2004 Mazda Mazda3 Complaint Log

THE ADVANCED AIRBAG SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY DEACTIVATES THE PASSENGER AIRBAGS WHEN MY WIFE IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. SHE IS 5'0" AND WEIGHS 95 POUNDS. WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN PART BECAUSE OF ITS SAFETY FEATURES. WE HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER TWICE, BOTH TIMES WE WERE TOLD IT IS SIMPLY THE WAY THE AIRBAG SENSOR IS DESIGNED, AND THAT IT IS BECAUSE HER WEIGHT IS RIGHT ON THE BORDERLINE FOR THE SENSOR. MAZDA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS TOLD US THE SAME THING AND TOLD US THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE THE SENSOR ADJUSTED. MY RESEARCH TELLS ME THAT MY WIFE WOULD BE MUCH SAFER IN A CRASH WITH AIRBAG PROTECTION, DESPITE HER SMALL SIZE. AS IT IS NOW, IT IS UNPREDICTABLE WHETHER THE AIRBAG WILL BE ACTIVE OR NOT AT ANY GIVEN TIME -- IT MAY GO ON WHEN GOING UP A HILL AND OFF WHEN GOING DOWN THE HILL. THIS SEEMS OBVIOUSLY UNSAFE. I BELIEVE IT IS A DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED.*AK

ABOUT ONE MONTH AFTER MY PURCHASE OF MY BRAND NEW MAZDA3, I CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURES. ALL 4 TYRES WERE 50 PSI!! 18 PSI MORE THAN THE RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE AND 6 PSI MORE THAN MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE PRESSURE. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, I MADE SURE THAT THE DEVICE WAS MEASURING ACCURATELY AND ALSO ASK SOMEBODY ELSE TO CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE. YES ALL FOUR TIRES WERE 50 PSI. I DROVE THAT VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 3000 MILES MOSTLY ON HIGHWAY WITH THOSE OVER INFLATED TIRES!!! I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. EITHER THE DEALER (COOK MAZDA IN MICHIGAN) OR IN SOME OTHER MAZDA FACILITY, THE TIRES WERE OVERINFLATED PROBABLY BECAUSE OF AN UNCALIBRATED TOOL. I BELIEVE MY CAR IS NOT THE ONLY MAZDA CAR WITH OVERINFLATED TIRES IN TRAFFIC. *AK

THE CONSUMER HAD A CONCERN THAT THE PLASTIC COVER THAT GOES AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD COME LOOSE WHILE DRIVING A 2004 MAZDA 3, WHEN THIS OCCURRED IT INTERFERED WITH THE BRAKING WHEN NEEDED. THE CONDITION ALMOST CAUSED A VEHICLE CRASH.*JB AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN THE CONSUMER NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN FOUND BRAKE PEDAL HINDERED BY LOOSE COVER ON STERING COLUMN. *EH THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS BENT.

DT: WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. IT FELT LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL AND TIRES WERE NOT IN LINE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED. . IF THE ROAD WAS NOT EVEN THE STEERING WHEEL WILL DO THE SAME THING. CONSUMER STATED ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN GOING AT HIGH SPEED, THIS HAPPENED MORE OFTEN AND ON WINDY DAYS. WHEN MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT COME ALL THE WAY BACK. *AK

BRAKES LEAVE A LOT OF DUST ALL OVER THE TIRES, RIMS, AND BODY OF CAR. THE CAR STOPS SHARPLY. HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. NOT A PROBLEM.*AK

THE BREAK PADS ARE WEARING EXCESSIVELY FAST AND THE ROTERS ARE BEGINNING TO SHOW MAJOR PITTING/GROOVING. (THE CAR IS BRAND NEW AND HAS LESS THEN 3000 MILES ON IT). *AK

VEHICLE OVERVIEW: MY 2004 MAZDA3 S SEDAN IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH ABS AND HAS 16" INCH FACTORY WHEELS. THE CAR HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *AK PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: AFTER APROXIMATELY 1800 MILES OF DRIVING (CITY/HIGHWAY), I BEGAN TO NOTICE SLIGHT DISCOLORED BANDS ON EACH OF THE BRAKE ROTOR DISCS AT ALL FOUR WHEELS. AFTER ANOTHER 600 MILES OF DRIVING, I BEGAN TO NOTICE GROOVING IN THE PLACES WITH THE DISCOLORED BANDS. AT THIS POINT, THE GROOVE COULD BE FELT BY A FINGERTIP. THE GROOVES ARE VISIBLE ON THE OUTWARD SIDE OF EACH ROTOR. I HAVE NOT INSPECTED THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF EACH ROTOR (THE SIDE THAT WOULD BE CLOSEST TO THE VECHICLE CHASSIS) TO VERIFY GROOVING ON EITHER SIDE. EFFORTS TO CORRECT: I HAVE REQUESTED THAT MY DEALERSHIP INSPECT THE BRAKES, AND THEY HAVE ALSO NOTED THE GROOVING. HOWEVER, THEY CLAIM THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS OTHER THAN RE-SURFACING EACH ROTOR. THIS WILL PREMATURELY WEAR MY BRAKING COMPONENTS, SO I DECLINED THIS OFFER. ALSO, SIMPLY RESURFACING THE BRAKE ROTORS DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF WHAT IS CAUSING THE GROOVING IN THE FIRST PLACE. OUTCOME: BRAKING POWER AND STABILITY REMAIN UNAFFECTED IN SPITE OF THE GROOVES. HOWEVER, THE LONGEVITY OF THE BRAKES IS DIMINISHED. I AM UNCERTAIN WHAT THE OUTCOME WOULD BE WITH CONTINUED GROOVING. THIS IS A FORESHADOWING TO PREMATURE BRAKE COMPONENT FAILURE.

