There are 7 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2008 Mazda Mazda6in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND SHIFTS VERY HARD FROM 1ST TO 2ND IN THE COLD WEATHER.
DRIVING 2008 MAZDA 6 WHEN THE AT LIGHT CAME ON AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPED FROM GEAR REENGAGED VERY HARSHLY INTO THIRD GEAR. THE 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DROPPED 4TH AND 5TH GEAR AFTER RE-ENGAGING.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA 6. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED INTO THE REVERSE POSITION, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND MOVED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 15V345000 (AIR BAGS) AND 15V382000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,682. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
I TOOK MY CAR TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP AFTER HAVING EXPERIENCED THE 'AT' LIGHT COME ON AND A JOLTING IN SHIFTING GEARS AND A REAL " DRAG" WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FOLLOWING FAULT CODES "'TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID INTERMITTENT" AND "TRANSMISSION FLUID PRESSURE SENSOR/SWITCH" INDICATE THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE I WAS SHOCKED THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR A 5 YEAR OLD CAR. I ONLY AVERAGE 12,500 MILES PER YEAR, HAVE HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE, HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A TRANSMISSION BREAKING DOWN ON SUCH A " YOUNG" CAR. I BELIEVE THEY BUILT THE CAR WITH A POOR QUALITY PRODUCT AND NOW THEY WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. EVEN PRIOR TO THE CURRENT MILEAGE I HAD NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS JERKY AND "BUCKS" AND NOT POWERFUL WHEN ACCELERATING BUT I CHALKED IT UP TO IT BEING A 4 CYLINDER CAR-- PRIOR TO THIS VEHICLE I HAD OWNED 6 CYLINDER VEHICLES-- SO I DIDN'T KNOW THAT PERHAPS THESE THINGS WERE AN INDICATION OF A FAILING TRANSMISSION. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I FELT THAT MAZDA MAY HAVE A FAULTY/ CHEAP TRANSMISSION AND I SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION BUT THEY WOULD NOT HEAR ME OUT. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT BREAK DOWN AFTER ONLY 5 YEARS. MY PREVIOUS CARS LASTED UNTIL 120,000 -150,000 WITHOUT MAJOR BREAKDOWNS. I AM LIVID AND I FEEL I HAVE NO RECOURSE. I HOPE SOMEONE INVESTIGATES THIS MATTER. WHAT A HUGE LET DOWN!!! THERE IS NO " ZOOM ZOOM" IN THIS CAR. WHAT A FARCE!!!!! I DON'T KNOW HOW I WILL PAY FOR THIS. I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE COMPLAINING OF THIS ISSUE. *TR
I WAS GOING DOWN THE I-90 IN NEW YORK. I JUST GOT OFF A EXIT AND NOTICE MY CLUTCH WAS SLIPPING SO I STOP AND CHECK MY SLAVE CYLINDER AND IT WAS COVER IN OIL. I PROCEED TO MY DESTINATION AND PARK I GOT OUT AND LOOK SOME MORE AND NOTICE OIL RUNNING OUT OF MY BELL HOUSING. HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE AND CHECK OUT THEY TOLD ME THE REAR MAIN SEAL IS GONE AND NEED TO BE REPLACE. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE CRANKSHAFT HAD A LOT OF PLAY IN IT SIDE TO SIDE I ALSO GOOGLE THIS PROBLEM MORE THAN ONE PERSON HAS THIS PROBLEM WITH LOW MILES. *TR
WHEN THE CAR IS ACCELERATING SHIFT SHOCK OCCURS WHEN SHIFTING FROM GEAR 3 TO 4. IT DOESN'T ALWAYS OCCUR WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS COLD, BUT IS INEVITABLE AS THE TRANSMISSION WARMS. AS TIME GOES ON THE SHIFT SHOCK OCCURS UNDER LESS AND LESS OF A LOAD DUE TO THE WEARING OF A PART IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE ISSUE IS TO PURCHASE A NEW TRANSMISSION. WHEN PURCHASING THE TRANSMISSION YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU GET A TRANSMISSION THAT HAS BEEN REDESIGNED, OTHERWISE THE ISSUE WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. WE TALKED TO A MAZDA MASTER MECHANIC THAT SAID MAZDA KNOWS ABOUT THE ISSUE AND EVEN WENT AS FAR AS CHANGING THE WAY THE TRANSMISSION WAS MADE SO THE PROBLEM WOULDN'T CONTINUE. THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW THE ISSUE IS THEIR FAULT IF THEY CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE TRANSMISSION, BUT WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL AND OWN UP TO THEIR MISTAKE. FROM WHAT WE UNDERSTAND, THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE HOUSING OF THE TRANSMISSION. THIS MEANS YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT THE REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. MAZDA MADE A MISTAKE IN THEIR ENGINEERING, BUT WILL NOT ADMIT THE MISTAKE. WE MAY NOT BUY ANOTHER MAZDA BECAUSE OF THIS. *TR
MY CLUTCH STARTED TO GET STIFF AND I COULDN'T PUSH IT. EVENTUALLY THE CLUTCH PLATE FELL APART AND THE FELL THROUGH THE BODY OF THE CAR. THEN THAT CLUTCH PLATE FELL APART. THEN I GOT A WHOLE NEW CLUTCH ON 6/7/2013 AND IT FELT BAD BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID "IT'S A SELF-ADJUSTING CLUTCH, IT WILL LOOSEN UP OVER TIME." THEN IN MAY 2014, THE NOISE CAME BACK AND I COULD BARELY PUSH THE CLUTCH PEDDLE AGAIN SO I TOOK IT AND THEY SAID IT NEEDED A CLUTCH MASTER AND A CLUTCH SLAVE BUT IT MADE IT WORSE AND THE CAR MADE A HORRIBLE SOUND AFTER THEY PUT THOSE PARTS IN, SO THEY SAID THE ENTIRE CLUTCH WAS BAD AND THEY'D REPLACE IT UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE NOISE DIDN'T GO AWAY SO THEY SAID I NEEDED A WHOLE NEW ENGINE. THEIR FAULTY CLUTCH BLEW UP MY ENTIRE ENGINE BECAUSE THE GEARS WERE SLIPPING. SO A GREAT CAR HAD A BLOWN ENGINE BECAUSE OF A FAULTY CLUTCH. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026