Mazda 3

Mazda 3

 3.9/5 (212 reviews)
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About Mazda 3

The Mazda 3 is a fuel-efficient 4-door sedan with three available trims. Read more Mazda reviews to learn about other models.


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Page 3 Reviews 40 - 70
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer Verified Buyer
Original review: July 20, 2014

2008 Mazda 3 w/ 32,000 miles - defective coil spring (corrosion shows the weak spot in the manufacturing of the steel spring). It should not snap apart, but commonly does and not because it's normal for thick steel to snap apart (many others have the same problem - check the internet to confirm). Dealers can NEVER and I mean never find the rattle. Feel inside the cup to find the broken off piece. I was fortunate and found another person (not a Mazda dealer) who found it on his own and has posted the information on the internet. The worst of it is that when you have a manufacturing defect like this, it means that replacement parts are also defective. I've seen others complaining about having to fix this multiple times because it's a manufacturing defect.

15 people found this review helpful
Rated with 5 stars
Verified Reviewer
Original review: July 17, 2014

2014 Mazda 3i Grand Touring, 6M, 4000 miles, 41mpg avg last 4 tanks. First brand-new vehicle at the tender age of 56. Not fast, but quick. Astounding handling, completely unruffled, the platform begs to be thrown around. Best-handling car I'd ever owned was a '76 Lancia Beta coupe; this one is better. Manual gearbox, exceptionally tight pattern with ratios set just right. Complaint: backlight is essentially useless. I wouldn't own one without the backup camera. Once had an '89 626, gave her away with 300k on the clock. Absolutely bulletproof. Just hope this one approaches that level of reliability.

8 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Original review: July 13, 2014

I purchased a brand new 2012 Mazda 3 skyactiv. I was looking at the sp25, but I was given all this false information about this SKYACTIV version that was all new technology sporty more performance more torque and was great on the fuel. Since the first day I have had nothing but dramas. I have taken it back to the dealership so many times I cannot remember. I brought up issues like the car not having the advertised 4-2-1 exhaust headers that are one of the most important parts to the skyactiv being a good motor putting the skyactiv engine in the Mazda three without the most essential parts has actually made the car much less effective than the normal mar. The fuel consumption is terrible has no low end torque the performance can only be described as shocking.

A maxi sport is a much faster and performs much better and is a large amount of money cheaper. I have been banned from taking my car back to the dealer who sold me the car for no reason and have also been told that my extended warranty is not valid at any other dealer than the one the car was purchased from. I have tried to call Mazda and get help and they just tell me they have nothing to do with the car and to go to the dealer. All Mazda do is sell the cars to dealers and they hold zero responsibility in regards to problems with their product and offer no help to rectify any issues. I have had the car looked at by a performance shop and they have told me the car is a total lemon and it is not in any way the brochures describe the car and it is a disgrace that I cannot do anything to fix the issues.

I have been having a constant list of problems coming up with the car and it is like extracting teeth to get the warranty issues fixed. Mazda are a disgrace of a company they have no worry about taking advantage of people and there way of dealing with any issues is to ignore it and pass the buck every time. What does a person need to do to get their brand new car looked at and how can a company that manufactures a car claim to have no obligation about their product. And any conduct issues about the product are all the responsibility of the dealer as they are a franchise. This is something that needs to be addressed and if I want something done and want to pay for it, they have all the time in the world need something defective fixed and they will do anything to not need to do it.

Has anyone else been having issues with the 2012 Mazda 3 Skyactiv? If so please comment on it and if have had any luck getting the issue fixed please comment so I math be able to get the issues fixed before I park it through their shop window because it is a worthless bit of car. And I still need to pay the finance on it but I'm still stuck with the lemon. Mazda you are a disgrace and I hope you get what is coming to you, what goes around comes around. And one day you will get what you deserve and I would never recommend that anyone buys a Mazda because they will regret it, I can promise that. The dealer I felt with is Mazda Brookvale 2100 the salesman Tom ** and he will lie and do anything to make the sale though has little to no knowledge about the product he is selling!!!!!!!!!!!!

17 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Original review: May 8, 2014

I absolutely hate Mazda. I bought a brand new 2012 Mazda 3 Skyactiv and from day 1 have had nothing but nightmare problems. Mazda Corporate will not take responsibility and I was told to go back to the dealership. I had only had the car about 9 months and it had been in the shop 6 times for weeks on end. Overland Park Mazda told me they would not exchange the car because they would lose money on a "bad car" and the GM freely admitted it was a bad car. They offered to trade me in to the exact same car but I would have to pay over $3000.00 difference plus new sales tax, etc. because the price had gone up.

