2008 Mazda Mazda5 Complaint Log

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA 5. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE WITH DIFFICULTY TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF FOR 30 MINUTES. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED IT FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO SEE THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED BEFORE REPLACING ANY PARTS. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES AND NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 10,000. UPDATED 03/16/10 *BF UPDATED 07/12/10. *JB

2008 MAZDA 5 GT ANNOYING BAD TIRE NOISE ( TOYO TIRES ). *TR

MAZDA 5 PREMATURE TIRE WEAR ON TOYO TIRES. THE MAZDA HAS 24712 MILES, BUT ONLY ~15000 ARE ON THE TOYO TIRES DUE TO RUNNING SNOW TIRES ALL WINTER AND THERE IS CUPPING AND INNER TIRE WEAR. ALIGNMENT WAS CHECKED AT MAZDA AND REAR WAS SLIGHTLY OUT OF SPEC (-0.03). MAZDA DENIES EVER HEARING OF A TIRE PROBLEM ON THEIR MAZDA 5S, WHEN THE TOPIC IS ALL OVER THEIR WEB. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR THE SALEMAN ASSURED ME MAZDA HAD RESOLVED THE PREMATURE TIRE WEAR THAT HAD BEEN SEEN IN THE UK WHERE THE MAZDA 5 APPEARED BEFORE THE USA. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA5. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED EIGHT MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TWICE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,800.

DRIVING FOR 2 HOURS OF A 4 HOUR DRIVE, POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON VEHICLE. I WAS STOPPED AT A GAS STATION AND WENT TO PULL OUT WHEN IT HAPPENED. IT HAD NOT HAPPENED BEFORE AND 24 HOURS LATER IT WAS WORKING AGAIN. MAZDA HAS TAKEN MY CAR FOR REPAIR AND HAS GIVEN ME A RENTAL CAR. HOWEVER DUE TO THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO THE MAZDA 5 THE PARTS (PUMP AND PIPE) ARE ON BACK ORDER AND MY CAR WILL NOT BE REPAIRED AND RETURNED FOR 15 WEEKS. IF I WERE TO TAKE POSSESSION OF MY CAR I WOULD HAVE TO SIGN A WAIVER THAT MAZDA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ACCIDENT IF IT IS CAUSED BY THE PART FAILURE. *TR

POWER STEERING GOES OUT SPORADICALLY. THERE HAVE BEEN THREE OCCASIONS SO FAR IN THE PAST YEAR THAT THE POWER STEERING HAS WENT OUT ON MY MAZDA 5. TWICE I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WAIT TEN SECONDS AND RESTART THE CAR AND IT RESET. ONCE IT TOOK TWO HOURS OF SITTING OFF BEFORE IT RESET ITSELF. *TR

MAZDA 5 - 2008 SHOCKS AND STRUTS CAUSES CAR UNBALANCED AND DAMAGING RUBBERS (BETWEEN SHOCK AND FRAME) TO CAUSE NOISES. THIS ALSO DAMAGES THE TIRES AND TIRE ALIGNMENT. *TR

DRIVERS FLOOR MAT RETAINING CLIP BEGINS TO SEPARATE FROM NORMAL USAGE. SEPARATION ALLOWS MAT TO MOVE FORWARD ENOUGH THAT EDGE OF MAT IS CAUGHT BY CLUTCH PEDAL DURING GEAR CHANGES. MAT LIFTS OVER CLUTCH PEDAL AND BECOMES ENTANGLED WITH CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL WHEN TRYING TO SHIFT GEARS. MAT INTERFERENCE CAUSES ACCIDENTAL AND AGGRESSIVE BRAKE APPLICATION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS. MAT HAS BEEN REPLACED BY DEALER PREVIOUSLY BUT PROBLEM RETURNS AFTER A FEW MONTHS OF USAGE. *TR

VAN HAS 15,000 MILES AND IS APPROX 14 MONTHS OLD. VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR IN THE FRONT AND TIRE CUPPING IN THE REAR, CREATING EXCESSIVE ROAD/TIRE NOISE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE CABIN. *TR

2008 MAZDA5 WITH 55,000MI (90% HIGHWAY DRIVEN). WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH IN TOWN THE STEERING WHEEL ALL OF A SUDDEN BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND I NOTICED THE STEERING FAILURE LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD. PULLED TO A SAFE LOCATION AND CALLED MY DEALERSHIP. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT IT WAS A VOLTAGE TRIP AND IF I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT WOULD RESET AND WORK AGAIN. THE STEERING DID WORK AFTER I STARTED THE ENGINE AND I HAVE DRIVEN ABOUT 200 MILES WITH NO OTHER OCCURRENCE. ON FRIDAY I HAD MY OIL CHANGED AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WHEN I TOLD THEM OF THE PROBLEM THEY INDICATED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE MY PUMP AND A LENGTH OF HOSE. WHY THE HOSE TOO? ITS 6,000MI OUT OF WARRANTY. AFTER SOME INTERNET SLEUTHING, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON MECHANICAL FAILURE THAT MAZDA IS NOT DEALING WITH RESPONSIBLY. HARD TO IMAGINE THEY ARE NOT LEARNING FROM TOYOTA'S AND HONDA'S EXPERIENCE. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY IF THIS FAILURE OCCURS UNEXPECTEDLY ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVEN BY AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER. NOT SURE ABOUT NOW BUT MANY OWNERS EARLIER IN 2010 WERE HAVING TO WAIT OVER 5 WEEKS TO GET A REPLACEMENT PUMP DUE TO A BACKORDER ISSUE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT MAZDA IS NOT PROACTIVELY DOING A VOLUNTARY RECALL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM AND SUGGEST TO MAZDA THAT REPLACING THE FAULTY PUMPS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY IS GOOD FOR SAFETY AND GOOD FOR BUSINESS. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE. NORMAL MIXED DRIVING, HIGHWAY & CITY STOP & GO, WHILE WAITING IN A DRIVE THRU FOR COFFEE, STEERING WHEEL BECAME ALMOST IMMOVABLE, WOULD STILL TURN TO NORMAL LIMITS BOTH RIGHT & LEFT, HOWEVER THE EFFORT REQUIRED WAS VERY HIGH. RETURNED CAR TO DEALER UNDER WARRANTY NOTICING THAT STEERING EFFORT REMAINED CONSTANT THROUGHOUT THE DRIVE. EFFORT REQUIRED WAS NOT DEPENDENT ON SPEED, OR DIRECTION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA 5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE LOOSE BOLTS ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SUSPENSION. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD LOUD POPPING NOISES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ONCE AND THEY PLANNED ON REPLACING THE BUSHING AND TIGHTENING THE BOLTS ON THE SUSPENSION. THE INNER WALLS OF THE TIRES WERE WEARING OFF DUE TO THE LOOSE BOLTS, WHICH ALSO CAUSED THE SUSPENSION TO SLOWLY DETACH. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT SEVERAL OTHER CONSUMERS WERE EXPERIENCING SUSPENSION FAILURE AS WELL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 21,000.

