Common problems with the Mazda3

thats exactly what im talking about, lots of little holes now. My car is white and it makes it even worse :(
 
Lots of problems arrising

here is a list of the stuff that has gone wrong with my mazda 3. If you have been having some of the same problems that haven't been addressed please email me and let me know. (I wanna know i'm not the only one with these problems)
Basic Info: 2004Mazda 3 4-door, 2.3L. Automatic One of the first Models out.
From Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1. Brake Dust (not much you can do about that every car gets it)
2. Air Bag Sensor Stayed On (problem was with some seal around the airbag or something they switched it to a gold one. free of charge from dealer)
3. Hissing noise from the front (saw the post gonna go have the alternator belt replaced I hope it works)
4. Clunk popping into reverse leaving my driveway (Even with a warm up) (if anyone has this problem too please let me know)
5. Sloppy shifting under cold starts or cold conditions (the gears jump hard from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th)
6. Glove box wouldnt close without holding the handle open (mazda replaced entire glove box for free
7. Window altenator problem (dunno what happened but my window didnt work mazda fixed free)
8. check engine light comes on once in a blue moon (usually restarting my car fixs the problem doesnt happen frequntly enough for me to care)
9. Wipers can come loose. (if you keep it on auto wipers and there is a lot of snow on your windshield or ice freezing them...the wipers have a special nut that loosens if there is too much tension on the wipers to not burn out the motor. To bad it happened to me in the winter when it decided to be freezing rain. Had to hold my hand out the window and make sure the wiper only went so far. Mazda will fix it the first time for free but give you a warning)
10. Had the jumps too. if i gun it from a stop i get bad traction and the whole car shakes for a few seconds until i regain traction. Also recently if i brake hard i get a huge thud throught the car. I had to look behind me to make sure someone didnt rear-end me because that is what it felt like (no idea no solution)

So if you have any of the problems that I have not gotten fixed yet I would love to hear from you. or if you got any of them fixed. I guess having the first of something isnt always the best seeing is I seem to have had everyones problems so far. Oh and as a side note some bastard keyed the entire driver side of my M3 i think because I was partially blocking the sidewalk at my friends house :'(
And also if you dont already have tints GET THEM! They make the car trust me and they are not very expensive at all.

Thanks,

David James
 
6. There is both a TSB and a How-To procedure on this board about the glovebox.

10. bubble-gum soft motor mounts, combined with liquid-filled control arm bushings are the cause of both problems. Eventually, you'll also notice it if you hit a pothole just right.
 
iamcanadian said:
9. Wipers can come loose. (if you keep it on auto wipers and there is a lot of snow on your windshield or ice freezing them...the wipers have a special nut that loosens if there is too much tension on the wipers to not burn out the motor. To bad it happened to me in the winter when it decided to be freezing rain. Had to hold my hand out the window and make sure the wiper only went so far. Mazda will fix it the first time for free but give you a warning)


10. Had the jumps too. if i gun it from a stop i get bad traction and the whole car shakes for a few seconds until i regain traction.

Thanks,

David James
9. They do make things called 'windshield scrapers'. Great for ice/snow removal before driving. (confused)

10. I have experienced wheel hop in every front wheel drive car I've owned. Is this unusual? I remember gunning my '03 Acura CL-S from a stop a couple of times and I felt like I was inside a jackhammer for a second or so.

I had the excessive wheel dust issue but ever since I had the wheels rotated I haven't had an issue. Wierd.
 
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The wiper problem

I was going to scrap but i left the setting for them on automatic so when i started my car it automatically tryed to wipe but there was too much preasure. Just a warning to people not to leave it on the automatic setting.
Also I forgot to mention that I had a problem with freezing cold starts on the mornings that it dropped to like -30 oC it took me 2 to 3 times of cranking the engine and it did not sound good on those days. I usued to have no problems with my corolla on really cold days. I was going to opt for block heaters but the labour to install them is like 200 bucks
 
Mazda 3 GT Sport (AT)

iamcanadian said:
here is a list of the stuff that has gone wrong with my mazda 3. If you have been having some of the same problems that haven't been addressed please email me and let me know. (I wanna know i'm not the only one with these problems)
Basic Info: 2004Mazda 3 4-door, 2.3L. Automatic One of the first Models out.
From Toronto, Ontario, Canada

1. Brake Dust (not much you can do about that every car gets it)
2. Air Bag Sensor Stayed On (problem was with some seal around the airbag or something they switched it to a gold one. free of charge from dealer)
3. Hissing noise from the front (saw the post gonna go have the alternator belt replaced I hope it works)
4. Clunk popping into reverse leaving my driveway (Even with a warm up) (if anyone has this problem too please let me know)
5. Sloppy shifting under cold starts or cold conditions (the gears jump hard from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th)
6. Glove box wouldnt close without holding the handle open (mazda replaced entire glove box for free
7. Window altenator problem (dunno what happened but my window didnt work mazda fixed free)
8. check engine light comes on once in a blue moon (usually restarting my car fixs the problem doesnt happen frequntly enough for me to care)
9. Wipers can come loose. (if you keep it on auto wipers and there is a lot of snow on your windshield or ice freezing them...the wipers have a special nut that loosens if there is too much tension on the wipers to not burn out the motor. To bad it happened to me in the winter when it decided to be freezing rain. Had to hold my hand out the window and make sure the wiper only went so far. Mazda will fix it the first time for free but give you a warning)
10. Had the jumps too. if i gun it from a stop i get bad traction and the whole car shakes for a few seconds until i regain traction. Also recently if i brake hard i get a huge thud throught the car. I had to look behind me to make sure someone didnt rear-end me because that is what it felt like (no idea no solution)

