Mazda 3 Change Vehicle

"Stopped working"

"BCM is suspected to be bad. Random problems with courtesy lights coming on, amplifier not working, door ajar lights coming on when doors are closed. Remote doesn't always lock and unlock drivers side door. Cannot connect to cars bluetooth or use any handsfree options because the amplifier sounds like a machine gun. Random failure of charging 12V.."

"fog lights did not turn off. strong burning smell. took to dealer and found out a computer board shorted out and had to be replaced"

"the relay for the driving lights became severely corroded such that the lights were constantly on. it also damaged the wiring harness which also requires replacement. it appears that the design was poorly executed"

"Lighting on gauges is so dim that they are not visible 90% of the time"

"cracked lens"

"Both headlights developed moisture inside, resulting from a bad seal."

"The lens were so yellow it was reducing light coming out of headlamps."

"Electrical component for headlight shorted out due to water being able to enter headlight."

"Needed adjustment"

"in cold weather the headlight developed condensation inside. The headlight stopped working. This was a sealed system and the entire unit had to be replaced. Cost of the part was $1800"

"left front low beam wiring and plug were defective; you could see solder joints were added in two places to secure the wiring to the plug - not present on the right side. Once those joints failed, the light stopped working. Replaced wiring/plug"

"Very expensive to replace - a bit of a shock compared to other vehicles I've owned, but they sure are bright!"

"Xenon headlights went out. Moisture buildup in the headlight assembly"

"Headlight assembly seal failed prematurely and required full headlight assembly replacement for one side of car as it damaged the bulb and mechanics from moisture"

"Cracked lens let water in"

"Water leak caused failure of headlight resulting in $2000 replacement expense"

"Is connected with the alarm problem--door latch connection. Door auto-lock feature turns interior lights on randomly and involuntarily. Cannot control with door lock control."

"Driver side door would not open. Sometimes no doors would open, necessitating use of the key."

"Two problems. The manual key system failed to work and i was locked out of the car when the battery died. The electronic release for the trunk lid has sometimes failed to work"

"Faulty sensor causes tire pressure leaks"

"Some of the warning lights are falsely being displayed. One light has to do with the brakes and I can't remember what the other one is. The dealer has checked out the car more than once and the error is regarding the false warning only. It would cost about $1000 (!!) to fix, so we are opting not to fix it. Thus, the warning system is not useful, since if there was an actual problem, we wouldn't know unless the car had clear operational issues."

"Already did"

"Two ''system fault'' warning lights appeared while I was driving the car: anti-lock brakes, stability control. Dealership required two visits to determine that the problem was with the warning lights and not with the systems. Fixed in January, no problem since"

"I have an annoying rattle coming from trunk area"

"Rattles coming from the hatchback window area"

"The passenger compartment fan makes a loud repeated rapid regular clicking noise starting every time I start the engine. It starts about 5 seconds after the engine is started, continues for about 20 seconds, an then stops. It does not recur until the engine is stopped and restarted."

"The stick shift started squeaking last summer when I shift from 1st to 2nd. Dealership told me it's the cheap vinyl boot wearing out and it's not a warranty issue. They suggested I take off the boot if I didn't like the sqeak. There's also a problem"

"clunking rattling noise, don't remember exactly what it was. dealer repaired, about $300 repair cost"

"when turning a corner at 15 mph or higher, there is a noise that comes from the rear of the car, much like a rubbing sound, but not a clunking. Dealer has been unable to identify"

"last year had new break pads put on, after installation, squeaked everytime it was cranked & apporx 5-10 after. took car back to goodyear 3 times to get the squeaks stopped. still squeaking"

"The exhaust brackets flex and squeak went turning sharply"

"Rhythmic noise when driving. After servicing they reported there was some dust or similar within the brake system"

"front right wheel"

"Plastic parts starting rattle over bumps"

"It currently has a mild gerbil like squeak coming from the right side of the car, but it seems to have no effect on performance. Probably should get that checked out"

"Replaced stabilizer end links and bushings, still have a rattle"

"Rear windows squeaks"

"In cold weather, there is a constant rattle coming from the back of the car. We have no idea what causes it"

"Dealer replaced one engine mount they said was worn. Since then there's a squeak from engine compartment when ever there's a change in inertia, and when starting the engine"

"This model had a noisy drive from the outset. The 2013 model had a much quieter drive from the outset. Thus, I think Maza address this issue in designing newer 3’s."

