Please! Help me out!

[my3needsaname]

go to most current post please.

OK, here's the deal, as many of you know I have a 2008.5 Mazda3 GT that has some quality issues well below par of even the crappiest of crap cars being built today. I would like to get opinions on what to do or how to go about solving anything I possibly can and hope that posting up my list of problems will reveal more than a few great solutions.
I would like to start off with the background:
Car is 9 months old with 4,850 miles, has been into 2 different dealers a total of 18+ times since 1 week after my initial purchase, and I have met with the Mazda North America Operations Customer Service District Manager and yielded nothing in the way of helping or hurting my problems.
On to my list of grievances (I'm not going to post service records because once they say no, they mean no and don't do anything else about it):
Currently (dealer knows about):
front suspension creaks over bumps, started about 3 months ago and usually happens when it has been garaged all night and hits speed bumps

transmission shifts harshly, grinds in reverse, thunks through gears, has stalled engine when shifting into D at a very slow roll, and feels liek the clutch sticks

If anybody can help me with those two things, that would be GREATLY appreciated!
On to the stuff that is "new":
rear seat belt buckles rattle when buckled or shaken unbuckled, it's happened since the car was new, I'm not too concerned about it just curious as to what it might be. It sounds more like something inside is busted and rattling around.

airbag insert in the center of steering wheel rattles, if you push at the bottom and hear it unstick from something it stops for about 15-30 minutes

engine sounds like it has change in it, sometimes squeals slightly, currently sounds like there is sand in it

engine is hesitant to start after sitting on the driveway in the cold for one night in 6 months, this morning I went to start it from the garage and it started sputtered revved a bit and I killed it to give it a do-over, did fine.

right rear wheel clunks in the morning when it has to move the suspension, checked all linkages and they're all fine...wheels haven't been taken off since they were put on at Mazda

My MOST IMPORTANT problem:
rear brakes burn...all the time, no matter what. they literally have a burning smell coming from them if you sniff around there, it started going away for about a week but it came back saturday night after about 30 minutes of driving when my friend noted that he thought he saw smoke coming from them. you get a more intense smell during warmer days and with very calm driving, I had a hunch the parking brake might not be disengaging fully but I'm no expert. I have a fear that this could be potentially harmful to my health or well being and Mazda "can't do anything about it" so if ANYONE has ANY information AT ALL, please to god, share it with me!!!

Thanks for reading all this and I really hope somebody can help me, I know it's vague but please do teh best you can, any info is welcome!

 

[GoFast]

How many threads do you need to start about the same things that you have asked and asked and complained about for months upon months? You state that you "know it's vague" and expect some kind of solution. Quit being vague. What is the dealer telling you?? Are you just being overly anal about this or do you just not like what the dealer is telling you?? Why won't Mazda do anything about your brakes? I am going to be blunt here because several members are starting to get irritated by your so called problems. WHAT ARE YOU LYING TO US ABOUT OR NOT TELLING US??????? What have you done to your car. how many times have you neutral dropped your transmission? How many times have you forgotten to take your parking brake off? You have been told more than once that the suspension creaking is normal and you need to start to either listen to people are telling you or drive that car into a lake and start over. If you start one more thread about the same s*** or stink up one more thread with your crap then you will be given an infraction. I know that you have been warned by a moderator and you were being good for a while but apparently that streak is over so consider this your warning.

 

[my3needsaname]

The dealer is being s***, alright. You want details, I'm giving you all that I know of, you want the time of day weather temperature what the hell do you mean by be less vague. I give you the info I know. Mazda doesn't help, people on the internet don't help, and I'm not a mechanic. I don't get how the hell you guys get the idea that I do a neutral drop all the damn time. What kind of idiot do you think I am where I don't take off my parking brake? Honestly, I don't think my suspension is normal because it would have been creaking since the day I bought it! Hell, if you want to drive my car into a lake and pay for it be my guest but I can't do that since the risk is greater than the reward.

