MAZDA Complaints

DASHBOARD IS MELTING. IT HAS NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO ANY CHEMICALS THAT WOULD CAUSE IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL SHOCK ABSORBER WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V174000 (STRUCTURE FRAME AND MEMBERS). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000. THE CONSUMER STATED BECAUSE OF THE LOUD AND RATTLING NOISE HE HEARD WHEN HE WENT OVER A BUMP, SHE DECIDED TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. SHE DISCOVERED A HOLE ON THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER SIDE IN THE AREA OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL AND SHE COULD SEE THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. PARTS OF METAL WERE MISSING AND THERE WERE CRACKS IN THE METAL AROUND THE WHEEL WELL AND THE SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNT BOX. THERE WAS ONLY ONE SMALL SECTION OF METAL HOLDING THE MOUNT BOX ONTO THE VEHICLE. THE NEXT DAY, HER BROTHER TOOK THE PANEL OFF THE INSIDE TIGHT REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL, ONLY TO DISCOVER MORE CRACKS, ROT, CORROSION AND HOLES AROUND THE WHEEL WELL AND SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNT BOX. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO REAR CORROSION. UPDATED 11/10/14

VEHICLE HAS THE MELTING DASHBOARD ISSUE REPORTED ON NISSAN, MAZDA, LEXUS AND TOYOTA HTTP://WWW.ABCACTIONNEWS.COM/MONEY/CONSUMER/TAKING-ACTION-FOR-YOU/HUNDREDS-OF-DRIVERS-SAY-THEIR-DASHBOARD-IS-MELTING-AND-CAR-MAKERS-ARE-NOT-ISSUING-A-RECALL HTTP://WWW.MAZDA3FORUMS.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=458121. *TR

CAR'S DASHBOARD IS MELTING CLOSE TO THE WINDSHIELD. IT IS SHINY AND STICKY, AND THE REFLECTION OF THE SHINING DASH CAN SOMETIMES BE SEEN IN THE WINDSHIELD. *TR

AFTER LEAVING A FAMILY MEMBER'S OUT OF STATE HOME EARLY ON MONDAY AUGUST 25, 2014 MORNING NOTICED A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES LATER A BURNING SMELL AND SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ALONG WITH LOUD SQUEALING. PULLED ONTO SHOULDER OF ROAD AND SHUT OFF VEHICLE. I OPENED THE HOOD AND IT WAS OBVIOUS SOMETHING HAD BURNED UP BUT DIDN'T EASILY IDENTIFY WHAT. CALLED AAA FOR A TOW TO NEAREST MAZDA DEALER. WAS INFORMED LATER IN THE DAY BY THE DEALER THAT THE AC COMPRESSOR HAD SEIZED UP AND RUINED THE SERPENTINE BELT AS WELL. THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX IT WHICH RESULTED IN HAVING TO RENT A CAR FOR 5 DAYS TO RETURN HOME AND BACK TO PICK UP VEHICLE ON SATURDAY. LATER FOUND OUT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE COMPRESSOR FOR 5 YRS/60K MILES WHICH MEANT THAT THERE WAS NO COVERAGE ON MY VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS 7 YEARS OLD EVEN THOUGH IT HAD ONLY 49K MILES ON IT. TOTAL COST WITH TOWING, THE CAR RENTAL AND REPAIR WAS $1667. THEY ALSO "FOUND" THE STARTER WAS BAD AND A BLOWN FUSIBLE LINK FOR WHICH THEY CHARGED ANOTHER $648. I THINK THEY CAUSED THE STARTED AND FUSIBLE LINK DAMAGE TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE WITH THE SEIZED UP AC COMPRESSOR AS I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH THE STARTER BEFORE AND DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO START IT AFTER I HAD PULLED OVER AND TURNED ENGINE OFF. *TR

I NOTICED THAT MY BRAKES MADE A HISSING SOUND AT RANDOM TIMES. BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AS USUAL. AFTER "STOMPING" ON BRAKE, CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE FOR SEVERAL FEET. *TR