"Always been noisy, can hardly hear bluetooth"

"It's just a loud car on the inside. What's the use of getting the fancy stereo when you have to crank it up to hear? It also interferes with people understanding my Bluetooth calls"

"Extremely noisy especially when all windows are open, down. Also very noticeable road noise especially at high speeds on the highway. At low speeds a loud but inconsistent humming"

"When the mechanic went for a replacement compressor, the re-builder commented that he was always getting Mazda compressors in for repair"

"Had compressor replaced and a/c worked for a few weeks. Took car back in for service and was told air mixer control is not working now. This requires entire dash to be removed to do the repairs"

"Does not cool to the desired temperature on the climate control. Only cools when set to the very minimum of 15C. Outside electronic temperature gauge randomly works typically only after 30-45 min of driving"

"Knob that controls where air blows (upper vs lower vents) does not work."

"When starting the car the fan makes a noise indicating is striking the nearby structures. This occurs for about 30 seconds and then ceases. I am told that this fan circulates external air."

"every time i switch from outside air to a/c, the belt in the dashboard knocks for 20-30 seconds. Dealer says the belt is sticking and may get stuck in a position someday. also seems to be finely shredding the belt and spewing it through the vents. not fixing it because the estimate is roughly $1K, since the entire dash would have to be pulled out."

"blower fan only worked in the highest position (4). Positions 1,2,3 not working. Found on you tube that a thermistor circuit was problem. Ordered replacement ($55) and changed out circuit plus cabin filter since I was already accessing the area, Fairly easy access from passenger side."

"the blower fan actuator had to be replaced at less than 100000 miles. involved a day in the shop and a $300 cost"

"Exterior vents allowed debris inside: which created rattling sounds when fan turned on. Pine needles and a leaf got in somehow...Sucked out/ cleaned at dealer"

"AC control valve failed"

"Air intake cabin vs outside gets stuck and makes a clicking noise for about 60 seconds"

"Thermometer device failed in -20 celsius leading to a dead battery and failed block heater. Car was immobile"

"Solenoid for the defrost broke. The part took a while to arrive, though the actual repair time was relatively short"

"Main hose to A/C leaked. Very costly."

"A climate control system hose was cut by another part of the same system. No other specific details were given"

"Leak in the hose. Cost over $500 to repair. Cheap parts again!"

"Key fob problems"

"The cable for the indoor driver door release lever broke. I fixed it myself for $150 in one afternoon"

"Factory safety recall: Driver side intermediate seat frame including manual height adjuster replaced. Driver seat loose laterally when adjusted to maximum height."

"the drivers seat became loose and it had to be replaced."

"Seat adjustment rails had excessive play. Was actually a recall item but had to go to a second dealer to resolve."

"The driver seat actually was loose, had lost a screw holding it to the floor. First repair failed after one day. Second time back was OK (at no charge, with a rental car). A hassle to be sure, and ~$150"

"Sun roof recently started to get stuck open."

"Got stuck in open position."

"Stuck - won't close properly"

"switch failed"

"The passenger side window gets stuck"

"Power windows do not work properly on driver side"

"Drivers' side electric auto-up is not working"

"bad syncro gear in the manual transmission between 1st and 2nd gear that binds 30% of the time. Since Phoenix is flat I usually shift 1st to 3rd. Not worth repairing on a 2010 since repair would be a transmission replacement costing $3500+. Will drive car until it can't be driven and then replace it."

"on accelerating after cruising about 25mph, there is a rough vibration, as if it is stuck in a higher gear and delaying shifting down. i think this is related to a delay (sluggish) in acceleration which i noticed from the beginning, and which Mazda has never satisfactorily addressed. It improved significantly when my mechanic drained and replaced the trans fluid; but this turned out to be a temporary fix."

"1st to 2nd gear shift difficult . "Scraping" feel at "normal" rpm . Shifting improves if done at higher rpm ( like "speed shifting" )"

"The shifter cable rusted through and needed replacement. It was said to be a known problem but Mazda did not replace it"

"At first the mechanic said they'll replace one of the solenoids (I can't remember which one). That didn't stop the slipping. So the next step was to replace the transmission control module. Between the solenoid and the replacement of the TCM, I spent just under $1,800. After some research, I learned that the TCM was a consistent issue other owners had more so with 2006-2009 Mazda 3's."

"Transmission was slipping. Turned out to be a clutch problem that required the full replacement of the clutch. A relatively expected (but still expensive!) repair given mileage on my manual transmission"

"Transmission control module died, which caused transmission to not engage properly. After replacement, car was back to full operation."

"Took car to dealership for troubleshooting. They did not give a definitive diagnosis and had no interest in making repair. Took car to two independent shops that guessed at the problem and attempted repair, neither solved the problem. The third independent shop diagnosed TCM failure, suggested to buy Refurb TCM online and they would install it. Did so and repair was successful."

"Check engine light came on. Car wouldn't shift or shifted hard - automatic transmission"

"TCM replacement ($2000) necessary, intake runner solenoid replacement"

"Shift cable would not engage “Park” position sensor, preventing car from starting"

"Transmission stopped while on the freeway, It was covered under warranty which I thought was amazing. Not sure exactly what the problem was but I was glad it didn't cost us anything!"

