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Mazda is a Japanese automaker that makes cars, SUVs and crossovers. Read Mazda 3 reviews to learn about other models.


Mazda Reviews

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    Page 5 Reviews 440 - 640

    Reviewed June 23, 2011

    I bought a used Mazda 626 DX that had about 115k miles on it. We gave it to my daughter who is in college in Tampa to drive. After she drove it for about 2 months, the transmission would drop out of overdrive into a lower gear and RPMs would increase. We took it to a transmission shop who rebuilt the transmission and all was fine for about another month. My daughter called again from Tampa and said the transmission was doing it again. We took it back to the shop and he replaced a sensor in it.

    Daughter drove it for another month or so and called again, saying it was doing the same thing again. We took it back again and he scratched his head and said he had to ground it again in several places. Got the car back and again in less than 2 months, daughter calls again saying car is doing same thing, only worse and more frequent. She can't even drive it without it dripping into a lower gear and RPMs hitting 4000. We are really sick and tired of trying to get it repaired and of the inconvenience it causes her and us trying to get the car back here from Tampa to fix again and again.

    If Mazda has been aware of these problems, why haven't they addressed it and replaced these transmissions in these cars? We have purchased her another car, but now we have a useless car on our hands that doesn't appear fixable. The rest of the car is in great shape and runs great. It is a shame that the transmission cannot be repaired to last.

    We really could not afford to purchase another car for her but had to because she could not get to class and work, much less drive home to see the family in the Mazda. We spent over $900.00 having the transmission rebuilt and another $130.00 for the sensor. The mechanic has been real good about repairing and working on it and not charging us. It has been expensive for us in gas and time pulling a trailer to Tampa several times to bring the car home and back to the mechanic.

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    Reviewed Feb. 2, 2011

    Due to a faulty water drain assembly that drains water from the convertible top to below the car, water began entering the cabin under the driver and passenger seats. The water began entering approximately 1.5 years ago, at 56,000 miles (prior to warranty expiration). This issue is discussed in Mazda Service Bulletin 09-001/07 but Mazda chose not to notify any of its vehicle owners that this issue may arise and should be fixed. Originally, I attributed this leak to faulty body-shop repair of the right rear quarter panel assembly caused by a parking lot accident. When that was determined to not be the cause, I pursued replacing the convertible top.

    In the meantime, the water leak began to cause electrical problems inside the car, including causing an open circuit in the passenger side airbag system (the wire harnesses run underneath the passenger seat and are exposed to the leaking water). The Menlo Mazda dealership service department has stated that to fix the problem, the passenger side airbag system wire harness must be replaced.

    The passenger side carpeting is molded and water-damaged. The passenger side airbag system (both front and side airbags) no longer work due to the open circuit in the passenger side airbag system. The passenger side airbag system must be replaced at a dealer estimated cost of over $500 in order to make the airbag system work again.

    I believe this issue should have been handled by a notification from Mazda USA to Miata car owners. The service bulletin clearly indicates that this problem was known about, and that Mazda has since modified the car in order to fix it. However, the only way that an owner would have known to fix the problem is by taking the car to an authorized Mazda dealership. No other auto repair shops would have been notified of this issue or fix. This fault with the drain assembly is a safety concern, as evidenced by my vehicle. Mazda USA is aware that water may leak into the driver and passenger footwells and under the seats. This is where the wire harnesses for the driver and passenger airbag systems reside. The water can cause corrosion or short-circuiting in the airbag system, rendering it ineffective, putting the driver or passenger in danger.

    I believe that Mazda USA should pay for or provide the repairs to the wire harness as a result of this defect. A call to Mazda USA customer service revealed that Mazda does not share this viewpoint and will not pay for the repair since my car has moved out of warranty since the issue was discovered. The Mazda USA customer service representative states that the technical service bulletin is an internal Mazda document only, and that any issues or problems a consumer has with their Mazda should be taken to a Mazda dealership only. Mazda USA stated that this case may be viewed unfavorably by Mazda due to my lack of loyalty to the Mazda dealership repair network. The issue number for my complain to the Mazda USA service center is: **

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    Reviewed Jan. 28, 2011

    I have a 2008 Mazda CX-7 with 40,000 miles. I perform my own oil changes between 5k and 7.5k miles. (There were no receipts, as I have been doing this on over 30 cars in my life time and had no issues. I never knew this was a concern). The car check engine light came on and the car lost power all of a sudden.

    I researched this on the internet and found many with the same problem at NHTSA website (I also filed a complaint there) and at Edmunds.com forums. Apparently, the engine oil sludges easily due to turbo creating extreme temperatures. Turbo and turbo bearings go out, requiring a "new engine". All complainants are denied/refused warranty coverage for "lack of proper maintenance", resulting to the sludge. I took the car, which was under warranty, to the purchasing dealership and told them what I learned, and they said it is true but they wanted my business as they get paid for warranty issues.

    Three hours later (they had the procedure for this down to a science), I was denied coverage by the highest level, the District Service Manager, who refused to call me, and they will not give out his number. I called Mazda Customer Assistance and they told me he was the final authority and I could go to BBB. I filed a complaint with BBB and am now in the process of mediation and possible arbitration (40 day window from when they receive paperwork by mail). As a disabled retired military man, I am notifying every place I can of the issues.

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    Reviewed Dec. 20, 2010

    I have a 2003 Mazda Protege, purchased new, with just under 60,000 miles on it. The car runs well, but it is rusting out, despite my washing it (including the underside) regularly in the winter. I've been advised to replace it. This is hardly something I expected with such low mileage.

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    Reviewed Dec. 7, 2010

    I recently had to have my Mazda serviced at the Montrose Mazda dealership in Kent, OH. Both Erin **, the Service Adviser at this establishment, as well as Jeff **, the Service Manager have been helpful in trying to help me resolve the issue I have with the Air Conditioning Compressor that failed in my vehicle. I do not have any complaints with the dealership itself, but with the Mazda Corporation and how they are not standing by the fault they have in this failed part, and the resulting damage to my car.

    I was told last week during a routine oil change that the man working on my car could smell something slightly that he knew was not right, and noticed that the air conditioning compressor seemed to be stuck. I drove my vehicle less than a mile home, and immediately called the Mazda dealer to get it in. I had the vehicle towed to Montrose Mazda the following morning, so as to avoid causing any damage to it.

    The car then spent a few days waiting at the dealership for a needed part to arrive. Since the air conditioning compressor was decided to be the problem and cause of the issue, and there was an extended warranty issued on this part since many vehicles are experiencing the same issue, I was told that Mazda would cover everything and they would let me know when the vehicle was finished. I waited for three days and did not hear of progress so I contacted the shop and was informed that when the compressor seized, it caused damage to several other parts that amounted to $760.00 in parts and $762.00 in Labor to repair.

    The Mazda Corporation was then contacted by the dealership to see what they would be willing to cover, and the corporation stated that they would cover the compressor and the labor to fix it and that was all. I questioned the Mazda dealership at this point to make sure that I understood everything correctly and asked them if the compressor was what caused every other aspect of damage to the vehicle. They said absolutely, that if that compressor had not seized, the car would not have any problems. Basically, Mazda is refusing to pay for the damage to my vehicle that their faulty part caused, and this is not the first vehicle it has affected, since they had to issue an extended warranty on that faulty part.

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    Reviewed Nov. 15, 2010

    Engine Mounts for Mazda 5 have a significantly high rate of failure. Technical Service Bulletin details issue (**). Mazda is not recalling vehicles despite unusually high rate of breakage. Failure is due to using flimsy plastic bracket and rubber mounts in place of higher quality material. Mazda North American Operations has been uncooperative in past and will not cover out of warranty issues despite significant failure rate of stated engine mount. This is a significant issue that I do not believe Mazda has briefed NHSTA of. Vehicle has under gone two recalls. List of problems is significant is available at RepairPal(**).

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    Reviewed Oct. 22, 2010

    I purchased a brand new 2002 Mazda MPV mini van. I had taken it in a couple of times because when I pressed the gas, it would stall, jerk and then make a clunk sound. The dealer could never replicate the issue, and the problem continued. Now, it just turned 70,000 miles and the transmission failed--it needs to be replaced at a cost of $2,500-$3,000. As I look online, I see hundreds of complaints on this same issue. There needs to be a recall on the transmissions. I have to replace the transmission. This should never happen on a car driven 10,000 miles a year.

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    Reviewed Oct. 18, 2010

    I purchased a 2003 Mazda Tribute. It has 96,000 miles on it and noticed that the paint is peeling off the roof of my SUV. I keep my Mazda washed, waxed and garaged. I took the car back to the dealership and they told me it was out of warranty. I also had both of my fog lights covers break at the same time and took the SUV back to them and also to Tucson Mazda. They were claiming I lived on a dirt road, which I don't. I think the lamp itself is too hot for the plastic covers.

    I had to take the SUV back for window problems while it was under warranty. The airbag light stays on and they claimed it wasn't under warranty. The air conditioner light stays on and it doesn't need servicing. I've replaced my battery 3 times in 7 years. I've had to take it in for my two front windows and my rear windows. I believe Mazda is responsible for all the issue I have incurred.

    The physical damage is that my car has cost me a lot of money even though I purchased an extended warranty at the time of purchase. When I took it back to the dealership, they told me that was covered. My car will rust if the paint is not repainted. Several people I noticed have had the same problem, so it must be something that Mazda did not do correctly.

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    Reviewed Oct. 18, 2010

    I have a 2004 Mazda Rx-8 with only 50,000 miles, which is still financed. The problem with the car has been owning it first it flooded then it was the catalytic converter. The taillights both got replaced for having condensation in them oil gauge upgrade on the CPU and now I might need a new engine. The car stalled on my wife in the middle of an intersection. I will definitely trade this car in as soon as it is fixed by Mazda.

    The consequences of owning this vehicle are as follows-- 10 mpg or less. Still paying for the car insurance is crazy because it's considered a sports car even though it has four doors. Other than that, it is the worst car I have bought and I have always had good cars. I guess I will be driving my Vtec a little more. Don't waste your time or money on this over hyped piece of imported metal.

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    Reviewed Oct. 14, 2010

    I received a letter about a defective air conditioning compressor which Mazda extended the warranty on. This part is a defective part no matter what the mileage is. The letter stated that Mazda had decided to conduct a Special Service Program to extend the warranty coverage for the air conditioning compressor on certain 2007-2008 CX-7 vehicles to five years or 60,000 miles.

    When the compressor fails, the entire car seizes up and is unable to move. This happened to me on October 9th 2010; I have 61,000 miles and Mazda refuses to reimburse me for the expenses. I think that since it is a defective part, Mazda should pay no matter what the mileage.

    I had to get the car towed and find a way home. This happened on a Saturday so the car was in the shop until Tuesday. I had to pay $570.00 for tow and repair.

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    Reviewed Sept. 24, 2010

    I own a 2005 Mazda Tribute, garage kept, detailed every year. The roof paint is peeling. I have taken the car to the dealer and was told it is a paint defect. I have been in contact with Mazda since May. They came to me and said that it is out of warranty and will not cover it and will not make a partial offer.

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    Reviewed Sept. 19, 2010

    We have a 2005 Mazda tribute with 66000 well maintained miles on it and have all the service records to show we have taken good care of our car. The engine's #1 cylinder blew a hole in the motor wall. The warranty expired 6 mos ago. We had it serviced at a Mazda dealership 7 mos ago, they gave it a clean bill of health. A well maintained car should not have such a catastrophic failure when it has been well taken care of. We bought the car new and it had 300 miles on it. We would like Mazda to fix this issue. If not, we would like to file a lawsuit against the Mazda company and the dealership that serviced it. The lady at Mazda just said she would put it on file as a complaint and that was it.

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    Reviewed Sept. 6, 2010

    I have a 2003 Mazda Protege5 that has a rust problem around the rear wheels, front fenders, in the engine cradle, around the hatch and many other spots that are starting to show up. I understand that living in Ohio can cause that due to winter but that isn't the solution. I had Excalibur auto body shop claim the rust through Mazda because it was still under warranty. I had the work done in 7/8/2009 and then it started to rust in a matter of six months after the work was done. That really aggravated me.

    I am someone that takes pride in their car and takes good care of it. My boyfriend's '95 Ford Ranger is in better shape than my '03! Well, I decided to go back to Excalibur to see why my Mazda was rusting and he said that Mazda would only pay for the car to get done, but it was not done the way it was supposed to. I just want to say that I am happy with the car in general but not the body. I have had too many rust buckets in my day and this car should not be rusting at all! Thank you for your time and please get back with me on this matter soon.

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    Reviewed Aug. 19, 2010

    My 2000 Mazda 626 has transmission problems and the check engine light comes on frequently. I just put $1000 into the coolant system and now have to pay $1500 to repair the transmission.

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    Reviewed July 30, 2010

    I need info on a Mazda RX8 I bought 4 years ago. The engine light is on again. I have been in the shop numerous times and they said I have more major problems and I have to pay for it. The car is nothing but trouble, but I can't get rid of it because everyone knows. What are my options on this one?

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    Reviewed July 23, 2010

    I am an average American that just felt like I was dealt a bad hand when I bought the Mazda 6 2007 in September 2007. The car seemed to work just fine. I would just have minor things happen, like it not wanting to shift out as fast as I would like to and things of that nature. Also my check engine light would not go off. I thought that it was just a sensor that needed to be fixed.

    On January 2008, I wrecked my Mazda 6 2007. I was ran off the road by another vehicle, then I swerved into traffic on the opposite side of the highway. As I sat there in the middle of the highway, a car impacted the driver side of the car. The side air bags came out but the front air bag did not come out. Even though the impact was mostly to the front driver side of the car and door of car, the car ended up getting towed to a location close to wreck site. The Mazda 6 sat at the wreck site for several weeks and I finally came to get the car, it seemed to be working out okay.

    Until as the tow truck man and I was driving along, we started to smell something burning. We got out to see what it was and the front of my first car was engulfed in flames. The flames were in the front of the car where the transmission and the engine was, not where the car had been impacted by the gas tank. Nobody knows why the car caught a fire because no gas had leaked out to the front of the car. The fire department could not find the cause of the fire. I just don't understand.

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    Reviewed July 16, 2010

    My Mazda RX8 ran perfectly well early in the day. I drove the car around 12pm and it ran fine with no apparent problems. When I left the house approximately 6pm, I noticed the engine light was on and the car was running very rough. The car exhibited lack of power and had to continue to pump the gas to get it to move forward. No other warning lights were lit but engine light. I turned around after a few blocks and came back home. Waited about 30 minutes and tried the car again. The engine started and the engine light continued to be illuminated even after start-up but, the car continued to run very rough. I thought I could make it the gas station and back.

    Drove about two miles and the car started to emit white smoke and by the time I reached the first intersection (approximately three miles) the car was engulfed in smoke and the cabin began to fill with smoke as well. I managed to get it on to Jiles Road and parked in a day care parking lot. By this time the car was so hot even the console was hot to the touch. Smoke continued to fill the cabin. The engine light was the only warning light that was lit. I thought the car had a fire under the hood and jumped out of the car and looked below without opening the hood. I saw that the catalytic converter was also very hot and smoking. The car was completely engulfed in white smoke and it began to rain very heavily dissipating the smoke and cooling the car down. Called USAA roadside service and the car was towed to Cabena's Japanese Auto Care at Highway 92 in Acworth, Georgia. The car arrived in the evening around 8pm Thursday June 17th.

    June18, 2010, Friday, I spoke with Mr. *** at around 10am and he informed me that he believed the engine failed due to heat. His observation was that the seals on the rotary engine had failed allowing gas, oil, metal and ceramic materials to exit the tail pipe. He did not mention a problem with the radiator or the battery. C.'s initial evaluation included the following problems: engine/transmission (one unit on the RX8), exhaust system, catalytic converter, engine computer, miscellaneous wiring that had over heated and become brittle.

    The initial verbal estimate was $5,000 - $7,000 for a new engine, transmission, exhaust system, engine management computer and miscellaneous wiring. Mr. Cabana researched the car and found a recall for engine failure issued October 2008 and asked if I had received a notice. I had no recollection and checked my service records from Jim Ellis Mazda and could find nothing that specifically addressed the recall. There was a reference to a recall on a service record from December 12, 2006 well before the 2008 recall had been issued. Mr. *** recommended towing the car to Jim Ellis Mazda and I called USAA for their recommendation. USAA moved the car to their lot in Austell on Friday evening June 18th for assessment due to the engine fire insurance claim I had filed.

    Mr. C.'s follow-up e-mail sent Wed 7/7/2010 9:10 AM: "David - I cannot vouch for the condition of the radiator since we never addressed that condition. We addressed what you said was a "smoking" and "running rough" condition. When we started the car it was emitting a large amount of "oil burn" smoke from the tailpipe. We shut the car off and checked the spark plugs and found one of them to be oil contaminated. The radiator never came into play, and we never saw any antifreeze dripping from the car that would cause alarm. That doesn't mean that the radiator didn't have a problem. The vehicle is definitely burning oil internally, but if the radiator is fractured, the dealer is focusing on that and not the condition of the engine. Call the service advisor and ask him to please install an aftermarket radiator in the vehicle today so you can get your car back. I don't know why the OEM radiator is on back order, or how long it should take. Only the dealer can answer that. "

    June 18th-June 28th The USAA claims service located in Austell examine the car. The USAA claims representative was on vacation and another adjuster Chris M., examined the car Friday June 25th. His conclusion was that there had been no engine fire and listed the damage as "Internal Engine Failure. " His recommendation was to have the car repaired at my expense. Mr. M. DID NOT start the car and only examined the external parts of the engine for fire damage and made no mention either verbally over the phone or in his written report that there was a problem with the battery OR radiator. When I asked about a possible problem with the radiator he said there was "no evidence of coolant on the ground" where the car was parked. The car was towed to Jim Ellis Mazda Monday afternoon June 28th and arrived around 4pm. The service manager from Mazda called to let me know the car had arrived and would review the damage Tuesday morning.

    June 29, 2010, Wednesday, I called and left a message with Eddie the Mazda service technician at approximately 9am and he returned my call 11am. Eddie said the car needed a new radiator and the battery was dead at cost of approximately $900. The battery was replaced nine months previously. No mention was made of engine failure or engine smoke. I asked if was sure he had the correct vehicle and he assured me that he was examining a gray 2005 RX8 with no license plate. I also called Cabena's to make sure the estimate was correct he indicated that the radiator part is about $450. There was no call back from Mazda service Wednesday.

    June 30-July 5, 2010 I heard nothing from Mazda all day Thursday and left two messages with Eddie. He finally called back at approximately 5pm and indicated that the radiator was "on back order" and I could have the car back Monday July 5th. Once again I said, "are you sure you have this right? " There was still no mention of engine failure and Eddie said the mechanic had started the engine and made no mention of engine smoke or any type of engine problem. I had to inform Eddie that Monday was a holiday and perhaps the car would be ready Tuesday July 6, 2010.

    July 6, 2010 - Tuesday. Eddie called and said he believed my car would be ready to pick up on Wednesday. I let him know I was traveling on business to Florida Wednesday through Sunday and had a trip planned to North Carolina Monday and Tuesday and could pick up the car on Wednesday morning July 14, 2010. I also requested an aftermarket radiator to reduce repair costs.

    July 13, 2010 - Tuesday. I requested an emission inspection in a conversation with Jim Ellis service Monday afternoon because the license had expired while it was being repaired and Eddie complied. He informed me that because the battery had been replaced the computer would have to be reset by driving the car for some distance. I received a call Tuesday morning from Eddie around 9:30am and he said there was a problem with the car losing power after it warmed up. He believed it could be the catalytic converter causing the problem. I informed him of the chronology of how the car had been reviewed by a private mechanic and the USAA insurance adjuster. Both believed there was a serious problem with the engine which had only been "discovered" by Jim Ellis Mazda on Tuesday morning. I also mentioned the engine replacement recall from October 2008 in advance of him discovering the condition of the engine through further testing. I believe the problems with the engine are directly related to inaction on the attached recall notice.

    July 16, 2010 - Friday, Mazda informed me that they will not honor the recall as it was addressed in December 2008. I am fully liable for the $6800 repair for new engine and catalytic converter. I called the home office, Al at Mazda Customer Service, 800.222.5500 extension 1168 and he said they must honor the $100,000 warranty despite that fact that I had complained about the problem and they performed a minimal test as per MSP-16. They will offer partial compensation either.