This is my way of staying good but I don't take kindly to people insulting me or yelling at me no matter where I am and you don't see me going into other threads and shitting on people anymore do you? Exactly, I don't care what you do with this thread or infractions or whatever because it's obvious that nobody is going to help me with anything because the Mazda3 is "such a great car."

 

[NRRfrogmanP5]

sometimes the suspension makes noises when its settling in and it might take a while for it to settle. that could be what ur hearing. did u try talking to a lawyer and going to the dealer with him if ur certain there is something wrong with ur car. i dont know about cali. but illinois has lemon laws where if ur car has been in the dealer so many times it can be returned or something

 

[my3needsaname]

sometimes the suspension makes noises when its settling in and it might take a while for it to settle. that could be what ur hearing. did u try talking to a lawyer and going to the dealer with him if ur certain there is something wrong with ur car. i dont know about cali. but illinois has lemon laws where if ur car has been in the dealer so many times it can be returned or something

Yea, I have the CA Lemon Law but haven't used it yet, there's something stupid in the back of my mind that makes me be nice to most people I meet but I'm about one more "we can't find anything" away from going off on them and suing them.
It's not eh suspension I'm worried about, that's just here for kicks, it's my brakes and their damned burning.

 

[NCZ13]

dude you know wed like to help, but saying the dealership isnt doing anything about it just doesnt make any sense.

It sounds like you have way to many issues for them to all just cease when you get to the dealership, so your either pointing out and hearing things taht arent there, have the pure luck of dealing with two completely incompetent dealerships, or your not telling us what the dealership is telling you.

Warranty work is easy for a dealership to do. Sure they might not be paid as much, but they still get paid.

Dont forget we all remember your thread about "launching" your automatic. So chances are you probably damaged something pulling a stunt like that.

suspension creaks are normal, especially when cold. jack the rear of your car up. put your ebrake down, try to turn your wheels. if they are resistant to turning than your calipers or one of them is stuck, however this would be extremely noticeable in acceleration as the car would feel abnormaly sluggish.

Also when a caliper is caught and smokes, it SMOKES. as in smoke noticeably pouring out of your wheel well. And it smells extremely bad to the point of being unbearable to drive the car. I had this happen to me back in highschool in my oldsmobile cutlass.

Your obviously leaving things out. Tell us what the dealership is saying, tell us what the mazda rep said.

 

[GoFast]

this has nothing to do with the me thinking the mazda 3 is a "great car" Your suspension issue IS NORMAL What time of year did you buy your car? I am guessing that it was during a warmer time of year. Now it is colder out and that is when the suspension makes noise. Once it gets warmer again, it will stop.

You yourself admitted to being vague so don't get snappy with me and act like i pulled that thought out of my ass. How is the dealer being s***?? They have obviously looked at your car at least a dozen times and have probably told you that there is nothing wrong OR they have offered solutions that you don't like, which is it? what have they offered you other than they won't do anything. WHY?

As for the going into other threads issue you are right, I don't see you going into other threads and trashing other poeple but what I do see is you going into other threads muttling them up with your woes and issues like you have been told not to do.

 

[mikeyb]

You have the customer copy of all your repair orders? If so scan them and post them up so we can see. I am sure you did something to the transmission when do a hard launch with it. Remember its not a dragster or a sportcar. Its Mazda's entry level bread and butter car. As for the brakes do you try to slide the rear around by pulling up the ebrake handle like your drifting? My cousin use to do that alot and the rear brakes smelled burnt and he actually overheated the calipers which caused them to seize.

 

[my3needsaname]

OK, I get to the dealer with literally one problem at a time. I mean I brought it in and gave them details and said take your time for just checking out the transmission. Now they always call back and say there is absolutely nothing they could find. But I know it's there, the whole thing is that over the last few months the car has completely changed the way it starts, shifts, and accelerates for no apparent reason to me. I know it may be hard to believe through the internet but I am an honest person, what I say is the truth and nothing but the truth.
Last wednesday I was in with the rep, he didn't care to help me with most of my issues and seemed to not really care about the problems I was having. This is my main issue, you can't get something fixed when everyone you talk to is talking down to you or doesn't want to help. In the end, the rep was focusing on my dealer experience, the transmission, and the brakes. Obviously the time I'm at the dealer the car works perfectly, so he was in it for a test drive and that was it. It was most likely too early for the car, usually this happens more often when it is warmer out...like 70F in the afternoon.