WE BOUGHT A 2008 MAZDA5 AND HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER TWICE FOR LOOSE BOLTS ON THE REAR RIGHT SUSPENSION. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 2000 MILES ON IT. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA 5. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE SUNROOF SUDDENLY EXPLODED. THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT SOMEONE IN THE VEHICLE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 4,100.

PREMATURE TIRE WEAR IS A HUGE PROBLEM. HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT 2 FACTORY TOYO TIRES AT 8,777 MILES (SEP 2008) DUE TO EVEN WEAR THAT PLACED THE TIRES IN THE "RED". REPLACED THE SAME TWO FRONT TIRES (WHICH WERE FALKEN) AT 24,437 MILES (JULY 2009) BECAUSE OF EVEN TIRE WEAR THAT PLACED THE TIRES IN THE "RED". I AM NOW ON MY THIRD SET OF TIRES AT ONLY 24,500 MILES. BOTH TIMES THAT TIRE REPLACEMENT OCCURRED, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP FOR ALIGNMENT CHECK AND TO VERIFY WHAT THE CAUSE OF THE ABNORMAL, PREMATURE WEAR IS. BOTH TIMES THE ALIGNMENT WAS NOT OFF AND THERE WAS NO DETERMINING CAUSE FOR THE PREMATURE WEAR OF THE FRONT TWO TIRES.*TR

2008 MAZDA5 POWERSTEERING PUMP SHUTS DOWN WHEN HOT, MAZDA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO RECALL. DANGEROUS FOR SMALL OR WEEK DRIVERS. HAS OCCURRED 2 TIMES ON ME IN AFTER SITTING IN TRAFFIC. INTERNET SEARCH REVEALS LOTS OF COMPLAINTS. *TR

CAR WAS IDLING IN THE GARAGE FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, WHEN I WENT TO BACK IT OUT OF THE GARAGE THE STEERING RESPONSE WAS EXTREMELY HEAVY (E.G. NO POWER STEERING) AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WAS ON. I DROVE WITHOUT POWER STEERING -- VERY DIFFICULT -- FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES -- THEN CAME HOME, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, AND LET THE CAR COOL. AFTER COOLING OFF THE POWER STEERING RETURNED AND THE WARNING LIGHT NO LONGER CAME ON. VARIOUS ONLINE FORUMS INDICATE THIS IS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH MAZDA 3S AND 5S, AND THAT THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TO MANY VEHICLE OWNERS WHILE DRIVING. MAZDA HAS ISSUED A TSB, BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. SEE: [BEGIN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN] TSB: 06-002/09 2007-2009 MAZDA3 AND 2007-2009 MAZDA5 - HEAVY STEERING EFFORT WITH POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON AND DTC C1099 APPLICABLE MODEL(S)/VINS 2007-2009 MAZDA3 VEHICLES (NOT INCLUDING MAZDASPEED3) WITH VINS BELOW (PRODUCED BETWEEN APRIL 1, 2007 AND NOVEMBER 4, 2008) '2007-2008 JM1BK****** 742201 - 880507 '2008-2009 JM1BK****** 100002 - 251982 2007-2009 MAZDA5 VEHICLES WITH VINS JM1CR***** 155672 - 349055 (PRODUCED BETWEEN PRODUCED BETWEEN APRIL 1, 2007 AND NOVEMBER 4, 2008) DESCRIPTION SOME CUSTOMERS MAY FEEL THAT THE STEERING EFFORT IS HARD OR HEAVY WITH POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATION AND DTC C1099 [ELECTRO HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST STEERING (EHPAS)] STORED IN MEMORY. THIS PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY CONTAMINATION OF THE SYSTEM FROM SUCH THINGS AS CORROSION GETTING INSIDE THE POWER STEERING LINE, STICKING IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP, AND LOWERING THE REVOLUTION SPEED. THE SYSTEM THEN GOES INTO A FAIL SAFE FUNCTION. CUSTOMERS HAVING THIS CONCERN SHOULD HAVE THEIR VEHICLE REPAIRED USING THE FOLLOWING REPAIR PROCEDURE. [END EXCERPT FROM TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN] I AM WRITING BECAUSE I FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT MAZDA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR AT ITS EXPENSE, NOT THE OWNERS'. THANK YOU.*TR