2006 Mazda Mazda6 Powertrain & Transmission Problems

PLEASE CAN SOMEONE PUT IN A RECALL FOR THIS MY TRANSMISSION IS HAVING PROBLEMS AGAIN AND THIS IS MY SECOND MADZA 6... THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE WE SPEND MONEY OF VEHICLES THAT SUPPOSE TO RUN WELL... SO WHY ARE THERE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THESE MADZA'S AND KNOW ONE IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.... I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY KIDS WHEN THE CAR JUST CUT OFF AND WOULDN'T MOVE AND WHEN IT DID IT WAS STARTED GRINDING WHEN I PUT IT IN GEAR.... THAT WAS A SCARY THING... THE SAME HAPPENED TO ME IN MY FIRST MADZA 6 WITH ONLY 89000 MILES ON IT... SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE....

TRANSMISSION ROUGHLY JERKS ITSELF INTO 2ND-3RD GEAR. WHEN THE CAR HAS COME TO A STOP AND IS THEN ACCELERATED, ENGINE STALLS FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN SLAMS ITSELF INTO 2ND OR 3RD GEAR. THIS POSES AS A REAR-END THREAT, AS THE CAR IS FORCEFULLY PUT INTO GEAR, CAUSING THE CAR TO JERK FORWARD SUDDENLY. FOR ME THIS ONLY OCCURS AT LOWER SPEEDS (10-30 MPH). I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND MANY OTHERS HAVE COME ACROSS THE SAME THING.

LOST CLUTCH TO THE FLOOR WHILE DRIVING NEARLY HAVING AN ACCIDENT. TOOK OFF CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER AS SYMPTOMS WOULD SUGGEST THE REPAIR WOULD BE. FOUND OUT THAT THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY IS BROKE AND THAT THE FIREWALL IS "CRACKED" I CAN SEE LOTS OF POSTS ONLINE WHERE THIS SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON AND VERY DANGEROUS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA 6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED BACKWARDS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000. ..UPDATED 04/23/15 *BF UPDATED 04/24/15*JB

5 MONTHS AGO, TOOK CAR TO MAZDA DEALER FOR TIMING CHAIN, VVT NOISE AND WAS REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. LAST MONTH STARTED TO FEEL INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER DURING QUICK ACCELERATION FOLLOWED BY PLUME OF SMOKE AT THE TAIL PIPE. TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS HEAVY CARBON BUILDUP AT THE VALVES AS WELL AS MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, O2 SENSOR, AND OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS. THE BILL WAS FOR ABOUT 1800 WORTH OF PARTS AND LABOR FOR DEEP CLEANING THE VALVES (INTAKE MANIFOLD REMOVED). AFTER REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED, TOOK CAR HOME AND DROVE FOR ABOUT 25 MILES WHEN I HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED AND I SMELLED BURNT OIL AND SMOKE INSIDE THE CABIN. I WAS ABLE TO STEER THE CAR TO THE SIDE AND LOOKED UNDER THE CAR TO FIND LARGE AMOUNTS OF OIL LEAKING FROM ENGINE. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO SAME MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD A ROD SHEARED AND BLEW A HOLE THROUGH THE BLOCK AND PUNCTURED THROUGH THE TRANSFER CASE HOUSING. THERE WAS NO ROD BEARING FAILURE, THE ROD JUST SNAPPED IN HALF. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER THE ENTIRE REPAIR COST AND WILL NOT COVER THE TRANSFER CASE DAMAGE. READING THROUGH SEVERAL FORUMS, THE SAME ENGINE DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED TO SEVERAL OTHER MAZDASPEED 6 OWNERS. THIS TYPE OF ENGINE FAILURE APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THESE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURES. *TR

MY TRANSMISSION FAILS AND REVS HIGH WHEN I ACCELERATE TOO HARD OR AM GOING UP A HILL CAUSING A DOWNSHIFT. THIS IS MOST COMMON WHEN SWITCHING BETWEEN THE 5TH AND 6TH GEARS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM COMMON IN MANY VEHICLES OF THIS MODEL YEAR. IF I SUDDENLY CAN'T ACCELERATE GOING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND DROP DOWN TO 40MPH AS I WAIT FOR THE RPMS TO GO BACK DOWN, THERE IS A SERIOUS RISK OF BEING REAR ENDED OR SIDE SWIPED DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT IT SHOULD BE A RECALL. THE FIX WOULD COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. *TR