Now that whole launching thread was a downshift, it wasn't anything of a drop into gear. It was literally a downshift from 2 to 1 and it got the wheels loose.

The only way to describe the smell coming frmo the rear brakes is about 50 dead raccoons that had been run over and sitting there for a week. The only reason I didn't leave the thing is because it was night and too far to walk to anyone's house. So we roled down all the windows and limped the thing home because I wasn't sure if they were gonna get any hotter.

I think that mainly answered you, the rep's final words were "I can't help you much today but keep coming back to your dealer and they may find something eventually."
Mazda is telling me that "they can't find anything, the car works fine."
But the moment I leave the things slams into 2nd or I'm driving down the freeway and smell something burning.

 

[my3needsaname]

this has nothing to do with the me thinking the mazda 3 is a "great car" Your suspension issue IS NORMAL What time of year did you buy your car? I am guessing that it was during a warmer time of year. Now it is colder out and that is when the suspension makes noise. Once it gets warmer again, it will stop.

You yourself admitted to being vague so don't get snappy with me and act like i pulled that thought out of my ass. How is the dealer being s***?? They have obviously looked at your car at least a dozen times and have probably told you that there is nothing wrong OR they have offered solutions that you don't like, which is it? what have they offered you other than they won't do anything. WHY?

As for the going into other threads issue you are right, I don't see you going into other threads and trashing other poeple but what I do see is you going into other threads muttling them up with your woes and issues like you have been told not to do.

I did buy it in June but even as it gets warmer now it still does it. I mean it has been 70F and sunny the last couple of weeks and even in the afternoon after it hangs out in the full sun all day baking there's still some creak coming from it.
Yes, it is a bit vague but this is what I go into the dealer with, usually a bit more, and they don't know what to do. I mean s*** because they don't actually take things apart to have a look, they just listen to it on the road and do nothing else. If they could pop open the hood or do what I tell them they should do to get the noise out of it then I could possibly get somewhere. They get my car, look at it, and call me to tell me it's ready and they found nothing. They have never offered me another option other than me coming in to drive it with them which I can't do, I'm in school all day. There's no way I would skip class to go to Mazda and drive around with a tech to have them find nothing. It's just illogical.
I don't go through mutting them up anymore, I have a warning for that and I stick to the warning. The only other thread I have mutted up was the MS3 MPG thread where the people were asking for experiences or what you get for mileage now...I happen to get 15-17 city and 18-20 highway. Or they ask for problems with the car and I add my input.

You have the customer copy of all your repair orders? If so scan them and post them up so we can see. I am sure you did something to the transmission when do a hard launch with it. Remember its not a dragster or a sportcars. Its Mazda's entry level bread and butter car. As for the brakes do you try to slide the rear around? There is most likely something wrong with the ebrakes or the calipers are sticking.

I do but I don't have a scanner, somewhere I typed them all onto the computer so I can try to find that and post it up for you guys to check out.
My first thought was that the ebrake isn't letting go all the way. But I hadn't thought of the pads sticking yet. I don't slide the rear around because I really have no way of correcting it once it goes out, FWD is not something I would want to learn to drift on.