My car had issue after issue trying to die at stops or in stop and go traffic, getting 22 mpg hwy miles (which I was told was normal), freezing in first gear or not shifting out of first gear, running loud and hot (which I was told was normal), and a slew of defective parts that seem to pop up every few months. Even though I purchased an extended warranty, I was told by Overland Park Mazda that I was no longer allowed to bring the car back for service and because my car had been in the shop so much prior that I was no longer allowed a courtesy car which has been noted in my account so no matter where I take it I get refused. If my car had worked in the first place, I wouldn't have needed a loaner. I paid for my car so I could drive it.

It's been an epic battle with Mazda any time I need service because they refuse to allow techs to even look at it on a Saturday or without discussing the issue with corporate due to the amount of issues I've had already. This combined with the inability to have a courtesy loaner or shuttle means I have to take time off work and borrow a car or get rides every time my car needs maintenance. I just picked it up yesterday from yet another major repair that took me borrowing my dad's car for 4 days and again missing work.

All I wanted was to buy a good reliable car and what I got was the absolute worst nightmare I have ever experienced for the last 2 years. I would gladly trade the car off for a comparable car, but Mazda refuses to accept any responsibility for the bad car and they told me the only thing they'll offer is a discount on a new Mazda if I want to trade out of the car.. I will never own or even suggest anyone else buy a Mazda as long as I live and breathe. DO NOT BUY A MAZDA, EVER!!! They used to be great and now they are just garbage.

37 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer
Original review: April 15, 2014

2012 Mazda 3 engine with 36,000 miles failed. Said it was a Wrist Pin failure and internal engine severely damaged. We could not prove oil changes every 3,000 to 5,000 miles so factory warranty did not provide any coverage. Needs engine replacement $7,000 for dealer and at least $3,000 for used engine replacement. To be 100% fair, my son drove the car and probably didn't get the oil changed every 3000 miles, but it's not like it went 15,000 miles without an oil change. The engine should not have failed. Very concerning issues with the Mazda engines.

15 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
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Verified Reviewer
Original review: April 13, 2014

I purchased a 2012 Mazda 3I Sport and it turned into a living nightmare. I noticed the car began developing brake failure a year after purchase. The brake pedal became mushy. I had the brake pads replaced and the rotors turned but there were no changes in braking power. In November 2013, I rear ended someone after the brakes failed to work. Luckily it was not at a high speed nor was anyone hurt. It happened during morning stop and go traffic on the way to work. I've had the vehicle sitting in my driveway. I'm afraid of driving it. Has anyone else experienced any brake problems with Mazda vehicles?

13 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer
Original review: March 12, 2014

Bought our Mazda 3 new at Mazda dealership and have had oil change done there on a regular basis since day one. Vehicle has 156,000 kms on it. Last oil change 3000 kms ago. While driving the car we heard a ticking sound and stopped to check the noise. Checked my oil and no oil to be seen, poured two liters in crankcase and took to local mechanic to verify noise. He also put two liters of oil in the crankcase. There are no visible signs of leakage or oily deposits around tailpipe so drove it to the Mazda dealership for an assessment.

They mentioned that I had burned four liters of oil in about 3000 kms and could/would not provide an answer as to the large oil loss. They said it would be okay to drive. Shortly afterwards the ticking became a clanking noise and had to get the vehicle towed to the dealership for another assessment. The service manager assured me that it was just a turned bearing and could be repaired. Apparently not as there was severe damage to the engine and could not repair or rebuild. They suggested a used engine with 80,000 kms as a replacement.

Reading many articles on the web, apparently at 80,000 kms is when many 2.3 owners were having difficulties with their engines. I eventually bought a remanufactured engine and had the local mechanic do the installations. Due to the large number of complaints about this engine and in particular mine and knowing that the car has been serviced by Mazda since day one I will be processing a small claims court action against Mazda. This or similar engine should be quite capable of reaching 250-300,000 kilometers.

I believe that the ZOOM ZOOM company is selling an engine with very little long term advantages. There are many stories on the web to substantiate my claim. Mazda should be ashamed of themselves for selling an inferior product and not standing behind their not so quality engine.

