2007 MAZDA MAZDASPEED3 Complaints

I HAVE AN 2007 MAZDA MAZDASPEED3 BOUGHT IN MAY 2007. I HAD THE MOTOR MOUNT BOLT REPLACED DURING AN ASSOCIATED RECALL IN AUGUST 2007. A FEW MONTHS LATER IT FAILED (JULY 2008). THE BOLT HAD BACKED OUT, AND SHEARED THROUGH THE LAST FEW THREADS. I HEARD THIS LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY CLUNK-CLUNK NOISES AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER INTO A GAS STATION. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ON THE RIGHT LANE AT 30 MPH IN 3RD GEAR. I HAD IT TOWED TO JIM ELLIS MAZDA OF MARIETTA (GA). THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINEERS FROM MAZDA HAD A LOOK AT IT AND THE WHOLE MOUNT BRACKET AND THE BOLT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. BUT OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS I'VE BEEN HEARING A SLIGHT CLUNKING NOISE ESPECIALLY DURING SLOW TURNS, SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN ON LAST MONDAY (03/02/09) TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. THEY FOUND THAT THE STEERING RACK FLOW CONTROL VALVE WAS POPPING AT TIMES AND REPLACED IT UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD ALSO ASKED THEM TO HAVE A LOOK AT MY MOUNTS, JUST TO BE SURE. I GOT MY CAR BACK ON THURSDAY AND WAS TOLD THAT MY MOUNTS WERE FINE. BUT ON FRIDAY (03/06/09) I STILL HAD THOSE CLUNKING SOUNDS ON SLOW TURNS AND WHILE PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOTS/BACKING UP. I ALSO NOTICED SOME ODD VIBRATIONS ON THE CLUTCH PEDAL WHILE GIVING GAS AND DURING IDLE. THE LAST TIME HAD THESE VIBRATIONS WERE JUST BEFORE THE MOTOR MOUNT FAILED ON ME. SO I DECIDED TO HAVE A LOOK INTO MY MOUNTS. I ALSO NOTICED THAT MY CLOCK AND TRIP METERS WERE NOT RESET. IF THE DEALER HAD INSPECTED MY MOUNTS THEY WOULD'VE BEEN RESET WHEN THE BATTERY IS BEING REMOVED. THAT RAISED MY SUSPICIONS. I REMOVED THE BATTERY AND TRIED TURNING THE MOUNT BOLT. IT WAS I COULD TURN IT WITH JUST ONE HAND. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM WHAT TO DO. THE ASKED TO BRING THE CAR OVER AFTER TIGHTENING IT, OR GET IT TOWED IF I COULDN'T. I TIGHTENED THE BOLT AND IT TOOK ME ABOUT 6 TURNS TO FULLY TIGHTEN IT!!! THE BOLT WAS ALMOST OUT AND I CAUGHT IT BEFORE SOMETHING SERIOUS HAD OCCURRED. THE DEALER HAS RE TIGHTENED THE BOLT NOW. *TR

HAD MOTOR/TRANSMISSION MOUNT RECALL DONE ON MY 2007 MAZDASPEED3 DONE AS SOON IT RELEASED IN 2007. FEB 2009 WITH 26000 MILES ON THE CAR THE MOTOR/TRANSMISSION MOUNT BRACKET TORE APART WHILE DRIVING. AXLES, AND ALOT OF OTHER PARTS, DAMAGED. NEEDLES TO SAY THANK GOD I WAS ONLY DOING 5MPH WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED. CAR WAS REPAIRED AT MAZDA DEALER, AND BEFORE I PICKED UP VEHICLE AFTER SUPPOSEDLY BEING FIXED, MOTOR/TRANSMISSION MOUNT FAILED AGAIN WHILE THE MAZDA TECH WAS DRIVING VEHICLE. MAZDA HAS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS THAT THEY DO NOT SEEM TO WANT TO ADDRESS PROPERLY. THEY REALLY NEED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM NOW BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED SERIOUSLY. NOT AN ACCEPTABLE PROBLEM ON ANY CAR. *TR

MY TRANSMISSION OCCASIONALLY POPS OUT OF SECOND GEAR WHEN I LET OFF THE GAS. *TR

I INSTALLED THE AFTERMARKET MAZDASPEED LOWERING SPRINGS ON MY MAZDASPEED3, CAREFULLY FOLLOWING THE SUPPLIED INSTRUCTIONS. THE INSTRUCTIONS REQUIRE REMOVING THE BUMP STOPS FROM THE STRUT MOUNTS. I THOUGHT THIS WAS STRANGE, BUT I DID IT, AND LATER FOUND THAT MY RIGHT-FRONT TIRE TREAD SURFACE HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE TOP OF THE INSIDE OF THE FENDER. THE RESULT WAS DEEP CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVES IN THE TIRE, AND THE PLASTIC FENDER LINER WAS COMPLETELY WORN AWAY IN ONE AREA. THIS IS POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SINCE IT COULD LEAD TO A TIRE BLOWOUT. AND YES, I AM CERTAIN THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS SHOW THE REMOVAL OF THE BUMP STOPS. I HAVE THE INSTRUCTIONS AND PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE. *TR

AT 8,811 MILES THE NUMBER 4 ENGINE MOUNT (DRIVER'S SIDE TRANSAXLE TO FRAME) FAILED EVEN THOUGH RECALL 4607F HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED AT 826 MILES ~8 MONTHS AGO. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MAZDA SPEED 3. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE WENT INTO A FULL SKID AND STRUCK A CURB. FIVE MILES LATER, THE VEHICLE LOST STEERING ABILITY AND THE WHEEL TURNED COMPLETELY AROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE FAILED STEERING RACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER WAS SELLING VEHICLES WITH SUMMER TIRES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,780. UPDATED 01-30-08. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED FAILURE WARN ABOUT TO SUMMER RATED TIRES. UPDATED 01/18/08 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MAZDA SPEED 3. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE MOTOR MOUNT BROKE WHEN HE SHIFTED FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. AS A RESULT, THE DRY SHAFT PULLED FROM THE TRANSMISSION AND TORE THE CB AXLE BOOT. THE CONTACT INSTALLED AN INTAKE MANIFOLD PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #07V295000) HOWEVER, THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR DUE TO THE INSTALLATION OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 11,700.

REAR WHEEL STABILIZER BOLT LOOSE AND DAMAGED. MAKES A "CLUNK" SOUND WHEN GOING OVER SMALL BUMPS. BOLT IS LOOSE AND WILL COME OFF. *TR

MOTOR MOUNT FAILURE. MY TRANSMISSION/MOTOR MOUNT FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FALL IN THE ENGINE BAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL OTHERS AS POSTED ON HTTP://WWW.MAZDA3FORUMS.COM/INDEX.PHP?TOPIC=68975.0. *TR

I HAVE A BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRE WITH 5K MILES ON IT AND IT HAS A BULGE IN THE SIDEWALL.