THERE IS BRAKE NOISE IN MY 2004 MODEL YEAR MAZDA 3. I HAVE JUST BOUGHT MY CAR 3 DAYS AGO. I NOTICED THE NOISE IN THE FIRST DAY, I CALLED THE DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS NORMAL BECAUSE THE CAR IS NEW AND IT WILL DISAPPEAR IN A FEW DAYS. BUT IT IS NOT DISAPPEARING ON THE CONTRARY IT IS NOW MORE NOTICEABLE. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER THE BRAKES ARE COLD OR HOT. IT ALWAYS MAKES THAT NOISE. VIN NUMBER OF MY CAR IS: [XXX] THANKS, [XXX]. *AK UPDATED 07/30/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2004 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK HAS PROBLEMS WITH STARTING. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP BECAUSE IT WAS TAKING UPWARDS OF 8 SECONDS AND 2 ATTEMPTS BEFORE CAR WOULD START. THE CAR HAD 643 MILES WHEN I TOOK IT IN. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT IS STARTING TO HAPPEN AGAIN. IT WOULD TAKE UP TO 4 SECONDS TO START, WHICH IS NOT NORMAL FOR A NEW CAR. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS A VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING. ALSO THERE IS RATTLE SOMEWHERE IN THE DASH OF THE CAR.*AK

I WENT TO A DEALERSHIP ON MAY 2, 2004 AND PURCHASED A 2004 MAZDA 3. IT HAD 16 MILES ON IT. DROVE FINE FOR A WEEK! ON MAY 9TH, MY FAMILIY AND I WERE DRIVING AND THE CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE. WE SLOWLY MADE IT HOME IN 1ST GEAR. THE DEALERSHIP PICKED IT UP ON MONDAY MAY 10TH AND HAS SAID IT IS THE TRANSMISSION. THE FULL TRANSMISSION IS BEING REPLACED AT 250 MILES. IT HAS BEEN THERE FOR 4 DAYS NOW. I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN IT WILL BE REPAIRED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE TRANSMISSION BECAME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO SHIFT BETWEEN 1, 2 AND 3 GEARS. THE OTHER GEARS SHIFTED SMOOTHLY WITHOUT PROBLEM AND THE TRANSMISSION MADE NO ABNORMAL NOISES. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY BECAME STUCK IN FIRST GEAR AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO GET OUT OF IT WITH GREAT EFFORT. IT FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS FILLED WITH CONCRETE. BEING UNABLE TO SHIFT CAUSES A PROBLEM IN OPERATING THE VEHICLE SAFELY. THE DEALER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND IS BALKING AT REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 500 MILES ON IT.

THERE IS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF BRAKE DUST AND ROTOR WEAR ON MY REAR BRAKES. THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE ALMOST NO DUST AT ALL. THIS STARTED RIGHT AFTER THE CAR WAS PURCHASED, IT ONLY HAS 2700 MILES ON IT NOW.*AK

AFTER 200 MILES I NOTICED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF BRAKE DUST ACCUMULATING ON THE REAR WHEELS. THE REAR BRAKE ROTOR SURFACES ARE WORN EXTREMELY UNEVEN WITH MULTIPLE GROOVES. THIS TYPE AND AMOUNT OF WEAR IS WHAT I WOULD EXPECT AFTER 10,000 MILES NOT 200. THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS ARE HARDLY WORN AT ALL AND STILL EXHIBIT THE ORIGINAL MACHINED SURFACE. I FOUND THAT MAZDA HAS A NEW BRAKE PAD FOR THE REAR BRAKES (P/N: BPYK-26-48Z) BUT NO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED.

EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR AND NOISE DAYS AFTER PURCHASING MY MAZDA3 I PLACED A CALL TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT. I STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S BRAKING SYSTEM WAS CREATING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF NOISE AND BRAKE DUST FROM WEAR. I WAS TOLD THAT DURING THE FIRST WEEKS OF A NEW CAR THAT THIS WAS EXPECTED. THE GENTLEMAN REFERRED TO IT AS SEATING. HOWEVER, AFTER SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES, MOSTLY HIGHWAY (NO BRAKES REQUIRED), THE PADS AND ROTORS ARE BOTH DEEPLY GROOVED AND WORN. MOST WEAR OCCURS ON THE REAR BRAKES. MOST ALL BRAKING IS DONE BY THE FRONT; THEREFORE, IF WEAR SHOULD OCCUR IT WOULD BE PRESENT IN THE FRONT BRAKING SYSTEM. DEALER REQUESTED PERMISSION TO TURN THE ROTORS, WHICH I DECLINED. TURNING THE ROTORS WOULD DO NOTHING MORE THAN QUITE THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW HUNDRED MILES, UNTIL THE GROOVES AND DUST WOULD REAPPEAR. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OVERTLY OBVIOUS; HOWEVER, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. VEHICLE'S SAFETY IS COMPROMISED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE (CRS) LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC REPLACED AN AIR BAG SENSOR. *NM ONE MONTH LATER THE SENSOR FAILED AGAIN WHICH CAUSED THE CRS LIGHT TO ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED IT WITH A REVISED AIR BAG SENSOR. *NM

1)4 DAYS AFTER BUYING THE CAR MY FRONT BRAKE ROTORS HAD 3 LARGE (1M WIDE MORE THAN .5MM DEEP) GROOVES AND THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS WERE STARTING TO DEVELOP THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PADS MUST HAVE SOME TYPE OF HARD METALIC PIECES IN THEM THAT GRADUALLY DESTROYS THE BRAKE ROTORS. 2)IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE PADS WEAR THE ROTORS TO AN UNSAVE LIMIT. SO, I RETURNED TO MY MAZDA DEALER FOR SERVICE. JIM ELLIS MAZDA OF MARIETTA 3)THE SERVICE STAFF THERE WAS HORRIBLE AND IN THE END DID NOTHING TO FIX THE CAUSE OF THE GROOVES. THE SHAVED AN UNSPECIFIED AMOUNT OF MATERIAL OFF MY FRONT ROTORS AND INSISTED THAT IT WAS WITHIN "SPEC". THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY 3 WEEKS OLD BUT NOW MY FRONT ROTORS ARE ALMOST OUT OF USEABLE ROTOR WIDTH. THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE BREAK PADS DESPITE THEIR OBVIOUS LINK TO THE PROBLEM. MY BACK PADS AND ROTORS WERE NOT CHANGED AT ALL! WHEN MY BRAKE SYSTEM GOES OUT DUE TO THEIR FAULTY PARTS THERE WILL BE HUMAN COSTS AND THAT'S WHY I'M FILING THIS COMPLAINT.*AK

EXCESSIVE REAR BRAKE DISC/PAD WEAR. DRIVER DOOR RATTLING. *AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER 1,500 MILES. TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SHIFT VERY HARSHLY AND ABRUPTLY FROM 3RD GEAR TO 4TH GEAR. EVENTUALLY, I COULD NOT DRIVE ABOVE 30 MPH FOR FEAR OF SHIFTING INTO 4TH GEAR. DEALER WAS INITIALLY UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT EVENTUALLY REPLACED THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. CAR WAS OUT OF SERVICE FOR A WEEK. *LA

A MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED MY 2004 MAZDA RX8, I WENT TO START THE VEHICLE ONE MORNING AND IT WOULDN'T START. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO SERVICE AND THEY ADVISED THEY DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. SERVICE DID A BATTERY INSPECTION, CHARGING AND TESTING; A DIAGNOSIS ON THE SPARK PLUG SET AND DRIVE CYCLE; AND CLEANED THE PLUG THREADS. JUST THIS MONTH, I PULLED TO A STOP LIGHT AND THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING THEN DIED. HAD IT TOWED TO SERVICE. SERVICE SAID VEHICLE NEEDED NEW COMPUTER PROGRAM INSTALLED FROM MAZDA. HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR 1 YEAR.*AK

LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN VAN HOLLEN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE SAFETY PROBLEMS (RANDOM STALLING) WITH HIS 2004 MAZDA3 *TGW THE CONSUMER WENT TO SEARS TO PURCHASE A BATTERY THINKING THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE RANDOM STALLING, BUT WAS TOLD THE BATTERY WAS FINE AND IT APPEARED THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS. THE CONSUMER THEN WENT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD DIFFERENT THINGS WERE WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, WHICH WAS CAUSING IT TO STALL. THE CONSUMER PAID FOR THE REPAIRS, BUT WEEKS LATER THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. *JB