2004 Mazda MAZDA3

WHILE DRIVING ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD, AT A LOW SPEED, CHANGING GEARS FROM 2ND TO 3RD, THE CAR STALLED. UPON TRYING TO RESTART THE CAR, IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. AFTER THE CAR WAS PUSHED OFF OF THE ROAD, THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF OIL LEFT BEHIND. REALIZING THAT THE CAR WASN'T GOING TO RESTART, IT WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. AFTER BEING PUT UP ON THE LIFT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ROD SLAMMED INTO THE ENGINE BLOCKING, SEIZING THE ENGINE. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NO REASON FOR THE ROD TO CRACK ON A WELL MAINTAINED ENGINE, ON A 2004 VEHICLE. IN ORDER TO GET THIS CAR BACK ON THE ROAD, THE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. I DON'T SEE ANY RECALLS ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL, AND I TRULY FEEL THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING COMPROMISED WITH THE VEHICLE, IN ORDER FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. THE OIL WAS CHANGED JUST 5K MILES BEFORE. THERE WERE NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ON... WE ARE VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS NEWS AND ARE HOPING MAZDA HAS EXPERIENCED OTHER PROBLEMS SUCH AS THIS ONE. *JB

I AM WRITING YOU TO SEEK YOUR ASSISTANCE IN REVIEWING A COMPLAINT THAT I FILED WITH MAZDA, BUT HAVE YET SEEN NO RESOLUTION. ON DECEMBER 27, 2005 - THE OIL FILTER HOUSING CARTRIDGE ON MY 2004 MAZDA3 BASICALLY FRACTURED AND ALL OF THE OIL WAS RUN OUT OF THE CAR, AND THEN THE ENGINE SEIZED. MY CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 54,000 MILES, AND 5 OIL CHANGES, ALL WITH SYNTHETIC OIL. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TOM BUSH MAZDA, WHERE THEY VOLUNTEERED TO DO SOME RESEARCH TO SEE IF THEY COULD DETERMINE THE CAUSE, AND THEN PERHAPS ASK MAZDA FOR "GOODWILL" ON THE CAR ITSELF. ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 3RD, I WENT INTO THE MAZDA DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE "OIL FILTER HOUSING CARTRIDGE" HAD BEEN CRACKED BY FAULTY WORKMANSHIP AT ONE OF THE OIL CHANGE LOCATIONS THAT HAD CHANGED THE OIL. UPON DOING FURTHER RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT MAZDA CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE ENGINE TO NO LONGER USE THE PLASTIC CARTRIDGE HOUSING, BUT WENT TO A CANISTER FILTER, AND ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO ALL OF THEIR LOCATIONS THAT SEVERE DAMAGE COULD RESULT IF THE PROPER TOOL WAS NOT USED TO REMOVE THE CARTRIDGE. THEY NO LONGER USE THIS DESIGN. THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS VIA WEB SEARCH OF SIMILAR FAILURES OCCURRING TO THIS FAULTY DESIGN FEATURE. IT IS FURTHER COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT I HAD THE OIL CHANGED AT TOM BUSH MAZDA PRIOR TO THE RELEASE OF THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN - IT ADDS MORE CONFUSION TO WHO MAY BE CULPABLE FOR THE PROBLEM. I AM TRYING TO BE RATIONAL ABOUT THE ISSUE, AND AM FINDING THAT MAZDA WILL NOT DESCRIBE THE CHANGE IN DESIGN OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY IN THE DEFECT OF THE PRODUCT/DESIGN. THE OIL LOSS IN QUESTION WAS CATASTROPHIC - NOT A MINOR LEAK, THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ENGINE EMPTIED IN 30 OR LESS SECONDS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, MICHAEL VON BALSOM, AT 904-731-4010, AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RETURN PHONE CALLS, HAVE REQUESTED AN ESTIMATE OF REPAIRS FROM TOM BUSH MAZDA FROM PAM BUSBY, AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN ESTIMATE. *NM

VEHICLE WILL NOT START OR IDLE FALLS VEHICLE, MAZDA3 MANUAL, WOULD NOT START IN DRIVEWAY ON COOL SPRING SUNDAY EVENING. TOWING SERVICE WAS DISPATCHED AND VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE CLOSEST MAZDA DEALERSHIP. AFTER SEVERAL DEALERS CALLS TO MAZDA'S CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, THE SERVICE PROFESSIONAL WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION KEY AND MICROCHIPS. AFTER FOUR DAYS I WENT TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE IN THE DEALERS LOT THE IDLE BEGAN TO FALL ONCE AGAIN; HOWEVER, IT DID START THIS TIME. A FEW MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP THE IDLE BECAME SO HARD TO DEAL WITH THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE ORIGINAL SERVICE DEALERSHIP ONCE AGAIN. SEVERAL MORE CALLS WERE PLACED TO THE HEADQUARTERS AND FINALLY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO REPLACE THE O2 SENSOR. THE CAR HAS STARTED AND RUN EVER SINCE THE REPAIR, BUT THE IDLE IS MUCH LOWER THAN IT WAS ON ORIGINAL RECEIPT OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE ENGINE AT IDLE SPEEDS IS MUCH LOUDER AND SOUNDS LABORED. ONCE WINTER COMES I FEAR THE PROBLEM WILL REAPPEAR. THE FUTURE OF THE VEHICLE'S PERFORMANCE IS UNKNOWN. POSSIBLE SAFETY COMPROMISE. *JB

THE A/C ON MY NEW CAR DOES NOT COOL THE CAR TO ANY COMFORT LEVEL.. I SWEAT IN THE HEAT WITH THE AC ON.IT DOESN'T COOL THE CAR INSIDE.I HAD IT CHECKED BY MY MAZDA DEALER THEY SAID IT IS UP TO THE MAUFACTUER'S STANDARDS.I TOLD THEM THAT I HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCELERATING WITH THE AC ON WHEN PASSING AT 40MPH THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE IT DRAGGED.I HAD TO FLLOOR THE GAS PEDAL ON A MAJORR INTERSTATE TO MOVE FROM 40-60,FROM TOO SLOW TO TOO FAST.I HAD SECONDS TO MOVE OR GET KILLED.THE AC DOES NOT WORK AND THE SERVICE MANAGERR TOLD ME I HAVE TOO SMALL AN ENGINE AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE LARGER ENGINE THE( 2.3) YET THEY DENY ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE AC SYSTEM.THE AC HASN'T WORKED SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN MAY I NOTICED IT IN JULY.IT TOOK THREE WEEKS FOR THE DEALER TO GET BACK TO ME ABOUT AN APPT. PLEASE IGNORE THE HOOD EQUIPMENT ADDED BELOW( NOTHIGN ADDDED AFTER CAR WAS SOLD) COULD NOT REMOVE EQUIPMENT ADDED IN THIS REPORT.*AK