MAZDA Complaints

The Transmission Control Module (TCM) has gone out on my car, causing it to shift to 2nd gear while doing 75mph with cars around me, and would no longer shift out of 2nd gear, or into reverse. It was an extremely dangerous situation that made me come very close to wrecking into a car, as well as the many cars behind me that had to emergency brake due to my rapid deceleration, especially without and brake lights coming on because it was engine braking. Doing a simple google search show that this is an extremely well-known problem effecting almost every Mazda 3 that used this TCM in 2010-2011. Any mechanic will tell you it's a known problem, and that it was due to where and how Mazda placed the computer, which causes it to overheat and fail without warning. I'm not sure why there has not been a recall on this issue with how prevalent it has been, and how easily recognized it is by mechanics. It is not a cheap fix, and can cause many other major issues leading up to requiring a full new transmission, if the problem did not already cause the car to wreck!

When driving at night or in diminished lighting, the headlights will turn on but the taillights do not. The taillights will only activate if the headlight switch is moved to the on position. When the headlights activate, it gives the driver the appearance of everything is operating as designed when in fact there are no taillights illuminated.

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-3. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle was moving from left to right. The contact stated that the brakes were making an abnormal scraping sound. There was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The local dealer was not contacted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

The rear subframe is corroded with rust to the point of about to break into pieces. I did not have control of the vehicle and could not drive above 40mph, sudden pull to one side while braking, loose steering. I could have had a wreck if the subframe would have broke before taking the vehicle in to be inspected by an independent service center. I live over an hour to the nearest Mazda dealership and the car is not drivable. No warning lamps came on and I first noticed the problems around January 11,2023. The part looks completely tissue thin all over and the rest of the components look new bolted to it. I do have pictures from the independent service center. I think the car needs to be seen by a regional service manager like a Mazda engineer. This is not just rust this is a defective part that was to thin to begin with.

During a night drive, travelling approx. 40mph, car warning system audio blared a warning and suddenly braked causing car to skid (was raining) and causing driver to also jolt forward with momentum. There was very little time between beginning of audio warning and car slamming on brakes.

The contact called on behalf of a client who owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to operate as designed and the vehicle was pulling either to the left or the right. The vehicle was diagnosed that the rear passenger’s side cross member was rusted and needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised that the rear cross member was not covered. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the mechanic was informed that the customer was liable for the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Mazda Mazda6 equipped with Firestone Tires, Tire Line: Firehawk Indy 500, Tire Size: 225/45/R19, DOT Number: EJE8CFJ3819. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the front passenger’s side tire experienced a blowout. The contact stated that after pulling over, he noticed the wheel was angled inward and had detached from the wheel hub and that there was damage on the sidewall. The dealer was not contacted. The tire was replaced with a spare while awaiting the diagnostic test and repair at independent mechanic. The tire was the original equipment. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,513.

My 2016 Mazda CX5 lost the main computer. This powers the nav system, radio, apps associated with the vehicle but most importantly, the rear view camera. As a result, the back up camera does not work properly due to the computer system remaining in a reboot mode. When I initially reported the problem to Mazda they indicated that they would order the part. They claimed supply chain issues and as a result, kept pushing the replacement delivery date forward. It has been over a year and was just advised there is another 4-5 months wait time. My wife and I have been very patient but recently, events took a turn for the worse. The car must have been designed with the rear view camera as a solution in the reduced visibility of the actual car design. My wife came close to backing into a child. This has scared us now and unfortunately the car can’t be traded in without taking a financial hit. There has been no real answer why this part is taking 1.5 years for delivery but we can’t believe the lack pf attention that Mazda has placed on our concerns. This is absolutely a safety issue and someone needs to investigate if this is happening with many of these vehicles. I would hate to see someone lose their life due to corporate neglectfor safety. Thank you for listening.

ABS Module suddenly start failing causing brake sinks down. Almost crashed because of it. It appears to be a very common issue but Mazda still does not recall these ABS modules made by Ford/ATE. Also, it does not show any ABS warning light, which might be why not many people have called on this as they probably thought it was normal. There is all sort of communication error codes if you read with a OBDII scanner. In fact, Ford had a recall for these ABS modules, citing "stuck or slow-responding valves due to reaction with brake fluid".

Water pump failed and leaked coolant into oil. Known issue by Mazda but they have failed to warn consumers. Repairs roughly 4000 dollars. Luckily I caught before engine failed due to lubricant dilution from coolant. Potentially a very dangerous flaw.