 

[my3needsaname]

Service records:
June 23, 2008 (when I bought it):
7/12/2008 (promised same day, got it Monday after): rear spoiler brake light was inop, it was unplugged
addressed my concern for the a/c compressor holding up the engine, they did nothing
passenger headlight lens has a scratch on it, replaced headlight (the techs were sent home just as they were about to put my bumper back on and call me for it, wound up getting it Monday with a dead battery, broken battery box, bent hood prop, and greasy hand prints all over it...this was never documented)

8/6/2008: head unit TSB, ordered parts via TSB (bass would cut out above volume 35)
addressed concern for a/c compressor again, still did nothing

8/12/2008: addressed concern for a/c, still did nothing
replaced head unit via TSB, after ordered parts arrived

9/30/2008:addressed a/c compressor issue again, tested against loaner Mazda3, found nothing wrong. I drove brand new one on the lot, did the same thing.
addressed running water type noise coming from glove box, compared to loaner Mazda3 said noise was normal. I had a TSB to prove it wasn't they didn't care.

12/6/2008: oil changed at 3064 miles to Mobil1 full synthetic 10W-30, full vehicle preventative maintenance inspection. all checks good (done at Ford dealer)

12/22/2008: passenger window motor has slowed down drastically, they found it to be within spec (still slow to this day)
AUX jack has static and has gone completely out, they blamed the Radioshack mini-mini connector I was using
bottom of windshield pops during cold weather, did nothing denied its existence
drivers side headliner area vibrates when driving, did nothing that trip
steering wheel center/air bag area vibrates, they did nothing (still rattles today)

1/20/2009: first report of header leaking, nothing was done noise was assumed normal

1/27/2009: headliner rattling, wrapped a bolt in foam tape that could have been the culprit...worked for 2 days.
first report of creaking shocks, nothing was done tech couldn't verify what service manager had heard the day before. (how sketchy does that sound to you?)
leaking header reported again, nothing was done to fix it.

2/12/2009 (made a detailed list of 6 items and road tested with service manager, 3 small things were looked into, 2 were fixed): installed foam pads via TSB to stop windshield from creaking in the cold, so far it has worked
header leaking looked into again, presumed normal
first report of front shocks creaking, a loaner Mazda3 was tested too, also creaked, reported normal noise. (how do you drive loaners? like s***? so their shocks could be screwed worse than mine...yea makes no sense.)

2/25/2009: first reports of transmission slipping, clutch sticking, reverse grinding, supposedly checked all transmission fluids and such and found transmission to be working normally, and even said they looked for a TCM reflash...none available.

There could be some more...but that's pretty complete since the first trip to the dealer. I'm not sure why there's a chunk missing from september to december but if anything it was just for the same stuff in september and through to december.
There were also a couple undocumented trips up there, some for a quick check, some for Mazda parts and accessories, one for the Mazda rep.

 

[mikeyb]

Evey new car I've purchased has had creaking suspension and brakes that smell bad.

 

[GoFast]

so all of these issues and conveniently they don't happen when the dealer has them or you are with the dealer? interesting. Also, if you have all of these issues then you need to take the time and do what the dealer asks and offers and quit saying they are doing nothing. dealers are open on Saturdays so this whole class thing isn't flying. Why are you telling the dealers how to diagnose things if you admit yourself that you are no mechanic? Why not try a different dealer? This is my challenge to you and until you actually go do these things you will have no reason to complain about your car.

The fact that you are getting 15-18 mpgs tells me that you are flogging the s*** out that thing.

also

Now that whole launching thread was a downshift, it wasn't anything of a drop into gear. It was literally a downshift from 2 to 1 and it got the wheels loose.

Why are you trying to do a downshift like that in an AUTO?! Quit driving the car like it is a manual transmission, If you want a manual then buy a manual.

1. make an appointment for a Saturday and drive with the mechanic.

2. Take your car to a transmission shop, not a dealer, and tell them this. I have no clue what is going on with my car but it is doing this, "transmission shifts harshly, grinds in reverse, thunks through gears, has stalled engine when shifting into D at a very slow roll, and feels liek the clutch sticks" Nothing more, nothing less. leave out all the dealer crap and the history. If they find something, get a detailed quote and bring it to the dealer.
3. If neither one of those solutions work go to a completely new Mazda dealer and play dumb just like you are going to do at the transmission shop and just tell them what issues you are having. say "my car seems to tick is that normal?" My transmission feels like it isn't working right can you check that out?"