    IMPORTANT NOTES: I repeatedly inquired Jim Ellis Mazda to make certain they had they were referring to my car in describing the repair problems and the severity of the problems. Eddie insisted it was a problem with the radiator and battery. It wasn't until Tuesday morning July 6th that they discovered it had more serious problems. I called Chuck C. to ask if he had found a problem with the radiator when he started the car and tested the engine on June 18, 2010. He said there was no indication of a problem with the radiator and his follow-up e-mail stated "I cannot vouch for the condition of the radiator since we never addressed that condition. " I also called Chris M., USAA Claims Adjuster and he also said he did not find a problem with the radiator and there was no coolant on the ground at their facility where my car had been parked for several days.

    The 2005 RX8 has a warning light for Low Coolant Level. It has been on only one time since I owned the car approximately three months ago. The reservoir was slightly low (perhaps 1 inch) and I added distilled water and the light went out. When I drove the car June 17th in the AM to take my son to running camp, the coolant light was NOT on and the car ran fine. Before the engine failed, the coolant light was NOT on indicating that the coolant level was at specifications. The Check Engine light was the only warning light that was lit when the engine failed. No other warning lights came on.

    Jim Ellis Mazda service may tell me the engine failed as a result of overheating. They had no knowledge of the car being checked independently by two different sources until I told them July 13th. In addition, the October 2008 re-call was not addressed. I have no record of receiving a notice for this re-call, nor was there any indication from my service records from Jim Ellis Mazda that the re-call had been addressed subsequent to October 2008.

    I have complete service records for the 2005 Mazda from the time I bought it new in Tampa September 2005. It was always serviced at the dealership; Cox Mazda in Bradenton, Florida and Jim Ellis Mazda in Marietta, Georgia except for tire maintenance and oil changes. I complained to Cox Mazda of power loss several times which is documented in the service records, and they could not find a problem. The title of Mazda Service Bulletin 01-014/08 issued October 24, 2008 is titled Engine Lack of Power. The 2005 Mazda RX8 had 66,650 miles on the odometer on 12/15/2008 during a Jim Ellis Mazda service interval. This is well below the 100,000 mile warranty limit on engine failure indicated on the 2008 re-call notice.

    I have a credit problem due to the short sale of my house in Florida and divorce. What the economy didn't get, my ex-wife got. I fought a year long custody battle for my son and won. But I paid for that privilege. Therefore ... I do not have $6800 nor can I get a loan to purchase another car. I'm stuck and not sure what to do ... or even if there is a remedy. A properly cared for car should not burn up at 115,000 miles.

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    Reviewed July 15, 2010

    Replaced the brake rotors two times because of warping due to the Arizona heat. Is this common in a safety product? They, at the dealer. claimed it's fairly common with all cars. I call it lie. Not covered by warranty. Cost $400.

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    Reviewed July 3, 2010

    I bought a brand new Mazda 6 2005 and I could barely afford the payments. So I didn't get an extended warranty. This is the crappiest car I've ever driven. Within the first year, the stereo screen stopped working. I've had to replace tires on it four times within a six-month period and now spent another $535 on parts (broken fuel injector and hose) and labor. It's a poorly engineered car and I can't believe defect after defect. And I can't bring them to justice! I will never even consider purchasing another Mazda and will encourage anyone I know to not go near a Mazda dealership. Don’t buy a Mazda or you will be throwing money in the toilet!

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    Reviewed June 23, 2010

    The air conditioner in my 2008 Mazda Cx9 stopped working. The car is still under warranty and when I bought it in for service, I was told that the part I needed was on backorder for three weeks and I would have to wait. I live in South Florida and it makes the car almost unusable. I requested a loaner car, but was told that they do not have that type of program nor would they rent a car for you. Basically, take your $40,000 SUV and use in 90+ degree heat until you hear from us. I now no longer use the car and I drive my wife's car. It is horrible customer service from Mazda and this dealership.

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    Reviewed June 21, 2010

    There was a bulletin out about suspension problems for Mazda 5. I had the vehicle in for repair of a right rear shock twice. Neither time did they mention the problem with the rear spring, even though I complained about the noise several times. Then when the warranty was over, they told me about the defect, a weld too high which the coil spring would slide on and off of. They told me I would have to pay to have it fixed. I said I had complained about the problem but they pretended they could not recall that I had. So, I had to pay for the repair.

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    Reviewed June 21, 2010

    I have a 2002 Mazda 626 which I purchased in 2003 from Virginia. The vehicle had under 20,000 miles. I relocated back to California in 2004. In 2005, I had to have my transmission replaced. At that time, I was not aware of transmission issues with Mazdas. Here we are again, 2010, my transmission is slipping and I have to drive it as if it is a manual vehicle. I spoke with my mechanic and he advised me that unfortunately, Mazda is notorious for bad transmissions. I am easy going on my vehicle(s) and have regular maintenance performed. Two transmissions in a 5-year period is not good, not good at all.

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    Reviewed May 19, 2010

    The airbags in my 1995 Mazda Miata deployed when they shouldn't have. I was driving to work one morning when I was unable to go around a small pipe laying in the road so I ran over it. The pipe left no damage on the car but for whatever reason, the airbags deployed. The airbags destroyed the windshield and blew out both side windows on my car. This happened during rush hour traffic. Thankfully, I have a cool head and was able to make it to the shoulder with little more than some cuts from the broken glass. I do not have comprehensive insurance but if I did, the car would most definitely be totaled.

    After some research, I discovered that there is an open recall on 1995 Miatas for faulty SRS controllers and the symptoms match my case exactly. The recall was announced in 2000 and I bought the car used from a private seller last year (in 2009). I was not made aware of the open recall by anyone (the seller, Mazda, or the DMV) and now I have a broken car sitting in my driveway.

    Mazda has agreed to replace the airbag controller, as per the recall, but for the rest of the damages they disclaim any liability. Physical damage was, luckily, limited to some scratches from the broken windows. It could have been much worse had my reaction been different. The costs of having the car repaired would exceed the value of the car. What should I do?

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    Reviewed May 18, 2010

    I purchased a new Mazda Protoge5 2002. I take good care of my cars and service them regularly. In '05, the front caliper locked up. In '07, the front wheel bearings needed replaced at a cost of $700++ as they can not be done without special equipment. Then in '08. the transaxle went out, had it replaced by Mazda for $1000++ and it was only warranted for six months. Guess what, it's going out again. I won't even try to get Mazda to help with this as I know they won't but I will bandstand on every forum not to purchase Mazda as they are cheaply made, parts are priced at 400% mark up and there is no customer service or support from this organization. I inquired as to if they could discount this second repair as it had only been one year and was told they could not do that.

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    Reviewed May 16, 2010

    I own a 2004 MPV mini van. I have replaced the coils several times. They keep going out. I just recently went on the internet and found that many people are having the exact same problem. I have called Mazda and complained but they say there is nothing wrong with the van. I have found out from the internet that there was a new coil made that is said to fix the problem. But that is not true either since many of us are still having to replace the coil even with the new coil part. I saw that there is a class action suit with coils with Volkswagen. I wonder if Mazda has the same coil. It is very expensive to replace the coils in the MPV due to the location of the coils. I have been stranded many times because after fixing them, they can go out with no warning. Mazda is aware of the problems with this new engine in the 2004s and they are not standing by their product. I would like to start a class action against Mazda. I have had to spend the night several times because of being stranded because the coils breakdown with no warning even after you just fix them. Also, I have spent thousands of dollars replacing the same part over and over again.

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    Reviewed May 14, 2010

    We filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy and we have not discharged our bankruptcy yet. We attempted to make payments on our vehicle and Mazda rejected the payments and advised us to wait until the bankruptcy was discharged (which it hasn't yet) and they came to repossess the vehicle. I will proceed legally with them because we are protected. We need the car back as soon as possible and we need to be allowed to make the payments asap.

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    Reviewed April 21, 2010

    I and many others have had an engine over-run and severe tire wear on our Mazda 6s and Mazda 5s. Mazda UK is not giving any explanation to why this is happening and are making all the consumers pay for them, as they classified the defects as a non-warranty fix. We can all come together as one voice to get heard once and for all.

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    Reviewed April 20, 2010

    I have a 2001 Mazda MPV that I bought new and has around 75,000 miles on it. The gear shift has always allowed you to shift gear when the car was moving including reverse. When I park, you can also remove the key from the ignition even when car is in gear. I took it to dealer to be fixed under warranty, but they did not fix the problem.

    The transmission about six months ago started jerking and dealer said that it was going bad and was would cost $4,000 to replace. I have owned may cars and this is the first one where the transmission has gone out with so few miles on it. Now I am hearing about more complaints and realize that possibly Mazda is hiding something as did Toyota?

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    Reviewed April 15, 2010

    Mazda 2001 626 at less than 100,000 miles, the transmission started getting stuck in first gear. This happens more than it does not.

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    Reviewed April 15, 2010

    I recently purchased a 2002 Mazda 626 and I am having transmission problems. I said to myself, well that's a major expense; until a friend of mine just emailed me information the Mazda owners have been complaining about having transmission problems and that this may be something that Mazda needs to look into. This morning I read that Mazda is now recalling Mazda vehicles for having transmission problems...but in China?

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    Reviewed April 2, 2010

    I have a braking problem with my 2002 Mazda Tribute. They state that nothing is wrong with my car. Several times now, I have taken it in and told them I am having problems with the ABS braking system. It is making extreme noise when you apply the brakes and shakes the car all over the road. I believe I am going to be killed. I cannot get anyone to fix this car. Most people I contact will not even look at it and the local Mazda dealer states nothing is wrong with this vehicle.

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    Reviewed March 29, 2010

    My Friend, a single mother of three girls, bought a 2001 Mazda Tribute. They had it for about a year or two. One night, while they were in the house relaxing this vehicle just caught on fire and burned to the ground. I checked and found all kinds of information on this, so I am trying to help her re-coup some money or get a replacement vehicle. She is still making payments on this vehicle by the way. Luckily, the car was outside and no one was hurt but the family is crushed because this has put such a strain on the family budget, a single parent, that it is causing hardships as she is still making payments on a car that just went up in flames.

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    Reviewed March 18, 2010

    I purchased a 2003 Mazda Protege 5 in June of 2003. I am the only owner and the car only has about 53,000 miles on it. Several months ago, the transmission failed and I was unable to shift out of first gear. My mechanic repaired the transmission with parts ordered from Mazda, but was unable to resolve the problem. Finally, he replaced the transmission with another one from Mazda.

    After several weeks, it failed again. Again, my mechanic could not get the problem resolved and started over with yet another transmission. But, it still won't work! He has contacted Mazda and has been told that there are three different transmissions for this vehicle and that the first two were not the correct ones. So, we are now waiting on the third transmission from Mazda. I have spent over $2,000 for the replacement transmission, that shouldn't need replacing at 53,000 miles only after 6.5 years! I am fortunate enough that I could drive my mother's V8 truck that uses very much gasoline!

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    Reviewed March 1, 2010

    I own a 2004 Mazda Rx-8, a car that is notorious for recalls and engine failure. About two weeks ago, my car stalled in a parking lot and would not start again. After having the car towed to the local Mazda dealership (for $75 out of pocket, an expense which should be covered under warranty), I was informed that the motor, which has only 58,000 miles, needed to be replaced.

    Due to reliability issues with this motor, Mazda "covers" it under warranty, up to 8 years or 100,000 miles.

    I've been denied coverage under the warranty with over 40,000 miles left on that warranty. Mazda justified the situation due to oil change invoices that did not have odometer readings, a problem that is neither my fault nor should it matter anyway, as it only takes a minute of simple math to determine (on average), I've had the required number of oil changes.

    In my attempts to contact someone... anyone who is willing to help me at Mazda, I've received nothing but voicemails and "requests" to have someone contact me. I've gotten no help or answers from anyone but my contact at the dealership. There is no reason this shouldn't be covered under warranty and no acceptable reason why it took Mazda two weeks to tell me they weren't going to cover the repairs.

    I am only 23 years old and I work hard as a server and bartender at a local restaurant just to afford driving this car. In the two weeks I've spent trying to get this resolved, I have had to pass up several offers to work shifts and have even had to give some away for no other reason than that I had no transportation to and from work. Roughly, I've lost out anywhere from $400 to $600 in shifts. I could have worked over the last two weeks waiting for a response from Mazda, only to be denied in the end.

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    Reviewed Feb. 23, 2010

    My 2004 Mazda RX-8 has had countless issues with it. Everything from recalls on the starter to over 20 service bulletins. I have recently filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau because Mazda should not be allowed to sell a vehicle that has so many issues. Furthermore, they should own up to their mistake and take responsibility for the current owners who are dishing out thousands of dollars on repairs. Countless numbers of websites are filled with owners complaining about issues they have experienced or currently are experiencing with their 2004 Rx-8's. This is unacceptable, unethical and horrible business practice on Mazda's behalf.

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    Reviewed Feb. 18, 2010

    I purchased a 2005 Mazda RX-8 in 2005. After reaching 30,000 miles, the car is in the shop more than the driveway. It is my feeling and many other RX-8 owners, that the engine is defective in these cars and should be recalled. There has been much talk about getting Mazda to recall these rotary engines but to this day, they have not. Many RX-8 owners have had their engines replaced sometimes two or three times already. After spending nearly $30,000 for a car, this is unacceptable. The engines lose compression, stall, flood and will not restart.

    At 30,000 miles, my car started to run rough, became impossible to start and flooded constantly. The engine light would come on as well. I took it to my local dealership and they told me that there was carbon in the engine and put it through a compression test. It barely passed the test and I was told by the mechanic that there were a lot of defects in the Mazda RX-8 engine and that I would probably need to get a new engine in the very near future. Now I am no expert, but I feel that this expensive car should last longer than 30,000 miles! They replaced the battery, decarbed the engine and presented me an invoice of $600 and told me to come back if I had any more problems. Even after driving it off the lot, I could tell it would be much sooner than later that I would be returning.

    This car has continued to idle roughly, has a loss of compression, stall and flood since the first visit to the dealership. Now, six months later, I went to get in my car, started it up to warm up to operating temperature and the engine lights started blinking wildly and the engine cut off in a plume of noxious vapor. Mazda sent Road Side Assistance to tow the car (after two days). They took the car back to the dealership and informed me that the engine would need to be decarbed again and that the coils would need to be replaced. Again, another $700. After complaining, they accused me of not driving the car correctly. After many phone calls to Mazda HQ in California, I got the same treatment.

    I have followed the owner's manual exactly. I was told that "this is not the kind of car you drive short distances." I blew a gasket. When I purchased this car, there wasn't anything written on the sticker on the window that this car must be driven only long distance driving. The only information given to me was to let the car warm up to operating temperature before moving. That has been done each and every time.

    To date, I continue to get the runaround from the dealership, from Mazda HQ in California and to say I am terribly unhappy would be the understatement of the year. I have been to all the Mazda forums on the internet and it appears that I am not the only one having these problems. There are pages and pages of complaints and people wanting a lawsuit against Mazda. People time and time again have had their engines replaced early on in the cars years and frankly, there are some truly pissed off Mazda RX-8 owners who are tired of getting the runaround with no results except to drain their wallets.

    Mazda RX-8 owners deserve better treatment than what we are getting. Mazda came out with an extended warranty for the engine which was a kind gesture but that gesture is for nothing if the engine is defective and causing other parts that are not under warranty to die an early death. Am I to look forward to every 6 months taking my car in and spending $700 to replace some other part not engine related? Or am I doomed to having my car spend more time in the shop than in my own driveway? I ask for you to look into this matter and to offer us RX-8 owners some assistance. Force a recall of the engine if that is what it takes.

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    Reviewed Feb. 17, 2010

    This is not the first, second or third time that we had this problem. We have been ordering some parts for our Mazda Protege 5 and all the time, they tell us one specific day for arriving the parts and it's never that day. I don't have another week or two like on the previous orders we place. You guys need to pay attention on what you're doing or replace all personally. One time we make mistakes, two is a second chance but more than 3 times is ridiculous. I will think twice in the future before buying a Mazda car.

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    Reviewed Feb. 13, 2010

    My transmission slips and will not shift past 2nd gear. My car just made the 100,000 mile mark so obviously, no warranty anymore. I have heard this problem is very common. The cost of repair is not much less than the book value of the car. The dealership quoted $2500 or so to replace the transmission, I can't really justify spending that on something that has a good chance of failing again.

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    Reviewed Feb. 1, 2010

    I took my 2004 Mazda RX-8 to the Mazda dealership because I kept smelling gasoline inside my vehicle. I was told there was no leaks and that they could not smell it when they test drove it. Well, I am sorry but it still smells like gasoline and I have had numerous complaints from friends who also smell it and are concerned there may be dangerous consequences if not fixed.

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    Reviewed Jan. 28, 2010

    I bought a brand new BT50 3CRDI. In 2 years, I have had a new passenger seat put in or so, they say. The immobilizer has been changed and at 45,000 km, I had to get a new gearbox put in. According to a Mazda mechanic, I have a 2.5 gearbox in a 3-liter vehicle. What happens if it breaks again? The door plugs for the inner cover broke and I had to pay for it. The latest I reported is an engine problem to Mazda and twice they did nothing. There is no sound now so we can’t find the problem. At both times, when I delivered the vehicle, they stood by and said that they could hear the noise and that it was ‘not a good sound at all.’ Now, for almost 3 months down the line, the noise gets worse. I took it in again.

    Now, the fault has been found. The tension pulley is very loose and needs to be replaced. I believe that if they had checked properly, this could have been avoided. Now, I must pay almost R3000 to fix it. When the first problem started, I was told by a manager that I had bought a dud and that’s the way it is. I pay a lot of money for this vehicle only to find that as time goes by, so more and more faults are starting to occur. Should I have to take this? It is a loss of income and mental stress wondering when this is going to happen again. What happens when the warranty is over? How much will it cost me?

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    Reviewed Jan. 22, 2010

    I have a Mazdaspeed3, and it broke down about a month ago. The engine stopped working. I have it tolled to a dealership and they refused to work on the car due to unknown real answers.

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    Reviewed Jan. 20, 2010

    Beginning of November, I brought my Mazda truck to be fixed for electric problem. Day later, I was told it was fixed. Guess what? Not fixed. Then I was told Mazda Corp building the part that's bad. Time is 6-8 weeks. I called about it. I was told it will be shipped 29 Jan. But no one can tell me it will work. I have been without a vehicle since November. Luckily, I have another one to use, but that's not the point. Three months to fix a vehicle due to lack of part on part of Mazda Corp. Well, we had heavy snow. No 4-wheel drive truck to use. Making payment on something I don't have to use. Sharing car with family member causing inconvenience to all parties.

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    Reviewed Dec. 28, 2009

    I just bought a Mazda 626 LX with 124,000 miles. After 1 month of using it, the transmission was dead.

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    Reviewed Dec. 26, 2009

    My wife and I purchased a 2004 RX-8; the short story is the car is the worst car we have ever owned. This was an impulse buy at a used car lot. If we spent one hour at home on Google, we would have known better. Thankfully, we purchased an extended warranty. Despite this, we paid dearly for numerous repairs that somehow were not covered. The car was towed once and it stalled many times and it was said to be our fault despite knowing how to let the car warm up first before shutting it down.

    The salesman at Mazda said the easiest way to describe the warranty was to tell us what was not covered. He said, "Tires, body exterior parts, hoses, etc." That turned out to be false. They had the car 14 times the first year and never could fix the problem of the car stalling in the middle of the road and making horribly loud noises. Despite not knowing what was wrong, they sure found many things not covered by the warranty each time we brought the car in. They even lost our key for the lug nuts and said we must have lost them. I had never used them; they were in the glove box the last we knew.

    The dealer closed during this process, so we went to another nearby. After 4 visits, they told us the motor was bad at 35k! We had to fight tooth and nail to get it replaced. They, once again, found something to bill us for, hundreds of dollars. When asked, they said it was revealed when the motor was out and it was not a warranty item; it was something with the exhaust. Not one trip was free for any of the warranty calls.

    This must be great for the dealers. They get paid by Mazda and the owner! Never purchase a Mazda. You will be sorry and broke and by the way, we are afraid to drive more than 20 miles from home!