17 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer
Original review: Feb. 9, 2014

I'm writing here to make you aware of my bad experience with Mazda. Unfortunately for a very bad luck I'm having some trouble with my brand new Mazda 3 2014. I'm having one of the most annoying issue that you could never ever experience... an intermittent problem. The issue is related to the backup camera, intermittently it does not work.

I have visited a service department already 3 times, the first time it was on Wednesday 22nd January 2014 (if I remember well). At that time one of the acceptance person saw the issue with my backup camera, but unfortunately the garage was already closed at 6PM, so he told me to bring back the car any day later. So I did... I brought back the car there the following Saturday 25th. After a wait of about a hour the acceptance person and one of the technicians came to me and they told me that the issue was solved with a software update released by Mazda also aiming to resolve this KNOWN issue. I left the facility very happy...

Few days back I have experienced the same issue. Too bad! So I went back to the service department on Saturday 1st February 2014. After some discussions we have agreed to leave the car there for some tests. Just to let you know, I did not ask, and I did not get offered any car loaner for the inconvenience. Tuesday February 4th 2014, I got a call back from the service manager. He was telling me that I had to pick back my car even though the issue wasn't solved. Seems that they were not being able to reproduce the problem in 3 days, so he asked me to take back the car and take a picture when the problem happened again. Also he told me that this was not a known issue for Mazda. He told me that this was a mandatory step to move forward to Mazda support in order to get some kind of decision on how to proceed or how to fix this issue. So I did, even though I was not very persuaded, initially it was a KNOWN issue later on it wasn't anymore.

On February 5th, 2014, I took a video of the issue and I brought the car back to them as requested. The service manager was very nice with me, he has explained me that now they had all the needed information and evidences to bring this on higher level, but I had to be patient and leave the service department with my car and wait their call back for instructions. So, I did, I was pretty happy about the agreed plan.

Around an hour later I got a call back from Mazda customer service... The person at the phone was telling me that even though I brought the video to the service department this was not enough to provide any solution or to fix the problem, because the issue has to be reproduced by Mazda's technicians, so I told him that the acceptance person has seen the problem and he knows about it... but the person at the phone told me that no one has mentioned that...???

I felt teased, and frustrated... I lost already a lot of my working time behind this issue. So I told him, okay, I'll bring the car back to the service and I will leave it there for the needed time, but I would need a car loaner in the meantime... I cannot stay without the car for such long time... So he told me that this is not possible for some unreasonable reasons! At this point I got seriously disappointed, frustrated and pissed off! I was trying to find a peaceful solution with Mazda, but now he was telling me that, basically, I can keep the car as it is, with this problem!?! I was thinking...Ehi!!! My money were all good, I did not pay with broken bucks! Why should I keep the car with this problem?! Finally Mazda left me with a faulty brand new car!!! Think twice before spend your money towards a Mazda car. Cars are very beautiful, but unfortunately the customer service is very disappointing.

23 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer
Original review: Feb. 4, 2014

I'm in Egypt. I bought a new Mazda 3 2014 car and I received my car from Obour distributor branch on 27.01.2014. I felt that the brake is abnormal, very soft and there is a space until I can feel that it takes an action. My sister already have the same car but 2011 and the brake isn't the same. I called Obour’s branch manager in the same day and he told me try it until 1000 maintenance and if there is something wrong they will fix it. I went to the Abu Rawash maintenance branch on the same day to check what’s wrong with it. They did their checks on the whole brake system and it showed nothing and they told me may be it takes some time until it gets normal as this is a zero car.

I tried it again on 28.01.2014 and I still feel that there is something wrong. I tried a friend’s Mazda 3 2014 car and I got sure that I had a problem in my brake system. I'm very frustrated and I went Mazda Abu Rawash on 28.01.2014 to check this again, and they spent the whole day to check them and at the end this did something to the back brake. The issue has been enhanced but the problem still existing. Kindly assist as this is not an expected behavior from a Zero car so either to fix it or change the car for me.

6 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Original review: Oct. 23, 2013

I bought a car, Mazda 3 Model 2011 in Egypt. And it dawned to me that the car is protected by not rolling over 180 km/h speed, in order to be under the cover of the guarantee and I am committed to periodic maintenance schedule. Before doing the scheduled maintenance of 40,000 kilometers, I was driving on the highway to another city. I was surprised by the exit of oil in large quantities on the motor while I was driving on a speed near to 160 km/h which led to the escalation of fumes and thick smoke which affected my vision of the road & posed a danger to my life. Then, when I went to maintenance agent, they stated that the oil that was covering the motor was the transmission oil and there is no record of any problem on the Car computer. So they asked me to follow up with them if it happened again, and it was repeated several times and every time I communicate the problem with the maintenance agent and they check the car, they tell me that they don't have a solution for this problem.