4. If after all of these are done and you still have the problem then you just need to trade the car in a get something new.

Also, I would like to tell you what I suspect and you can deny it all you want but you seem to make a lot of revealing comments that really lead me/us to suspect that you are not telling us the whole truth about how you drive your car. here is one

"transmission shifts harshly, grinds in reverse, thunks through gears, has stalled engine when shifting into D at a very slow roll, and feels liek the clutch sticks" Nothing

Now why the hell are you shifting your car into "D" when you are at a slow roll?? There is no need for this YOU HAVE AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION!!!!!!!! There is no need to be shifting.

 

[GoFast]

June 23, 2008 (when I bought it):
7/12/2008 (promised same day, got it Monday after): rear spoiler brake light was inop, it was unplugged
addressed my concern for the a/c compressor holding up the engine, they did nothing
passenger headlight lens has a scratch on it, replaced headlight (the techs were sent home just as they were about to put my bumper back on and call me for it, wound up getting it Monday with a dead battery, broken battery box, bent hood prop, and greasy hand prints all over it...this was never documented)

where did you come up with the compressor holding up the engine?? (boom01)

8/6/2008: head unit TSB, ordered parts via TSB (bass would cut out above volume 35)
addressed concern for a/c compressor again, still did nothing

again, where did you come up with the compressor holding up the engine?? (boom01)

8/12/2008: addressed concern for a/c, still did nothing
replaced head unit via TSB, after ordered parts arrived

There is nothing to do!!!!!!!!

9/30/2008:addressed a/c compressor issue again, tested against loaner Mazda3, found nothing wrong. I drove brand new one on the lot, did the same thing.
addressed running water type noise coming from glove box, compared to loaner Mazda3 said noise was normal. I had a TSB to prove it wasn't they didn't care.

what the heck (braindead there is no "water noise by the glove box" tsb sorry.

12/6/2008: oil changed at 3064 miles to Mobil1 full synthetic 10W-30, full vehicle preventative maintenance inspection. all checks good (done at Ford dealer)

Why at a ford dealer?

12/22/2008:

passenger window motor has slowed down drastically, they found it to be within spec (still slow to this day)

I think you are making up problems. Do this, roll it up and down non stop until it burns out then you will get a new one. I am sure that won;t be as fast you think it should be so you will complain about it too.

AUX jack has static and has gone completely out, they blamed the Radioshack mini-mini connector I was using

SOunds reasonable to me. Also you have to add something to ge tthat to work properly anyways. I am not an audio guru sbut i think it may be an LOC?

bottom of windshield pops during cold weather, did nothing denied its existence

Was it warm when they said it doesn't exist?
There is a TSB for this but they have to hear it for themselves. Make sure it is cold out and the car is cold.

drivers side headliner area vibrates when driving, did nothing that trip
steering wheel center/air bag area vibrates, they did nothing (still rattles today)

not sure what to tell you here.

1/20/2009: first report of header leaking, nothing was done noise was assumed normal

and this header leaking was diagnosed by who?? You? that ticking that you are hearing is the valves. It IS normal for these cars. HTey have notoriously loud valve trains.

1/27/2009: headliner rattling, wrapped
a bolt in foam tape that could have been the culprit...worked for 2 days.
first report of creaking shocks, nothing was done tech couldn't verify what service manager had heard the day before. (how sketchy does that sound to you?)
leaking header reported again, nothing was done to fix it.

and who put that bolt in the foam tape?? was that you?? The leaking header was not fixed because it is NOT the header.

2/12/2009 (made a detailed list of 6 items and road tested with service manager, 3 small things were looked into, 2 were fixed): installed foam pads via TSB to stop windshield from creaking in the cold, so far it has worked

OK good, the windshield issue was fixed.

header leaking looked into again, presumed normal

again not the header.

first report of front shocks creaking, a loaner Mazda3 was tested too, also creaked, reported normal noise. (how do you drive loaners? like s***? so their shocks could be screwed worse than mine...yea makes no sense.)

again, this is normal for these cars. It has to do with the material that the bushings are made from. when it gets cold the suspension squeeks. not a whole lot to be done about it except deal with it or buy a different, non-mazda, car.