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    Reviewed Nov. 28, 2009

    My fiance and I bought a brand new RX-8 with about 300 miles on it. We have had it for 2 months and decided to drive to Ohio which is 5 hours from TN for Thanksgiving. About 3 hours into our trip, our transmission went kaput.
    *Our car had only 2,000 miles on it.* Not only did we miss Thanksgiving, but we waited on a wrecker, who took it to the closest Mazda dealership. We were dropped off at a hotel, paid 80 dollars for a cab to an airport, which we were turned around because we couldn't afford to put 400 dollars down on a rental car. We called Mazda and they said that we were under warranty but not the "trips interruption" so we weren't covered for anything else. STILL, being that the car is BRAND NEW with 2,000 miles. His Mom had to drive 3 hours to pick us up. Our car is now 3 hours away. We are both in the Army, so it's almost impossible to get time to get the car. (If it gets fixed anytime soon...) We went to the dealership that sold us the car( Who talked me out of buying the used car because the brand new one was only a little more), and they couldn't give us a rental. They claimed we had to go all the way back to Kentucky to retreive a rental from the dealership the car was sent to. We are probably sure that Mazda will NOT reemburse us for anything. We cannot afford 2 more trips to Kentucky, and NOT paying out of pocket for a rental car. Mazda customer service was horrible, and didn't care about our situation. I'm sure Mazda reps had a wonderful Thanksgiving with thier familes. Once we get our car back, we are trading it in for something other than a Mazda. Has anyone had an experience like this?
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    Reviewed Nov. 28, 2009

    Took in my personal Mazda 6 for Aircon repair27/11/09. Requested a service consultant to contact me in course of day with a status report.
    Recieved no call back. I then called at 15:30 to find out that my car was still not seen to and that Mazda would contact me back. No call recieved. This is my only means on transport with my 7 month old daughters car chair which we utilise as a family car. This simple service should have taken no longer than half a day. I was told that i could not collect my car as this particular branch early hours of Saturday morning 28/11/09 as they do not trade on a Saturday and find it hard to believe as i recieved service and sales assistance from another Mazda branch which initially sold and serviced my car at the required intervals and recieved exceptional service. Point Im trying to make is i have no car avialble to me or my family for the weekend and now have to wait till new week to recieve my car without recieving any notification from this particular Mazda branch which i find totally unacceptable??? I did however recieve my daughters car chair from one of the service consultants from this branch Johan Kriel. Would some please contact me to see where to from here!!!
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    Reviewed Nov. 2, 2009

    My Mazda 5 2006 has had a history of it's passangerside back seatbelt keeps braking...5 times. It has been replaced, but now that I have 68,000 miles they won't replace it. I have 2 eleven yrs old kids and they are accussing me of abusing the seatbelt. I am insulted and appauld...PLEASE HELP ME.
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    Reviewed Oct. 19, 2009

    i have a 1999 mazda 626 the transmission went at 79000 miles. I had a extended warranty so the dealer replaced it. now, 3 years later at 119000 my transmission is done again. 3 transmissions in one car. its a disgrace the manufacturer could care less. they definately should be recalled.
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    Reviewed Oct. 12, 2009

    Mazda-3 with 65000 on odometer has engine to be replaced for the proce of $8000. Mazda were bought brand new and oil was changed everu 3-4 K miles. I heard some else have the same problem.
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    Reviewed Oct. 9, 2009

    I bought my Mazda CX-9 in Feb, 2009. On Oct.6th 2009 when I was driving my car on high way, I heard some cracking sound from behind my car. I thought I might have driven over something. When I got home at night I noticed something missing from the rea passanger side. The plastic rim mould was gone! I called dealership the next day and brought my car to them. They told me if I couldn't find the lost piece they couldn't do the replacement which should be in warranty. They suggest me call Mazda customer service and I did. The guy told me they had discussed with dealership and I should receive call from dealer soon. Today I got call from dealer and the guy told me they can give me 25% off which means I have to pay $230 for the mould, which is not nonsense. This must be from car defect and why should I pay for the defect? I talked to Mazda customer service. The guy told me this is their final decision, from top of their service department and no change can be made. I asked to talk to their manager and was refused. What should I do?
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    Reviewed Oct. 1, 2009

    I leased the mazda cx-7 2007 on July 30 2006,since the day I got it, it was giving me problems.
    The first week I realized that the car is vibrating terribly I called them & they said to take it in so I did & the motor mount was missing. then when I went to make an oil change the guy tells me the filter was missing. a couple of months later the car started vibrating again & the motor mount was missing again. a few months later the passenger door fell off. & a couple of months there after the drivers door came off!!!!!
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    Reviewed Sept. 11, 2009

    I have a Mazda tribute 2001 model. After 85,000 miles, my transmission started to go at a time i was on vac in wild wood nj.
    coming back from my trip with my wife and kids (my kids) the transmission on my car was starting to go,there was no repair shops open thay were all closed, rental car shops close, nothing was open on labor day know one around to help us We where on our own trying to get home so i drove the car for 9 ohours going 25mile an ohour thats how fast it would go after it went out on us on the high way. 9 ohours it toke to get home where it would have only taken us only 2 in a half; I am angry at Mazda for not taking any responsibility for these faulty transmissions. I feel that someone with the power to enforce the recall on automobiles with fauity transmission should investigate the matters,a little more carefully to help the consumers And stop Mazda AND THE dealers from getting away with there defectve transmissions that they are installing in there cars.which only seem to last for a short time befor having to replaced them. I have researched the findings of how many times on the internet that every one has tried contacting Mazda about this and its sad to know that no one cares about us as a consumer; It has cost ME about $3.300.00 to have it replaced now I have sicnce called Mazda and the answer Was IT WAS my fault?? how was that my fault? IF There ARE many folks on the net that complain about the same issue, Mazda should have a recall on its transmissions! yet thay do nothing even if it seem to hurt their reputation tremendously! I will not buy another Mazda, nor will a lot of others out there. the cost of repairs are killing meand my family. thankyou for your time Kenneth Saunders
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    Reviewed Sept. 9, 2009

    bought a mazda rx8 '05 in feb. '06. since than i've have had to have in towed in to be worked on 4 times.the problem's they worked were the battery wich was replaced 3 times alonge with the engine stalling and flooding.just recently they replaced the engine.i have only 6 months left on my warranty,i'm concerned these problems will cotinue after my warranty exspires and i'll be stuck with the bill. please advise. thank's jim barbour.
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    Reviewed Sept. 9, 2009

    I Purchased my Mazda CX-7 less than two years ago. The first winter, while driving highway commutes for work, my car would suddenly lose power even when on cruise and immediately drop my transmission into 4th gear and my speed would immediately drop to 40 miles an hour. Multiple times, nearly got rear-ended by semis because there was no warning to this. Took the car to the shops twice and was told nothing was wrong with it. Told me to just turn off my car and re-start it, which is difficult to do when you're cruising at 70mph to begin with and traffic on your tail. When I almost got hit again, I returned the car, although turning it off and then on did fix the immediate problem, and told them they fix it or take it back because they were putting my life in danger each and every day I climbed into that car. Finally, they identified the problem and fixed it.
    Now, my car has been sitting for a month and using an uncle's "beater car" to go back and forth to work because the air conditioner compressor and clutch completely burned out in the car. Again, no forewarning. Well, apparently, many many people are having this same problem because there were no Mazda dealerships that had the part available because they were all on back order. Waiting time was 2-6 weeks for receipt of the part alone. Mazda charges 1,000.00 for the part alone, not including labor. I checked the internet and noted that many people are reporting this problem and getting no assistance. There should be a recall but there isn't. The problem remains that this part is inadequate and Mazda may replace the part for some if still under warranty. However, they are just putting on a new defective part. The 1,000.00 cost will be recurring until the manufactures correct the underlying issue.
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    Reviewed Sept. 7, 2009

    the car is falling apart the transmission the breaks the struts
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    Reviewed Sept. 7, 2009

    Mazda 2.5 double cab 4X4 Baught in february 2005.All the services have been done regulary till now due for 70.000Km. Front tyres replaced before 9000km. Shortly after major vibration ocured andprop shaft was replaced'there after clutch kit was replaced.Then came a diff box averhauled(out of waranty). than the gear box had to be overhaled at my cost.After that the side shaft bearings and seals replaced. Last week while touring in Knysna, a loud "bang" ocured and had no clutch. The report from the Ford/Mazda garage are: clutch kit required and again a new gearbox
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    Reviewed Sept. 3, 2009

    I bought a 2004 Mazda RX8 with 38,000 miles on it and it is nothing but junk! It has been towed to the dealer four times now with stalling problems and they can't fix it. They just replaced the motor the last trip there and it is still torn up. This car is terrible. They shouldn't be allowed to sell these cars. I have been out nearly $5,000.00 on repairs since I bought it. I will never own another Mazda of any type. The Mazda RX8 is a terrible car that I wish I had never bought. I was doing pretty good until I bought this 2004 Mazda RX8 and now I have nearly broke myself trying to get it fixed!

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    Reviewed Sept. 2, 2009

    My 2007 Mazda CX7 check engine light has been on since March 2009 until the present September 2009. It has been at the dealer for a period of 20 days. It first started out as a starting sensor that I had to wait for the part for 3-4 days. I took it back to the dealer. It was there for 5 days. The light remained on, then the latest they finally determined it's the camshaft light. According to the service manager, it's just the sensor, not actually the camshaft on Friday, 8/25. As of Tuesday, 9/1, the engine was still broken down waiting to put it back together but yet it's just light.

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    Reviewed July 31, 2009

    I have a red Mazda 2003 and the paint on the hood and the bumper is starting to chip off. I keep my car in the garage. I wanted to know if there was a recall on the red cars because red is known to chip.

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    Reviewed July 28, 2009

    In the summer of this year 2009, our air conditioner on our 2007 Mazda CX-7 went out at around 47000 miles. Mind you that I was on the interstate traveling approximately 70 mph with my family in tow. Prior to this happening, I did read on various forums that this was a common problem with all CX-7's made prior to 2008. Luckily for me, the compressor failed but the compressor clutch did not seize. Were that to have happened, the drive belt could have possibly snapped off and may have caused an accident going 70 mph. Apparently, Mazda had faulty designed compressors that were installed in the early generations of this car. Shortly after finding out from numerous complaints, Mazda redesigned the compressors for installation for their 2008 CX7 lines; however, failing to contact or making known to any of the current owners of the previous models.

    Reading many public forums and know that I was not the only one with this problem, I called and filed a complaint with Mazda customer service and requested that I be reimburse for the repairs. Since I was beyond the warranty service of three years/36000 miles, the extended warranty kicked in and paid about $950 of the total $1700 bill. I was liable for the remaining $750 plus the rental charges while my car was waiting for parts to show up. Mazda refused reimbursement and stated that the dealer, Sutherlin Mazda of Buford, GA, assisted me in every way they could and so I was not entitled to reimbursement. Also, the car was not under any recall for the air conditioner and its faulty components so there was no needed action to take on Mazda's end. Even the dealer representative stated that this was a common problem with the CX-7's.

    Needless to say, any Mazda CX-7 owner whose production was prior to 2008 (I forget what the actual date was), the air conditioning unit will 100% fail because it is a faulty design. I don't mind paying for services for maintenance nor do I mind paying for repairs of things that break. They are mechanical in nature and are bound to break at some time; however, being that I am one of very many that has incurred this problem, I do not feel that I should have paid for a problem that Mazda recognizes is a common fault within this particular make and model.

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    Reviewed July 10, 2009

    I have a 2,007 Mazda Speed6 and on the 4th of July, the clutch went out. There were no warning signs of this going to happen. The car only has a little over 22000 miles on her. I took my car to Mazda South, and the service writer and service manager said that the price to fix the car would be $1700. They never even took the car apart to verify this problem. It was a total guess. I called Mazda Corporate and stressed my concern after a day of Mazda South not even contacting me. It then took them a day, and they came back with the same answer that my clutch was a maintenance issue, not warranty. Jennifer at Mazda Corp. said that I could not speak to a supervisor nor could I speak with the local rep for Mazda.

    So here I am in a car that I paid $30k for, and they are leaving me in the dirt. I then had my car towed to a more reputable automobile repair shop, and they then took the vehicle apart. The owner of the shop told me that he has never seen a clutch (especially after only 22k miles) totally disappear and the car now had another problem, which was the fly wheel. This shop then said that Mazda should honor their warranty because in his professional opinion, this car had a faulty clutch.

    Now, this guy would make money off me, but he was honest and though I should take it back to Mazda. I need help to get them to pay for their problem. I could understand if I was 18 and this was my first manual shift transmission; but I'm 35 and do not race my car. This has now cost me $1800 plus a rental of $200 and is making me late on paying bills.

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    Reviewed July 9, 2009

    I bought a 2009 Mazda 5 last October 31, 2008 with Metrotown Mazda. I just noticed after driving the car for more than 3 months, I kept on hearing a loud sound on the rear part of the vehicle every time I hit a speed bump. This is quite annoying specifically, if you always pass school or church areas.

    I went to Metrotown Mazda twice and they told me that the parts (sway bars) were replaced from a new vehicle. However, the problem remains up to now and I kept on asking the manager, **, if this is normal from Mazda. His first reply was no, since their service vehicle which has the same model is quiet. After my second visit, he changed his tune and told me that this is normal since Mazda is a hatchback type of vehicle and I should be lucky that the loud sound could be heard only after hitting a speed bump. In addition, he told me that Mazda is already conducting a research on this. I don't know if this is a factory defect or not.

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    Reviewed July 3, 2009

    I have a 1999 Mazda 626 and the transmission keeps going out. What is wrong with the Mazda people? Do they not care about other people? They are worried about money in their pocket, not about how much money we, the people, are out of. If they had a heart and soul, they would have a recall on the transmission. Why not help us out. We can't afford to buy another car. I have no way to get around.

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    Reviewed June 23, 2009

    On 5/11/09, the air-conditioner in my 2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring (19,000 miles) stopped blowing cold. I took it to Expo Mazda in Kingwood, TX (not where I purchased it) for service. It took two and a half weeks before they were unable to diagnose the problem. Finally, they claimed they ordered a part that would be there in 24 hours. After four days, the part still was not there so I pushed for the District Manager. I was contacted by the service dept. to inform me that the part had been ordered again and it would be coming from Japan, which could take a while since it would have to pass through Customs. After a week, I was told that the part was in Customs.

    Two weeks later, they still did not have the part and had no idea why. I demanded the name and number of the District Manager. I contacted him on a Monday. He located the part in the U.S. and by Tuesday morning, the dealership had the part. It was to be ready no later than Thursday but I was called that evening and told that the part had not fixed the problem and they don't know what else to try. I contacted the District Manager again and he was under the impression that the car had been fixed. He said that he would put in calls and get some answers.

    Now, I'm waiting for a Japanese technician who specializes in heating and air to look at the car on Wednesday. At this point, they have had my car for 43 days with no end in sight. I have been provided a rental car that is nowhere near comparable to the car I purchased, yet I'm making payments on the car they can't fix. The economic problem for me is that I'm making payments on a $38,000 car while I'm driving a $12,000 car from Enterprise Rent A Car. It's 102 degrees outside and I'm riding in the blistering sun with no tinted windows.

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    Reviewed June 16, 2009

    We have a 98 Mazda 626 that we bought new in ’98. It has been a good car except for the two transmissions that have been replaced since we had it. I think Mazda should be held responsible for all the problems and money they have caused us as consumers. They know the transmissions are junk and they just don’t even care. Does it take for someone to go postal at Mazda for them to do something about it? I hope a class action suit can be done because it's just not right to us. Don’t’ buy Mazda.

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    Reviewed June 4, 2009

    I bought a Mazda 626 2000 in September 2000, and it had more than 14,000 miles on it. I now have 94,777 miles on it, and Stevenson Honda is telling me that I need a new transmission, while Wells Transmission is telling me that I need a torque converter. If it's under 100,000 miles, why can't Mazda replace the transmission and torque converter? I can't believe I am having transmission problems. One place told me to just drive under 35 or over 50 miles per hour and I will not feel the jerking, because Mazda built in a set speed of 45 and that is why it's doing it.

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    Reviewed May 29, 2009

    I PURCHASED A 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE V6 3.0 FROM ATLANTA DEALER ON MAY 5TH 2009 DROVE THE VEHICLE A DAY AND IT STARTED STALLING WITH ME AND WENT DEAD SEVERAL TIMES LIKE TO HAVE CAUSED A WRECK TWICE, SO I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER AND THEY PUT IT ON COMPUTER AND STATED IN WAS THE AIR VALVE AND REPLACED IT CHARGING THE PLACE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM 343 BECAUSE I WAS UNDER WARRANTY THEY SAID I SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY MORE PROBLEMS, WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY IT STILL STALLS AND SCARES ME TO DEATH THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO HIT ME BECAUSE OF IT GOING DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF HWY,I JUST REALIZED THAT IT HAS A RECALL ON THE (PCM) IN 2004 SO I WILL CALL AND SEE IF I CAN GET IT FIXED. I REALLY LOVE THE VEHICLE,BUT I CAN NOT BE IN DANGER TO ME OR MY CHILDREN, SO HOPE THEY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM.
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    Reviewed May 28, 2009

    I have a 2006 Mazda Tribute which I leased on a 4 year contract. This is the fifth Mazda I have leased and I have had front end problems with two other vehicles but they were covered with warranty. I purchased additional warranty with my last purchase and also wanted a three year lease but was encouraged to take a four year lease. It is in the fourth year that problems come up. In April I noticed some grinding noises in the front end and took the car to my neighbourhood garage who told me this was front differential problems that would be covered by warranty. When I took the car to Gerry Gordon's I was advised that the problem was with the transfer case and I was not covered by warranty because I didnt change the trans fluid at 48 K's. The car has 54 K's on it. The repair bill there would have been over $5000 and I looked elsewhere and found someone to fix it for about $2000. Indeed the owners manual requires this transmission oil change but to have this defect in a newer vehicle is ridiculous. I will definitely be doing a lot more research next April when I go to turn over the car and I will not be making a purchase at Mazda be it Gerry Gordon's or any other Mazda. I make outrageous payments on this vehicle for the peace of mind of having a reliable car. I liked the car very much and I am very disappointed. I had a Protege and an MPV which had transmission problems but the dealership covered these problems under warranty.
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    Reviewed May 15, 2009

    Purchase a 2007 Mazada CX-7 in November 2007. When the car hit 14000 miles we noticed that the tires in the front of the car had worn on the inside of the car. Called Mazada told them I also told them I needed the oil changed so we waited un 15000 when the oil was due.
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    Reviewed May 7, 2009

    i bought a brand new mazda 2 hatchback in august 2008.had nothing but trouble with it since then. small niggly things like the cigarette lighter stopping working,and the speakers going off were the start. then, a few weeks ago the mechanism on my petrol cap lever ceased to work,meaning that i now have to open my petrol cap with a small card or my fingers.this obviously also meas that it no longer keeps itself shut.then to top it all off,last week i was driving my car home one evening when a smell started coming from the engine,and the gearbox felt very. after stopping the car and lifting the bonnet,noticed the smell was very intense so i intended to contact the dealer the following day.however,upon attempting to finish my journey home, the car would no longer pull away or go into gear, and would not move from the spot i was parked in. i contacted the garage and also the mazda recoverys department the following morning,explaining the problem,who then followed by recovering my car to the dealer from which i purchased the car to carry out the repairs. i should mention also,that me and family members had attempted to remove the car from the side of the road where it had been parkd,by using the tow eye to tow the car.however,as soon as the towing car pulled away to pull my car,the tow ey threaded out of the hole at the front of my car,causing slight damage to it. obviously another common fault with these cars that could have caused a very serious accident had the car been towed any distance before it detached it self due to the faulty tow eye. however,over the following days i spoke to the garage on several occasions about the progress of the cars fault.after 4 days they informed me that it was a clucth and gearbox fault and they would need replacing.however it was bank holiday weekend so it would be a few days before they could contact mazda to see if my warranty covered me. low and behold those days passed, and the jennings mazda garage contacted me to say that because the car had 16000 mile on the clock,they could no longer cover the clutch under the warranty as the mazda policy was 9000 miles or under. i contacted mazda customer services,who just repeated this to me,insisting it was clearly stated in my warranty booklet. i was informed by the garage it would cost me over £466 to repair this fault.i knowi could have got this done half of that price or even less,but the garage were adament that i would then incur fees for their diagnostic on the car and also the transportation. also the fact that they had borrowed me a hire car for the week as "goodwill", would mean i would also have to pay those costs! i almost felt backed into a corner and that i was obliged to pay this garage to fulfill the repairs.i had no choice. i am now in the process of writing to mazda head office with my official complaint,due to the service i feel i have not recieved.after looking through my very small warranty booklet,it firstly states on the first page that in the first year or the warranty,ANY parts are covered by the warranty with unlimited mileage? however,a few pages later it describes that parts which are at risk of periodically breaking will only be covered by their 9000 mile warranty,which it explains includes parts such as plugs and bulbs. now to me,this does not have any relevence to a clutch.maybe at 40000 or 50000 miles you could expect general wear and tear on a clutch, but not a total burn out at 16000 miles. the garage had also tried to question my use of the vehicle,and my driving skills. after driving for 5 years and owning 3 cars,of which 2 have been brand new, this is the first time i have EVER had any issue like this. mazda clearly were not willing to take any responsibilty for this, so now i have been left with a huge repair bill. oh,and also the fact that they claim the petrol cap and tow eye is also my own fault so they will also not be fixed under the mazda warranty. i feel totally ripped off and i'm sure that any normal company that thrives in customer satisfaction,would recognise and acknowledge my complaint correctly. something which i believe mazda to be greatly lacking in.
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    Reviewed May 2, 2009