So I hope that you take the necessary action to resolve the problem or change the car completely or provide me with a redemptive value of what has been paid in the car, especially as the car is still in warranty and so avoid the risk of surprise, which can lead my life to danger or avoid any problem in the motor. And if I don't receive any reply or the problem will not solved, I will be obligated to report my complaint to the Official/Governmental Egyptian authorities responsible for protecting my rights, or to the media, which will play a very negative role on the company's reputation and the reputation of the car inside Egypt and the Middle East.

7 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer
Original review: Oct. 9, 2013

My 2009 Mazda 3 GT (purchased new) motor makes a noise and a diagnostic I paid for indicates the motor needs replacement. Toronto Mazda (dealer) asked for receipts from the last dealer service I had to current (June 2012 to October 2013). I supplied them and was told that they would phone me when Mazda Canada had made a decision and it would be approx. 5 days or so. The mileage is at 96K. I waited and finally phoned the Service Dept and was told that he would phone me back. I did not get any phone call. I called several times with the same promise and results. I finally phoned and reminded them I was needing an answer before the 100K was surpassed and the warranty would be over.

The Service Mgr (Rick) phoned me back and said that some of my receipts had no logo and he was sure they were fake. I suggested he could contact the business where they were done and confirm them if he had doubts. He said it wasn't 'his job' to do that and that it was my job to satisfy him. Finally, he admitted he had not even submitted anything to Mazda Canada for consideration and he would not. He did not offer me any suggestions as to what I should do to ameliorate the situation.

I phoned Mazda Canada and they indicated that as long as I had an 'open work order' I would still have warranty coverage even if the mileage surpassed the 100k. (The car still runs with the noise but I was advised it will suddenly die altogether at some point in the very near future.) Mazda Canada customer support person stated they would look into it and call me back in a few days. I finally called the same service rep back to advise him that Mazda Toronto did not have an open work order and they refused to open one. I was told that Mazda Canada could not make a dealer open one and without one, once the 100k is reached, I have no warranty. He suggested I phone the General Mgr of Mazda Toronto and discuss it with him. I said that after all the crap they have given me, I was not confident it would do much good. The Service Rep then stated that he would no longer deal with me because I was using 'foul language and it was too rude' and he was terminating my call. I asked if I could have the name of a Customer Service Supervisor or be put through to one, and he refused.

I phoned back right away and a lady CS Rep spoke to me and said she would take over where the last CR Rep terminated because there was no Supervisor available and I was to call her and let her know how I make out with the alternate dealer. I attended a dealer closer to my current residence and they removed the valve cover and found it had no sludge, so that indicates my oil changes were done as far as they can tell. They have no idea why the motor is failing until the motor is either torn apart etc. This dealer wants receipts from purchase time almost 5 years ago until current. I am now locating the numerous receipts as I remember where I might have gotten them done.

This lack of service is not acceptable. I am a senior widow and this was to be my last vehicle. I hand wash and wax and clean the car regularly, do regular maintenance and keep it in good shape because it was intended to be my last vehicle. Now I just want to get rid of it and get anything as long as it isn't a Mazda. I like the car, but the service from both the dealer and the company is deplorable.

I need a vehicle for numerous medical appointments all over the area so I am still driving the car. I still don't know what will transpire with this alternate dealer where I have taken it. I am not too hopeful that anything will happen at all. They have opened a work order for me so as long as they don't close it, the warranty should be in place. This dealer (service Mgr.) is aware of the problems I have been experiencing and is willing to submit the claim to Mazda Canada when I accumulate the receipts for oil changes that were done out of town, etc., at other than a Mazda Dealer. This clearly stresses to me that I need to keep everything re a vehicle even if it is a simple oil change receipt. I should have some answer within the next weeks as to whether Mazda will replace the motor or not.

3 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer
Original review: Sept. 20, 2013

I bought a new Mazda 3. Before I got it 20 miles, the oil light came on. They hauled back to the dealer and repaired it. When I picked up, it had been driven 100 miles. After they closed the work order, the license plates they were to install had been stolen. Some things my wife had put in the vehicle had also been removed. I informed the service department when I picked it up. I then tried to contact management to make them aware of what was happening in their company and since they never returned my call, I assume this sort of thing is normal practice. Since I won't be buying from them again, I just wanted to let anyone that may be looking to buy be aware of what could happen to them. NO REPLY FROM YOU IS WANTED. WHAT IS BROKEN CANNOT BE FIXED.