"I don't actually know if it was the engine computer, but evidently I flooded the engine and it would not start. Had to have it towed to be repaired, repairs included re-flashing the computer and cost more than $800"

"1 mount failed. Replaced."

"Engine mounts were leaking and needed to be replaced"

"Engine mount disintegrated. Had to be replaced."

"One of 3 engine mounts failed and had to be replaced"

"Engine mount leaking hydraulic fluid had to be replaced"

"Brought car in for pretty much routine maintenance. Found an oil leak on underside of car. About 800-850.00 to fix and was without car for 2 days-problem took a number of hours to fix."

"Had to take 1/2 the engine apart to fix the problem"

"Oil pan had to be replaced due to cross-threading of drain plug. Oil has only be professionally changed."

"Every spring I have orange spots that show up on my white car , this is caused by rail dust. Mazda dealer told me they would only do one treatment of clay bar then its my problem . Why doesn't Mazda inform customers of this rail dust problem getting into paint surface and have it covered by them"

"Scrapes on the car due parking garages"

"Clear coat on roof has peeled. Apparently this is known issue"

"The dash melted"

"The front and rear bumper covers and the rear spoiler apparently were not painted properly at the factory (clear coat not applied?). I had to have these parts re-painted"

"spoiler paint ,dealer fixed"

"The plastic on the rear lights was too long and ended up rubbing the paint away over time. Obviously a manufacturing issue as both sides are affected the same way. I was a few weeks over warranty and Mazda refused to do anything at all"

"Had a rust bubble on the lower door. Mazda would not cover the repair on warranty because it did not rust completely through"

"Rust developed in one of the body panels near the wheel and in another location where a razor was used to cut plastic trim that originally covered the exterior of the car during transport"

"Clutch went into gear but it would rev two or three times before the gear caught."

"premature clutch wear"

"Clutch for manual transmission wore out and needed to be replaced. We live in a hilly area"

"Clutch was deemed to have failed without the experience of excessive treatment. Appears many people believe this to be a faulty part. Mazda admits no claim of responsibility"

"Hydraulic components fail at about 60,000 miles cost about $740 to fix"

"My clutch needed to be replaced just under 100k miles. Dealership was great and easy to work with. This is considered a relatively expected, if expensive and serious, repair to a manual transmission"

"June 2019 at 102,000 miles, transmission jumped gears and wouldn't shift to higher gears. AT light on. Mechanic found metal flakes in fluid and Transmission Control Module had failed. Installed rebuilt transmission $2800 and new TCM $600, 3 yr warranty from Budget Transmission Masters. Transmission leak in Feb 2020 pan gasket fixed under warranty. Multiple transmission leaks and trips to transmission place from May-June 2020. Another TCM failed (car got very hot) and covered under warranty. Replaced transmission cooling lines, not under warranty. Ended up using silcon vs the Mazda-designed gasket for the pan which so far stopped any further leaks."

"Vehicle started having transmission issues at 102,500 miles. Checked by two different shops. Required replacement with re-built transmission. Took 5 days to get replacement and fix. Also required replacement of the Transmission Control Module (TCM) which was only available from a dealer at $600."

"Took the car in for routine maintenance and while in the dealers possession, the transmission failed. Took 5-6 WEEKS to get a replacement!"

"not knowing the details, at the 75000 mi maint, the dealer suggested routine cleaning and adjustments to the fuel injection system"

"Due to a failing fuel pump this car failed an emissions test"

"The O2 sensor went bad, which in and of itself was not a big deal, but it was stuck in the manifold. I brought it to 3 different places to see if they could remove it, but all had concerns about snapping it off in the manifold. So, I ended up having to replace the entire manifold and the O2 sensor"

"The check engine light came on, and the dealer diagnostics indicated the problem was the 02 sensor. I experienced no problems."

"engine light came on, diagnosed as bad sensor. replaced"

"recall"

"tail pipes rusted off"

"there is a hole in one of the exhaust pipes"

"Significant battery drain (battery goes dead in 48 hrs) with unknown cause"

"Battery died and alternator under-producing. Both required replacement"

"A week after purchasing the car, it wouldn't start when in Park. When putting the car in Neutral, the car started just fine. It turned out that while the shift indicator displayed Park, the transmission wasn't engaged in Park but actually was in-gear, because of a faulty sensor. The dealer determined the problem and replaced the sensor at no cost to us. We haven't had a problem since"

"Loss of charge due to alarm set off due to oversesitivity"

"Car would not start the first time, it would on the second try."

"The engine eventually (this has happened multiple times) will break the tip off one spark plug, leading to — at best — misfires or an engine that won’t start."