    In 2005 we bought a new Mazda-3. We are the only one owner since then. On April, 23 2009 the car was picked-up from the the service. Sun-rood was totally replaced becouse somehow it was broken. We paid $1005 for that service. We haven't used the car since April, 23 2009. All windows, doors, sunrood were closed for a week. Today, May, 2 2009, we opened the car and found a lot of water on the floor.
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    Reviewed April 24, 2009

    In 2006 I purchased a new Mazda3 S Sedan. This vehicle was serviced by Mazda and other shops and was maintained strictly according to the Mazda Manual in terms of the service, oil change frequency etc.
    At approximately 35K miles the engine blew up. Towed it to Mazda and they, after much hmmming and hawing, said that they would replace it without cost to myself. They did so. At approximately 98K miles the engine once again blew up. This time I had it looked at by a friend who is a mechanic, he found that the engine was totally dry of oil, but interestingly enough, there was no sign of an oil leak, and HE had been doing the oil changes every 3K miles (half the time suggested by Mazda). Mazda recommended the use of 5W-20 oil. But it seems that their oil rings are quite poor and do not seal against oil loss, and that at High sustained freeway speeds can eat as much as a quart of oil in a period of perhaps two days (almost all of my driving is at high freeway speeds for periods as long as 2 hours at a time, as I commute a good distance each way daily. I would propose that the Ford Engine was poorly designed for high speed operation and that the use of their recomended 5W-20 was STUPID on their part as they BILL this car in their advertisements as a cheap and fun version of the Mazda3 SPEED model, and folks DO tend to drive it quite fast. So far the 3rd engine in this car is now running 20W-50 oil with an oil additive, and is no longer using oil at a prodigious rate...and perhaps might last a while, or at least I hope so. In my opinion, Mazda KNEW of the problem with this engine, as they replaced the first one themselves at no cost to myself under warrantee, which says to me that they KNEW there was a problem...
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    Reviewed April 16, 2009

    I brought in my 3-month-old top-of-the-line Grand Touring Mazda6 for a recall on the door handles, only to find out my transmission line had been dangerously leaking and the car was not drivable. Now, 3 weeks later, after awaiting the repair day by day, I am told they cannot get the part because it is "back ordered." I am told it will be another month! The car only has 3,000 miles on it. It should not have a major repair issue to begin with nonetheless take over a month to repair. The car has been in the shop now for 3 weeks and I am told the part may be in 3 weeks(!) if it come then. Meantime, I was given a loaner but in dirty condition and it's a much smaller base level car than what I purchased.

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    Reviewed April 14, 2009

    The check engine light came on in my 2005 Mazda Tribute. The PCM (computer) was all corroded and destroyed 6 ignition coils that had to be replaced. My Tribute has less than 50,000 miles on it but Mazda would not cover any of it because the 4-year warranty was up although there was a technical service bulletin about this problem, so I'm not the only one with this problem. Stay away from the 2005 Mazda Tribute. You'll be sorry like me.

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    Reviewed March 24, 2009

    I have had problems with my '05 rx8's in dash display for my audio. I have repeatedly reported it whenever I get my car serviced but has not shown it's problem whenever its in the dealer for service. The light (or backlight?) appears to be turned off in several occassions. I tried to figure out when it goes off (if it's too hot or too cold or if it has something to do with the time of day) so I can make a detailed complaint/report about it when I go have it in-serviced but I can't seem to figure out when it goes off until I finally gave up on it. I have also replaced the visor on the driver's side. The brakes has always been squeaky for some reason and I had one of the taillights flooded (good thing it was still under warranty). I love my car but hate the hassle of getting worried about it.
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    Reviewed March 17, 2009

    The Mazda RX-8 has a design flaw. You can not move the car a short distance without flooding the engine. My husband moved our RX-8 in order to get his motorcycle out of the garage. The next day I tried to drive the RX-8 and it would not start. The dealership is aware of the engine flooding problem, however, they do not acknowledge it as a flaw and charge over $100 to drain the engine of the excess gas. A car should be able to be moved a short distance without having to tow it to the shop and spend money to fix it. There are many complaints on the internet from other RX-8 owners on the numerous design flaws with the engine of this vehicle.
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    Reviewed Feb. 24, 2009

    The transmission on my 2003 Mazda Tribute failed at 70,000 miles, warranty expired at 60,0000 miles. Airport Mazda (Pittsburgh PA)had the vehicle for a week, all they said was the computer did not register any codes. The following day brought it to a local transmission shop, during the mechanic test drive the car just stopped, the Mazda Tribute needed to be towed back to the shop. The transmission I understand is made by Ford.
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    Reviewed Feb. 24, 2009

    I bought a new 1990 MPV van. ID # JM3LV521XL0243232. When it reached 80k miles, the vehicle maximum speed was only 40MPH and the engine started to burn engine oil to dark. The computer diagnosis showed that the vehicle computer failed. I had to abandon this car as trash.
    I also bought a new 1999 626 LX car. Its ID # is 1YVGF22C4X5814028. Currently, its mileage is only 68510. Its transmission was broken. Both cars gave me a lot of trouble. I lost huge money from them for repairing. Why Mazda's vehicles quality are so bad??!! I will never buy Mazda cars and tell my story to anybody I know.
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    Reviewed Feb. 22, 2009

    I was driving home from work with my 3 year old son when I heard a big boom noise. My car started making a loud knocking noise. I was only a couple of blocks away from the house and had a van full of groceries. I got the van into my driveway. I looked under the hood and noticed that my spark plug had blown out again. This is the 2nd time this has happened. The first time I was on the highway transporting some children to a school event. It took about an hour to get someone to come and get the children and get my vehicle towed home.
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    Reviewed Feb. 18, 2009

    I bought a auto from a mazda dealer on lancaster and O.B.T.,This auto is less than 1 year and I am having front end problems,the front tire has torn and the vehicle is a safety hazard,I cannot drive I ask the Mgr and he said this vehicle is as is,he offered no help.
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    Reviewed Feb. 6, 2009

    I purchased my car in 2004 and have had one break down after another. It's has had 2 recalls - 1 engine replaced, engine floading problems, engine crank-no start problems. My car has been in the shop numerous times and after writing letter since 2005, phone calls to Mazda they seem not to want to help me in any shape, form or way. My car has been at Hall Mazda, Virginia Beach for 2 weeks now. They claim it has lack of power recall again, and said they were waiting to hear from Mazda. The next day engine approved. I was referred to call BBB-Auto Line by Hall Mazda and I recieved a phone call from Katie yesterday telling me they will no longer cover my engine for the fact I called BBB-auto. When engine was replaced in 2007 - it came with 100,000 warranty that I have NOT exceeded and they still refuse to put engine in. I need serious help here. I'm still making payments and I have no vehicle to go to work and back. Thank you, angela green
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    Reviewed Feb. 5, 2009

    My in laws purchased an 2005 Madza 6i new, and gave it to my now wife about a year and a half ago. It ran quite well for about 50k miles. But soon it started jolting the whole car sporadically when downshifting. Since it was sporadic I could never get it to act up for a dealer.
    Finally around 80k, it began throwing a code, and being consistent.
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    Reviewed Jan. 23, 2009

    I Bought a 2004 Mazda rx8 and is a LEMON I have 30 pages from service department from dealer,Car keeps breaking down,and is dangerous in traffic will cut off,car was just in the shop for 3 months broke down 2 weeks after I got it back and is now sitting in my drive way,Help what can I do?Dealer wont fix it I don't think they know what to do.
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    Reviewed Jan. 19, 2009

    I owned my 2005 Mazda RX-8 for one year when one cold morning the car would not start. I put the car into the garage thinking it was just too cold when a few hours later it would still not start. I had it towed to the Mazda dealership to have them tell me that it was low on oil and that the engine needed to be replaced.
    At this point I was like, wow. But if Mazda will replace my engine then whatever. A week later Mazda tells me that they will not honor the factory warranty for the engine due to lack of oil. I have complained and tried talking to as many people as possible but I have gotten no support from Mazda except for a simple 'No'. I have even had the mechanic at the dealership explain to me that it is possible many other factors could of led to this engine failure and that the low oil is only one possible case. I have researched and found that these cars have a horrible track record for failing/flooding engines and even found a post on your site regarding the recalls of the engines.
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    Reviewed Dec. 31, 2008

    This is typical for the RX8. I did not receive the engine recall/exended warranty notice from Mazda that would have enabled me to take the car and have the compression checked. My engine will need to be replaced; it has been setting in the shop for three weeks now, and I still do not have the paperwork I need. How do I get a copy of the paperwork that will enable replacement of a faulty engine?
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    Reviewed Dec. 30, 2008

    Approximately 5 months ago I went out to start my Mazda RX8 and it would not turn over. I had not driven it for approximately 2 months as with the price of gasoline it was almost prohibited because of the terrible gas mileage. I had to have my vehicle towed to the Auffenburg Mazda dealership to have it repaired at the cost of
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    Reviewed Dec. 12, 2008

    I bought a mazda protege brand new in 2003. Eventhough I do have over 100,000 miles on my car, I had to replace the transmission this summer. Also, after about 3 years I started having issues with the automatic locks. I have two doors now that make a buzzing sound when I try to lock it. One door will not lock at all automatically. I spoke to a mechanic that said that it seems to happen a lot in proteges. Considering that this was my second protege and I never had this problem before, I checked for a recall. Of course, there was not any. I just hope that the transmission lasts until I can purchase a new one.
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    Reviewed Dec. 7, 2008

    I purchased a mazda protege from an owner with only 110k miles on it, i just got a job and my cars transaxle decides to finally hit the bucket at 115k on it, i am dissapointed in mazda and will never purchase a car like it ever again
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    Reviewed Dec. 4, 2008

    About 9 months ago I purchased a brand new Mazda CX-7. This is a rather expensive car but I purchased it because I drive a long way to work and I needed something that would be safe for winter driving. Now the car has 16,000 miles on it and the tires are completely worn out. When I took the car in for its 10,000 mile oil change, the technician noted on the service report that there was excessive wear on the tires and that there was a problem with the brakes. They said nothing to me verbally about it and I did not notice the notes on the receipt until much later. I was recently looking at the service report for a different reason and noticed these remarks. Monday I took the car in for its 15,000 mile oil change and asked the dealer what these remarks meant. The service manager examined the brakes and found two defective rotors which they replaced. He told me that the tires are not covered under the warranty and that EVERY CX-7 wears the tires out very quickly because Mazda puts very soft tires on their cars. This tells me that they knew I was going to have these issues and did not inform me of this problem. The dealer told me to take the car to Bridgestone, who manufactured the tires which I did. The technician at Bridgestone examined the tires and found that the alignment is so bad on all four wheels that the tires wore out prematurely. Neither Bridgestone nor Mazda will take responsibility for these issues. Now it’s December, I’m broke, and I have to drive around on bald tires in my brand new car. Yesterday the dealership informed me that they will not even cover the wheel alignment since they only do this while the car has less than 12,000 miles on it.
    What is really disgusting is that I even purchased a total care package on the vehicle when I bought it that cost me an extra $1900. It states on the literature that there will be no unexpected repair bills but apparently that is not true. I started looking on the internet and it seems that very many people are having the same issue with their tires on the CX-7. This is a very expensive car by the way. They sticker at about $30,000. Who expects to have to replace tires on their brand new car after only 9 months and 16,000 miles? I feel like I have been ripped off and they new about this problem when they sold me the car. I am getting nowhere on this issue and in the mean time it is winter weather with ice and snow and I have smooth tires! HELP!!
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    Reviewed Nov. 25, 2008

    I bought a Mazda Rx8 in Dec. of 2003, a 2004 model. I have since had the car in for multiple engine problems, the most recent required it to be replaced by Mazda. But then last week my check engine light came on, I barely made it from my job to the nearest automotive shop where I spent 609.11 on repairs to the ignition coils, an was able to pick my car up on monday night. It is now not runing, at all. It won't start, I don't even get clicking noises. It is dead. Battery voltages check god, and my local dealership( in New Bern NC has closed for good, so the nearest service location is over 45 minutes away from my home. As a Marine widow ,this is my only source of transportation and it would be nice to be able to use it. Guess I'll be walking to work for a while.
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    Reviewed Nov. 16, 2008

    On 9/29/08 My new 2008 Mazda 6 with 4955 miles had this happen. My husband had driven my car to work. At 7am on 9/29 he started the car. No problem until he went to turn on the wipers and they would not come on.The car was running at this time.He then tried to turn on the defrosters they also would not turn on. He was looking thru the glove box for the manual and looked up and smoke was coming out from under the hood of the car.At that point he said the car died. Other people had noticed the smoke and ran into the office for fire extingushers and put out the fire. At that point Darrell called me and I then call Oxmoor Mazda.The first person I spoke with in Service said for me to call the Body shop that they didnt do any repairs. That was fine I called the boby shop and they told me It was a warranty issue. So after that run around. I then called my insurance to have it towed to the Oxmoor service. They (Mazda)never once offered to help.Roadside asst. I then went to pickup my Husband and we went to the Dealer to wait for our car to get their. They took a statement and said that they would have someone from Mazda look at it and get back with us. They called 3 days later to tell us to have our insurance take a look at it and that it was not a warranty problem. Ok a New car with less than 5000miles. What has happen to Customer Service?? So then Mike our agent went and took pictures, he told us that Mazda said the wires to the starter had been chewed and that caused the starter to catch fire. He said that that was not so but in order to get the car fixed we had to pay our $500 deductable. So we said ok and he said Mazda would/should take care of us.for the 500 well on 10/21/08 the car was ready for pickup $867.72 for a STARTER.. Bill at Oxmoor is not much of a General Manager as he said he would look into this and offered a free tank of gas for the poor service we received along with a hood that was oily,car was not washed and we asked for the starter and they happened to forget to put it in the car and they also forgot to program the auto doorlocks and I had to go back for that to get done. If this is how Oxmoor Mazda treats their Customers and gives them the runaround and does Not stand behind their product than who would ever refer anyone to go their I have a fear driving in this car. I watch for smoke all the time. I put a fire ext. in my car. and also if this was the starter than why did the wipers not come on?? That is a Question I have asked and no one seems to know. Thank you,Robin Tibone Also Mike said we could have the pictures.We have not seen them as we just trusted that we were doing the right thing. And that Mazda would refund the 500 and pay our insurance the differance. Hope you can help.
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    Reviewed Oct. 22, 2008

    Bought my 1997 Mazda 626 new and at 69,000 miles the transmission has gone out. However, after researching these transmissions, I was upset to find that it is a Ford transmission, and there are plenty of people having the same problem with these transmissions. Apparently the car was not designed to adequately keep the transmissions cool enough and they are basically burning themselves up.

    I am angry that Mazda is not taking any responsibility for these faulty transmissions. They need to know that putting these Ford transmissions in their cars has hurt their reputation tremendously! I will not buy another Mazda, nor will a lot of others out there. I am having to pay for the rental car, however, the warranty company will reimburse me. I feel very sorry for all of the others out there that are out of warranty and stuck with a car that I feel was designed improperly!

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    Reviewed Oct. 21, 2008

    I purchased a 2007 Mazda 6 Grand Tour Sport Edition straight out of the showroom at McKinney Dealership in Easley, SC in February 2007. I have had a recent problem to happen with my vehicle which at the moment is finished with the repairs at the dealership waiting for me to pick it up. I was driving down the road last week and was going about 50 mph when the car suddenly started jumping and skipping forwards and backwards and I lost all electrical power and the car jumped down to 25 mph with my foot on the gas all the way to the floor and wouldn't go any faster. I was coming through a busy intersection at the time and it scared me really bad because if the car in front of me had not changed lanes I probably would've been killed in an accident.

    The car kept skipping every time I would restart it and would lose power and I would have to turn the ignition switch off and start again just to get it to the dealership in Anderson. Once I got it there, I was actually taking the car in that day for a oil change with my Mazda Coupon Checkbook Savings and never knew that in three hours after dropping it off that I would get a phone call from the service department letting me know that my throttle body on the car went out and when that happens the car's computer loses all power and sends the car into "limp mode" which was when the car would drop down at 25 mph.

    Well, of course I want to know how, what, and why this happened and the answer I got was it just happens and there is really not a particular reason that vehicles have this to happen. Next I was told that it was going to cost $555.00 and that the warranty ended at 36,000 miles and I have 38,000 miles on it. I have owned two cars with Mazda now and this is the worse customer service and problems I have ever had. I had to go pay out of pocket on Friday for a rental car and today is Tuesday and I have to go now and turn in my $150 rental car and pay $550 to get my car across the street for a problem that clearly appears to be a "Recall" problem. I am very upset because I could have been killed or caused someone else to be killed and now I am out that much money b/c my warranty is 2,000 miles past the limit. I am thinking about just trading it in for a Ford when I go pick it up in a few minutes. Never again will I buy Mazda or tell someone else to buy Mazda.

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    Reviewed Oct. 11, 2008

    I purchased a 2001 Mazda 626, and although I have managed to hang on to it, and it now has 150,000 miles, it has not been without problems galore. When the local dealership referred to it as a "baby" hoses started to deteriorate from the inside. CV joints went, transmission needed to be replaced, as well as new wheel bearings. Mazda covered the "parts" on my "baby," but that wasn't until they felt embarrassed and cornered. The A/C has not worked for the past 3 years and when we took it in to Mazda, they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Finally, in desperation, I took it to a local mechanic who diagnosed the problem and said that in order to correct the problem, the computer would need to be reset by Mazda and now the car isn't worth the amount of money (upward @$2,000.00) to take it to them.

    Should have known the car was a disaster waiting to happened when we were rear-ended when the car was only a few weeks old. Minor damage to the rear bumper and trunk latch ended up with them painting the car three times and a rental for over a month. The car now sounds and feels like I'm riding on snow tires! Probably could get away with it, but I live in South Carolina! Speaking to Mazda USA is a joke!

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    Reviewed Oct. 6, 2008

    I own a 2000 Mazda 626 and I have nothing but problems with the car, I have bought it in 2003 with low miles, it has been to the dealership with transmission light O/D flashing, the dealer charged me $250.00, and that was just about a month in having the car, now I'm on my third set of brakes cause I can't get them to stop squeaking, my headliner is coming down in the back of the car, and to find out that I have ran into 5 other people with the same headliner problem.

    Also about a month ago, my heater hose had broke radiator fluid all over, engine overheated, one of the belts won't stop squeaking and right after I bought the car, took it to the Dealer and supposedly fixed the belt, but to have it keep on squeaking. And for last when you drive it, it feels like you're in an earthquake, cause my motor mounts are broken and the CV boots are broken as well. I have had older cars and this put the icing on the cake. Never will I buy a Mazda again.

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    Reviewed Oct. 1, 2008

    We have owned a dealer used Madza CX-7 for 11 months now. It has 21,000 miles on it and the tread on the tires is gone. I had noticed the previous winter that the tires were terrible on snow and ice but now there is a vibration in the steering wheel accompanied by loud noises too. I think there should be a recall on these tires for defective wear on the tread.

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    Reviewed Sept. 22, 2008

    I purchased this 626 Mazda, new in 1999. I hardly drive the car. It has only 33,777 miles on it - and I take excellent care of this vehicle. Last week the transmission started slipping. I took it to a mechanic, and was informed that the only solution is a brand new transmission.

    Sounds more like a faulty transmission to me. The cost of a new transmission exceeds the blue book value of the car. The mechanic stated he could change the fluid but there is no guarantee it would solve the problem. I phoned Val Strough Honda; place of purchase. The extended warranty covers up to 35,000 miles. They refuse to honor it because it is more than 5 years old.