6 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer
Original review: July 18, 2013

2012 Mazda 3 Hatchback stickshift - I bought the car in July of 2012, and it ran fine for about 6 months. Then it seemed to lose the zip it had. I took it in for the 7,500 mile service, but it was worse. At 8,500 miles, I took it in again. It was idling wrong. Sure enough. The service tech said they needed to r and r the intake manifold. It was a two day job. R and r was remove and replace, but not with a new part--it was only cleaned.

The car still wasn't running the way it was when I bought it. I was very disappointed. The clutch and shifting were finicky. At 9,500 miles, as I was driving home through a winding canyon road, I had great difficulty getting the car into first gear. It was not easy to get home. I had to signal cars to pass me while I struggled with the shifting. The car was towed into the dealer. Turns out to be the slave cylinder. They had the car for 3 days and had to flush all of the hydraulic system--clutch and brakes.

I have been completely unhappy with this car. It is not the car that I bought only 1 year ago. Don't buy a Mazda 3 with Sky Active technology. You're buying the financing, not the car.

4 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer
Original review: May 30, 2013

We purchased a new Mazda3 in April of 2012. Approximately 6 months later, the vehicle started acting up and my son contacts the dealership where we purchased the car. They told him to take it in. Once they inspected the car, they told us that the warranty was void because my son had some modifications to the muffler. He also added a few items to the character of the body, not the engine. Bottom line, we ended having to replace the transmission and the clutch that ran us at $1,600 and now about six months later, we are having to replace the clutch again and they are not going to warranty it again. That is another $600.

2 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Original review: March 2, 2013

My daughter bought a 2006 Mazda 3 in October 2011. Back in June of 2012, she was having issues with it not shifting, black smoke coming out from the back, and clanging noise from underneath. She first took it to a Mazda dealer in Virginia, and told them of all the things that were going on with the car - not shifting, smoking, and noise from underneath. They tested the car and told us they found nothing wrong. She moved to Greenville in August and the car was acting up on and off between that time we had it in the shop up to the time we took it to John Finger Mazda dealership in October. We told them that it was not shifting, burning black smoke from the back, we heard noises from underneath, a clunking sound, and the breaks were squeaking. So I spoke with someone in the service shop personally and told them to check the breaks, the transmission and the noise that was coming from underneath. They called back within a day and said they found nothing wrong. We could not get it to do what we told them was happening, so hesitantly we took the car back.

I rode in the car several times and it was acting up on and off, but was not consistent and was doing all the things we told them was happening. We then took the car back in on February 24th. My daughter told them it was not shifting, smoking, she smelled some kind of fluid leaking, the steering wheel was shaking and it was running hard. They took it out and drove it for miles, called her back, said they found nothing. They could not get it to do what she was claiming to do. I called them back and was told they found nothing wrong, could not get it to do anything but did notice the transmission not shifting right. They said they would take it out again on Monday the 28th. That morning of the 28th, they called my daughter at 9 am, told her the shocks were leaking, the left tire was damaged, the boot on the front axle was cracked, the axle was broken and the shocks were damaged. Hmmm. How come all of a sudden all these issues surfaced? They hooked it up to the computer system both in October and this time, and found nothing wrong. And without taking it out again on the 28th, all these issues surfaced - the same issues that I am sure were there in October.

I was told that the extended warranty would fix the transmission but nothing else and that the axle would not be covered because the cracked boot had dirt in it and was the cause of the axle breaking. After talking to another mechanic about this, I was told that the cracked boot would have not caused the axle to have broken, and if the shocks were leaking fluid, they should have caught that which they did not till this time in February not in October, which we smelled the same fluid in October as we did in February. The co-owner asked me if the shocks were leaking fluid, would that have caused your shocks to be damaged? I said, “Yes it would.” He laughed at me and said, “No it would not,” and I said, “Yes it would.” Then, he asked if I was going to take the car to another mechanic to get the rest of the car fixed, everything outside of the transmission and I said, “Yes, to get it fixed correctly.”