DRIVING VEHICLE ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD, AS I ACCELERATED UP SMALL HILL, TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. RPMS SPIKED TO 5000 THEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED HARD INTO NEXT GEAR. SINCE THIS INCIDENT THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY, NO MATTER WHAT THE ELEVATION. BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM THE TRIBUTE HAS NO POWER AND NO ACCELERATION UNTIL SHIFTING. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING OUT OR CROSSING TRAFFIC. TODAY, EACH TIME I AM AT A STOP, THE TRANSMISSION STICKS IN 2ND GEAR UNTIL THE RPMS SPIKE THEN IT WILL SHIFT. THE TRIBUTE HAS ONLY 76500 MILES. IT IS ADULT OWNED AND WELL MAINTAINED. PLEASE REVIEW THIS AS A POSSIBLE RECALL ISSUE TO AVOID SO MANY OTHERS SPENDING THOUSANDS ON REPAIRS AND POSSIBLE INJURY FROM ACCIDENT! *TR

THE DASHBOARD OF MY 2009 MAZDA 6 IS MELTING. IT HAS BECOME EXTREMELY STICKY AND SHINY. THE CONDITION CAUSES A GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD THAT CAN INTERFERE WITH VISIBILITY. IN ADDITION, THE DASHBOARD DETERIORATION IS CAUSING AN OILY FILM TO BUILD UP ON THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE FILM HAS TO BE CLEANED OFF FREQUENTLY AND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO COMPLETELY REMOVE. ORDINARY WINDOW CLEANERS JUST SMEAR IT. THE FILM INTERFERES WITH THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO SEE IN AFTERNOON SUN. I CONTACTED MAZDA AND THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. AFTER I HAD IT DOCUMENTED AT THE DEALER, MAZDA AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PART BUT WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE COST OF THE LABOR, WHICH IS ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY $500. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA RX-8. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION AND FUEL RELATED COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE ENGINE COMPLETELY FAILED AND WAS DAMAGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN MY TIRE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY MY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE GOING COMPLETELY FLAT. LUCKILY THERE WAS NOBODY TOO CLOSE TO ME, SO THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT WHEN I SWERVED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I CHANGED MY TIRE AND MADE IT TO A SERVICE CENTER WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS MY TPMS AND VALVE STEM ASSEMBLY THAT HAD CORRODED AND FAILED, CAUSING MY TIRE TO IMMEDIATELY GO FLAT. NOT ONLY DID I HAVE TO PAY TO INSTALL A NEW TIRE ($300) I HAD TO REPLACE THE DESTROYED TPMS SENSOR AND REPLACE ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS ALSO CORRODING. ($100 EA). THE ENTIRE INCIDENT COST ME ABOUT $500 DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW FROM MAZDA THAT I HAVE NO POWER TO AVOID. THE ISSUE IS THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO REMOVE OR NOT HAVE THE SENSORS RE-INSTALLED, AS THEY ARE A SAFETY FEATURE. THE IRONY IS THAT I HAVE TO PAY $100 EACH TO INSTALL A COMPONENT THAT CAUSES ONE OF MY TIRES TO IMMEDIATELY DEFLATE RANDOMLY IN THE NEXT 3-5 YEARS, DEPENDING ON WHEN IT CORRODES AGAIN. IT IS INFURIATING THAT I HAVE TO INSTALL A "SAFETY FEATURE" THAT WILL RANDOMLY CAUSE ME TO LOSE CONTROL OVER MY CAR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, I WILL BE FORCED TO DRIVE WITH A COMPONENT THAT, OVER TIME, WILL CORRODE AND FAIL, CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF MY CAR, THEN RE-INSTALL THE EXACT FAULTY COMPONENT. THE SENSOR / VALVE ASSEMBLY SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN MADE OF A MATERIAL THAT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO CORROSION IN THE FIRST PLACE. I WAS LUCKY THIS TIME THAT THIS DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, BUT IF THE SITUATION WERE DIFFERENT I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED OR HAVE KILLED SOMEONE. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. BOTH MAZDA AND THE GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS ISSUE FOR A LONG TIME NOW. WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN SOMEONE DOES DIE FROM THIS, AND IT COMES OUT THAT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR YEARS, BUT NOBODY DID ANYTHING? *TR