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Hatchbacks Mazda3 Mazda3 Care and Maintenance
203 messages, Last post on Oct 28, 2009 at 6:06 PM
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Does anyone else have any problem with the 3 gear synchronizer? It is sometime a bit difficult to upshift into 3rd. The gear won't always completely engage, and then if I push it in without returning to neutral, it will grind.  Mine has over 37k miles on it right now. |
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| I bought a brand new Mazda 3 manual transmission in May 2004 with 60 miles on the vehicle...My sister has a 2000 626, loves it and barely any major services needed to it so I am confused as to why mine has had so many issues. The list includes multiple head light issues (replaced each one about 3 times each maybe more), rear brakes needed to be changed at 35K and 70K, wiper arms needed to be tightened, tensioner went 2 months ago- they wanted to charge me $600 to repair it, this past week a sensor light came on for seatbelt/airbag tensioner came on and had to be replaced- $200 and at the same point I complained of brakes squeaking and smelling of burning rubber but they did not want to look at it because they only wanted to fix one thing at a time- ends up I go to use my e-brake the other night to get my mail out of the mail box and the car is slowing rolling away- appears the brake cable is snapped or something...The other annoying this is that I have questioned the dealership that does all the services why the front brakes are in perfect condition according to their plastic tests but yet I was hearing the squeaks the guy tells me well then maybe you should just do the brakes which leads me to believe he has no clue and they only care about making money at these dealerships...Anybody have any of these issues?? Another issue that my sister had in her 2000 626 was the trunk filled up with water when it rained which mine did as well because the plastic lines unsealed which was not a pleasant site when I went to change my tires and the spare was sitting in inches of water and gook...Very frustrated at this point that my car is 4.5 years old 86K and looks like I should really look to get something more reliable...I have had previous cars (mitsubishi/geo prism) that went more miles with none of these issues- regular maintenance- oil changes, tires and front brakes every 60K....any input would be greatly appreciated as I am ready to write a long letter to Mazda as well as complain about the service at my dealership as they seem to be idiots... | |
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Replying to: mudderdear (Sep 27, 2008 7:17 pm)
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Replying to: mudderdear (Sep 27, 2008 7:17 pm) although I have had my thermostat replaced under warranty twice. So I gather you have no problems with your 3rd gear synchronizer? My brother has a Ford Focus with the same problem, and I believe it is likely that both the Mazda 3 and Ford Focus have many parts in common. |
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Replying to: nsbio1 (Sep 28, 2008 5:06 am) |
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Replying to: mudderdear (Sep 27, 2008 7:17 pm) brand new Mazda 3 manual transmission in May 2004 In other words, you bought the first year of a new model. As Consumer Reports has noted there is a risk in doing so even with reliable brands like Honda and Toyota. head light issues (replaced each one about 3 times each There seem to be others who have had this issue. Did you have them replaced or did you do the job yourself. rear brakes needed to be changed at 35K and 70K Seems premature, especially for the rear brakes. Did you replace the brake pads or the pads and rotors? wiper arms needed to be tightened, First time I heard of this. What was happening with the wipers? tensioner went 2 months ago- they wanted to charge me $600 to repair What tensioner do you mean? light came on for seatbelt/airbag tensioner Is that related to the previous point?
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Replying to: autonomous (Sep 29, 2008 1:37 pm) Tensiorer= surpentine belt (ultimately it snapped which caused me to lose all power to the vehicle- the only clue was a noise when I turned on AC only but when it did happen I was on the highway and all the alerts went on (battery, oil, etc) it was scary but luckily I made it with barely any steering to the dealer as I glided right into their garage.. Seat-belt tensioner- it is a sensor that is supposedly linked up to the seat belt and airbags to go off in case of a crash- they said since it was now malfunctioned I would need to get it repaired or else I could be risking myself in an accident which I definitely did not want to do especially since I have a 12 yr old son that rides with me...There was a previous recall on this but apparently they fixed what needed to be done to my car back in 2004-2005 wiper nut became loose so that the wiper blade couldnt go up and down luckily the dealer didnt charge me to tighten this up... only changed one headlight (practically impossible to do on your own with these new cars) but over the past 2 years they would go off like clock work had the dealer change them each time and they said it was just a bad bulb, after the 2nd time i complained to headquarters and they covered them all under warranty which saved $30 each time.. Brakes- front ones never been done only back brakes, at 35K did just brakes and at 70K did brakes, pads and rotors (wasn't cheap either time) I keep asking when I should have fronts done and they said when it gets to the "yellow" or "red" indication which is weird because everyone I talk to says they did 2 front brake repairs to 1 back brake repair- when I complained to Mazda they said I must be driving with E-brake on to cause this and that I must drive stop and start because I live in CT...so now my thought is maybe there was a malfunction with the e-brake all along which rode down on the brakes to a point where I replaced them 2 times and now the cable must be snapped now- should know by end of week.... 
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Replying to: mudderdear (Sep 29, 2008 2:01 pm) Good that the dealer handled this! only changed one headlight (practically impossible to do on your own with these new cars) but over the past 2 years they would go off like clock work had the dealer change them each time and they said it was just a bad bulb, after the 2nd time i complained to headquarters and they covered them all under warranty which saved $30 each time.. Good that this was covered also! Brakes- front ones never been done only back brakes, at 35K did just brakes and at 70K did brakes, pads and rotors (wasn't cheap either time) I keep asking when I should have fronts done and they said when it gets to the "yellow" or "red" indication Agreed, this sounds odd. As you say, it's usually the front brakes that get worn first. And you're right the whole job (brake pads and rotors) is costly. |
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Tuesday means Mazda chat night! Mazda ownership is not a requirement!  Just bring yourself and your love of cars and the desire to discuss anything and everything automotive and you're good to go! The chat opens at 8:45 pm ET and runs until 10 pm ET. I hope you're able to join us tonight to meet and greet with your fellow CarSpace members! See you there! |
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| Have about 28,000 miles on an '07 2.3 and have changed the oil using Mobil I 5W-30 at 4,500 - 5,000 mile intervals. I have noticed that the oil seems to get dirty fairly quickly, especially compared to our other two vehicles, but this one's of course a 4 cylinder vs. a V6 and V8. Do you suppose the reason is that the four has to work harder than the two other which have larger engines? Just curious as I have confidence with Mobil I which I've used for many years with no issues. | |
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