2006 Mazda MAZDA3

WAS DRIVING ON THE STREET AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN WHITE SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE ENGINE THAT SMELLED LIKE RUBBER. THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ALSO MAKING A LOUD NOISE. I PULLED OVER AND SHUT EVERYTHING OFF. CALLED THE DEALER WHO WALKED ME THROUGH AND WE VERIFIED IT WAS THE AIR CONDITIONER CLUTCH THAT BROKE OFF. NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH OR ANYTHING. AC IS NOW UNUSABLE UNTIL ITS FIXED. GLAD IT DIDN'T CATCH ON FIRE, WE PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY WHEN IT HAPPENED. NOW I HAVE TO GET IT FIXED, $1200+. *TR

I FIRST NOTICED THAT MY CLUTCH WAS NOT COMING BACK ALL THE WAY AFTER CHANGING GEARS. I WAS ABLE TO USE THE TOP OF MY FOOT TO LIFT THE CLUTCH UP WITHOUT DIFFICULTY AND IT WOULD POP BACK UP. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP WHICH, I WAS CURRENTLY ABOUT 2 MILES FROM. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY SAID TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT IN THE MORNING. I DROVE HOME ABOUT 3 MILES. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. NO ONE RETURNED MY PHONE CALL, SO I STARTED TO DRIVE MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IT BECAME MORE DIFFICULT TO SHIFT INTO GEAR, THAN I BROKE DOWN COMPLETELY AFTER ONLY DRIVING ABOUT 3 MILES AND ONLY ABOUT 3 TRAFFIC LIGHTS. AFTER THAT, I COULD PUT THE STICK SHIFT INTO GEAR BUT WHEN I LIFTED THE CLUTCH UP IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I BOUGHT MY CAR BRAND NEW AT MAZDA AND HAD ALL MY REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTIONS AT THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP ASIDE FROM REGULAR OIL CHANGES WHICH, I GOT DONE AT A LOCAL SHOP. I HAVE ALWAYS DRIVEN A STICK SHIFT AND NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH CLUTCHES. I WAS ALSO THE SOLE DRIVER OF MY CAR. WHEN I GOT HOME I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH AND SOMEONE RECOMMENDED FILLING OUT A COMPLAINT AT THIS WEBSITE. IF I HAD NOT STUMBLED ACROSS THAT I WOULD BE NONE THE WISER. WHILE LOOKING OVER THE SITE, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A RECENT INVESTIGATION OF MAZDA RX8. IT STATED THAT AFTER THE INVESTIGATION, MAZDA HAS INFORMED ODI THAT IT CONDUCTED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION OF AN EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE PROGRAM INCREASING THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY WARRANTY TO 8 YEARS AND LIMITED AT 100K MILES FOR MODEL YEARS 2004 THROUGH 2009 RX8 VEHICLES. MY QUESTION IS, HOW CAN A CLUTCH HAVE A LIFETIME OF 100,000 MILES IN AN RX8 WHICH IS A SPORTIER CAR AND PROBABLY RECEIVES MORE ABUSE THAN OTHER MODELS AND ONLY GOOD FOR 12,000 IN A 2006 MAZDA 3/HATCHBACK? COULD YOU LOOK INTO ALL MODELS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

FOLLOWING A REAR END COLLISION, MY 2006 MAZDA3 MILEAGE DROPPED FROM ~24MPG TO ~8MPG, WITH NO TORQUE AT ALL FROM ~20MPH. SIGNIFICANT STEERING TROUBLE, AWFUL TIRE NOISE, AND LOUD KNOCKING WHEN TURNING WERE DISMISSED BY THE LOCAL DEALER AS "WELL WITHIN SPECS". REQUESTED BRAKE CALIPER AND ALIGNMENT CHECK, REFUSED BY THE SAME DEALER; TECH PERFORMED A ROAD TEST, DECLARED THE PROBLEM DUE TO TIRE FEATHERING AND DEMONSTRATED 120MPH TIGHT CURVE AS REMEDY. THREE SETS OF TIRES, ONE SET OF WHEELS [3 OF OEM WERE WARPED], ENTIRE COMPLEMENT OF MOTOR MOUNTS, TWO SETS OF ROTORS LATER, I'M ABOUT TO REPLACE CALIPER MOUNTS AND AXLES. CAR IS UNSAFE, AND DEALERSHIP DISREGARD OF WARRANTY AND TSBS, AND OF BASIC SAFETY STANDARDS WAS OUTRAGEOUS, ESPECIALLY GIVEN (ONGOING) [SPINE INJURY FROM COLLISION WAS NEARLY FATAL] CIRCUMSTANCES. *TR

THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS CAR HAS REFUSED TO START. THE "FIX" WAS DONE BY MAZDA OVER THE PAST SUMMER DUE TO A CORROSION PROBLEM WITH THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE STARTER. THIS TIME IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE GETTING STUCK IN FREEZING WEATHER, ICY CONDITIONS, OR A BAD PART OF TOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. MAZDA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND OUTLINES IT IN A SERVICE BULLETIN 01-037/08. SHOULD WOMEN OR CHILDREN, OR ANYONE ELSE BE STRANDED AND HARMED IN ANY WAY BY THIS KNOWN DEFECT, I HOPE MAZDA IS LIABLE FOR NOT ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE.

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

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING A 2006 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK ON WILLOW STREET, LONG BEACH, CA YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AROUND 4 PM, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED AND SHE TURNED THE CAR INTO A PARKING LOT. SHE OPENED THE HOOD AND FOUND OUT THE ENGINE WAS LEANT TOWARD FRONT ABOUT 45 DEGREE. SHE DID NOT GO THROUGH ANY BUMPS ON THE ROAD, JUST DRIVING ON NORMAL STREETS. WE CHECKED ON GOOGLE AND DISCOVERED THE BROKEN ENGINE MOUNTS HAVE BEEN THE MAJOR CAUSE OF SUCH KIND OF PROLBEMS. LOTS OF COMPLAINTS CAME FROM THE OWNERS WHO DROVE LESS THAN 20,000 MILES. THE CARS WITH THE BROKEN ENGINE MOUNTS COULD STOP AT THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING ON THE ROADS AND CAUSE REAR-ENDED ACCIDENTS. NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE DESIGN OF THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND INFORM THE MANUFACTURER TO REPLACE THE PARTS TO ENSURE TJE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLES AND THE DRIVERS. *TR

I OWN A MAZDA3 2006. THE FOLLOWING ARE ISSUES THAT HAVE OCCURED SINCE I'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE AND I WANTED EVERYBODY TO BE AWARE OF THEM: 1) THE DASHBOARD CLOCK WAS INCORRECT. IT WOULD LOSE TIME EVERY DAY AND STARTED GOING BACK IN TIME. WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. 2) THE TIRES HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED OFTEN. NOT SURE WHY THEY WEAR OUT SO FAST, BUT I STOPPED USING THE GOODYEAR TIRES THAT CAME WITH THE CAR AND GO WITH LONGER LASTING TIRES. 3) THE TIRE PRESSURE MEASUREMENT DEVICE ON THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE. IT WAS INCORRECTLY TELLING ME I HAD A PROBLEM. TOOK NUMEROUS VISITS TO THE DEALERSIHP BUT WAS FIXED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. 4) THE RIGHT ENGINE BRACK UNDER THE HOOD WAS LOOSE. THEY HAPPENED TO FIND IT WHILE FIXING ANOTHER ISSUE. WAS NEVER CAUGHT IN THAT "FULL CIRCLE INSPECTION" THEY CLAIM THEY DO. AGAIN, FIXED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. 5) THE TEMPERATURE COOLANT HOSE WAS NOT PROPERLY WORKING. IT WAS NOT CLOSING. THIS CAUSED THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT TO COME ON. FIXED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. 6) THE RUG UNDER THE GAS PEDAL WAS RIPPING EASILY AND WAS MOVING UNDER THE PEDAL. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPAIRED THE RIP. NEVER DID GET A NEW RUG THOUGH, ITS A LITTLE BENT BUT ISSUE HADNT OCCURED SINCE. *TR