2007 Mazda MAZDASPEED3

ON SATURDAY 19 JULY 2014, MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING NORTH ON HIGHWAY 131, 18 MILES SOUTH OF GRAND RAPIDS, MI WHEN WITHOUT NOTICE THE ENGINE'S NUMBER 1 CYLINDER BLOW A HOLE THROUGH THE CASTING AND DAMAGING THE INNER AXLE SHAFT CARRIER BEARING. WHEN THE ENGINE BLEW, IT CAUSED THE CAR TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY CAUSING ME, THE DRIVER, TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE CAR SWERVED INTO AN ADJACENT LANE. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THE VEHICLE WAS IN GOOD RUNNING CONDITION AND HAD JUST PASSED THE VIRGINIA STATE INSPECTION A FEW MONTHS PRIOR. ALL OF THE REGULAR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE WAS COMPLETED ACCORDING TO THE VEHICLES MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. EACH SERVICING THAT WAS COMPLETED WAS DOCUMENTED IN MY OWN PERSONAL RECORDS FOR REFERENCE. THIS BEING SAID, THIS VEHICLE CAUSED A MAJOR SAFETY INCIDENT WITHOUT NOTICE, WHICH UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE OR EVEN A FATALITY. THERE ARE SEVERAL CASES OF THESE MAZDA 2.3 LITER TURBO MRZ ENGINES BLOWING UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. THERE IS A MAJOR DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH MAZDA NEEDS TO ADDRESS. *TR

ON SATURDAY 19 JULY 2014, MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING NORTH ON HIGHWAY 131, 18 MILES SOUTH OF GRAND RAPIDS, MI WHEN WITHOUT NOTICE THE ENGINE'S NUMBER 1 CYLINDER BLOW A HOLE THROUGH THE CASTING AND DAMAGING THE INNER AXLE SHAFT CARRIER BEARING. WHEN THE ENGINE BLEW, IT CAUSED THE CAR TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY CAUSING ME, THE DRIVER, TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE CAR SWERVED INTO AN ADJACENT LANE. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THE VEHICLE WAS IN GOOD RUNNING CONDITION AND HAD JUST PASSED THE VIRGINIA STATE INSPECTION A FEW MONTHS PRIOR. ALL OF THE REGULAR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE WAS COMPLETED ACCORDING TO THE VEHICLES MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. EACH SERVICING THAT WAS COMPLETED WAS DOCUMENTED IN MY OWN PERSONAL RECORDS FOR REFERENCE. THIS BEING SAID, THIS VEHICLE CAUSED A MAJOR SAFETY INCIDENT WITHOUT NOTICE, WHICH UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE OR EVEN A FATALITY. THERE ARE SEVERAL CASES OF THESE MAZDA 2.3 LITER TURBO MRZ ENGINES BLOWING UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. THERE IS A MAJOR DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH MAZDA NEEDS TO ADDRESS. *TR

I OWN A 2007 MAZDASPEED 3, PURCHASED FROM A DEALER IN , LANGLEY BC., IN JUNE 2008. IT WAS A US IMPORTED CAR ( BY THE DEALER) AND I WAS TOLD I INHERITED THE BALANCE OF THE WARRANTY. IT WAS BUILT IN MAY 2007, AND HAD APPROX 22,646 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. ON FRIDAY 27 MAY AT ABOUT 7 AM, I HAD JUST ACCELERATED FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN AN ENGINE MOUNT SUDDENLY FAILED, PITCHING THE COMPLETE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION FORWARD AND DOWN ONTO THE ROAD , WITH DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES. I WAS REALLY FORTUNATE TO BE TRAVELING QUITE SLOWLY ( ABOUT 20 MPH) AS THE 'CV' JOINT DISINTEGRATED AND THE CAR SLEWED ALARMINGLY TOWARDS THE KERB. I DID NOT HAVE MUCH DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, BUT MANAGED TO STEER THE CAR TOWARDS THE KERB WHERE IT (RAPIDLY ) CAME TO A STOP. FORTUNATELY, I WAS TRAVELING SLOWLY ENOUGH FOR THIS NOT TO BE SERIOUS ACCIDENT, BUT IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT 70 MPH DOWN THE FREEWAY, I MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN HERE TODAY TO WRITE THIS. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A MAZDA DEALERSHIP ( AT MY EXPENSE ) WHERE A INSPECTION SHOWED THAT THE #4 ENGINE MOUNT HAD FAILED, DROPPED THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION AND DESTROYED THE 'CV' JOINT, IN THE PROCESS DAMAGING THE TURBO WASTEGATE VALVE. THEY CHECKED THE VIN AND FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INDEED BUILT MAY 2007, AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL TO CHANGE THE ENGINE MOUNT, ALSO IN 2007 ( BEFORE I PURCHASED THE CAR). THIS CHANGE WAS PRESUMABLY DONE AT A US DEALER AS IT DID NOT COME TO THE IN BC DEALER UNTIL JUST BEFORE I PURCHASED IT IN 2008. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO OVERT WARNING SIGNS- THE ONLY THING WAS THE DAY BEFORE WHEN I NOTICED A FAINT VIBRATION COMING FROM THE FRONT , WHICH SOUNDED LIKE A PIPE CLAMP OR SOMETHING VIBRATING. I STOPPED AND MADE A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE BAY AND UNDERNEATH , BUT COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. BANG AS IT LET GO. THE PARTS WERE REPLACED FREE UNDER MAZDA WARRANTY. *TR