So if you have any of the problems that I have not gotten fixed yet I would love to hear from you. or if you got any of them fixed. I guess having the first of something isnt always the best seeing is I seem to have had everyones problems so far. Oh and as a side note some bastard keyed the entire driver side of my M3 i think because I was partially blocking the sidewalk at my friends house :'(
And also if you dont already have tints GET THEM! They make the car trust me and they are not very expensive at all.

Thanks,

David James

Hi,

I also have a problem with shifting under cold starts or cold conditions, especially from 1st to 2nd. This problem developed about 6 weeks ago. I am going to the dealer in few days. Will let you know what they say.

pwielowi@yahoo.com
 
I am the KING of mileage. 14 months=46,000 welcome to the world of a traveling entreupenuer. looking for a beater as we speak. To let the miles catch up. Although, the car runs great beyond the crash sensor, and brake dust.
 
splitvizion said:
I am the KING of mileage. 14 months=46,000 welcome to the world of a traveling entreupenuer. looking for a beater as we speak. To let the miles catch up. Although, the car runs great beyond the crash sensor, and brake dust.

I dont know man, ive had my car 8months and i have 24,894!! and im about to put another 1000 on it this weekend drivein to syracuse then to baltimore then back to syracuse then to albany then to boston:) I bet in 14 Month ill be at 60k:) ill post back when i hit it (usa)
 
o ya anyone have this problem/quirk when im coming to a light or a stop and im down shifting from 4th to 3rd and somethime from3rd to 2nd ill after i move the shifter from 4th to 3rd and start to release the clutch i feel the clutch grab and start to decelerate the car, it feels exactly like it should (engine slows the car) with my foot still on the clutch ill fully release it and right when i lift the car surges forward almost like im pushing the clutch in and then ill catch again real quick kinda like if you push in and released the clutch real fast. its really annoying! and doesnt happen all the time. has anyone noticed this? if you dont understand what im saying you dont have the issue cause its def noticeable! thanks
 
Has anyone had a problem with their clutch sweaking everytime you depress it.
It only happens every now and then, seems to be cause of temperature
 
mikbimdre said:
Has anyone had a problem with their clutch sweaking everytime you depress it.
It only happens every now and then, seems to be cause of temperature

That's the little hamster that activates the cruise control circuit. (yes)



Just kidding. There's a TSB for it.

http://web2.iadfw.net/theman/protegefaq/tsb/mt000004338.html

Mine does it but it doesn't really bother me enough to take it in for service. I'll just mention it next time it's in.
 
Hey thanks "goldwing" i'll ask about that next time i'm at the dealership

do you know of a site that i can price out the front grill, a rock shot up and cracked it in half.
 
Upper or lower grille?

If you want a factory upper grill, you might want to ask some of the people on this board who have replaced theirs with aftermarket. Other than that, dealer or junkyard (if you're really lucky).

If you want to replace it with an aftermarket grill, personally I would go with the AutoExe (about $300). The Erebuni is cheaper but has fitment issues, from what I've heard.
 
(notcool) Ok...... Perfect 12,000 miles today and the check transmission light comes on.(that sucks!)

Took it in and the problem appears to be a bad O2 sensor!!! They keeping my car overnight and i got a rental. 2003 corolla and i HATE it!!!!!!!! I hope i get my car back tom.

Anyone else have to replace the O2 sensor. This is my first car problem
 
A bad o2 sensor is one of the most common problems with all computer cars.At least it's under warranty for a long time since it's an emission part.
 
krstofer said:
6500+ miles. Wheel clunk, no glove box problems. lots of rattling thanks to sub. :D

Hate the clunk thing. I hear it more when I am braking and I hit a bump. haven't had the car serviced by dealer yet to check it out.
I tried but was brushed off with the explanation that "It is normal"......
 
goldwing2000 said:
6. There is both a TSB and a How-To procedure on this board about the glovebox.

10. bubble-gum soft motor mounts, combined with liquid-filled control arm bushings are the cause of both problems. Eventually, you'll also notice it if you hit a pothole just right.
Which would explain my previous post when I took it to the dealer......It is rather frightening the first few times you hear it.....I have learned to keep the wheel spin to a minimum because of it.
 
Shiney_McShine said:
Which would explain my previous post when I took it to the dealer......It is rather frightening the first few times you hear it.....I have learned to keep the wheel spin to a minimum because of it.

It's definitely a disconcerting sound. Hopefully somebody will have some urethane replacements soon.
 
well went to pick up my car. Got it back and a good 30 seconds passed and that damn light came back on. Now they say they have to replace the throttle body because it's going out.............
 
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