He got upset over that, then he proceeded to go on about how his service shop fixed many axles and disagreed with my answer about the boot not causing the axle to break or the leaking fluid damaging the shocks. He got upset over just fixing the transmission and he got so loud I had to move the phone from my ear and he went on and on about me not allowing anyone to talk because I was interrupting everyone that was talking to me as I sat there on the phone not talking but listening to him raise his voice to me. And basically in a round-about way, he told me to come and get my piece of ** car not in those words but in a round-about way out of his shop. And I said, “Do I need to get a lawyer in order to settle this?” And he said, “Go ahead, if that is what you need to do.” He continued to talk to me in a very loud voice, and several people around me heard him from my phone. I proceeded to hang up the phone. I just want them to fix what they caused more damage to my car because they did not catch the breakdowns of my daughter’s car in October. If the issues were caught, I would not have $1100 worth of repairs.

Be the first one to find this review helpful
Rated with 2 stars
Original review: Jan. 30, 2013

I have a 2012 Mazda 3 Sport SkyActiv with a 6-Speed Manual Transmission. This is a great car except for a fault in the manual transmission. At times, when shifting from 3rd to 4th gear or downshifting between the same gears, there is a significant power surge. When this occurs, I need to engage the clutch quickly to bring the RPMs down. This event occurs completely randomly and I cannot replicate it at all. Sometimes, it will occur a few times a week; at other times, it's once every 2-3 weeks. I have been driving manual transmissions for 34 years and have never experienced this before. From reading online forums on this topic, many other people are experiencing the same issue.

3 people found this review helpful
Rated with 2 stars
Original review: Jan. 9, 2013

I bought a Mazda3 model 2010 one year and a half ago and it's still under warranty. Still under warranty since months ago, we found a strange shape in the car's front wheels bottom cover, half part of the two Cartier cover of both wheels. When we returned to the dealer to find out the reason, it was missing half of each carteiras presuming they were released from the sewing thread while driving (traveling) and nobody noticed. This cannot be happening unless it's their fault in connecting them by the factory. The discussion with the dealer went to no avail. Also, the rubber steering wheel is cracked so he took photos and said, "We will send to the factory," to get me a new one. This took 6 months with no answer. Please reply to replace them.

Be the first one to find this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer
Original review: Dec. 21, 2012

I have a 2010 Mazda 3 and three sets of tires already changed. Mazda service center in Redlands, CA was not helpful at all in solving the uneven wear tire problems. They said Mazda 3 is a sports car so the uneven wear of the tires is a normal thing. Changing three sets of tires in two years is a normal thing really!

Be the first one to find this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Original review: Nov. 28, 2012

Mazda does not honor their 5 yr/60,000 warranty - My daughter’s car stopped at 54,000 miles and they claimed that she had water in the motor. It has not rained for 7 plus days in Huntsville, AL, and she does not even know how to open the hood. Can you not drive a Mazda in the rain anyway? How could water get in a motor? Mazda said they would not honor the warranty, that it should be an insurance claim for Mother Nature. We know very well that she was not in water. This would not be fair to ask for insurance. A defect is a defect. They should not advertise if they are not going to honor. We know very well that my daughter was not in water that day and they were saying it would have been something that would have happened immediately after she went into the water. She was on her way home from college - not out mudding in her Mazda 3!

2 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Original review: Nov. 25, 2012

Today is the 6th time that I have a flat tire because of a problem with the valves. The repair will once again be expensive and take a day. I have lost days of work because of this recurring problem and today is especially galling because we have to go to my son's engagement party. All 4 valves have been replaced and I am on the second round. This is a Mazda 3 from 2008 and is otherwise a good car, but I am always afraid the tire light will light up unexpectedly.

4 people found this review helpful
Rated with 2 stars
Verified Reviewer
Original review: Nov. 14, 2012

I was involved in a 3-car accident and was hit from the rear. With the impact, I was forced into the rear of a Ford Explorer and my car was considerably damaged. Thankfully I was ok and was able to walk down the aisle 3 days later for my wedding, but my complaint was that the air bag did not deploy on impact when hit in the rear at 50mph and I was at a dead stop. I put my arms up to protect my face expecting my airbag to deploy and it did not. I now see that numerous Mazda 3's are experiencing the same exact defect and still no recall has been made on this lifesaving device.

Problem #2: When my car hit 70,000 miles and was very well-maintained and regularly and faithfully, at every 3500 miles, oil changed, my overheating sensor and my thermostat both went at the exact same time. In seconds, my car shut off without warning. My mechanic was in shock and my engine was killed. I was forced to have another motor put in my 2 1/2 yr. old Mazda at my full expense. Problem #3: My airbag lights are now staying on all the time. Both bags are now off. Yet I see this is another item that many Mazda owners are experiencing and again, no recall. I do not want to be a statistic, but fear in time there will be a bad accident involving a Mazda and then something might be done and these Mazda’s will be recalled and repaired.

