2011 Mazda Mazda3 Powertrain & Transmission Problems

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the clutch became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

I GOT THIS CAR BACK IN AUGUST NOT KNOWING ABOUT MAZDA'S CLUTCH ISSUES. I GOT THE CAR WITH ABOUT 101,000 MILES, AND WHEN I GOT TO ABOUT 112,000, MY CLUTCH FAILED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY IN KANSAS. I WAS SHIFTING UP FROM 4TH GEAR TO 5TH GEAR AND THE CAR FELT LIKE IT WENT INTO NEUTRAL, BUT NONE OF MY GEARS WERE WORKING. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK, BUT MY CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE. I DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS REPLACED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER, BUT AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I BECAME WORRIED THAT THIS IS GOING TO CONTINUALLY BE AN ISSUE FOR MY CAR FOR THE REST OF THE TIME THAT I HAVE IT. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE FIX, AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE MY CLUTCH APPROXIMATELY EVERY 35,000 MILES AS MANY OTHER MAZDA 3 DRIVERS HAVE. MAZDA SHOULD REALLY RECALL THE PART AND WARRANTY ITS REPLACEMENT.

DASH BOARD PASSENGER SIDE SEAM ON DASH IS SPLITTING ABOVE AIRBAG

SUDDEN CLUTCH FAILURE. *TR

PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE. MAZDA3 WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. CLUTCH SUDDENLY BURN OUT AND CANNOT SHIFT GEAR WHILE DRIVING. HEARD SOMETHING WAS FALLING DOWN UNDER THE CLUTCH AND THEN SMELL SMOKY ODOR. CAR DEAD IN MIDDLE OF LOCAL ROAD. ONLY HAVE 16,XXX MILES AND 2.5 YEARS ON THIS CAR. CONTACT THE MAZDA EXPERIENCE CENTER, BUT THEY THINK IT IS A NORMAL WORN OUT PART AND WARRANTY WOULD NOT TAKE CARE OF IT. HOWEVER, I THINK THERE IS POSSIBLE A DESIGN DEFECT IN THEIR CLUTCH. *TR

AROUND 3000 MILES, MANUAL TRANSMISSION DEVELOPED ISSUE OF NOT GOING INTO FIRST GEAR FROM A STOP. DEALER INVESTIGATED AND SAID THAT THIS IS A QUIRK WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND CAN BE SAFELY IGNORED BY STARTING IN A HIGHER GEAR, WHICH WEARS OUT THE TRANSMISSION FASTER. AS OF THREE WEEKS AGO AT THIS POINT, TRANSMISSION DEVELOPED INTERMITTENT ISSUE WHERE IT "POPS" OUT OF SECOND GEAR OR GRINDS AND DAMAGES INTERNAL PARTS BEFORE AUTOMATICALLY MOVING TO NEUTRAL. THIS OCCURS AFTER A NORMAL SHIFT. ALSO HAS DEVELOP ISSUE WHERE IS DOES NOT PROPERLY GO INTO REVERSE, INSTEAD GOING INTO FIRST GEAR. DEALER SAYS THAT SINCE THERE ARE NO OBD2 COMPUTER CODES COMING UP, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED BY THE MAZDA HEAD OFFICE TO REMOVE THE TRANSMISSION AND PHYSICALLY LOOK AT IT. CURRENTLY I AM VERY HESITANT TO DRIVE THE CAR AT ALL DUE TO THE FACT THE I DRIVE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHILE COMMUTING 50 MILES A DAY. I AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT MY TRANSMISSION WILL PROPERLY FUNCTION AT HIGHWAY, LOCAL TRAFFIC, OR RESIDENTIAL SPEEDS. I HAVE BARELY AVOIDED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS UNTIL THE REVERSE GEAR ISSUE BECAME CONSISTENT. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS AND THESE ISSUES HAVE ONLY APPEARED AS THIS CURRENT CAR HAS AGED VERY POORLY. THE DRIVE TRAIN HAS SHREDDED 50,000 MILE TIRES IN LESS THAN 25,000 MILES. I FEAR WHAT DAMAGE WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE OCCURRING WITH WAY TOO MUCH FREQUENCY AMONG THE 2011 MAZDA3'S WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AS PER THE OTHER POSTS. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP IN HAVING MAZDA PROPERLY INVESTIGATE AND RESOLVE THIS ISSUE TO PREVENT FURTHER TRAGEDY FROM THE VERY HIGH POTENTIAL FOR A LOSS OF LIFE OR BODILY FUNCTION INCIDENT. *TR

