2006 Mazda MAZDA3

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE POWER STEERING IN MY 2006 MAZDA 3S WILL FAIL. SOMETIMES IF I TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND THEN BACK ON, THE POWER STEERING WILL WORK AGAIN. MOST TIMES I HAVE TO FIGHT IT WITH NO POWER STEERING. MY RESEARCH ONLINE INDICATES THAT I AM HARDLY THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE. ON A MAZDA 3 FORUM FROM TORONTO THEY STATE THAT THE SUPPOSED PROTECTIVE COATING ON THE INSIDE OF THE BRAKE LINES HAS FLAKED AWAY AND CLOGS THE POWER STEERING PUMP WHICH THEN BEGINS TO OVERHEAT AND HENCE IT SHUTS DOWN. MAZDA HAS OWNED UP TO THE 2007-2009 MODELS HAVING THIS PROBLEM BUT, ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL MAZDA STEALERSHIP, THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF THE 2006 MODEL HAVING THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND MAZDA NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. I THOUGHT MAZDA STOOD FOR QUALITY, APPARENTLY NOT. AT THIS TIME I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER MAZDA PRODUCT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY ARE IGNORING THIS ISSUE. *TR

THE MAT BRACKET CAME LOOSE WHILE DRIVING IN 2008. THE MAT CRUMBLED UP IN THE MIDDLE. IT COULD HAVE GOTTEN STUCK UNDER THE GAS PEDAL OR BREAK PEDAL. MAZDA AGREED TO FIX THE BRACKET. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE MAT. TO THIS DAY THE MAT STILL CRUMBLES. I ASKED MAZDA TO REPLACE THE MAT, BUT THEY SAID ITS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THEY AGREED IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SAID I SHOULD REPLACE IT IMMEDIATELY. THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THIS UNDER WARRANTY AND INSIST ITS MY FAULT THAT THE MAT WOULD CRUMBLE. *TR

I WAS PARALLEL PARKING AND MY WHEEL STIFFENED UP. I TURNED OFF MY ENGINE AND TURNED IT BACK ON. I THEN HAD TO POWER MY WHEEL FROM THAT POINT FORWARD. I TRIED PUTTING POWER STEERING FLUID IN AND THAT DID NOT WORK. I WENT TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT I NEED A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS ISSUE IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE RECALL THAT WAS PUT ON MAZDA 3'S FOR 2007-2009 MODELS. *TR

FIVE TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH I HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. THE POWER STEERING MOMENTARILY SHUTS OFF, AND THE RADIO/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUTS OFF MOMENTARILY AS WELL. ON ONE OCCASION THE ENGINE ALSO SHUT OFF MOMENTARILY (FOR ABOUT ONE FULL SECOND). WHEN THIS HAPPENS, I FEEL A COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. TWO DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT CHARGING ME BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS NOT A RECALL, AND THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THERE IS A RECALL FOR A VERY SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE 2007 MODEL OF MAZDA 3S, BUT THE 2006 MODELS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2006 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN THE RADIO BEGAN POWERING ON AND OFF INDEPENDENTLY AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE FAILURE CORRECTED ITSELF SHORTLY AFTER. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THE DEALER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST THE CONTACT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,853 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 MAZDA 3 AT ABOUT 70 MPH, I NOTICED MY RADIO TURNING ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES. NEXT MY "CHECK ENGINE, "BATTERY" AND "POWER STEERING" LIGHTS CAME ON. I FELT THE STEERING WHEEL GET STIFF, WHEN I TRIED TO SWITCH LANES, IT BECAME APPARENT I HAD LOST THE POWER STEERING. I BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AND STARTED TO MERGE OVER TO THE RIGHT TO EXIT ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE EXIT. I WAS NEARLY STRUCK BY AN BIG RIG AS I WAS NOT ABLE TO STEER CLEAR OF ITS PATH FAST ENOUGH. AS I BEGAN TO EXIT, THE STEERING WHEEL FELT EXTREMELY STIFF. I PULLED IN TO A CORPORATE PARK COMPLEX, WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL ON, I POPPED THE HOOD AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY FLUID LEVELS BEING LOW. I DROVE THE CAR A COUPLE OF BLOCKS AND PULLED IN TO A GAS STATION WITH BETTER LIGHTING. I ONCE AGAIN POPPED THE HOOD, BUT TURNED THE CAR OFF....ONCE AGAIN...NO LOW FLUIDS. I PROCEEDED TO BACK INSIDE THE CAR, I TURNED THE IGNITION AND DISCOVERED NONE OF THE "INDICATOR LIGHTS" BEING TURNED ON. I MOVED THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT...NO LONGER STIFF. I DROVE THE CAR HOME AND PARKED IT. *TR

TWO LOSS OF POWER STEERING INCIDENTS IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS. I AM THE SECOND OWNER AND PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER 2011. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN MY PARKING GARAGE AT SCHOOL AFTER I HAD TURNED LEFT INTO THE GARAGE. COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL AT ALL, FORTUNATELY THERE WAS AN EMPTY SPACE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. CAR SAT FOR A FEW HOURS AND THEN DROVE FINE. A WEEK LATER DRIVING THRU AN ALLEY AT ABOUT 10 - 15 MPH LOST STEERING AGAIN, THIS TIME HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THEY CANNOT FIND A THING WRONG CALLING IT A VERY "UNIQUE AND STRANGE" ISSUE. STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND WE FOUND THE RECALL ON THE 2007+ MAZDA 3. CALLED MAZDA TODAY, WHILE THEY CREATED A FILE # FOR MY COMPLAINT THEY BASICALLY SAID THAT THERE WERE NO "REPORTED INCIDENTS" ON THIS VEHICLE YEAR , CLAIMING NOT TO KNOW OF THE 2006 HAVING ANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS TO THE 2007+ RECALLED MODELS AND IS NOT A RECALL ISSUE. HOW MANY OWNERS MUST RISK DRIVING UNDER THESE CONDITIONS BEFORE MAZDA MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?! *TR