MAZDA Complaints

THE MAZDA 2011 CX-9 CROSSOVER SUV SEEMS TO HAVE A DEFECT IN THE POWER TRANSFER UNIT (PTU). MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS ISSUED A LETTER TO MAZDA OWNERS INFORMING ABOUT A SPECIAL SERVICE PROGRAM TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE REPAIR OF THE POWER TRANSFER UNIT (PTU) ON "CERTAIN 2010-2011 CX-9 ALL-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM JULY 28, 2009 THROUGH DECEMBER 2, 2013." I QUOTE THE LETTER. ON MARCH 18, 2015, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM WHEREBY MY 2011 CX-9 MADE A GRINDING AND SNAPPING SOUND WHEN IN REVERSE MODE. THIS BEHAVIOR WAS FOLLOWED BY A PUNGENT ODOR IN THE CABIN. I CONTACTED THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP AND TRIED TO GET AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT ACCOMMODATE ME NOR EXPRESSED ANY AWARENESS OF THE SYMPTOMS. YET, THE LETTER WAS PUBLISHED SINCE LAST YEAR. I CONTACTED A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HAD THEM INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THE LETTER FROM MAZDA. IN FACT, THE MECHANIC IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH MAZDA AND LINCOLN BRAND VEHICLES. CURRENTLY, I AM HAVING TROUBLE GETTING IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FROM THE DEALERSHIP OR MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS. I CALLED SEVERAL TIMES TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WERE UNRESPONSIVE. IS NHTSA AWARE OF THIS PTU DEFECT AND WHAT WAS NECESSARY TO REQUIRE A RECALL/REPLACEMENT OF THE PTU 'PRIOR' TO INEVITABLE FAILURE AS WE EXPERIENCED? THANK YOU. *TR

LEFT REAR SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNT SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE FRAME DURING NORMAL DRIVING (SLOW SPEED - 25MPH) DUE TO WHAT APPEARS TO BE A FAULTY DESIGN. ALL CONNECTING BOLTS, WASHERS AND NUTS ARE INTACT AND SECURE IN THE SHOCK ABSORBER AND MOUNT AREA. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS FORTUITOUS THAT THE DRIVER WAS NOT OPERATING IN HIGHWAY OR MORE INTENSE CONDITIONS WHEN THE VEHICLE FAILED. I HAVE CONTACTED MAZDA NORTH AMERICA AND HAVE RECEIVED A SERVICE REPORT FROM THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALER IN CHARLOTTE, NC. (INFORMATION AVAILABLE IF NEEDED). WHILE THE VEHICLE IS 10 YEARS OLD, A FAILURE OF THIS TYPE IS UNUSUAL AND RARE BUT IDENTIFIED FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES AS CORROSION ISSUES THAT FORD / MAZA HAVE ON THE 03 TO 05 MODELS WHICH SHOULD RESULT IN A RECALL AND REMEDY BY THE MANUFACTURER. HAVING RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE IT'S CLEARLY A MANUFACTURE FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THIS MODEL, NOT JUST BECAUSE AS AN OWNER I HAVE AN ISSUE TO DEAL WITH, BUT AS A CONSUMER WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNUSUAL NATURE OF THIS FAILURE. *TR

DURING THE SUMMER THERE WAS A TOXIC SMELL THAT WAS MAKING MYSELF AND OTHERS WHO RODE IN THE VEHICLE ILL. DEALERSHIP SAID THE SMELL WAS PROBABLY THE PURGE VALVE WHICH WAS NORMAL AND THAT BASED ON THE SMELL MY VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE PURGING MORE THAN OTHERS BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. SUMMER OF 2014 THE SMELL BECAME EXTREMELY UNBEARABLE WHILE IN THE VEHICLE I WAS SUFFERING SEVERE NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, AND BURNING SENSATIONS IN MY EYES AND AIRWAYS. PEOPLE COULD SMELL THE TOXINS JUST BY OPENING THE DOOR. I NOTICED THE HEAT DAMAGE TO THE DASHBOARD AND CAME ACROSS ANOTHER MAZDA OWNER WHO BECAME ILL BECAUSE OF THE OFF-GASSING FROM THE PLASTIC INSIDE THE VEHICLE SO I RAN THE SAME TEST BEFORE TRADING IN THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A TOXIC LEVEL OF CHEMICALS INCLUDING FORMALDEHYDE. MY APOLOGIES TO THE OWNER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS RESOLD TO BY THE DEALERSHIP, I HOPE YOU DON'T BECOME AS SICK AS I DID. *TR

I HAVE HAD MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED, ALONG W MY ENGINE, LESS THAN 2 YEARS AGO. NOW MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME BACK ON AND THE INSIDE OF MY CAR SMELLS VERY GASSY AND EXHAUST SMELLING WHILE DRIVING AND I'M BEING TOLD THAT IT'S MY CONVERTER AGAIN AND THEY SAY IT SHOULD NOT BE HAVING ANY PROBLEMS IN THIS SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHICH INITIALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM AND THEY AREN'T HELPING AND BASICALLY SAYING IT'LL BE MY RESPONSIBILITY AGAIN! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA RX-8. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V344000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

CRACKED WINDSHIELD WE WERE FILLING UP GAS AT A GAS STATION & SUDDENLY WE HEARD A POP SOUND. I TRIED TO GO AROUND THE CAR & SEE WHAT HAPPENED BUT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING. THE CAR WAS STILL PUMPING GAS WHEN THIS HAPPENED. NEXT DAY, THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE MORNING BUT AFTER PARKING AT WORK FOR COUPLE HOURS & COMING BACK TO THE CAR, WE NOTICED A BIG CRACK ON THE SCREEN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME IN A CITY STREET, AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 30MPH. SUDDENLY, WHILE ON A CURVE, I LOST POWER STEERING! THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY RIGID AND THE CAR ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A COLLISION BY SHEER ARM STRENGTH. I NEVER REGAINED POWER STEERING. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE DASHBOARD IS MELTING COMPLETE OFF AND AIR BAGS MIGHT NOT DEPLOY IF VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

I HAD DONE MY OIL CHANGE ABOUT 3 WEEKS BEFORE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND I FELT MY CAR RUNNING DIFFERENT, WHEN I BRAKE AND TOOK A RIGHT TURN, AND THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE CAME ON, I CHECKED AND THE AMOUNT OF OIL IN MY CAR WAS MINIMUM, THE CAR HAS NO LEAKS AND I HAD CHECKED THAT WITH A MECHANIC, SO THE CAR IS BURNING OIL.. I HAD BEEN TALKING TO MANY MECHANICS AND PEOPLE FROM AUTO PART STORES ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON MY ENGINE, AND THEY SAY THAT MANY, IF NOT ALL OF THEM MAZDA3 CARS FROM THIS YEAR HAVE THAT PROBLEM, AND THE PROBLEM IS FROM THE WAY IT IS MANUFACTURED. *TR

THE ENTIRE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL HAS RUSTED AWAY AND THE SHOCK IS COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE FRAME ON OUR TRIBUTE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AS THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 10 YEARS OLD AND IT IS ONLY HAPPENING ON THE REAR PASSENGER. IT IS GOING TO COST ME A LOT TO FIX AND WILL DEFINITELY BE THE LAST MAZDA I BUY (UNLESS BY CHANCE MAZDA SEES HOW THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH TRIBUTES/ESCAPES AND MAKES IT RIGHT). *TR