTER VAPORIZES THE OIL, THE RESULT OF WHICH ENTERS THE CAR'S CABIN THROUGH THE HVAC SYSTEM. I HAVE BEEN ADDING A QUART OF OIL ALMOST EVERY TWO MONTHS FOR YEARS NOW, BREATHING THIS CARCINOGENIC VAPOR AND WORRYING ABOUT AN ENGINE FIRE FOR THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE NOW. LEADING UP TO DISCOVERING THE LEAK, I HAD REPLACED MY VALVE COVER GASKETS & OIL PAN & GASKETS AT GREAT COST. THE PROPER REPAIR FOR THIS WOULD LIKELY REQUIRE REMOVING MY CAR'S ENGINE & A 12 HOUR REPAIR AT $100 PER HOUR, AND THAT'S JUST THE LABOR. WHEN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, IT APPEARS IN ONLINE FORUMS TO BE A CONSISTENT PROBLEM FOR HUNDREDS (LIKELY THOUSANDS) OF OWNERS, AND VARIATIONS OF THIS FORD-MADE V6 ENGINE ARE INSTALLED IN A DOZEN FORD AND MAZDA CARS. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT OVER THE YEARS FORD - KNOWING THIS WAS A CONSISTENT PROBLEM - ADVISED IT'S DEALER NETWORK TO KEEP HUSH-HUSH AND PRETEND TO NOT UNDERSTAND OR NOTICE THE PROBLEM IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID A COSTLY RECALL CAMPAIGN. I FEEL THAT THE TIME HAS COME FOR FORD, NOT MAZDA, TO PAY THE PIPER, AND I WOULD LIKE MY CAR REPAIRED WITHOUT A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP PLACED UPON ME. *TR

CAR JUST UNEXPECTEDLY DOWN SHIFTS FROM 4TH TO 3RD GEAR.. TRANSMISSION REVS . HAVE TO STOP THE CAR. CAN NOT TAKE INTERSTATE BECAUSE IT MAY CAUSE A WRECK.. ALTERNATOR LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON.. HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART THE CAR TO RESET GEARS.. *TR

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

WHILE DRIVING BACK HOME THE CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN THE SPEED , WHEN I TRIED TO SHIFTED TO GET MORE SPEED BECAUSE I WAS ON THE EXPRESSWAY , IT JUST DIED , I TOOK A TOW TRUCK TO MY MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE TRANSMISSION WIRING HARNESS BURNED. *TR

KEPT PUT ITS SELF IN GEAR WHICH IS A SAFETY MODE !!! SO I WENT TO CHANGE THE BATTERY AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND THE FUSE FOR THE RADIO WAS BLOWN AND EVERY TIME I WENT TO CHANGE THE FUSE IT WOULD BLOW.SO I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE RADIO SOME WIRING ALTERNATOR WAS PUTTING OUT 17 VOLTS AND BURNED OUT THE WIRING!!! THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND SHOULD BE COVERED!!! *TR

MAZDA 6I HATCHBACK DEVELOPED SEVERE PULL TO THE RIGHT DURING REGULAR CITY, EVEN DRIVING ON A FLAT SURFACE. A STRONG GRIP AND CONSIDERABLE PULL ON THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NECESSARY TO KEEP THE CAR DRIVING STRAIGHT, AND BECOMES EXHAUSTING TO MAINTAIN ON LONG DRIVES. VEHICLE WAS REALIGNED AT A TIRE SHOP AND TECHNICIANS NOTED FRONT WHEELS WERE SEVERAL DEGREES OUT OF ALIGNMENT. AFTER 50 MILES, THE PULL RECURRED AND GREW MORE SEVERE. REGULAR REALIGNMENTS HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. REVIEW OF THE WHEELS AND ASSOCIATED COMPONENTS WITH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOUND PREMATURE WEAR DUE TO REALIGNMENT, AND TIRES WEAR UNEVENLY AS A RESULT. MAZDA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM BUT RESEARCH AND SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCHES SHOW THE PROBLEM IS ENDEMIC WITH THE MAZDA6. *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, I COMPLAINED OF ENGINE SURGE ON SEVERAL VISITS TO MAZDA, AND THEY WOULD ALWAYS SAY THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I WAS RECENTLY DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN IT ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN, THE RPM'S WOULD FLUCTUATE BETWEEN 2 AND 4. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY, I HAD DIFFICULTY STOPPING AT STOP SIGNS AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS ON MY WAY TO MY MECHANIC. WHEN I REACHED HIS GARAGE I LEFT THE VEHICLE IN PARK TO SHOW HIM WHAT IT WAS DOING AND IT IDLED AT 3 RPMS. THE MECHANIC HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND THAT OTHER MAZDA AND FORD VEHICLES HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA MAZDA6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECURRING FAILURE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WIRING HAD BURNED OUT, CAUSING THE FOURTH GEAR TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED TWICE FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000. *TR

CONSTANT OVERHEATING PROBLEMS. CHANGED EVERYTHING FROM HOSES TO RADIATOR,THERMOSTAT AND GASKET BUT IT STILL COMES ON AFTER A WHILE. SPENT SOOO MUCH MONEY ON THIS AND THE OTHER DAY SMOKE ERUPTED FROM CAR WHEN DRIVING AND GOT IN ACCIDENT. FORMER OWNER HAD SAME PROBLEM. *TR

DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM OUTSIDE WITH KEY OR INSIDE WITH LATCH. I'VE BEEN USING THE KEY TO OPEN THE DOORS FOR THE PAST YEAR BECAUSE BOTH REMOTES STOPPED WORKING. ALL DOORS UNLOCKED BUT THE DRIVER SIDE. IT LOOKED LIKE THE DRIVER LATCH WAS NOT MOVING TO THE FULLY OPEN POSITION. I LOWERED THE WINDOW AND TRIED TO MOVE THE INTERIOR LATCH MANUALLY BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. I ENTERED THE DOOR FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE IN ORDER TO DRIVE. I CHECKED TODAY AND THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY QUOTED $280 FOR A REPLACEMENT PART. NADA SAYS ITS THE VEHICLE IS WORTH ABOUT $2000, I CAN GET ABOUT $400 AS SCRAP. I THINK ITS TIME TO GET RID OF A CAR WHEN IT NO LONGER WANTS TO LET YOU IN OR OUT OF IT. *TR