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    Reviewed Sept. 18, 2008

    I dropped my vehicle off in the early morning of 08/26 at Romero for routine scheduled servicing. The service dept. was to complete all the normal maintenance as well as address some warranty concerns which included interior lighting. I left the vehicle with them until after 5:00 p.m. I received the car back with the majority not done and I was told parts had to be ordered.? I noticed half way home that another digital display reading the outside temp no longer worked. I called service rep. Ron Werner and was told no problem? when I bring the car back they can take care of that issue too. The car had dirt and handprints all over and given back unwashed. I received a notice in the mail all parts were in and I returned on 09/02/08 for them to complete all the work. I spoke to Ron Werner once again and explained to please complete everything this time and double check all work so I dont have to come back. I had to call them no less than 4 times leaving messages each time starting at 4:00 to 5:00 to receive information on completion. I was told finally by Ron Werner all the work was done but the display they damaged while diagnosing the other issues now had to be ordered. Ron indicated no problem when the part comes in simply bring it back and leave it, well get it done?. Ron also indicated that the parts they ordered for the shifter were wrong and when I come back they will fix that too. The car was again given back dirty and not washed. Frustrated for now having to leave the car all day again I reluctantly picked the car up again. Once I did, I immediately noticed that the front door they were told to fix now closed harder than ever indicating they did not take the time to assure proper workmanship. Mr. Werner indicated that when I bring the car back the next time they will adjust it no problem?. On 9/5/08 I brought the car back for them to once and for all complete the work they promised from the first visit. Once again I had to be shuttled to work for the 6th time (dropped off and picked up). It should be noted that each time I am dropped at work I am without transportation to lunches and mid day errands making this arduous. The vehicle was again at the dealer all morning and afternoon before I again had to begin calling at approximately noon for a status. My calls were not returned each time. Finally I was transferred to Dan Trimmer. Mr. Trimmer indicated that he would personally check the status and call me back. I received no calls from Dan Trimmer as promised. Finally it was almost 4 p.m. before I called for the last time. I was finally told it was done but this time received a ride there. Once I arrived and waited 15 minutes or more for assistance, the vehicle was brought to the front and I immediately noticed that the vehicle was not washed and very dirty again. The door was still not adjusted. At this point my frustrations had reached the limit and I left the place after receiving more excuses and apologies. Once half way home, my boyfriend (following me) signaled to me that my brake light was now out. I now wanted to scream. I immediately turned the car around went to back to Romero. I reminded the dealer they were paid to check this. They said no problem? and I received more patronizing before they offered to replace it for a fee of $45. Desperate, I reluctantly agreed and they brought the car to the back to complete the work. 4 minutes later after thinking about it, I reconsidered and told them to bring the car back. Why should I pay for something they were paid to do? They have inconvenienced me on numerous occasions and offered no reconciliation or remorse. I had them bring my car back demanding it immediately. Once received, I noted now the other side brake light was out. In frustration, I was told that I was mistaken and it was the left side all along. I heard snickering and whispers before I stormed out in frustration. It should also be noted that the car was returned to me filthy dirty. On 9/6 at approximately 10:00 a.m. I was able to inspect the work they did to the car. Upon inspection I could see where they had forced some of the interior dash pieces and console pieces with a tool. The trunk was in disarray with panels and parts left scattered. At this time my boyfriend contacted the service manager of Romero Mazda said to be Keith Donnelly. Donnelly said that he was familiar with my issues and even described me as a very little blonde lady?. Donnelly indicated that he was there at the time and observed the circus they put me through. Mr. Donnelly said the porter was told to check and replace if necessary the brake light on the car. When he removed the bulb and attempted to inspect it, he dropped it shattering it on the floor. The porter then proceeded to remove the bulb from the other side in order to bring it to the parts dept to match it. Before he could do that, he was told by Ron Werner to put the car back together immediately and return it to the Service Drive. Mr. Donnelly said that he put the good bulb on the opposite side not remembering where it was removed from. Mr. Donnelly informed us the car was given back without any brake light bulb. Mr. Werner said the porter was off today? but on Monday when he returns, will be sending the man home without pay for his actions. Mr. Donnelly indicated that he took over the Service Dept. about 3 days ago and has been dealing with many troublesome issues. He indicated that he hopes to get rid of the problem people and improve the dept. My question would be if Mr. Donnelly observed this fiasco first hand why didnt he step in? Why would a manager let someone get treated this way observing lies and misrepresentation, only to drive away leaving the vehicle unsafe and illegal? Mr. Donnelly is just a guilty for his actions as the Porter? and Service Advisors that allowed this to happen. Donnelly is part of the problem and offered no reasonable solutions or service to me. In fact, if Mr. Donnelly felt as bad as he implied, why then wouldnt he or another member of his staff been told to come to my house with a bulb to make right what they did wrong? After all, thats no problem right?? Mr. Donnelly only said to bring the car right in (again) and they will put in a bulb for the one they broke at no charge. Mr. Donnelly said that he would not be there but to speak with only Dan Trimmer in Service and that he is the best guy? he had. He indicated that Dan Trimmer will have the bulb changed and take down the information for the parts they damaged in the process of the repairs. Once the parts come in I can bring the car back (AGAIN), and have them try to do the work correctly. My boyfriend immediately left the house for Romero Mazda for them to replace the bulb and to inspect other damage caused while at Romero. While in route to Romero he was pulled over by a San Bernardino Co. Sheriff Deputy for no brake light. The irony of it all is too much put in to words. Upon arriving at Romero Mazda, my boyfriend waited for Dan Trimmer for 15 minutes to acknowledge him. Finally Mr. Trimmer was presented with the citation and offered no empathy only grins. Mr. Trimmer handed it back to him rolling his eyes. Dan Trimmer would not physically get in the vehicle to look at anything he only knelt on the passenger side of the car where he was shown the damage. Dan appeared to take notes and asked for the keys to replace the light. He also said the parts would be ordered and for us to simply bring the car back once they arrive. No problem?. It is important to mention my boyfriend tried to take time to explain everything that had taken place and all of our frustrations but Dan Trimmer contrary to what the manager Mr. Donnelly said would not express any concern, emotion or empathy. My boyfriend could sense that it was funny to Dan and all of what they have done to us has been a game to them. Dan Trimmer said he would talk to Mr. Donnelly about everything and I would receive a call. To this day, now two weeks later, I have received no calls or letters from Romeros staff or management. Later that day I was washing the vehicle, and noticed damage to the cars rear bumper clearly the car was hit on the lot leaving two small circles from what appears to be a license plate. Also I have damage to the dash pieces which were supposed to be ordered and a door that will not close properly. I am requesting a full investigation and disciplinary action due to the improper and unethical treatment we received.

    Later that day I was washing the vehicle, and noticed damage to the cars rear bumper clearly the car was hit on the lot leaving two small circles from what appears to be a license plate. Also I have damage to the dash pieces which were supposed to be ordered and a door that will not close properly. I am requesting a full investigation and disciplinary action due to the improper and unethical treatment we received.

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    Reviewed Sept. 13, 2008

    I bought a 2004 Mazda Tribute ES automatic in August of 2003. Now it is September, 2008 and my warranty expired last month. Lucky me, because my transmission is going. Just started and my car only has 43,000 miles on it. I take excellent car of this car, as I was going to pass it to my teenage son. That's not going to happen.

    What happened is while the car was in first gear, it started to slip when I stepped on the gas. Acceleration in first gear is horrible right now. And, the Overdrive light on the dash is blinking. The manual says that this indicates a potential problem with the transaxle. Can't wait to see what this is going to cost me just so I can trade it in.

    After reading these posts, I am done with Mazda, as when I called my local dealer, I was told by service that because my warranty expired last month, regardless of the low, low mileage, there was nothing they could do to help me. But they were very willing to fix it for me out of my own pocket. Thanks, folks, for nothing. This car was great; its in pristine condition, and now it has to go. I just want to fix it and be done with it. I'll be looking at Toyota or Honda now. More money, sure, but apparently, you get what you paid for. Off the lot, brand spanking new, I paid 24,000 for this car that didn't even make to 50,000 miles for me.

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    Reviewed Sept. 9, 2008

    I purchased a new mazda rx8 (24) miles at delivery. For 2 years there were few problems. About 1 month ago, I noticed the car would roll backward if the emergency brake was not on. (6 speed manual) I took the car to the dealership that I purchased it from, and the only place that has worked on it for any reason. They informed that I was getting a new engine. They also tried to charge me for a new clutch. I had called Mazda America and set up a file on this car when they changed the engine. I went to pick up the car when they said the repairs were complete. I did not even get 3 miles from the dealership and the car started spitting and sputtering, I turned around and went back to the dealer. This time they said the motor mounts had both been broken, replacing them. In the mean time I continued to try to keep contact with Jennifer at Mazda who never returned my calls. Afew days later the check engine light came on. Back to the dealer, on the way the car died and I had to keep revving the engine to keep it from dying again. This time the dealer said it was the # 1 spark plug wire not seated. Three days later (today) the car is at the dealership with the check engine light on again. I called Mazda America and could not get in contact with jennifer, so I asked Amy to make notes on the car, she said she did and that either she or Jennifer would talk with the district supervisor and return my call by the afternoon. It,s now 8:00pm and no calls.

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    Reviewed Sept. 9, 2008

    I took my vehicle to the shop and was told it was running great after a couple of days and $800 worth of work. When I picked the vehicle up, it exhibited the same problems. I returned the vehicle where it remained for several more days. Again, I was told the car was fixed, paid another $122 and picked it up, only to discover the problems were still occurring. I took the manager for a ride so he could experience the problems first-hand. When the car died, he mentioned the check engine light hadn't come on and said perhaps it was burned out. Nearly a month later, Mazda phoned to tell me the car could not be fixed and I should consider trading it in. Two days later I took it to a private mechanic for a second opinion and found out the check engine light bulb was missing. Once replaced, the car's computer showed the codes of things that needed to be repaired. Mazda is offering me half of what I paid at the other mechanic ($150) and nothing in terms of reimbursement from them. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. They had until today to respond and did not.

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    Reviewed Sept. 9, 2008

    I owned a Mazda3 2005, I bought it brand new. Iam not a machanic and have no clue about any repair at all. I've been called by the dealer for oil change and tire rotation as service on September 5th 2008 required. I followed the schedual as usual, took my car there and waited for almost 2 hours, and one of the service adviser said I need the alignment for 119$+ tax. I refused because I told them I only driven less then 40,000km and I didn't hit anything, than he claimed that I have a patched in my tire and 2 nuts stripped, wannt to charge me 95$ to replace 2 nuts. I told them that I never have any flat tires at all and never took my car to any other machanic. So I told him to call my husband at his work to exaplain the situation. About 20minutes later my husband have to take time-off and arrived, the service guy brought him to see the car and found nothing wrong. So I waited for the paper work to be ready then I can pick up my car, suddenly here come a woman name Paulette Ferreira (New Service Manager), all of a sudden, she complained to my husband about my car never followed the schedual as said in the manual. I was shocked, I have all the recorded whenever they called me to bring my car in for service and I did. I even asked what else need to be done, Paulette Ferreira said your car is so low mileage, just the oil change is fine. At that time she was a service adviser, she just a newly appointed as a service manager. Now, she claimed that I was refused the service what was recommended as the manual said. So my husband got so angry and agrued with her. I have a feeling this Ontario Mazda service is a fraud.

    I trusted this dealer, that why I bought a new car there and bring my car for service as requested. Also, my hausband always want to buy a brand new Mazda6. But now, he said forget about Mazda, he will swicth his choice to Honeda Accord. At the end sound like they(Ontario Mazda) try to rip you off after the warrantee is over. Finally, I will not go back to this dealer for another service again and will recommand all of you stay way from this dealer.

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    Reviewed Aug. 27, 2008

    I am a current owner of a 2006 Mazda 6, which has 45,*** miles. I am the second owner, which the first owner was a car rental dealership. I have only been the owner of the 2006 Mazda 6 for about eight month and out of the eight months; I have had nothing but problems! The first week I bought the car, I had problem with the front passenger window rolling up and down using the driver side controls. At that moment, I should have gone with my first instincts that it was a sign. I have had the window looked at almost every month by a certified Mazda dealership, which they have order a new switch and said, they have never seen this happen more than two times.

    Well, now the window was the least of my worries. About four months later, I started to notice when I was driving that there was a slight jerk form the transmission. For example, if I were maintaining a constant speed and needed to accelerate to switch lanes, make a light, etc. the car would jerk badly. At first, I had assumed that it was my driving, but the same thing had happened to my boyfriend. Knowing that my warranty is up at 50,000 miles because I am always at the Mazda dealership for my window, I was discussing the issue with a technician and a service rider. Both the technician and service rider informed me of the issue that Mazda 6 has had with the transmission. The service rider told me to make an appointment and they would look at my Mazda 6.

    I then dropped off and picked up my Mazda 6 a few days later because I had to arrange for transportation. It was at this point the service rider really did not have much knowledge of Mazdas having a transmission problem and my Mazda 6 needed a few transmission updates and topping off the fluid. The problem persistently got worse. As the problem got worse, the shifting worsened, and the transmission would stay in a lower gear at the higher speed, which was a problem when attempting to accelerate. Finally, the transmission gave and I am supposedly getting a new transmission. The situation is alarming. If this has been a persistent problem with many Mazda vehicles, why does Mazda not have to do anything, what about the safety of people driving Mazda vehicles?

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    Reviewed Aug. 27, 2008

    I bought a Mazda 6 2006 the transmission broke in 2007 they changed it- after 52,000 miles the transmission broke again /they ask me for oil changes/Am I covered for any kind of coverage due to the fact that the transmission broke twice in two years

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    Reviewed Aug. 27, 2008

    In a nutshell, we visited Menlo Mazda for the third time this past Sunday. We had finally decided on the CX9. We arrived at the dealership at about noon, sat in the car that we wanted while we started negotiating price. Our two young children needed lunch so we agreed to continue negotiations telephonically. At 5 pm that afternoon, we finally agreed on a deal. We drove over to Menlo Mazda to purchase our new car. We spent the next two hours signing the papers, dealing with the trade in, writing the check, exchanging keys and we were waiting patiently with our two children and their car seats for our new car to come out of detailing. When it did, it was not the car we had selected...the car we had been sitting in just hours before. Ok we thought, weve been here for several hours and well have to wait a bit longer until they detail the right car. NO, actually they sold us the wrong car. Then, when we pointed out that it was not the car we had wanted or been negotiating, they said they couldnt sell us the car we wanted at the price we had negotiated!!! They actually refused to sell us the car that we had identified seven hours earlier in the day, the car we had been negotiating on for the past several hours, the car that we had spent the past two hours signing papers on while our two small kids ran around the dealership. Then they blatantly LIED and told us the car salesman had been fired as a result. How do we know this was a lie? Because the salesman called us two days later and said he had not been fired and he wanted to try to sell us the car again!!! UNBELIEVABLE. Seriously folks, these people have no morals or ethics. There are a dozen other Mazda dealers in the Bay Area. Go to them and do not waste one minute at Menlo Mazda. They do not deserve your business.

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    Reviewed Aug. 22, 2008

    I have a 2003 Mazda Protege sedan. I have owned it for almost a year. My Odometer shows, 62,*** miles. I am a high school senior, and my transmission starts a clicking sound, I had thought it was a CV joint. My mechanic says, that I need a new transmission. The car is 5 years old, and has how even seen 100,000 miles. This really makes me very upset that Mazda would put parts, into their vehicles that go bad.

    I would never own another Mazda. I even got my car through a dealer. There was also a problem with me having to buy 4 new tires, not even a week after I got the car. The transmission is really killing me, because I am financing the car, and I can't drive it, and I still have to pay my bank, and my insurance company. I really hope Mazda will change things, I really hate to see others go through this. The transmission is really killing me, because I am financing the car, and I can't drive it, and I still have to pay my bank, and my insurance company. I really hope Mazda will change things, I really hate to see others go through this.

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    Reviewed Aug. 20, 2008

    We bought this car on 04/06/07 and only have done two long trips in this car. We have noticed some paint chips on the hood and bumper of this car. It almost looks like the car was hit by little rocks, it's little specs of paint missing,30 or more.the car has less then 18000 miles on it. Does anyone else have this same problem that we are having.

    30 or more.the car has less then 18000 miles on it. Does anyone else have this same problem that we are having.

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    Reviewed Aug. 19, 2008

    I have a 2001 mazda 626 and have replaced the transmission twice and the motor once now iam tired of spendig money on a car that was a lemon in the first place just like all of the compliants I have been reading I know its time to draw a CLASS ACTION SUIT against Mazda Inc ASAP. PS: If they don't follow up with this I will make sure that my company stop by there fleets in Jesus name Amen.

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    Reviewed Aug. 13, 2008

    purchased 2002 mazda millenia 10/07. Purchased a bumper to bumper warranty for $1500. the car has been in the shop at least 5 times. was not given a loaner car. was told to go to hertz. I have spent over $2,000 in repairs. the warranty has covered more than $200. kevin moss sold me the warranty and says he can't help and that I need to take it up with the warranty co.

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    Reviewed Aug. 12, 2008

    bought my 1999 626 new. At 40,000 it blew a piston and spring from the transmission while I was driving in heavy traffic. When the piston comes out, it flies like a bullet. If anyone had been nearby, or if it had gone through a windshield, it could have killed someone. Repair around 400.00. Six months later it did the same thing. Two weeks later same thing again. Needed a new transmission at close to 3,000.00. I decided to have it towed to a dealership where I was given 1500 in trade for a car with less than 50K miles. This is apparently a common transmission failure with a 626, but the most serious thing I haven't seen mentioned is the actual danger to people who are driving behind the vehicle when the piston shoots out of the transmission. I have to wonder if anybody has been killed. Mazda really needs to be held accountable for their faulty transmissions.

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    Reviewed Aug. 11, 2008

    I purchased a used Mazda 626 DX from a friend of a friend and had it checked by a mechanic. The car was in good condition except for the necessity of a transmission fluid change and an axle seal. Two weeks later the engine in the car blew and I replaced it only to find out that the transmission had gone just before the motor did. I called Mazda and was told that they could do nothing even though that I found out online that the transmission design was inherently flawed.

    New motor: 1200 installed. Transmission: potentially 3700 installed.

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    Reviewed Aug. 6, 2008

    I bought a new car, traded in my used car, Told me that they would pay off my used car, and come to find out, they only paid a portion of the total amount owed,

    I am still paying for a car loan that I was assured they would pay off.

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    Reviewed July 29, 2008

    Purchased Mazda RX-8 in March 07 at Skyland Maxda Jeep in NC. After one week of owing the car, we had to get it towed in. THis car has been in and out of the shop since I purchased. I have now relocated to Sparks, NV and I trailered my car out here. Once we arrived, we drove the Mazda downtowm and it quit. Had to have it towed in.

    Were told by the Mazda dealership the motor was bad. After research on the Mazda RX8 2004 Model, there have many many lawsuits and complaints on the motor and car itself. THis was not disclosed to my at the time I purchased the car. I am now being told that Mazda will no longer pay for my rental and the car is still not fixed. I have contacted the Better Business Bureau and also my bank where the car is financed. From the report on the auto recalls on your site, this auto should not have even been sold to me. The recall is dated Aug 21, 2006.

    There was also an article on a buyback offer. I have informed my bank of this lemon and deceitful practices of Mazda in not disclosing to me the problems with this type car. I have move half way across the country and now have no car, and the are wanting to take my rental car and make me pay for it now. THis is not right. Mazda is full aware of all the problems with this $26,000.00 piece of junk. I would like a comparable vehicle in place of the RX8 that is still sitting in the shop in Reno.

    This has put a strain on my family numnerous times. This car has had to be towed in numerous times. IT is mentally draining and is going to cost my my credit rating if they cannot provide me with a comprable vehicle as my bank as instructed me to ask for.

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    Reviewed July 25, 2008

    2001 Mazda Tribute SUV, 4 Cyl. 5-speed manual, purchased in Dec. 2000. (manufactured by Ford, but I did not know this at purchase time and my mechanic advised me to not buy any Ford vehicles-so I was deceived, like Eve!) 1st problem, alignment was not good, took it back they said, let it get about 1,500 miles on it they need to get the chassis settled on those truck frames (all lies). 2nd problem, the brakes were unbalanced and 90% of the braking was done by the front brakes, causing the rotors to be damaged, the pads were okay. $350. replacing with ceramic discs and balancing the braking pressures front/back. 3rd 2004 recall on the DPTF sensor and seat belt buckle, after this I began after problems with the engine stalling under 2 conditions, hot weather and not enough time rested to cool engine on short trips. If it sat at work for 4 hours, or lift the hood to cool quickly for 15 mins., no problems when cooled. I drove to Nashville, TN and when I downshifted or stopped, the engine would stall, thus losing power steering and control. No engine lights have ever come on. Took it to Aamco, they cleaned out some intake which DID NOT fix it. $100. If anyone has gotten this problem and found someone who repaired it, please call or email me. I don't want to waste money trying things. I called Mazda service, and they act like, no we have not heard of this very often sure, it's all over the internet. I read on one blog, some guy got about 6 things repaired, and he is still having the problem, he wants to blow up the car next. Another guy has the V6, and just paid Mazda (his mechanic couldn't figure it out) $800 to repair his. He had to drive with 2 feet, braking and accelerating to keep the engine from dying. I had to drive with 2 feet 2 hands, 1 wheel, 1 emerg. brake, 1 clutch, 1 revving the gas to prevent stalling. Thank you for this website, I have learned a lot about the lack of integrity of Mazda/Ford mfg.