ON APRIL 28, 2009 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK I SHIFTED GEARS FROM SECOND INTO THIRD I HEARD A BIG THUNK FROM THE TRANSMISSION. I STOPPED THE CAR AND LOOKED UNDER THE BODY BUT DID NOT NOTICE ANY BROKEN OR LOOSE PARTS. OCCASIONALLY IN THE PAST WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE GEAR WOULD SLIP AND MOVE INTO NEUTRAL, AND I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE RELATED TO THAT SEEMINGLY MINOR PROBLEM. HOWEVER, AS I STARTED TO DRIVE I NOTICED THE GEARS WERE VERY HARD TO CHANGE AND CLUTCH WAS NOT AS SMOOTH AS IT USED TO BE. EARLY THE NEXT MORNING I TOOK THE CAR TO O'BRIEN AUTO PARK OF URBANA. THIS BUSINESS IS LOCATED AT 1111 O'BRIEN DRIVE, URBANA, IL 61802 (TELEPHONE 217-367-1222). I SPOKE TO JOSH BERBAUM, THE SERVICE CONSULTANT FOR MAZDA O'BRIEN, AND EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT HAPPENED. ON MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009 AND TOLD ME THAT THE CLUTCH HAS FAILED AND THE FLYWHEEL HAD HOT SPOTS AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. HE APOLOGIZED AND SAID THIS IS 'WEAR AND TEAR' AND MAZDA WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY OR THE POWERTRAIN LIMITED WARRANTY. HE ALSO STATED THAT THIS IS A VERY BIG JOB AND WOULD COST OVER $1575 IN PARTS AND $1045 IN LABOR AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS TO FIX THE CAR. AFTER O'BRIEN KEPT THE CAR FOR 10 BUSINESS DAYS I PAID $2352.99 TO GET MY CAR AND MAZDA DECLINED MY CLAIM. I HAVE TAKEN THE ISSUE WITH MY CREDIT CARD AND LET WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR ME. *TR

2007 MAZDASPEED3. DRIVING 25 MPH AND SUDDENLY HUGE LOAD SOUND UNDERHOOD FOLLOWED BY MUCH CLANKING AND KNOCKING AS I COASTED TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. CAR COULD NOT BE ROLLED. ENGINE DROPPED 2-3 INCHES AND DRIVER SIDE AXLE BROKE AND DANGLED FROM WHEEL. CAR WENT TO SHOP AND AXLE, CV JOINT, COMPLETE TRANSMISSION, FAN, AND A VARIETY OF SMALLER PARTS ALL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. CAR IS CURRENTLY STILL IN SHOP. *TR

I HAVE AN 2007 MAZDA MAZDASPEED3 BOUGHT IN MAY 2007. I HAD THE MOTOR MOUNT BOLT REPLACED DURING AN ASSOCIATED RECALL IN AUGUST 2007. A FEW MONTHS LATER IT FAILED (JULY 2008). THE BOLT HAD BACKED OUT, AND SHEARED THROUGH THE LAST FEW THREADS. I HEARD THIS LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY CLUNK-CLUNK NOISES AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER INTO A GAS STATION. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ON THE RIGHT LANE AT 30 MPH IN 3RD GEAR. I HAD IT TOWED TO JIM ELLIS MAZDA OF MARIETTA (GA). THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINEERS FROM MAZDA HAD A LOOK AT IT AND THE WHOLE MOUNT BRACKET AND THE BOLT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. BUT OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS I'VE BEEN HEARING A SLIGHT CLUNKING NOISE ESPECIALLY DURING SLOW TURNS, SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN ON LAST MONDAY (03/02/09) TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. THEY FOUND THAT THE STEERING RACK FLOW CONTROL VALVE WAS POPPING AT TIMES AND REPLACED IT UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD ALSO ASKED THEM TO HAVE A LOOK AT MY MOUNTS, JUST TO BE SURE. I GOT MY CAR BACK ON THURSDAY AND WAS TOLD THAT MY MOUNTS WERE FINE. BUT ON FRIDAY (03/06/09) I STILL HAD THOSE CLUNKING SOUNDS ON SLOW TURNS AND WHILE PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOTS/BACKING UP. I ALSO NOTICED SOME ODD VIBRATIONS ON THE CLUTCH PEDAL WHILE GIVING GAS AND DURING IDLE. THE LAST TIME HAD THESE VIBRATIONS WERE JUST BEFORE THE MOTOR MOUNT FAILED ON ME. SO I DECIDED TO HAVE A LOOK INTO MY MOUNTS. I ALSO NOTICED THAT MY CLOCK AND TRIP METERS WERE NOT RESET. IF THE DEALER HAD INSPECTED MY MOUNTS THEY WOULD'VE BEEN RESET WHEN THE BATTERY IS BEING REMOVED. THAT RAISED MY SUSPICIONS. I REMOVED THE BATTERY AND TRIED TURNING THE MOUNT BOLT. IT WAS I COULD TURN IT WITH JUST ONE HAND. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM WHAT TO DO. THE ASKED TO BRING THE CAR OVER AFTER TIGHTENING IT, OR GET IT TOWED IF I COULDN'T. I TIGHTENED THE BOLT AND IT TOOK ME ABOUT 6 TURNS TO FULLY TIGHTEN IT!!! THE BOLT WAS ALMOST OUT AND I CAUGHT IT BEFORE SOMETHING SERIOUS HAD OCCURRED. THE DEALER HAS RE TIGHTENED THE BOLT NOW. *TR