I always loved my Mazda and two family members have purchased one through my ravings. Now, I am seeing more and more problems with mine and I just want it fixed so it will be a safe and dependable car to drive. I love the gas mileage, but please issue recalls to protect innocent lives and end these expensive repairs that are not our fault.

3 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Verified Reviewer
Original review: Sept. 19, 2012

Let me start off by saying I have owned 4 other cars previous to my current 2011 Mazda 3 (purchased new) and have never had any issues with paint. I understand that your car can get hit with rocks and whatnot from driving with possible chips in the paint as a result. Looking beyond all of those chips, which this car seems to get more than any other car that I have owned or seen for that matter, there is a spot about the size of a quarter above the driver's side back roof where the paint is peeling off. This car is not even two years old and well under the mileage for the bumper to bumper warranty, so I figured it should be covered.

When I brought it to the dealer, they told me they are not responsible for the repairs since it's not a default in the paint itself. So Mazda will not stand behind its paint job? I can't wait to see what would happen if I had a bigger issue and how they would get out of fixing that. I currently own two Mazdas, but not for long! I have full intention of trading in both of my Mazdas and get something else after this. I have read of others complaining about the paint/paint job used by Mazda.

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Rated with 2 stars
Original review: Aug. 22, 2012

I had purchased a Mazda 6 2010 on September 28, 2009. I'm very pleased with the Mazda vehicles. I had them in the past and I had no problems with the previous vehicles except this one, and I have never seen anything like this before. My finger will sink into the dash board due to the heat temperature. I'm not pleased with this condition. I had purchased a $2100.00 vehicle. I hope this could get resolved in a timely manner.

I had made several attempts to visit the service center when the vehicle was in warranty. I had spoken to Amos ** who is the assistant service manager which he had stated he could not authorize to write a repair order concerning the peeling on my dash board and that he wasn't able to do anything for me. He had explained to me that I need to talk to Service Director ** at Gunther Mazda 441 location in South Florida where the vehicle was purchased.

So, I called ** explained to him I was there before the warranty expired and was told he wasn't in when I arrived. I did meet with him on Friday, 17th of August. He in fact indicated to me that the Mazda 3 is having a dashboard problem. He had taken a picture of my dashboard to send over to a consulting specialist. He told me it may take a long time to get back with me and Mazda Consulting would make that decision if their willing to goodwill it. He never bothered to do a written repair order. I hope that Mazda will consider and do what’s right and fix the problem at no cost to the customer.

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Rated with 1 star
Original review: Aug. 8, 2012

I have a 2008 Mazda 3. I love my car, I am good to my car and I take great care of my car. So I took my car in because it was giving me trouble going up the hill. I was told that I need a new transmission. I asked if it was my fault, he said no, that it just happened, and that it was going to cost me $3,400. I can't believe that. I have 108,000 miles. I bought an extended warranty which is 7 years or 100,000 miles. Well guess what, I have 108,000 and they would not help me. I am a one-woman band, don't make that much, have a home and can't afford to buy a new car. So what do I do? Please help.

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Rated with 2 stars
Original review: May 29, 2012

After reviewing all of the online complaints about premature clutch failure on the 2010 Mazda 3 and my son being stranded in Los Angeles (from Mobile, AL), I want to make a written complaint about a faulty clutch that is supposedly not covered under warranty. This will cost over one thousand dollars for a car purchased only a year and a half ago. There should be a recall and all owners should be fully compensated.

3 people found this review helpful
Rated with 2 stars
Original review: April 20, 2012

I went to have my 2010 Mazda3 inspected and the car dealership would not pass it because of a broken seat caused by faulty welding on the manufacturer's part. Because I was over the 36,000 and under the 3 years, they declined to fix the seat unless I paid an additional $750 (not happening). I took the vehicle to another mechanic and he told me that it was faulty welding. I contacted the main office of Mazda and once again because I was over the 36,000 and under the 3 years, they also could do nothing. I have never in all my years of purchasing cars (and this is the first for a Mazda), I have never had a seat break. In fact, the seat is fine; it is the track it slides on. So now we are at a dilemma. I believe they should fix the track and not charge me $750 for a seat. This should have been a fairly easy solution rather than making the consumer angry. This car is only two years old. I believe they should fix it and stand by their product.