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    Reviewed July 18, 2008

    Bought a brand new off-the-lot 1999 Mazda Protege from Rick Case Mazda, Duluth GA in June 1999 with less than 100 miles on it. First time I ever purchased a new, not pre-owned, car. June 2003 with less than 100K miles (I was still making payments), the transmission wouldn't shift, O/D light blinked on and off. Took it to Rick C. who couldn't diagnose but offered to put in a new transmission for $5000. I said no thanks and looked for 2nd opinion. Never could get a diagnosis or a code pulled. I became unemployed and couldn't afford repairs, so I kept driving as is. Usually I wd wait on it 3 - 10 mins. to warm up and eventually coax itself into gear (often with a violent lurch). For rare, brief periods it ran fine. At one point I got a diagnostic code read of "faulty 2nd gear ratio".

    Performance continued deteriorating so last week (July 2008) I paid $2000 to have the transmission rebuilt. Several days later it is acting the same, just as before - not shifting, O/D light blinks, not settling into gear, RPMS are up to 4K *usuall 2.5 - 3 K highway). I'm taking it back to the transmission guy b/c it's now under warranty but I can't afford to keep missing work and be without transportation, OR without a reliable, safe car -- in ATLANTA traffic?

    Hoped to find on this site some specific diagnostic problems with the Mazda/FORD transmission to go to my mechanic with but I see that everyone is having problems in general with this transmission of varying kinds. To its credit, I have driven 5 years, 100K miles with this lame transmission, but it is dangerous at worst, inconvenient and scary at best. I'm done with Mazda. Never again! When will somebody (gov't entity, consumer action group, competent lawyer) take up the consumers' cause?

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    Reviewed July 16, 2008

    I have a mazda RX8 . It has had numerous problems. It is now in the shop for a failed engine. Mazda is replacing the engine. The engine is 6000 dollars , not including labor. My issue with Mazda is the fact that every rx8 owner is having the same senerio of problems. Some have had to have their engines replaced that have less than 30 thousand miles on them. Why would mazda put out a flagship sports car that doesnt have an engine that will go past 60,000 miles without needing replaced. Automotive.com forums have hundreds of rx8 owners on their that have all had the same issues and senerios such as mine. I slid in on the tail end of the warranty and mine is replaced, but some are not so lucky. Since mazda replaced my failed engine with a clone , I am just expecting to have repleated problems as time goes on. On behalf of all Mazda rx8 owners....WE ALL WANT A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT!!!!!! please help us!!!

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    Reviewed July 8, 2008

    My MPV 2004 van engine seized after 70,000 miles. All maintenance was performed as recommended in the owners manual. After spending 1,700 on engine sensors three months ago, my van totally seized without any kind of warning and while driving it, was quite an experience.

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    Reviewed July 7, 2008

    Here's my take (based on my limited mechanical aptitude) on the problem I've got with my Tribute. I retrieved my Tribute this weekend when some family borrowed it to go on a road trip. I've only got 60,000 miles on the car, so it seemed like a reliable car for the trip. While they were driving on the freeway, the engine revved a little. The driver turned off the cruise control and the car started slowing down. When he hit the gas to get the car going again, the car had no power. With the car in drive, the engine revs, but doesn't move. Tried the same thing in reverse. When the tow-truck pulled the Tribute into the out of town dealer, the dealer looked at it and said that there was some metallic noise in the transmission and they'd need to take the transmission out to diagnose the problem ($600 to pull it out and put it back in). They also noted that the transmission fluid was very high - looked like it had been overfilled. Instead of having the out of town dealer do the work, I hauled the Tribute home on a trailer. When I took it to a local transmission shop, they said that most likely the pump shaft was broken in the transmission. The high transmission fluid level was one of indicators they used to diagnose the problem because when the engine turned on, the transmission fluid wasn't getting pulled down into the transmission. The guys at the shop were also surprised by the transmission used in the Tribute. I think they said it was the same transmission as the one in the Explorer?

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    Reviewed June 30, 2008

    We purchased a new Mazda Tribute 2005. This is now 2008 and we have 112,000 miles on the SUV. And the transmission went out in it. So the transmissions in the Mazda Tribute are not any good.

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    Reviewed June 28, 2008

    we bought this mazda 626 for out daughter it is 2000 model. the transmission has already gone out of it, we have talked to servel people that mess with transmissions and they say this is common in this type of car. we would like to know why mazda has not done anything for the people that have this problem, we can have it fixed for about $900.00 , but there is not guarntee that is wont happen again,

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    Reviewed June 27, 2008

    My wife bought a 1990 SOHC Mazda Protege SE in 1990 when they were made in Japan (not by Ford). After 18 years I just wanted to report the following items have been replaced:
    Alternator (1)
    Radiator (3)
    CV boots & Joints (3)
    AC converted to R134 and compressor replaced (1)


    The following items are original equipment and still going strong at 260,000 miles:
    Clutch
    Transmission
    All electrical systems
    Engine

    Power Steering

    And I get 29mpg in town, as high as 42 highway.

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    Reviewed June 22, 2008

    We have a 2001 Mazda Tribute with 100k miles still in very good condition. Problems began in fall of 2007. Transmission started to slip, we had is serviced and week later lost reverse short time later vehicle will not move. Our mechanic contacted Mazda dealer in Maine and he was told Mazda built a transmission in 1999 to 2002 that was hermetic (sealed) no way to open and change a filter or repair. Since 2003 I'm told they corrected but will not work on any transmission unless under warranty and they simply swap it out. I have quotes of $2000.00 for used with no garentee I will not be in same situation again or $5000.00 for new installed.

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    Reviewed June 13, 2008

    we purchased a used 1995 mazda 626 with 75,000 miles ,car locked beautiful black nicely loaded.i purchased an extended warranty just in case some thing happened.well i did the tranny died .they wanted 2,300 to fix it,i payed 50 for the deductable i was lucky that time.then a couple a years later tranny dies again cost me 1,800 the second time.both sun visors broke off the hinges drivers side window motor doesnt work.i found out about the tranny being a ford no wonder.no more mazda for me.

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    Reviewed June 12, 2008

    I have a 2000 Mazda Protege with about 137,000 miles. I recently took it to have an oil change, state inspection, & transmission flush. The trans. flush was recommended to me by another shop--they told me that the fluid smelled burnt, but at the time, I didn't have the money for the flush. My car has been driving fine, but I figured it was about time to get a tune up. Immediately after leaving the shop, my car bucked violently when I wasn't accelerating. Acceleration was otherwise sluggish and the car was making a louder humming noise than it did before. The next morning, the car stalled immediately after turning on the ignition without shifting into gear. It continued to buck and stall when I had to stop at lights on my way back to the shop. None of these problems happened before. The guys at the shop said it was probably my BATTERY, which didn't make sense to me, but said they'd take a look. About 8 hours later, they said that the air intake hose was cracked, so they repaired that. We drove around the block before paying to make sure it was driving better--it was better, but still not as good as before the work was done. Later that day, I stalled out twice while stopped at lights in busy traffic. The problem was not the air intake hose! I did a little reading and found some info. that a transmission flush on high-mileage cars can end up doing more harm than good if the fluid is already burnt. I asked the shop about it after the work was done and they said that they heard that rumor, but still felt it was best to flush it. Now I'm wondering if my tranmission is completely gone. And if high-mileage flushes are detrimental, I feel that someone should have talked about that with me when I asked for the service. In the meantime, I was looking at previous work history on my car and came across something I'd forgotten all about. Approximately ONE WEEK after I purchased my car BRAND NEW, it needed a new transmission! Luckily it was under warranty, but it wasn't classified as a lemon. After reading about other Mazda transmission complaints, I thought that was worth sharing. My first transmission didn't last more than a hundred miles or so. Now I think the second one has finally given up.

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    Reviewed June 10, 2008

    I purchased a 2004 Mazda RX8 in June 2005 with 16,000 miles on it. The visor on the drivers side of the car broke about a year after I bought the car. My main concern was that the visor fell down in front of my face and almost caused me to have a serious accident. The dealership replaced the visor under the warranty. This happened again today 6-9-08 and again I could have been in a very serious accident due to the hard plastic visor hitting me in the face while driving. It appears that other owners have experienced this same problem with their RX8. Is there a recall on this part?

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    Reviewed June 9, 2008

    I am disabled so I dont have alot of money,I bought a Mazda 626 it had 24,000 miles on it,nice car, or so I thought,at 85,000 miles I had the transmission replaced,at96,000 another transmission.It is in the shop now with transmission trouble at 107,000 miles.

    Its just not right

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    Reviewed May 10, 2008

    I have a 1999 Mazda 626 ES and the transmission is failing. I went on the Internet to only find out that evidently this is a common problem with Mazda. It makes me very upset to see that numerous people have had to replace their transmission. I would never ever my a Mazda again. This is the 2nd time this has happened to me.

    I was going to put the money into it but after viewing what I have I will FORGET it. I consider myself lucky because I got 142,000 miles, but the tranny was probably going for quite sometime and is just starting to fire out. I guess I consider myself lucky compared to what I've read about others.

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    Reviewed May 3, 2008

    I have a big complaint against Mazda M3 car. i have bought and it ran 14000 km. A big accident had been occured and it is rolled over on left side after hitting a cement seperator wall between roads after explosion of left wheel, Seating belts were fastened and all the front and sides had been severly damaged. The air bags didnt deploy and it was possibly i lose my life with my friend in right front seat.

    Ghabbour, Egypt's Mazda dealer, has the car now, and he made estimation of repair exceeds the price of the car. Life is not cheap and there were 2 guys inside without any protection of air bags which are supposed to work automatically when a sever cracks happen like that and you can ask Ghabbour, your dealer.

    I ask you to solve this problem with the suitable compensation or the legal way is a must besides all what i can do to warn all people in Egypt and other countries from no safety like Mazda has. Please don't let me down because you dont care of my message and try to be logic when you know that I'll not leave my rights and other's right to have safety in an expensive car like M3 Mazda. The Ghabbour estimation of repair was 120.000 LE which highly exceeds the price of a used car

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    Reviewed April 29, 2008

    I bought a brand new 2004 Mazda 6 in 2004 with only 32 miles on it. After 81,000 miles The transmission needs to be replaced. I've met people with older cars with way more miles than my car that never had a transmission problem. The people at Mazda have no answers. I would never imagine a brand new car's transmission would go so soon.

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    Reviewed April 27, 2008

    Brought new a 2004 RX 8. The car continually would not start. We had it towed to the dealerships on 6 or 7 occasions. Finally they agreed to replace the engine. The engine was replaced and it still did not start. Each time they said it flooded and said flooding was our fault, even though we started it exactly how they told us to. We finally tratded it in at a hugh loss becuase it was such an unreliable car. It is by far, the worse car we ever had. Anyone who buys a 2004 RX8 is asking for trouble. I was told the latter versions also are problems.

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    Reviewed April 23, 2008

    I have a 1999 Mazda 626. The transmission just failed at 52,000 miles. My mechanic informed me told that usually one can purchase refurbished replacement transmissions with a 100,000 mile, 3 year warranty on them, however no one would take my transmission because they said that the Mazda transmissions are faulty and can't be repaired.

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    Reviewed April 9, 2008

    I understand the my 1998 Mazda 626 was equipewith a Ford built automatic transmission. I had to have it replaced by Tom Wood Mazda of Indianapolis. Luckily, my extended waranty paid the entire amount. My milage was 98,000 at that time. I now have 160,000 miles on my car and the trans seems to be slipping. The car is the best one I have ever owned except for the transmission, of course. I have had my car serviced per manufacturer's reccomendations. I have put a lot of preventative maintenence into my car - all done by the dealer - even all of my oil changes were done by the dealer. It is disappointing that such a good car should have a chronically defective Ford transmission. I will NEVER buy any Ford products, nor will I buy any other cars with Ford components.

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    Reviewed April 9, 2008

    The transmission failed in my Mazda 626 2001 and I had another transmission put in and it failed too. I am witing to find another one. The OD light flashed and the transmission went out both times. There was a TSB bulletin released on 5/21/2002 #05-005/02 re this problem with Mazda transmissions but never a recall. I saw numerous complaint and websites Re; this same problem. If I would have known I would have never bought the car.

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    Reviewed March 31, 2008

    Bought a used 2000 Mazda Millena / Great car - Transmission started to leak/ Mazda would not honor a 3000 mile warranty at 3100 miles- Transaxle seals were leaking/ Mazda wanted $3500 for a new transmission. I had the seals replaced and it lasted for a while. Now its slipping and leaking. I saw other letters on defective transmissions. Is Mazda doing anything about or am I stuck like everyone else?

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    Reviewed March 14, 2008

    2000 Mazda 626 4cyl OD lightblinks and its a shaker just like the restof those POS cars. Just how bad do they have to screw all of us before we get some justice.


    single mom with no car thank you mazda 626

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    Reviewed March 10, 2008

    I took my car to the mazda dealer because I had 3 ligths on at the panel.They were going to charge me $209 to check the ligths and give me the diagnostic of what was wrong and that those $209 were going to wave them if I fix the car with them.so after one day they told me what was wrong and to fix it it was going to cost me 1,662.00 I agreed.After four days he called me and told me that to fix the car he need 1,500 more.I say no and that I want my car back, so I went to pick up my car thinking that I have to pay the $209 for the diagnostic but my surprise was that the bill was for $1,980.00.I refuse to pay because my car is not fix, none of the things that were wrong with the car has been fix,but they still want me to pay because they said that they spend time and parts in my car and if I dont pay they are not going to release my car.I see this very unfair, not only they not honor they word in a price that we agree but they also want me to pay more than we agree for something that has not been fix.So now they have my car,they won't release it unless I pay. Please help me to solve this problem I need my car.

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    Reviewed Feb. 6, 2008

    My 2003 Mazda Tribute with 75,000 miles lost the use of third and fourth gears on the automatic transmission while driving at 30 mph on a flat road. After talking with the Dealer who sold me the car and the transmission shop working on it, both felt that a transmission should not fail with so few miles. Both also indicated that rebuilt transmissions for these cars are hard to come by because of the high demand for replacement Mazda transmissions. The dealer was also surprized that rebuilt Mazda transmissions only have a 12 month/12,000 mile warrenty when the standard in the industry is a 36 month/50,000 mile warrenty. Reading the posting on this page and through my own expereice, it is clear that Mazda has a quality problem and is unwilling to remedy the situation on their own. Hopefully Mazda will own up to their poor quality transmissions, or they enough people will find out about their poor quality and get them to change or go out of business. As for me, I will not ever buy another Mazda vehicle.

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    Reviewed Jan. 29, 2008

    I bought a new 2004 Maxda RX8 for $31,450 and have had nothing but problems from the start.There have been all kinds of mechanical issues and recall issues, and TSBs that have not stopped to this day. I'm tired of dealing with this and as of this complaint my car is in the shop again with more problems, water in the oil which they tell me is not covered with new engine warranty.I expected to get more reliable service with a car that I'm paying$31,000 for. Mazda replaced the engine but everything that is wrong with the engine components are not covered on the engine extended warranty. $500 last month, now another $700 this week not to mention that they even charged me for the oil they put in the replacement engine.

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    Reviewed Dec. 27, 2007

    We had a 2002 Mazda Tribute that caught on fire in our garage on 12/18/07. We woke up at 1 am b/c of the smell and found the SUV (that had been parked since 4 pm) was on fire. The house was completely destroyed. I writing this from a hotel room.

    We lost our home and most of the contents - the firemen got a few things out - but we're not sure how much can be salvaged. We had 3 cats, 1 escaped but is burned and still at the vets, the other 2 perished in the fire. We lost the Mazda and our 2 car suffered paint damage and smells of smoke. My daughter had some minor problems with her eyelids due to the smoke. We lost so many things of sentimental value - it would be impossible to place a value on them.

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    Reviewed Nov. 19, 2007

    Transmission for my Mazda 626 failed the 3rd time in 18 months! First time I Paid my Garage $1900 to fix it.. Second time, it was covered by the repair warranty.. In Just few months it failed again! Who should pay for the service this time again.. I had just found out on the Internet that I am not the only victim with this same issue, I hope all victim should file a class action law suit against Mazda to fix it for us under a new warranty.

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    Reviewed Oct. 30, 2007

    This sports car has been a disappointment from day 1!!! I even wrote to Mazda expressing concerns for safety. Loss of power on accelerating can be dangerous when pulling out into traffic. This car has been back & forth to the dealer for manufacture recalls OVER THE LAST 3+ YRS. Recently (40,000 miles) there's been even more loss of power & roughness. Brought it in to the dealer... IT NEEDS A NEW MOTOR!!! I was shocked!!! TWO weeks later I drive out of the dealership, step on the gas... THE CAR IS BUCKING & THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON!!! THE CAR GOES BACK IN... IT NEEDS ANOTHER RE-BUILT MOTOR!!! I'M PAYING FOR A SPORTS CAR THAT'LL BE SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR A MONTH BEFORE THIS IS HOPEFULLY OVER!!! I WANT OUT OF THIS CAR... NOW!!!!

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    Reviewed Oct. 20, 2007

    Bought a new 1993 mazda protege. Around the 60 some thousand miles. It started skipping/jerking in the first and second gear. I have had a few cars in the past and have driven them more than 100 thousand miles..none have presented this problem

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    Reviewed Oct. 1, 2007

    I purchased my new 2003 Mazda MPV on Feb 28, 2004 . I was pleased initially that I had just purchased a fine car. Soon after I had it some strange smells were coming from the car that smelled foul and at times like burning clutch. That was about at 2,000 miles the first time. Almost everytime I have brought it in for service since then I've mentioned that the automatic transmission smells and the sudden jerks that it makes when changing gears (normally from 2nd to 3rd)is getting old. The jerking motion when it changes gears is quite violent at times and can startle someone if not aware of the problem. They claim to have checked it and reflashed the transmission and that it's ok now, or, we can't find nothing wrong. Well it might be ok for a couple of days before it starts up again. I've had the vehicle for going on 3 and 1/2 years and no change. I'm sick of it and I want some action taken. I just turned 40,000 miles on it and it still has these problems. It's time for Mazda to own up to this problem. I didn't even know this problem was so prevelant on the MPV models until recently when I searched the info on the computer and found this to be common place. Please help me and give me some advice on what I need to do.

    

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    Reviewed Sept. 11, 2007

    Upon meeting my gf in college in 2006 we started talking about crappy cars. She told me her car was the biggest pile of crap that had ever put rubber to the road. Since I am a big Chevy guy I new for a fact that it had to be a car made by Ford. Since most of the Mazda parts are Ford parts I figured that it would be a piece of crap. Upon paying for the 1998 Mazda 626 in 2005 she told me she was so exicted. She paid around $6,000 in total and relayed that she was so exicted about her first car purchase. The car had around 80,000 miles on it. Well right before she came to college all hell broke loose. Water pump, fuel pump, electrical problems, and finally the transmission went not even 4,000 miles later. This almost caused her not to be able to attend our college. At first I was a little suspicious when she told me all of this but then in 2006 it was my turn to deal with this grisly, poor-excuse for a vehicle. With a new transmission in place her car began to snap back a forth. Finally her car overheated and they had to replace some electrical problem AGAIN to get the snapping to stop. There were times when the car would shake back and forth in the middle of intersections and not even move. Get this, the car now only had about 92,000 miles on it. After the electrical problem was fixed the car ran pretty good until about 96,000 (about a month ago) when the overdrive light started to blink and the car would start to buck. Now in college you usually don't drive a car very much. When she replaced the tranny it had 84,000 miles on it and the second time it had 96,000 miles on it. I really do not think a transmission is suppose to break first of all at 84,000 mile but then 12,000 miles later go again. Needless to say we are just gonna use the car until it totally breaks down and won't move. After that we will sell the car for parts but proably won't do any good because I don't see why anyone would ever want a mazda.

