2011 Mazda Mazda6 Suspension Problems

When I took the car into my ASE mechanic shop for a normal oil change and tire rotation, they performed a general overall car inspection. They noticed that the Driver Side Rear Subframe had rusted through completely, where the coil spring is located. The passenger side was rusted, but has not yet broke through. They stated that the subframe parts should not rust through like this. They also stated that it is dangerous to drive the car in this condition. I have not notified the manufacturer as of yet, but plan to do so. There were no warning lights, but the ride did seem to be rougher than normal. The attach photos contain 2 photos of the failed driver side rear subframe and 1 photo of the good, passenger side rear subframe.

2011 Mazda6 rear subframe rot/rust, unsafe and dangerous to drive, Same situation as the front subframe that is part of a recall.

The front and back cross members underneath my Mazda6 have completely rusted out. There are numerous complaints about Mazda's "Safety Recall 2818I Expansion" not covering the back support member and also not considering Nebraska to be a Salt Belt state despite the state, and specifically Omaha using salt to treat their roads in the winter. On [XXX], my front cross member completely failed due to rust, causing my vehicle to lose control. I've taken my car to the mechanic and they confirmed the front and back cross members are completely rusted and need replacement costing $7,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while her mother was driving at slow speeds in a parking area, there was an abnormally loud metallic sound coming from underneath the vehicle, and moments later, the vehicle became extremely difficult to maneuver. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the rear crossmember had detached from the vehicle due to excessive corrosion of the subframe. The contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension); the VIN was previously included, but was repaired in 2019. The contact stated that the recall repair was for the front passenger’s side lower control arm. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Front and rear subframe rust leading to gaping holes, outside of normal wear and tear.

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while reversing, the contact heard an abnormal snapping sound coming from the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped and inspected, where the contact observed a big spring pushing a bar into the ground on the rear passenger’s side. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 184,000.

The rear cross member / AKA (Rear Subframe) P/N GEG1-28-80X has completely rusted out. The car is no longer safe to drive per a Pennsylvania State inspection. If driven parts of the rear suspension will drop off the car creating a hazard to other motorists and the driver of the car can lose control / mobility causing a traffic accident. Picture the entire rear suspension suddenly collapsing, that is what is going to happen. The Front subframe was subject to a recall. That recall should have included the rear as it is the same material just a few feet away, subject to the same rusting issues. These subframes were not property designed to prevent rust or even withstand a little moisture, as my car has been very well maintained. When I read the online forms this is a flaw in ALL 2009- 2013 Mazda 6's and the sister car the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan. I have opened a case with Mazda USA case #[XXX]. They are going to inspect to confirm my mechanic diagnosis. However they are currently under no obligation to repair and replace the rusted parts but they should be as this should have been replaced when the front subframe recall was performed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

After getting the recall information about the front crossmember rusting out due to corrosion, I decided to check the rear crossmember on my car. WOW, the rear crossmember is SO much worse than the front one and I’ve read hundreds of similar stories about the exact same thing happening to other Mazda 6 sedans around these model years (2009-2013). The rear crossmember on my car, which supports the entire rear suspension is completely rusted thru in several spots and the lower end links aren’t even attached anymore because the brackets literally fell off and so now both back tires are leaning in at the top. It is very noticeable! Very unsafe to drive! I decided to park this car until a solution is reached with Mazda or the NHTSA on how to deal with this. I don’t know why the front crossmember was recalled but not the rear? There’s only 2 things that are rusted on my car, period…the front & rear crossmembers!

I'm filing a complaint as to substandard steel being used in the rear crossmember/rear subframe. Extensive corrosion has been confirmed upon a state inspection, which requires replacement at my personal cost. The front engine cradle was replaced in 2019, per a recall notice for the same extensive corrosion problem. A safety issue that needs to be addressed by Mazda.

