2006 Mazda MAZDA3

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

WHEN IT GETS COLD OUTSIDE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL STOP RANDOMLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. I WAS TOLD FROM THE DEALER THE WIPER MOTOR NEEDED REPLACED. I REPLACED THE MOTOR AND THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED TEMPORARILY, THE PROBLEM IS NOW OCCURRING AGAIN AFTER ONLY 4 MONTHS AFTER BEING REPLACED. FROM READING ELSEWHERE THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH ALL MAZDA 3'S. I FIND IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH IT LIKE THIS AS IT IMPAIRS YOUR VISION GREATLY. *TR

STARTER ON MY 2006 MAZDA 3 WILL NOT CRANK OR START INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAS HAPPEN FIVE OR SIX TIMES OVER THE 4 AND HALF YEARS THAT I HAVE HAD IT. STARTED ONLY AFTER BEING JUMP STARTED. TOOK IT INTO DEALERSHIP WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. HAVE SEEN TWO BULLETINS THAT WERE ISSUED BUT THE PROBLEM STILL SEEMS TO BE OCCURRING AFTER OTHER OWNERS HAVE BEEN FIXED. LUCKILY I HAVE BEEN NEAR HOME WHEN IT HAS OCCURRED BECAUSE THERE IS NO WARNING. IT HAPPEN AFTER I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR FOR MILES AND PARK FOR TEN MINUTES. *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.

I HAVE A 2006 MAZDA 3 THE PROBLEM STARTS WITH THE AT LIGHT COMING UP AND GOES IN A SECOND AND THE CAR ITS LIKE JERKING AND STOPS FOR A SECOND THE SPEED GOES DOWN SUDDENLY LIKE I JUST HIT THE BRAKES HARD . I TOOK THE CAR TO MAZDA DEALER BUT BECAUSE THE LIGHT DOAS NOT STAY THEY CAN NOT TELL WHAT'S GOING. I LOOKED AT IT ONLINE AND I SAY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM THE MAZDA HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE TCM . AFTER 3 MONTH OF DRIVING THE CARS AT THAT SAME CONDITION AND AFTER I ASK DOZENS OF MECHANICS THE LIGHT STAY ON FOR A WHILE I HOOKED IT TO THE COMPUTER AND IT SAYS LOST COMMUNICATION WITH THE TCM. PLEASE LOOK AT THIS ISSUE AND MAKE SURE THAT MAZDA WILL FIX IT A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MONITOR OR THE COMPUTER. *TR

2006 MAZDA 3 I TOURING, STARTED TO HAVE HEAVY STEERING PROBLEM WITHOUT THE STEERING LIGHT TURNING ON AT THE DASHBOARD. FAILURE OCCURS FROM STANDING STOP TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT WHILE IN INTERSECTION..HARD TO STEER. EASIER TO STEER WHILE IN MOTION. BEEN A PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW. DEALER CLAIMS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MODEL YEAR OF THE RECALL. THANKS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA 3. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD INITIATE A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

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