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    Reviewed Sept. 5, 2007

    I purchassed my 2001 mazda protege in november of 2005 with 65,000 miles. I loved the car gas efficent 1.6l with a 5 speed trans about 7 months later the trans/ differental broke. I went to a friend who is a mazda tech and had him order a trans mission for me. to save money i had a different shop install it with new seals and clutch. This cost me about $1,500.00. the dealership wanted $2,400.00 and that was with out a new clutch. In this proccess I learned from my friend (the mazda tech.) that mazda did design the transaxle poorly. the trans axle is unballenced and the diff. slips power from side to side when accererating, generating wheel hop until it can't take it. the second trans went about 18,000 miles later. the car has been sitting for 6 months needing another trans.

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    Reviewed Sept. 4, 2007

    Transmission for my Mazda 626 needed to be replaced twice one just after the warranty and the second time around 70000 miles. Mazda is in denial and they refused to give atleast any discount. I will never buy another Mazda in my life time. Each time I had to pay more than $3000. There is fundamentally something wrong with Mazdas that were built in 1995 and 1996. There must be a recall on 1996 Mazda 626.

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    Reviewed Sept. 4, 2007

    3 year ago, I purchased a used 1998 Mazda 626LX, transmission has gone bad and 3rd gear will not provide any power and it revs up.

    I have already spent $1500 in replacing head gaskets and transmission repairs would be another $1500 to $2000. After reviewing the case against factory known defects, repairs are no longer guarantee of the problem going away.

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    Reviewed Sept. 1, 2007

    I bought a new 04 Mazda 6 and 2 months later my brakes started making noises. Since then, I have had a recall on a engine part,headlight bulbs keep burning out,break lights burning out,driver seat foam cracks inside and now the metal retainer inside the seat is outside the seat,engine was reported to dealership of stalling after being warm also reported smoke and power loss. Mazda found code errors and did nothing to figure out the issuses and just removed the code. Now the engine is shot!

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    Reviewed Aug. 31, 2007

    I have a 2000 Mazda 626 with 62,500 miles and now it is in the shop for a $2000 transmission rebuild. I was told this is a Ford transmission by a friend so I am not surprised one bit. I have complain to Mazda but got the standard sorry letter that I am sure they are sending to everyone. I had my transmission fluid changed out at 34,000 miles just as it recommeded. This is my one and only Mazda and in the next year will dump this car as I was told that the year warranty will probably be about when the tranmission will go out again. There should be a recall on these Mazdas.

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    Reviewed July 30, 2007

    2002 Mazada Protege Hatchback Special edition, Transmission died at 52,000 miles. Transmission is in process of rebuild. My reputable mechanic said he had never seen such a terrible transmission put into a car. Good Grief! When will Mazda own up to their terribly made cars. I really enjoyed driving my ZOOM ZOOM but if a car won't be reliable beyond 52K miles, that is terrible

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    Reviewed July 4, 2007

    We bought a Mazda Tribute-ES 4WD 2001 for my Wife. At just over 39K miles while driving around town to get our daughter a tricycle the Overdrive light flashed and the transmission started to act different then just died. Following forums I followed recommendations to get a scanner and read the failure code of the PCM it was P1744 related to the torque converter, I cleared the code and transmission still didn't work, so I bought Mercon fluid and the tools to change the fluid and it was black, yet after changing the fluid it still doesn't work, it just makes a low decibel high pitch and clunks occasionally. After more research it became very disappointing to learn this is not unique, LOTS of CD4E transmission have been flailing for years and it never showed up as a warning or red flag in any consumer report. FORD AND MAZDA should be ashamed of putting a bad product into production, but should be HELD ACCOUNTABLE for continuing to put a bad product into production when they know it is bad. After further research I concluded every transmission failure I read about always occurred just after warrantee expired, so Ford and Mazda have no financial incentive to solve this issue, it doesn't cost them any money, it cost the consumer money. In the end though, Ford and Mazda are loosing market share rapidly because they are loosing their customer base to reliable honorable auto manufactures.

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    Reviewed June 27, 2007

    The transmission on my 1998 Mazda 626 died at 61,000 miles just like a lot of the reported cases here.

    My husband and I were sharing my Mazda, and now we have to take a taxi everyday to work and back. I should have seen this site before I bought the car. I am so angry, I will never buy a Mazda again.

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    Reviewed June 14, 2007

    I purchased a new 2002 Mazda Tribute in March 2002. At 41,000 miles (Sep 2005) I first encountered a security system defect which disables the engine so that it cannot be started. Situation has re-occurred about 10 times since Sep 2005. Always occurs during hot weather and continues throughout the summer months. I have had the vehicle towed to Mazda approx 4 times and driven it in for service approx 6 times.

    Mazda has been unable to fix the problem after many, many attempts. The vehicle's security system re-sets once the engine cools. However, this can take up to 1 hour in the hot sun or in hot weather. I don't look forward to summer driving in my Mazda SUV.

    No Zoom - Zoom for me. I worry if this condition will worsen over time. I have an extended warranty (3rd party) that I purchased at the time I financed my car loan. Mazda has only billed my warranty provider once and has said on all of the other occasions that they are performing repairs or attempting to diagnose the problem at their own expense. None of their attempts work. My warranty provider has said that if Mazda bills them, they must guarantee their work for one year. Well, clearly Mazda cannot do that because they can't fix the problem. My extended warranty provider says there is nothing they can do about this situation and suggests that I take the vehicle to another Mazda dealership for service.

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    Reviewed June 8, 2007

    James Fort Mill SC (06/08/07)

    I have a 2004 Mazda RX-8, I bought it new and I've had nothing but problems. This car looks great but it is a lemon in every sense of the word. I've been to dealership over 30 times. Mostly for engine problems. Most of the time the vehicle is towed back to the dealership only to remain their several days while the dealership blamed me for cold starts or other non-sense. My latest problem is the driver side visor keeps breaking. It is defective and I get grief from the dealership because I want it replaced, for the second time.

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    Reviewed May 27, 2007

    I bought my 1995 Mazda 626 in 2000 with 110,000 miles on it. It ran great up to July 2006. The dash light for the over drive started blinking several years after I bought the car but my mechanic said it was just a sensor light. The car continued to run ok. Then in 2006 I drove the car from Colorado to New Mexico ...and ended up stranded on the highway. The transmission went out. I had to be towed back to Colorado. I had purchased a used transmission in January 2007 for a cost of $600 plus $340 installed. May 16, 2007 the transmission went out again leaving me stalled in New Mexico, at midnight in the middle of nowhere. I had only had this transmission for 3 1/2 months... The cost to have my car towed back to Colorado was $500. My alledged warranty had run out a few weeks earlier. Now I am looking at having this second transmission rebuilt at a cost of $1500. I don't know who to trust anymore. I am a single woman with a very limited income. I love my Mazda but what is the right thing to do..? Where do I turn? Who do I trust?

    Consequence is that I am with no car and no money to buy another. I would rather keep the Mazda knowing the engine is good, tires are practically brand new. I know this car. I have babyed it for seven years..... taken great care to have engine oil changed on regular basis. I've had new front axels installed, plugs, wires and hoses changed on regular basis, new exhaust. Only thing is the transmission keeps going out and from no fault of mine. I take great care to drive my car sensibly and causiously. I am at my wits end.

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    Reviewed April 27, 2007

    In May 2006, my car was taken into the dealer to be fixed. It was reving up when it was driven. I explained everything to the service man. He did not know what the problem was. He said I wasn't driving the car correctly. I am a 28 year old female, so I took offense to that. He called his manager over. He didn't know anything either. My car was taken into the shop. 3 days later I received a call. The dealer said it would cost me $3000 for a new transmission. Shocked, I went and picked up my car to take it elsewhere. I paid $133.50 to pick it up too! In January 2007, I finally took my car to another mechanic. Within days, my car was fixed, and it only cost $400. It was a faulty speed sensor chip. I told the mechanic what Galpin Mazda wanted to do to my car. They were also shocked and told me to immediately file a complaint against them. It was also due to the fact that they tried to rip me off because of my age and gender. I file this complaint now because I do not want another person to get ripped off too!

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    Reviewed April 9, 2007

    I bought my new mazda protege 5 in 2002. I paid for the 60 month- 60,000 mile extended power tain warranty. at 63 months and 54,000 miles my automatic transmission went out. repairs cost me $1461. the mechanic told me that mazda knew about this problem and did nothing to correct it. he said some fords had the same transmission and he had repaired at least 2 other transmissions with this problem over the last year. I have personally seen the service bulletin on this transmission. even though the warranty was expired I think mazda shoud reimburse me the cost of the repairs since they knew about the problem...and at 54,000 miles. I will never buy another mazda.

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    Reviewed April 9, 2007

    i own a 1998 mazda 626. recently,without any warning the transmission failed. i heard a loud and strange noise while driving so i immediately decided that i should stop driving and park. however when i tried to park, the car would not go forward or backward. so i just put the gear in park and the car rolled forward while in park so i had to apply the emergency brake. i can only thank GOD that it failed when it did, because i had just left off a major interstate highway when this occured.

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    Reviewed April 8, 2007

    This is the second mazda car I have purchased. The first 929 which have to have 2 transmission only lasting only 2 years, replace the two sensors,etc. The way I was defrauded by the dealership is unetheical.

    The second car was a millenia, I had it for 4 and half years years, the were 23,143 miles at the outset, 2 sensors were replaced(which I paid for) shortly after I purchased it There has been a numerous other part replaced on the car.

    I did get the mileage service repairs. Now with on 61,000 miles, the engine has gone bad. the cost to repair the engine is $4600, I purchased and extended warranty, but wasn't covered under the terms. I am highly disappointed in performance and relability of Mazda cars.

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    Reviewed April 7, 2007

    I own a 2004 Mazda RX-8 with 17,000 miles. Went to pick-up my son at school and backed into a parking lot. The car stalled. It took a more than normal attemp to restart the car. Driving home which is approx 1 mile. I noted it wasn;t correctly shifting into gear. When I placed the gas to the floor it rattled and clunked. The vehicle began the vibrate. I took the car back to Mazda for assessment.

    The vehicle was placed on a computer system and the information sent to Mazda. I was called one day later and informed the car needed a engine replacement, They would be replacing it with a rebuilt one.

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    Reviewed April 5, 2007

    I have a 2005 mazda3. i was driving to work and i noticed the transmition was slipping. my car has 28,000 miles on it. i called the dealer as soon as i noticed the problem. i drove the car to the dealer after i talked to them. they put the car on the lift and noticed there was fluid everywhere. appon further inspection they found a crack in the transmition. this is where the fluid was leaking out. the transmition was covered under the warenty. the clutch wasnt.

    the dealer called me and explained that the transmition would be covered but the clutch, flywheel,clutch cover and labor for the clutch replacement are not covered. i explained that the fluid that leaked from the trans soaked the clutch, in turn causing it to slip and burn out.

    i was told clutch is a wear and tear item that isnt coverend. ive driven vehicles with manual transmitions for 12 years. these vehicles had over 100,000 miles on them with the origional clutch and never had a problem. now with my mazda that has 28,000 miles on it has a burnt out clutch. i feel that the fluid from there broken transmition caused my clutch to go. the repair cost me $699.97

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    Reviewed April 3, 2007

    Purchased a 2006 Mazda 6 in Apr 2006. I got the sport package w/ 18 rims & Pirelli Zero tires. As time went on the tire noise level got louder & louder. Its sounds like I have a 4X4 truck with mud tires.

    Now my wife who drives the car is now complainig about it. So I took the car to Maple Shade Mazda in New Jersey & There ASA certified mechanic took the car for a test ride and with in 30 secondes of the drive he said This is not right! He ask me if I rotated the tire and I answered 2 times already. He let the steering wheel go and the vechile stayed straight & true. At the point he headed back to the shop, got out of the car & felt the tires.

    He said the wear looked good but on the inside of the tire he said not is not wearing correctally they were cupping. So back inside of the service dept they said they do not cover tires. But during the big sales pitch they said this car is covered bumper to bumper for 4 years or 50k miles. Yuo do not have to worry about this car for 4 years & 50k miles. In my opinion Mazda chose to use that tire when they assemble this car. That is between Mazda & Pirelli. Its make me ILL when people do not back up there product. You hear all

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    Reviewed March 23, 2007

    On February 4th, 2007 at 3:14 pm in Newberry Springs, California my 10 year old daughter, Mariah Raelene Ramirez-Flowers, was in a solo automobile accident with her father, Kristopher Dylan Flowers, as he was driving a 2006 Mazda MX-5 convertible on the 15 freeway North on their way back to their home in Las Vegas. The Mazda MX-5 rolled over at least 2 times, front to back. The convertible top was up at the time of the accident. Kristoper Flowers was ejected from the automobile. He did not have his seatbelt fastened, his driverside airbag deployed and his driver side - side airbag deployed. My daugher had her seatbelt on and remained in the cabin of the car throughout the crash. Both the passenger side airbag and side airbag did not deploy. Both Kristoper and Mariah were killed in the crash due to blunt force trama injuries to their heads. Kristopher died immediately, My daughter was given CPR for a half an hour or so and was later declared deceased by the San Bernardino Coroner. Witnesses saw my daughter breathing/trying to breath and cut her seatbelt and removed her from the Mazda MX-5 which came to rest up-side-down. Upon viewing the vehicle after the crash we check to make sure that the passenger side airbags had not been manually turn off. They had not. Upon reading in the Mazda MX-5 booklet it states that there are sensors in the seat which can deactivate the airbags if they determine there is not enough weight on the seat. Why automakers would make such a sensor is unclear when there is a manual switch for when a childs carseat in placed in the passenger side of the vehicle. My daughter was 10 years old and weighed enough that the airbags should have deployed. Obviously, by the condition of the Mazda MX-5 after the collision, any airbag sensor would have been triggered to deploy the passenger side airbags...the car was completely totalled. So why did the airbags not deploy? In talking with CHP, if the airbags had deployed it would have greatly increased my daughter's chances of surviving the crash. Obviously, airbags are an effective safety measure and that is why automakers put them in automobiles....to save lives. So why then did they not activate? Why would an auto manufacturer put seat sensors that have the potential to deactivate them? In addition, it is also my understanding that Mazda MX-5 convertibles have roll bar hoops that are not engineered to provide any protection in an actual rollover. So what is the point in having them and why are they considered a safety device when they are only for looks and provide no actual protection? How can a company claim that there convertibles are safer because of the roll bar hoops, when they do not offer protection? How can the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration allow auto manufacturers to make convertibles without strict rollover protection standards? My daughter should have and could have survived this crash if the airbags had deployed and the car was manufactured with protective roll bars.

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    Reviewed March 16, 2007

    The transmission on my 2002 Mazda 626 went out at 60,000 miles just like a lot of them did reading from this site. This is totally unacceptable and Mazda should reimburst everyone who had to spend money on repairs.

    It cost me $3,000 to fix it.

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    Reviewed March 14, 2007

    I took my Mazda in for a regular oil changein September 06 and reported that my car was not retaining oil like it should. The changed my oil and said nothing was wrong.

    The same night after leaving my car started to smoke real bad and again there was no oil in the car but in was none on the ground, so I couldn't figure out where the oil was going.

    I took my car back and spoke with the Service Manager who told me she saw my car smoking when I drove it in. I explained the problem and this time they informed me my oil filter housing case had a hairline crack in it and that was causing it to smoke.

    They fixed it and I was charged for the part even though the first time in I told them the exact problem. I Pick my car up right before close on the day which was a Friday and drive it home.

    My car was driving funny so when I got it home I looked under the hood and they left my oil cap off and my oil had spilled out everywhere. Because they were closed I had to wait until the next day to get it fixed and they said they were going to run tests on the car and make sure the engine was not messed up. Jump to now March 07 my car started acting strange shaking real bad, skipping gears and not going over 35 so I took it in to have tests run on it and now I am being told I have an internal transmission problem and it is starting to slip and to get this problem fixed will cost $3912.00. My car is a 2003 Mazda6 with a little over 75k miles on it.

    Service has been keep up on it and I have had the most problems out of it. I had a Nissan before this car that had well over 120k miles on it and it never gave me all these problems. For a car to need a new transmission after only 75k miles is beyond me, Mazda products are not good and further more you spend more out trying to maintain the vehicle than anything.

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    Reviewed March 13, 2007

    My wife, Carol Henry purchased a 2004 Mazda RX8 in early 2005. We have had this car in their shop 3 times for stalling and won't start problems. The first time they replaced the spark plugs and battery (part of a recall).

    The 2nd time they replaced the motor mounts. The last time we had to have the car towed to the dealer because it stalled 3 time on my wife on the way home from work. She finally got it to a safe place and called roadside service to have it towed.

    The dealer could not find anything wrong. My wife refuses to drive the car and is using my vehicle. It has been parked in our garage ever since. I have used it twice for very short trips (5 miles) because it is not dependable and is a hazzard.

    We pay over $400 a month lease for this vehicle and it is just parked in the garage. My wife is using my vehicle, a 2004 Chevrolet Colorado PU which we bought at the same time as the Mazda at the same dealership. I do not have dependable transportation.

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    Reviewed March 10, 2007

    I purchased my 1999 Mazda 626 in November of 2002 from Stadium Toyota in Tampa. Soon after I purchased the vehicle, I took it in to Stadium Toyota to have it checked because the vehicle seemed to jerk when put into reverse.

    I also had them check the whole car out because, as I told them, I planned on taking a long trip soon. They reported the car was fine; there was nothing wrong. I ended up traveling a few months later and had all scheduled maintenance in the mean time. About 2 hours into my trip, traveling at an average speed of 70-75mph, the transmission blew. I had the vehicle towed to the nearest Mazda dealer. The mechanic there said I should have never been driving for that amount of time at that speed with 3 people in the car.

    So, to clarify, I repeated what I heard back to him in what I am sure was a flabbergasted manner. So, no one should drive 70-75mph for two hours with two passengers? hmm... That definitely did not fly with me. The passengers and I missed the wedding to which we were traveling, and we had to rent a car one-way back home. Mazda did agree to pay for the parts of a rebuilt transmission and the cooler that had never been put in the car. I did end up paying over $1000 just to fix the car while also spending several hundred dollars for the car rental and the tow of the vehicle. It is absurd that Mazda USA has not recognized their obligation to their customers.

    Not only have I seen hundreds if not thousands of online letters at various sites reporting similar problems, but I have also met people with Mazdas who have experienced said issues with the vehicle. Mazda should reconsider their perspective on this issue. They should care about how Mazda is viewed; they should care about their integrity; they should also consider how many customers they have lost. Thanks.

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    Reviewed March 7, 2007

    In July, 2003, I purchased a 2004 Mazda RX-8 for $35,000. Within 2 weeks, the car would not start and was towed to the shop. Over the course of the next 2 years, the car was towed 20+ times for similar problems.

    Parts too numerous to mention were replaced, and countless trips to the garage ensued. But the problem was never fixed. Mazda finally replaced the engine with a rebuilt engine in 2005, but an oil leak and more engine problems--same as before--continued. I contacted Mazda Corporation to attempt them to fix my car, but it was never in good condition.

    I contacted the Attorney General's (AG) office in Missouri to file a complaint and inquire about the Lemon Law. I was told the AG could only enforce the Mazda warranty, and there was nothing they could do about forcing Mazda to replace or repair the car.

    After a final episode in January, 2006, of parking the car and trying to start it when it would not start, I traded the car into another dealer and bought a Subaru. However, the dealer was well aware of the car's recall history, and I had to pay alot of money just to get out from under the expensive loan and buy the other car.

    Now, one year later, I read that Mazda recalled ALL 2004, 2005, 2006 RX-8's because of the engine problem. However, I doubt that replacing new engines with rebuilt ones solved the problem for others--it sure did not for me. I just felt helpless, and I still feel that I was not treated fairly by Mazda Corporation. They obviously put out a deficient product and never made good on it.

    I realize there may be no options to ever make this situation right for me, but if there is ever a class-action lawsuit against Mazda for the HELL they put me through with this car, I want to tell my story.

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    Reviewed March 7, 2007

    At 54,000 miles on my 4 year old Mazda Protege, the transmission started acting up. I took it to the dealership as it was bought new and was told it was out of warrantee. The dealership had been sold 2 times I believe and it took over 10 calls to get a return call from the dealership. They wanted $5,000 to fix it. Even though it was only 4000 miles over the warrantee, they refused to take any responsibility or offer any assistance especially price wise. I was also informed that there were no complaints for that particular model of car and again, it was my responsibility.