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while the independent mechanic was performing an oil change on the vehicle, the independent mechanic informed the contact that the rear subframe was severely rusted with holes in the subframe. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the rear subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

The contact's daughter owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel inadvertently moved to the left at a 30–35-degree angle. Additionally, the rear end of the vehicle swayed while coming to a stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the crossmember was severely corroded and the front driver's side crossmember had cracked. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front sub frame, sub frame link, sway bar, sub frame nuts, and bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

Rear subframe rusted and cracked in half when my daughter was on a major highway!

My 2011 Mazda 6 rear suspension broke while my wife was driving our car on the highway. It could have killed my wife and son. The frame is rusted so bad that the lower control arm broke away from the frame, the rear wheel is barely hanging on it by one bolt on the front control arm. It is very much a safety issue and Mazda needs to take charge of the problem before someone dies in their vehicle. Our car has 106215 miles on it and we still owe alot of money on this thing.

Noticed the left rear tire suddenly had a lot of negative camber and there were now clunking sounds while driving. Inspection showed that the rear crossmember is severely rusted with holes, cracks, and delamination. The left toe link mount is completely separated, the coil spring stoppers are detached and loose inside the springs, and the right coil spring has the top coil broken off. The front body connection of the rear crossmember is barely connected. The level of corrosion on the rest of the car is drastically less than the rear crossmember. Currently deciding whether and how to repair. (Pennsylvania)

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine service, the vehicle was diagnosed with rust and corrosion of the sub-frame. The contact was informed that the sub-frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Rear K frame is completely rusted out. You investigated the front frame rust issues on these cars which resulted in a Mazda recall. However, the rear frame with the same structure weaknesses was left out. As a result Mazda is refusing to fix or replace thousands of vehicles. Mazda forums are full of drivers with this same exact issue. If these frames start to fail while being driven I see the potential for injuries or loss of life.

When Mazda recalled the front frame they should’ve fixed the rear frame too I believe that this should have been recalled because there is the same problem all over the internet with this model. When my 16 year old daughter was going down the road @ 60mph and the rear subframe broke - bent the exhaust and then the tire rubbed the wheel well smoked like crazy and thought is was on fire & it then had blow out on the highway. Had to have it towed as putting the spare on would have done no good .

The rear cross member/subframe is completely rusted in two and the rear lower forward control arm is detached from cross member/subframe on both sides. There is currently an active recall for the front cross member due to accelerated corrosion from road salt but I’m not aware of any inclusion of the rear frame or suspension components tied in with this recall. It definitely needs added to it as this is VERY dangerous, possibly even more so than the front. Rest of the actual car body is fine, except for a little bit of surface rust. Please add this to the current corrosion recall! Car is registered in WV and is available for inspection anytime and I will be attaching pictures and I also have a video but it won’t let me post it on here.

During Virginia State Vehicle Safety Inspection in January 2023, the inspector noted a problem with severe rust in the rear Cross-Member (part 28-800A). The rear Cross-Member is severely rusted and crumbling at fastening and stress points. The driver side (left side) of the cross-member that secures the top of the (left) coil spring is so deteriorated that the left stopper (28-111B) became unattached from the top of the mount and is freely floating inside the coil spring, causing visible damage to the coil spring when the stopper (made of steel with rubber on bottom) and the coil spring come in contact. The same problem is occuring on the passenger side (right) of the rear crossmember as the upper mount is severely rusted and crumbling. If the Cross-Member mounts collapse or the Coil Springs break while the vehicle is moving, the driver would have extreme difficulty maintaining safe control of the vehicle.

I heard that the mazda 6 was recalled for a front end suspension issue with rust.My mazda 6 had a problem with rust on the rear crossmember.It rusted out and came apart. I noticed the car was leaning to one side,had it checked out and the crossmember was rusted and broke. I am in the process of buying another car.Mechanic told me not to drive it very far.If the car was recalled because of rust on front suspension of car it probably has same issue on back suspension.