PRESSED CLUTCH IN LOUD NOISE HEARD THEN GRINDING. PEDAL STUCK TO FLOOR WHILE IN TRAFFIC. CAR I HAD HAPPILY OWNED 2 MAZDA 6 2006 SEDAN AND WAGON AND WAS CONSIDERING ANOTHER WHEN THE DIESEL COMES OUT. THAT WAS LAST WEEK. THIS WEEK WITHOUT WARNING THE CLUTCH PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND MADE A LOUD BANG GRINDING NOISE. CAR HAS EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM MAZDA WE HAD TOLD MAZDA FOR OVER A YEAR HARD TO GET INTO REVERSE AND 1-2 CHATTER NOISE BUT NEVER GOT ANY RESOLUTION ON THIS. TOOK CAR IN DEALER SAID IT WOULD BE A CLUCTH WHICH IS NOT COVERED I WAS NOT HAPPY BUT SOMEWHAT OK WITH THAT. IT TURNS OUT THAT WENT THE PART FAILED THROWOUT BEARING IT DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT IS NOT COVERED (MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE MUST KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM AS THEY TELL YOU NOT COVERED AND BASICALLY HANG UP ON YOU. SAME WITH MEPP WHICH I PAID A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY FOR BUMPER TO BUMPER EXTENDED TOTAL CARE WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO COVER MANUAL TRANS BUT SOMEHOW DOES NOT. GETTING RID OF BOTH CARS AND MAY HAVE TO JUNK MY OTHER CAR WHICH WENT FROM BEING WORTH 10K TO 0. IN AN INSTANT BY A BEARING WHICH SHOULD BE COVERED. DON"T BUY MAZDA THEY DON'T STAND BEHIND THE PRODUCT. ALWAYS DEALER SERVICED AND JUST WAS SERVICED AND PASSED MAZDA (GREEN LIGHT THING THEY GIVE YOU EVERY TIME IT'S SERVICED MAKING YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S ALL GOOD WHICH IS A LIE. 3000.00 TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH IS INSANE IT'S NOT A SKYLINE GTR. *TR

WHEN ACCELERATING OR CLIMBING ENOUGH TO INVOKE A DOWNSHIFT, THE TRANSMISSION OCCASIONALLY SLIPS OR DISENGAGES CAUSING VERY HIGH RPM, FOLLOWED BY A SUDDEN DOWNSHIFT AND VERY HARD JERK. IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. THIS FAILURE POSES AN EXTREME REAR END COLLISION HAZARD. MAZDA HAS ISSUED TSB 05-016/06 TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM BUT MY DEALER INFORMED ME THAT MAZDA NOW RECOMMENDS A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION CHANGE IN LIEU OF A VALVE BODY CHANGE RECOMMENDED BY THE TSB. THIS TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE RECALLED, IT'S UNSAFE. *TR

INTERNAL TRANSMISSION/DIFFERENTIAL PROBLEM CAUSED HOLE IN BELL HOUSING, CAUSING TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK OUT. APPARENTLY FROM THE MESSAGE BOARDS, THIS IS HAPPENING A LOT. AND CONSUMER REPORTS SHOWS A BLACK CIRCLE FOR THE DRIVE TRAIN ON THE 2006 MODEL YEAR. WHY NO RECALL? *TR

WHEN ACCELERATING OR CLIMBING ENOUGH TO INVOKE A DOWNSHIFT, THE TRANSMISSION OCCASIONALLY SLIPS OR DISENGAGES CAUSING VERY HIGH RPM, FOLLOWED BY A SUDDEN DOWNSHIFT AND VERY HARD JERK. IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. THIS FAILURE POSES AN EXTREME REAR END COLLISION HAZARD. MAZDA HAS ISSUED TSB 05-016/06 TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM BUT MY DEALER INFORMED ME THAT MAZDA NOW RECOMMENDS A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION CHANGE IN LIEU OF A VALVE BODY CHANGE RECOMMENDED BY THE TSB. THIS TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE RECALLED, IT'S UNSAFE. *KB

THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO LOCK UP AND REV AT A HIGH RATE, THEN THE CARS BUCKS AND EITHER ENGAGES AT A LOWER GEAR OR YOU HAVE TO SLOW TO A CRAWL BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGES. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED AND TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE WITH TRAFFIC ALL AROUND, INCLUDING A SEMI-TRUCK RIGHT BEHIND MY VEHICLE. THIS IS A DEFINITE PROBLEM AND SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

WHEN ACCELERATING, THE CAR SUDDENLY HAS NO POWER, THEN SHIFTS HARD DOWN, TYPICALLY IT HAPPENS SHIFTING INTO 3RD OR 4TH GEAR. UNDER ABOUT A HALF PEDAL, IT BASICALLY FEELS LIKE A STALL, THEN JERKS YOU BACKWARDS, HARD AS IT KICKS INTO GEAR AND ACCELERATES. I'M TOLD THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT THERE ARE TRANSMISSION FAILURES FOR THIS CAR. UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY. *TT

