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Hatchbacks Mazda3 Mazda3 Maintenance & Repair
4531 messages, Last post on Oct 22, 2009 at 5:40 PM
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Replying to: dride (Jun 02, 2008 12:17 pm) |
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Replying to: dride (Jun 02, 2008 12:17 pm) |
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| We just bought a new Mazda 3 Sedan. We have had it only 3 weeks. The other morning i went out to the car (parked on the road) and it had a big buckle/warp/dent in the roof. The bit above the drivers head was all bent in. There was a small section at the back of the car too that was bent in - all part of the roof. It is damp overnight so dew etc makes the car wet and if it was someone who had walked on the car you would see a foot/shoe print or something like that. There is no scratch/ marks or pant missing from the roof anywhere. Has anyone ever heard of this problem? The metal does not appear to be very thick because when we went inside the car and pushed up lightly on the roof from the inside it bounced right back out (there is still a little dent that won't come out). Could the change in weather make it do this? | |
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I'll preface this posting by saying that I still enjoy my '06 Mazda3 5-door. In the first 49k miles, the worst problem I had was the sunvisor clip breaking. Most of my previous Hondas had to go back for at least one or two small warranty repairs. After extensive online research, I am inclined to believe that problems such as mine are isolated exceptions and the vast majority of Mazda3's are reliable vehicles. I bought my car new in 12/05. I had my first oil change at 3k and subsequent oil changes at about 5k intervals. My mechanic mentioned at the second oil change (around 8k) that it was almost a full quart low on oil when I brought it in. After that, I began checking my oil each time I filled up on gas. I quickly realized that my car consumed about one quart of oil ever 3,000 miles! I called the dealer and was told this was within normal specs and no cause for concern. At 49,200 miles, a ticking/metallic noise developed and I took to the dealer instantly. They advised me the engine needed to be replaced and asked for my maintenance records. They ordered the new engine and put me in a loaner car for the next two weeks. Thankfully, the '06 warranty covered 50k miles unlike the '07 and later which only cover 36k! I'm now at 56k miles, out of warranty and recently started hearing a whining noise when decelerating to a stop. My mechanic tells me there is a bad bearing in the manual transmission and it needs to be replaced. I've always driven a manual transmission and NEVER had the first problem with one. I racked up 188,000 miles on one of them ('93 Civic) and it still shifted like new AND had the original clutch! I'm now trying to "persuade" Mazda to warranty the transmission repair. For leverage, I'm using the engine failure and challenging them to prove that the tranny problem isn't a result of the engine problem. I've been friendly but firm so far and I'm hoping that will work. If not, I can and will escalate my persuasive tactics until I get the desired results. I'm probably going to sell the car once I get this issue resolved. I still love driving it, but I don't trust it anymore.... |
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Replying to: igozoomzoom (Jun 19, 2008 10:06 am)
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Hi, all. I got a Mazda3 a month ago. It was looking a bit dirty today, not at all gleaming like when I first got it, so I took it in for a basic, automatic wash. This is a basic question, but I am wondering how often one should get the car washed. My last car was 10 years old, so I had pretty much stopped caring about how it looked, but now obviously I am more into it. Apart from aesthetics, how often should I wash? Should I get a basic wax application during the wash? Underside blast in the summer? I live in Chicago and am not in a spot where I can wash it myself, except in a self-service bay. Thanks.
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Replying to: igozoomzoom (Jun 19, 2008 10:06 am)  56K. The symptoms: loud ticking noise. Replacement is easier/cheaper for Mazda and dealer. But no diagnosis and I never could get the reason for the engine failure. Received a 12k warranty, stayed on scheduled maintenance and just after the warranty expired (Jan '08)....same issue began: loud ticking. This time the dealership kept it for about 2 wks, kept taking engine apart and putting it back together, same noise. Flew tech in from different state. Finally, and it seemed almost by accident, they found the noise coming from the intake manifold: defective butterfly valves. So manifold was replaced. But I don't know if a screw passed thru into the engine or anywhere else.... Now I hear that the dealership has had two other Mazda3's w/ same issue. I believe the Protoge had this as a recall. And would it be a big leap to think that Mazda uses the same manufacturer for the 3's intake manifold? How do recalls or class action suits get started??
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Replying to: mazdalemon (Jun 19, 2008 4:18 pm) This is the first I have heard of this. Where did you read this? How do recalls or class action suits get started?? Class action suits are intiated by a representative of the customer (in short, a lawyer). A recall is initiated by the manufacturer.
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Replying to: autonomous (Jun 20, 2008 9:18 am) |
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Replying to: mizzoumazda (Jun 19, 2008 3:42 pm) In my opinion, the spray on wax you get at an automated car wash is useless and not worth paying extra for. It's better to wash by hand. but if you must go through an automated wash, make sure it's brushless. The spinning brush things can scratch your paint if they are not very clean and well maintained. How often to wash is a personal thing. I'm kind of obsessed so I wash it every other weekend, if there's no rain in the forecast. Apply a high quality wax twice a year (by hand). Always wipe off bird droppings with a wet paper towel as soon as you notice them, so they don't sit too long and get a chance to damage your paint. Finally, check the build date on your door jamb sticker and make sure your car is at least six months old before your first wax job. I've been told it takes six months for the paint to cure, and using a buffer before then could damage the clear coat. (Not sure how true that is, but I figure better safe than sorry.)
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