2/25/2009: first reports of transmission slipping, clutch sticking, reverse grinding, supposedly checked all transmission fluids and such and found transmission to be working normally, and even said they looked for a TCM reflash...none available.

read my last post and quit driving it like it is a manual.

There could be some more...but that's pretty complete since the first trip to the dealer. I'm not sure why there's a chunk missing from september to december but if anything it was just for the same stuff in september and through to december.
There were also a couple undocumented trips up there, some for a quick check, some for Mazda parts and accessories, one for the Mazda rep.

[/QUOTE]

 

[my3needsaname]

I have never been at a dealer with a car that acts right when it is in to see "the doctor."
My dealer is not actually open on Sundays, they employ techs from 9-3 M-F, the service manager is there until 5 all the time and they are physically open until 5 but they don't house techs that late.
I tell them what I think it may be, they can take ti with whatever grain of salt they want, which is usually none. This is actually my second dealer, once the dealer I bought it from did all that crap on 7/12, I never went back. the problem with going to another dealer is that they're out in Oakland or SF or up in Antioch which are all too far away for me if they wind up not doing anything. I played dumb the first time I went into this dealer and it did nothing for me.
When I bought it I got 22 city, it went down to 20 a few months later, then down to 18 and now it's going down to 17. I don't drive it hard, this is the mileage I get.

Because it's the "sportshift" automatic, it's marketed as a sport transmission, I would hope it can downshift from 2 to 1 with my foot on the gas to get some speed.
I tried to get it into my friendly Ford dealer but the service manager couldn't figure out a way for him to pay his techs to look at it and we don't have any transmission shops aorund here that I know of but I can do a search.

Here is how I drive, it's how I drive teh Expedition, the 99 V70, the Fusion, it's how my mother has driven all of her cars and my grandparents and what I picked up from being exposed to it:
I get in the car, put it in R, back up and slow down, at about 2MPH I put it into D and drive away. This is what I mean by a slow roll. So far this is the only car that I have driven has ever had a problem with it.

 

[GoFast]

I understand not being open on sundays, most dealers are not. Unless you live in Vegas everything is 24/7 there. But what about Saturdays??

 

[my3needsaname]

where did you come up with the compressor holding up the engine?? (boom01)



again, where did you come up with the compressor holding up the engine?? (boom01)


There is nothing to do!!!!!!!!

The compressor is what cools the air coming in through the A/C when it is switched on, no?

what the heck (braindead there is no "water noise by the glove box" tsb sorry.

Ah, but there is:
Here

Why at a ford dealer?

They had a cheaper oil change price and were open when I could get the change done. Diablo Mazda of Walnut Creek, CA is not open for service on Saturday.

12/22/2008:

I think you are making up problems. Do this, roll it up and down non stop until it burns out then you will get a new one. I am sure that won;t be as fast you think it should be so you will complain about it too.

I swear I'm not, the passenger window and driver's side window used to roll up the same way. Since that visit I learned that the car prioritizes the driver's window making the passenger's window roll up slower.

SOunds reasonable to me. Also you have to add something to ge tthat to work properly anyways. I am not an audio guru sbut i think it may be an LOC?

It sounds reasonable until they tell you to pay $20 bucks and wait a week for the Mazda AUX cable to come in. Although this time the techs said they use the Monster iCable, bought one at apple, works great.

Was it warm when they said it doesn't exist?
There is a TSB for this but they have to hear it for themselves. Make sure it is cold out and the car is cold.

Further down the line they ordered the parts and installed the foam clips, doesn't make noise anymore.

not sure what to tell you here.

He wrapped a bolt in the headliner with foam tape, they haven't been able to hear the steering wheel yet.

and this header leaking was diagnosed by who?? You? that ticking that you are hearing is the valves. It IS normal for these cars. HTey have notoriously loud valve trains.