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH DOWN THE INTERSTATE, MY 2006 MAZDA 6 MADE A LOUD NOISE LIKE GRINDING GEARS AND STALLED FOR A SECOND REVVED UP AND WENT INTO 3RD GEAR. THE CAR WENT FROM 65 MPH TO ALMOST A STOP AND THEN TO 20 MPH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE. AFTER THAT, THE CAR DOWNSHIFTED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. RESEARCH SHOWED MANY OTHER 2006 MAZDA 6 OWNERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. A MAZDA TSB WAS POSTED IN DECEMBER 2006, AND THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER 2006. MAZDA HAS NOT NOTIFIED ANY COSTUMERS OF THIS PROBLEM AND A TRANSMISSION GOING OUT AT 58K IS NOT TYPICAL. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS THE VALVE BODY SOLENOIDS. REPLACED THOSE FOR $800 AND STILL SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR. THEN PAID $3800 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT MIGHT DO THE SAME THING IN A FEW THOUSAND MILES. IF YOU ARE OUT OF WARRANTY, MAZDA DOES NOTHING FOR YOU. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS REAR END COLLISION HAZARD. *TR

POTENTIAL REAR END COLLISION: I OWN A 2006 MAZDA 6 VIN [XXX]. I HAVE EXPERIENCED FREQUENT TIMES WHEN I HAVE ACCELERATED ONTO THE HIGHWAY (OR ANY OTHER NEED TO AVOID A COLLISION) AND HAVE EXPERIENCED A SEVERE LOSS OF POWER/ACCELERATION. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN A REAR-END COLLISION HAD THE CARS BEHIND ME NOT REACTED IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE NOTIFIED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND "MAZDA CUSTOMER SATISFACTION" OF THIS PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE IS "OUT OF WARRANTY. I ALSO FOUND THAT MAZDA HAS ISSUED A TSB #05-016-06 THAT EXPLAINS THE POTENTIAL CAUSE. MAZDA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA MAZDASPEED6 . THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHILE DECELERATING TO ATTEMPT A TURN, THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY DOWNSHIFTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

THE MOUNTS AND THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTS KEEP BREAKING. THIS HAS OCCURRED OVER 5 TIMES AND IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. *TR

THE ISSUE HAS BEEN ONGOING, BUT ORIGINALLY STARTED IN THE SUMMER OF 2008 (CAR HAD ROUGHLY ABOUT 42,000 OR SO MILES ON IT). INITIALLY THE CAR WOULD INCREASE THE RPM UP TO 7000R IN 5TH GEAR (GOING TO 6TH) AND THEN DECREASE CAUSING IT TO DO A HARD JERK (SOMEONE ELSE DESCRIBED IT AS BEING REAR ENDED AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT FEELS LIKE). I TOOK MY CAR TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP IN MARLOW HEIGHTS, MD (WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY) AND THE SERVICE PERSON AND I WENT FOR A DRIVE (I WAS DRIVING) HE TOLD ME THAT HE DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING OFF ABOUT IT SO I WENT BACK HOME. FAST FORWARD TO 2013 (THE PROBLEM PERSISTED THROUGH THE ENTIRE TIME) WHEN I TOOK THE CAR THE ARLINGTON MAZDA DEALERSHIP. THIS IS WHERE THEY DID A TEST DRIVE ON IT AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT MY CAR'S TRANSMISSION IS GOING BAD (THE CAR HAD ABOUT 49,604 OR SO MILES ON IT). TO DATE, THE VEHICLE (WHICH NOW HAS 58,360 MILES ON IT) HAS TROUBLE PICKING UP SPEED IS EXTREMELY LAGGY AND IN 5TH TO 6TH GEAR WILL PULL A HARD JERK BEFORE IT CATCHES UP WITH ITSELF. I AGREE WITH THE OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. MAZDA NEEDS TO RECALL AND REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THERE'S CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. AFTER ALL, IF ANOTHER VEHICLE IS FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY BEHIND THE VEHICLE(S) HAVING THIS ISSUE THEY ARE GOING TO UNDOUBTEDLY BE INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS COLLISION AND THERE PROBABLY WILL BE A FATALITY. PLEASE NOTE: I INCLUDED THE MILEAGE THE CAR HAS SO THAT THOSE CONSIDERING PURCHASING THIS CAR WILL KNOW THEY MAY NOT HAVE LONG TO ENJOY IT BEFORE THEY HAVE A REALLY DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE PROBLEM ON THEIR HANDS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA 6. WHILE DRIVING UPHILL AT APPROXIMATELY 68 MPH, THE VEHICLE SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE LANDED IN A DITCH. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANS-AXLE SLIPPAGE WAS DUE TO POOR DESIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. MA 08/05/2015 UPDATED 10/23/2017*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA 6. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CLUTCH WOULD SHIFT AUTOMATICALLY INTO NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE REVVED. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE GEAR WOULD FORCEFULLY SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MORE OFTEN WHILE ON INCLINES OR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOURTH, FIFTH, OR SIXTH GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000.

2006 MAZDASPEED6 REAR DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTING BOLTS SHEARED OFF. CRACKED REAR DIFFERENTIALS FRONT CASE AS WELL. TOOK TO THE DEALER UNDER WARRANTY, THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT IT. CAUSING THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL CASE TO CRACK UNDER THE TENSION OF DRIVING IT. THEY THEN DECIDED TO LOOK AT IT. *JB