2 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Original review: March 19, 2012

I thought I got a good deal when I bought a 2007 Mazda 3 with only 40,000 miles on it last year. I have a long commute, so I have put 35,000 miles on this car in the past year. Dashboard lights starting coming on, so I took it to a dealer. I need a new transmission, power steering pump, a new coil, and an engine mount is cracked. Repairs will cost $6,220—more than the blue book value. This is the worst car I've ever owned. I am disgusted with Mazda.

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Rated with 3 stars
Original review: Jan. 19, 2012

Battery that came with Mazda3 failed after 18 months. Replacement battery is failing after 6 months. It's my belief there is something in the Mazda3's with keyless start/entry that causes the batteries to fail prematurely.

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Rated with 1 star
Original review: Jan. 11, 2012

I purchased a new 2007 Mazda 3i. At 48,000 miles, I had to replace the front struts $250.00 (I replaced myself). At 49,000 miles, I heard a squeak when the clutch was engaged. Mazda completed a $120.00 diagnostic test, only to tell me that the throw-out bearing (clutch) is going bad and needed to be replaced ($1300.00 estimate). Now, at 53,000 miles, the number 3 top motor mount is leaking and is broken ($245.00 estimate). This is ridiculous! In addition, the powertrain warranty expired Oct. 2011 (two months ago). I have never in my life owned a vehicle with this mileage and this many issues! I plan on fixing this car and selling it as soon as possible before anything else goes wrong. I can honestly say, "I will never own another Mazda vehicle!"

2 people found this review helpful
Rated with 1 star
Original review: Dec. 13, 2011

I've owned 6 Mazdas since 1978. So when it was time to purchase my first new car in 19 years, I made sure it was a Mazda. My 2007 Mazda 3 began to have a cabin odor at about 19,000 miles. I mentioned it to the dealer during a service visit, and they said it maybe due to the cabin air filter that needs to be changed (?), but usually not until 30,000miles. At 25,000 miles the odor permeated anything, and anyone that came in contact with the car interior. Based on the dealers comment, I had the seats and carpet steam cleaned, and used deodorizers, and ultimately resorted to driving with the windows open, if the air conditioner or heater was on. Not able to stand it any longer, I had the cabin air filter changed (something I've never had to do for a car, and I'm in my mid 50's) at 35,000 miles.

It was with great anticipation that I turned on the air when leaving the dealership only to be blasted with the same smell. Further convinced that it was something inside the car, I began another round of cleaning and deodorizing, and had to replace several purses that became contaminated with the smell, after sitting in the car. I became suspicious that the cabin air filter had actually not been changed and took the car to a local reputable mechanic that I've done business with (successfully) for the last 15 years. Though the car only had 45,000 miles on it (only 10,000 on the "new" cabin filter, I asked the mechanic to replace the filter. I could sense he was "entertaining" my concerns until he pulled out the "new" cabin air filter. He displayed it to me and called over the other employees who were shocked when they were shown the receipt where I paid for it to be changed just 10,000 miles ago. The filters were covered in mold stains and debris, and it was clear they'd either never been changed, or the system is so compromised that it deteriorated the filters in 1/3 the time.

I took the bagged filters directly to the dealer and lodged my complaint (with the new filters in the odor coming from the air and heat was the proverbial "breath of fresh air" that I'd not experienced since the car had 10k miles on it). The car was not inspected, nor was there an offer to do so. The dealer insisted that the filters had been changed yet told me he'd "cut a check" to refund me the cost of the "installation" that was done 10K miles ago (I have not cashed the check). It was only a short reprieve from the odor, as the interior of the vehicle is completely compromised. The odor in the upholstery and carpeting is recirculated through the system and everything that comes in contact with the car still has a musty odor.

Though Mazda has had other models with bacteria problem, their position is "not with this model". I called the dealer and advised him that I intended to call the corporation, and asked if he had any other recommendations. He did not. I buy Mazdas, and have recommended Mazdas (my mother and sister both purchased Mazdas on my glowing reports), as they are usually problem free for many years, and the dealers have been responsive and trustworthy. Apparently times have changed. Because of Mazda's inaction and deceit, I have a car with only 54,000 miles on it, and I can't use for trips and can't sell. Mazda's position? Take it to a different dealer, and "oh, it's out of warranty".

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Mazda 3 Company Information

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Website:
www.mazdausa.com