It was actually diagnosed by the Ford dealer we bring the Volvo and 2 Fords to. They said it could be the header because it was concentrated into the back side of the engine underneath the heat shield on the passenger's side.

and who put that bolt in the foam tape?? was that you?? The leaking header was not fixed because it is NOT the header.

Dealer did that, it actually worked for about 2 days and then it came back. It's really annoying being right next to my ear as I drive.

OK good, the windshield issue was fixed.
again not the header.

I hope it isn't the header but I'm pretty sure it is.

again, this is normal for these cars. It has to do with the material that the bushings are made from. when it gets cold the suspension squeeks. not a whole lot to be done about it except deal with it or buy a different, non-mazda, car.
read my last post and quit driving it like it is a manual.

The only thing is it didn't happen from the beginning, it showed up later on.
I'm not driving it like a manual, at least not how i think driving a manual is like. I drive it how I drive the Expedition and the Volvo and the Fusion and my friend's G6 and his MDX and Tacomas and GrandMarquis and Town Cars and pretty much everything else I have ever driven

 

[my3needsaname]

I understand not being open on sundays, most dealers are not. Unless you live in Vegas everything is 24/7 there. But what about Saturdays??

Sorry, I meant Saturday.

 

[Zoom5Zoom]

OK, here's the deal, as many of you know I have a 2008.5 Mazda3 GT that has some quality issues well below par of even the crappiest of crap cars being built today. I would like to get opinions on what to do or how to go about solving anything I possibly can and hope that posting up my list of problems will reveal more than a few great solutions.
I would like to start off with the background:
Car is 9 months old with 4,850 miles, has been into 2 different dealers a total of 18+ times since 1 week after my initial purchase, and I have met with the Mazda North America Operations Customer Service District Manager and yielded nothing in the way of helping or hurting my problems.
On to my list of grievances (I'm not going to post service records because once they say no, they mean no and don't do anything else about it):
Currently (dealer knows about):
front suspension creaks over bumps, started about 3 months ago and usually happens when it has been garaged all night and hits speed bumps

transmission shifts harshly, grinds in reverse, thunks through gears, has stalled engine when shifting into D at a very slow roll, and feels liek the clutch sticks

If anybody can help me with those two things, that would be GREATLY appreciated!
On to the stuff that is "new":
rear seat belt buckles rattle when buckled or shaken unbuckled, it's happened since the car was new, I'm not too concerned about it just curious as to what it might be. It sounds more like something inside is busted and rattling around.

airbag insert in the center of steering wheel rattles, if you push at the bottom and hear it unstick from something it stops for about 15-30 minutes

engine sounds like it has change in it, sometimes squeals slightly, currently sounds like there is sand in it

engine is hesitant to start after sitting on the driveway in the cold for one night in 6 months, this morning I went to start it from the garage and it started sputtered revved a bit and I killed it to give it a do-over, did fine.

right rear wheel clunks in the morning when it has to move the suspension, checked all linkages and they're all fine...wheels haven't been taken off since they were put on at Mazda

My MOST IMPORTANT problem:
rear brakes burn...all the time, no matter what. they literally have a burning smell coming from them if you sniff around there, it started going away for about a week but it came back saturday night after about 30 minutes of driving when my friend noted that he thought he saw smoke coming from them. you get a more intense smell during warmer days and with very calm driving, I had a hunch the parking brake might not be disengaging fully but I'm no expert. I have a fear that this could be potentially harmful to my health or well being and Mazda "can't do anything about it" so if ANYONE has ANY information AT ALL, please to god, share it with me!!!

Thanks for reading all this and I really hope somebody can help me, I know it's vague but please do teh best you can, any info is welcome!

so have you tried to reduce some of this list...keep it simple?

 

[my3needsaname]

so have you tried to reduce some of this list...keep it simple?

Of course! Usually when I go in there they get one thing to do per visit. I think only on 3 occasions they have gotten more than one thing to check out.