    So, for $2,700 I had my transmission rebuilt. Now, at 78,000 miles, not even 25,000 miles more, the problem has returned. Since the repairs were done by an unauthorized Mazda dealership, they will not even look at it. I went to the transmission place where the repairs were done and though they are working with me as far as cost, they said there have been numerous complaints as the engine is a Ford engine.

    And I was actually shocked. I never would have bought anything Ford had I known that. That defeated shopping for a foreign car. I recently found out that when the transmission went out, it was covered by an extended power trane/train warrantee and that the dealership should have told me that. It is highly unusual to need a new transmission at 54,000 miles.

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    Reviewed Feb. 6, 2007

    I have a 2005 Mazda RX-8 bought new at the end of 2006 last March. Nothing but problems with this vehicle.

    Car has been in for the same problem three times! Won't start so I've had to call roadside service each time to have it towed for them to tell me the spark plugs are flooded. I payed alot of money for this vehicle that is not reliable and has caused me much distress!

    I find it very interesting that there have been several of the same experiences with this car from other complaints that I have read. So obviously it's not a problem with the person who purchased the car it's a problem with Mazda and their RX-8's!!

    Is there anything that can be done to rectify this situation such as the lemon law, buy back or something?

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    Reviewed Jan. 28, 2007

    This is my third request. I bought my car 5/28/06 for $19,000.00. I was screwed by the car dealer. Bad brakes, tires, back door make a bad sound,no shelf for back, car runs rough, driver window has a sound, shocks.

    Every time I go back to them they give me a story or they don't belive. I need somme help please what can I do. I have a warranty. I don't think they checked out the car bumper to bumper before they sold it to me. I really need your help.

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    Reviewed Jan. 22, 2007

    Mazda 2002 protege 41,000 Transaxle starting to slip when in is in the overdrive mode. Changed fluid and filter is somewhat better but in reading in this forum Its only a matter of time before it dies. I guess the ES on the back of the car should stand for EXTRA **. If this is the problem you have please email me to compare notes. Thanks.

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    Reviewed Jan. 19, 2007

    We bought a 97 Mazda 626 with aprox 95000 miles on it that we were told had just had the transmission replaced. This transmission lasted 35000 miles and about three years, and had several instances of apparent overheating (O/D light flashing). We had this transmission rebuilt at a cost of $1800 and it died again in only 13 months. Fortunately for us the rebuilder (John West) came to the party and rebuilt the transmission again at no cost to us. This week, about 4 months since that second rebuild, he has had to replace the transmission valve body as the gear changes were slipping badly. This transmission is a lemon!

    I was forced to buy a new vehicle to get to work as a result of this premature failure (at the time I was intending to take a trip home to NZ to visit my children - this had to be postponed. Hate to think what this wold also have cost if John West did not feel obliged to help us - his warranty period had certainly run out.

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    Reviewed Jan. 19, 2007

    I have a 2002 Mazda 626 and at 87,000 miles, the transmission started making a noise that sounded like a bad axel but much louder. I knew what was wrong right away. It was the chain slipping fron the sprocket in the transmission. I took the car for repair and when the transmission was opened up, there were metal shavings all over and the torque converter was bad. I had to pay $1685 to get the car repaired. They told me at the transmission shop that the transmission is made by Ford and that many people had or is having problems with these ford transmissions. I have had cars that with much more milage than this car and never encountered transmission problems. Thanks to Ford which makes the most junk cars.

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    Reviewed Jan. 18, 2007

    I have a 1999 Mazda 626 that the transmission is failing on. I checked and found that this is a common problem that Mazda knows about. This is caused by transmission overheating due to poor design.

    Mazda no longer builds the 626 because of transmission failures. Why have they gotten away with this? Why has not something been done to make them repair or replace these faulty transmissions?

    I am a disabled Veteran living on a fixed income. I just cannot afford to fix this problem on my income. I will have to depend on others to take me to my medical appointments. My right leg has had three surgeries on it and needs one more. My lower back is constanty in pain. If I cannot get this car fixed or find another one I will have a very hard winter.

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    Reviewed Jan. 18, 2007

    I've received certificate of origin on a vehicle I purchased cash for.. Mazda has given me the run around for 3mos.,as i'm trying to title it in Arizona.. I've called Mark Robin to get signature on certificate in order for Arizona to accept for registration. I have until 2-18-07 (90 days).

    I've left messages several times & tried calling Irvine Mazda Motor who no longer has ph#949-261-9429 (where certificate was orginated).. I don't have time for this run around & therefore asking your assistance on the matter.. (also, Mark was laughing on the ph. at me & I believe they're doing it on purpose.. they know there job & therefore I shouldn't have to request it of them).

    Mental Stress & I don't get paid to do their jobs.. I've never dealt with such probelmatic services in my 45yrs. here on earth & don't expect to again in the next 45yrs.. That's why I'm converting to a more simple state as Arizona, as California is too complicated!! Thanks for your help on this matter!! Sincerely, Julie B.

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    Reviewed Jan. 10, 2007

    My Mazda 626 lx 98 Model started having transmission problem as i hit 118K miles. So i take it to mazda dealer to check it out. They say it would cost me 4.5K to fix it. Well I told him i were to sell this car, i would not get 3000$. He then suggested to go to local guy to get the transmission fixed. There i find out that the transmission was faulty to begin with. Mazda was aware of it and did not fix it. This really ticked me off, First, mazda take away 1000's of $ when i buy a car and then they give me a falulty car, which I am now supposed to fix. This is not right, this is a design problem and they should have taken care of it. Finally i had it fixed from this nice guy for 2000$, and i just hoping it will last long enough to make me feel this 2K was worth it.

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    Reviewed Jan. 10, 2007

    I have a 2004 MAZDA RX8.I have had it in the shop since July of 2006 several times for numerous problems.January 8,2007 I tried to crank my car to come to work and it would not crank.I called CLASSIC MAZDA in Texarkana,Tx. where I bought my car and they told me to call roadside assistance to get it towed to their shop. I did this and called Classic Mazda back the next morning.

    A man in the service department(RICK) told me that the car was flooded when I tried to crank it and it is my fault,he went on to say that because I tried to crank it when it was flooded that I ruined the starter and battery and engine. He said they would put a new engine,starter and battery on the car but that I had to pay for the battery.He never told me about the problems MAZDA was having with the RX8,or about any buy back offer.

    I DO NOT WANT THAT CAR BACK AT ALL.After reading your consumer report about this car I realize that everything this man in the service department at Classic Mazda told me is word for word the problems Mazda has had with the RX8.

    This is not my fault and should have been given the choice and information that is in this consumer report.What do I do? Classic Mazda has ordered the new engine.

    Not one word was mentioned to me about this problem,or any buy back option.I was told it was all my fault,that I did something wrong in simply trying to start my car. Please help.

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    Reviewed Jan. 5, 2007

    I purchased a used 1999 Mazda Protege in 2002 that had only 16,000 miles on it. Today it has only 68,000 miles and I have to have the transmission replaced.

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    Reviewed Jan. 5, 2007

    Purchased a 1999 Mazda 626 with 37K miles Jan. 2006. Automatic transmission failed at 47,000 miles. Complete rebuild required. Apparently this Mazda model/year is equipped with a Ford transmission that does not have adequate power for 626's size and weight. The result is premature failure of the transmission. No improved transmission is available as replacement, only rebuild of same transmission with supposed modifications.

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    Reviewed Dec. 18, 2006

    Mazda transmission may be going out. Saw your list of people complaining about theirs. So my car may hold the clue for your problems. The transmission is whistling and Mazda says it's probably the transmission. It only has 37,000 miles!

    They're telling me it will cost $7,000. And they hinted that I let it get worse because I'm going to have to change the whole transmission anyway!

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    Reviewed Dec. 9, 2006

    Just boughta new (used) Mazda Tribute from Toyota of Nicholasville a month ago. We've barely driven it yet, but this morning, attempted to start it in the garage and poof, the thing caught fire! We haven't even made the first payment yet. The dealer said we should take it to a Mazda center for repairs. But will this keep happening until it burns up? My husband extinguished the fire with a blanket, and a fire extinguisher, but the air intake is melted, the air filter burned completely. The MAF, the air intake, and air filter housing are all damaged.

    We just purchased this vehicle so I could return to work, because of financial hardship. I have interviews to attend, and if I do get a position I don't have a driveable vehicle, just a Mazda in the garage that I have to pay $369. a month for.The dealer did not offer a loaner vehicle.

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    Reviewed Nov. 29, 2006

    I have a 2000 626 Mazda. I had to have the transmission replaced in 2003. Now in 2006 again I have to replace the transmission. I have also had to replace the 2 of transmission mounts. Now a third has gone, replace them at the same time if you can afford it. Mazda paid for the 1st transmission(they claimed it was a good faith policy) Bullcrap I say, they did not want all the attention from me raising a fuss about a three y/o car needing a new transmission. I do love the way the car looks and rides when it is in tip top shape but I will never buy another Mazda or anything remotely affilated with FORD, ie: Jeep, Volvo etc.

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    Reviewed Nov. 27, 2006

    I have purchased a Mazda 626 LX 1996 in a excellent condition. At 95000 miles the transmission died for no apparent reason. I had it replaced and drove the car for another 30000 miles when the second one died yet again. After doing little research I found that bad transmission is the most common problem on the Mazda 626 cars. What I don't understand is that Company did not make an effort to fix the problem and to reimburse the Mazda owners who repeatedly need to invest $2500.00 on a average to have the transmission replaced. If there is a petition or a lawsuit it progress against Mazda in reference to the faulty transmissions I would be the first one to sign it.

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    Reviewed Nov. 24, 2006

    BOTH doorhandles on the two back sliding doors have broken off in the last month. There was no excessive force used by my two small children in opening these doors and we are the origional owners. I am shocked at how cheaply made these are. Also, both oxygen sensors needed to be replaced which cost over $500.00.

    I don't yet know the cost of replacing the doorhandles but my insurance company said they will be expensive... Why should I have to pay for plastic parts that are defective?? I think the company should cover this as part of a normal lifetime warrenty - expectation.

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    Reviewed Nov. 22, 2006

    2004 RX-8 MAZDA, bought it about a month and half ago and its been in the shop 5 times now. Dealer had replaced everything to do with the power steering, new rack and pinion, new module, but the same problem keeps coming back. Called cooperate office and talked to Bruce and trying to have a regional mechanic to come and try to fix this problem. It happends when you drive it and when you try to start the car the power steering just fails and the wheel is hard. Which would cause an accident if it fails while doing a turn!!!! If not fixed they are not leaving me with any other option but to take to court.

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    Reviewed Nov. 15, 2006

    I own a 1999 mazda 626 with 80,000 miles on it. I was just told the transmission is shot. I have read several of the complaints and it seems there are lots of problems. Mazda should be responsible to replace this transmission.

    I live on Social Security $700 per month. Another transmission is going to cost approximately $3500. I cannot afford this and cannot afford to buy another vehicle. Most of my children do not live around me and I will have no way to get to the doctor or grocery store. I have diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. Can't we make Mazda pay for this?

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    Reviewed Oct. 30, 2006

    My 20 year-old son was involved in a head on collision on 9/3/06. He was driving a 1995 Mazda Protege. His passenger-side airbag deployed, however; his driver-side airbag (the most important one) did NOT. Thus, he died from blunt force trauma to the head. Who is responsible for his driver's side airbag not deploying? Who is responsible for my son's death?

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    Reviewed Oct. 25, 2006

    I purchased my 2004 Mazda RX-8 in July of 2006. I saw it on the road and had to have it. I fell in love with it instantly. I started having minor problems with the driver's side sun visor. I had to have it replaced about 5 times. Shortly thereafter, on my way home, as I prepared to turn into my subdivision, the car cut off, and it took several attempts before I could restart it. I took it to the dealership the next morning only to find out there was a recall on it. I was relieved that they were aware of the problem. They gave me a rental, and I was on my way. When I picked up the car that day, they had cleaned it and filled it with gas. The next day, at a stop light in rush hour traffic, the problem re-occured! This time, they kept my car for over a week. About 3 to 5 days after I got my car back, the problem happened again!They kept it for another week and sent me on my way. It was still driving a little funny, but I was confident that the third time would be a charm. I was wrong. I've had it back for about a week, and the problem happened again. I called the individual I had been dealing with who said that at this point Mazda wouldn't take my car anymore, and that he would have to ride with me until the problem occurred. WHAT? This car is a beautiful piece of junk and I am fed up! I wouldn't expect to buy a car from the dealer and be inconvenienced the way I have been, and now they're treating me like I'm in the wrong. I am ready to file a suit in order to get my money back!!!

    (

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    Reviewed Oct. 8, 2006

    1998 mazda 626 committed suicide. This car was perfect until 77,000 miles. Just oil changes and tires needed. I love/d this car. But the transmission KILLED ITSELF yesterday. I am an excellent driver. I follow all the rules. No citations. No abuse of my car, because I love/d it. Now I hate it. Mazda 1998 626 is now a piece of crap, a piece of junk. I hate mazda for putting a ford transmission in MY CAR. I LOVED my car until it committed suicide.

    I came close to causing a huge pile up on rte 23 going north out of Columbus, Oh because the transmission in my mazda just killed itself.

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    Reviewed Sept. 12, 2006

    I bought a new 2004 Mazda RX8 for my wife and it has been nothing but problems. Its been towed back to the dealership many times for failure to start. They keep trying things, and the last time they told me I need to rev the engine to 7000 rpms before turning it off, to ensure a restart. Are they out of thier minds, racing an engine every time you turn it off? I've been wanting to sell or trade it, but because of all the bad press on it I'm sure I won't get any takers, and don't really want anyone else to be stuck with this piece of ..... Will the company buy this thing back?

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    Reviewed Aug. 19, 2006

    Have a story that you may be interested in. We leased a brand new Mazda three weeks ago that is making my wife ill everytime she sits in the car. Watery eyes, irritated skin, runny nose, puffiness are symptoms of her allergic and almost flu-like reaction, which the Doctor has prescribed medication for. Both Mazda and the dealership claim, of course, that nothing is wrong with the vehicle and refuse to take it back. I have discussed this with an industrial hygienist out of Tampa who should be in town next week to take air samples and pinpoint the source of the problem. We are also in the process of selecting an attorney who indicated that this may be a consumer rights issue.

    I was surprised to learn that toxic car syndrome has been identified and addressed by automotive companies worldwide and that there are numerous cases and studies available on the Internet.

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    Reviewed Aug. 11, 2006

    I just purchased a used 2002 Mazda Protege 5 and about a month later 5th gear started popping out, and now it just acts like it is in nuetral. I have read many reviews and complaints and this looks like a very common problem. Why is there no recall for this after all of these complaints?

    I have been told that I need a new transmission for about $2500. I tried to buy a nice economical car as a single mother who has major heart problems and have to drive 500 miles for heart check ups, and now I have a very unreliable car, and no money to fix it.

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    Reviewed Aug. 10, 2006

    2001 Mazda 626 broke down on highway when transmission died, almost got killed as car just would not go into gear. I uderstand this is an ongoing problem with Mazda 626 form 1994-2002 cars, should be recalled! Spent 3k to fix. I am very upset, car has 56k miles, should NOT have trans problems!!!

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    Reviewed Aug. 6, 2006

    I purchased a 1998 Mazda 626 in Jan. of 99. Approximately 6 weeks later the transmission went out. The car was still under warranty and was repaired by the dealer at no charge. Around April of this year (06), the transmission had to be replaced again. At a cost of $2700.Making this the third transmission in the car since 1999. I have purchased seven other cars before this one and this is the first time I have ever had transmission problems. I have also had the brakes replaced about three or four times. The rubber weather stripping around all the doors continues to come off. It has to be repaired yearly.

    I called the Mazda Zone office regarding both of these matters and was told that they have not had any complaints similar to mine. I recently found out a friend in another city had the exact same model and year Mazda I had, and while comparing service problems it seemed we were talking about the same car. I now need to replace the Oxygen Sensor. Also some type of black insulation material has began to blow out of my air vents. There is no doubt in my mind that Mazda is aware that their transmission is a piece of crap. I personally am beginning to feel the whole car is a piece of crap.

    I feel Mazda should be made accountable for what it's selling to the consumer. I would not ever consider buying another Mazda nor would I recommend them to anyone. I am always willing to share my bad experience with others in the hope that they will not buy this product, and that they will also pass the word on. Since Mazda has hit many unsuspecting consumers in the pocket, we should try to return the favor. Consumers purchase automobiles in good faith with hard earned money and should not take rip-offs lightly.

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    Reviewed Aug. 3, 2006

    I purchased a used Mazda6 at 11,000 miles. At 42,000, the car started randomly shifting into neutral. Although the computer failed to find anything wrong, White Plains Mazda decided it was the transmission and replaced it under warranty. The day I got it back from the dealer, it shifted itself into neutral again, this time on a higway at 55 miles an hour. White Plains Mazda ran more tests and decided it was the front axle assembly, which they replaced. At 64,000, the battery light came on. I brought the car to Long Beach Mazda, where they tested the computer and alternator and assured me the car was fine. I went to pick the car up, and it would not start. They decided it must be the alternator, which they replaced at a 125% mark-up.

    On the first test drive, the power train fuse blew. They then decided the PCM was shot. They replaced the PCM and TCM. On the first test drive, they discovered the RCM, power windows, ALL head lamp bulbs and the air conditioner were no longer working. They now want to charge me an additional 400$ to fix these things, although ALL of the above was working when I brough the car in for repair. I have paperwork stating Long Beach Mazda tested the alternator output and found it acceptable. Yet, this is the first thing they replaced, and over-charged me for, when the car wouldn't start. Then the blamed the computer, which I also have paperwork for, stating it was fine.

    Now they have found MORE problems, problems that did not exist when I brought the car in, and they want to charge me for these issues. At this point, no one can figure out why, IF the alternator was over-charging the battery- as they now claim, the fuses didn't blow due to the overload. I've called Mazda USA and am currently waiting to hear back from them. At this point, they are telling me there is nothing they can do.

    I have been without a car for 3 weeks. I have missed 2 days of work traveling to pick up a car that was not drivable. I have spent $80 in cab rides to get to the dealership. I am being charged $327 for a $115 alternator, plus labor. Now they want to charge additional labor. I've already paid $95 for a 'consultation fee.'

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    Reviewed Aug. 1, 2006

    Why have you not made Mazda recall the 95-2002 Mazda 626 for the Transmission problems yet? My son's 2000 Mazda 626 is being fixed as I write this due to a faulty transmission and cooling core or whatever it is called. I have read on the Internet thousands of cars that had to replace the transmissions with as little as 20 thousand miles on them. My son has 57 thousand I think. Anyway, the guy at the shop was working on a Mazda 626 Transmission when we brought his car there 2 days ago. He said he has worked on so may Mazdas with low mileage due to some cooling defect burning out the trans and wants to know why there has not been a recall or class action suit yet? We are very angry and putting out $3,000k tomorrow to get his car back. Please do something!

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    Reviewed Aug. 1, 2006

    My 2000 Mazda 626 transmsiion died the other day, almost got killed on highway when car just would not go. It has only 57 thousand miles on it, should not be needing a new transmsion yet but from what I just read on the internet this is a very common problem with the Mazda 626 from 1995-2002 cars, something about the part that cools the Transmission is no good and burns it out. Mazda should be paying for this, not me*

    Will be paying $3,000 to get my car back from the shop! Am afraid to drive the car now.

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    Reviewed June 12, 2006

    I am on the third transmission in my 1996 626 with 113,00 miles. Mazda refuses to accept any responsibility. Faulty parts have caused my transmission to burn up too many times. Thousands of people are suffering because of Mazda's mistake and refusal to support their customers.

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    Reviewed June 12, 2006

    I bought my 2001 Mazda 626 in 2002. It had 20,000 miles on the car already, however I ran carfax and it showed no problems listed. I have driven the car since then and have had to have the transmission repaired 2 times now.

    The first time it cost me a little more than $1,700. This time it has cost me another $675. I have searched websites and consumer complaint website and this seems to be Mazda's biggest problem and I am by far not the only one.

    I have also, as have others, written Mazda and got no help or reason why they are selling a vehicle that has such a bad reputation for a major failing component. This is outrageous. When I first bought my car I took it to the dealership for every oil change and minor repairs and tune ups that were needed. At almost every service or appointment I asked the service tech if the transmission needed service and everytime I got the same answer. No.

    I have complained to every BBB I can find about Mazda and I have complained to NHTSA and nothing has been done. I feel we as Mazda owners need to pull together and put some kind of petition together or sue Mazda.

    Maybe then we will be heard.

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    Mazda Company Information

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    www.mazdausa.com