I FIRST TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE DEALER WHEN I NOTICED THE CLUTCH SLIPPING AFTER I SHIFTED OR WHEN I ACCELERATED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. NOW, AFTER 16 DAYS, I FINALLY HAVE MY 2011 MAZDA 3 BACK WITH A COMPLETELY NEW CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. MAZDA PAID 50%, NOT INCLUDING THE RENTAL CAR. MY FINAL BILL: $700 (NOT INCLUDING THE RENTAL CAR COST FOR THIS TIME). THEY REPLACED NOT ONLY THE CLUTCH DISC, BUT THE FLYWHEEL AND ASSOCIATED BEARINGS AND PARTS. APPARENTLY THEY CONSIDER REPLACING THE CLUTCH AT 2 YEARS / 20K MILES TO BE "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" AND NOT UNDER WARRANTY. IN MY OPINION, THE FACT THAT IT WORE OUT SO QUICKLY, IN ITSELF, MEANS IT WAS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE DRIVEN A MANUAL CAR FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS (PREVIOUSLY A MAZDA RX-7) WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. I DO NOT ABUSE MY CAR, I DO NOT RIDE THE CLUTCH, AND I DO NOT LET ANYONE ELSE DRIVE THE CAR. MAZDA WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO SPEAK TO ANYONE WITH THE AUTHORITY TO ASSIST ME, SPECIFICALLY THE DISTRICT MANAGER WHO MADE THE DECISION. ON TOP OF THAT, THE WOMAN I SPOKE WITH WHEN I CALLED THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AT (800) 222-5500 WAS NOT ONLY UNHELPFUL, BUT FLAT OUT RUDE AND CONFRONTATIONAL. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, I PLAN TO TRADE THIS CAR DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WILL NEED ANOTHER NEW CLUTCH AT 40K MILES OF NORMAL DRIVING. MAZDA HAS LOST A LOYAL CUSTOMER FOR LIFE WITH THEIR "GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT" MENTALITY TOWARD WARRANTY CLAIMS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA MAZDA3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH THE RPMS INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE WHILE ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO DRIVER ERROR. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FLY WHEEL, CLUTCH, PRESSURE PLATE, AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

TRANSMISSION HESITATES WHEN DOWNSHIFTING. ON GOING ISSUE. *TR

ON FRIDAY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY CAR (SHE LEARNED HOW TO DRIVE ON A MANUAL AND HAS NO PROBLEMS DRIVING IT) ON A BACK COUNTRY 2 LANE ROAD WITH OUR SON IN THE BACK AND OUT OF CELL PHONE COVERAGE. SHE WAS DRIVING ALONG AT 60 MPH, IN 6TH GEAR WHEN THE RPS STARTED TO BOUNCE OFF THE REV LIMITER. SHE CHECKED TO MAKE SURE SHE WAS STILL IN GEAR. SHE TOOK IT OUT OF 6TH AND PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL THEN TRIED TO GO BACK INTO GEAR. NO DICE, IT WOULDN'T SHIFT. SO SHE PULLED OVER AND SHUT IT DOWN. SHE TIRED TO START AGAIN, TRIED TO GET IT INTO FIRST, NOPE, TRIED TO GET IT INTO SECOND, AND NOTHING. AMAZINGLY SHE GOT SOME SIGNAL ON THE PHONE AFTER A PANICKED 20 MINUTES AND GOT ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE OUT TO TOW HER IN. NOW MAZDA IS SAYING THAT THE CLUTCH IS BURNED UP AND THAT IT IS NOT A DEFECT SO IT IS OUR FAULT AND IT WON'T BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR