How do you foresee Mazda's rust issues with the 2014 Mazda3?

[worth_fixing]

So I'm getting a new car in April/May and the Mazda 3 is at the top of my list. WAY up top. I've had a Mazda Protege a few years ago and it was a great little car, but plagued with rust in the rear quarters. Now, I know they've come a long way since then, but Mazdas are still ranked top worse in rust prevention in every car sold in Quebec. I'm aware of the 8-year "perforation warranty", Volkswagen has the same thing going on, but for 12 years and my 2009 has patches of surface rust in the front fenders. In Qubec, rust is a big deal, and would be my only deal breaker as I consider the new Mazda 3.

...I plan to keep the car "for ever" /15 years, to give you an idea.

What do you think?

 

[Chibana]

I'm more than a little concerned with this, myself. My 2005 Mazda3 had horrible rust issues. A hole formed in the B-pillar portion of the rear passenger side door in about 3 years of ownership. The other side did the same thing about a year later. The rear fenders around the wheel wells also started to rust way too soon. I fear the same rust issues with this one. My Fords never had significant rust issues, even after more years and more miles.

 

[2.0_Mazda]

^ The first generation was by far the worst, too bad because they are such nice cars. If you look at some used 2nd generation 3's, the result seems somewhat good. Somewhat because Mazda still has thin paint making them more vulnerable to rock chips. A part from that, I haven't heard of any other issue with the second generation. I'm guessing (and hoping) that the 3rd will just improve on Mazda's rust prevention work!

I'd still play it safe and get it rust proofed, and cover the hood with 3M tape.

 

[Colleen]

The fact that cars dating back to 1996 through present generations have this issue shows a sheer lack of concern by Mazda and its dealerships. This is a systemic issue and with modern metallurgy and coating technology this should not be occurring. If Mazda is not going to support the issues then they will continue to struggle to sustain a customer base let alone a loyal one. How do you tell a car owner who has to deem their car as damaged on a Kelly Blue Book report due to rust, which greatly devalues the car by thousands of dollars, to come and buy another one...? I have washed & waxed & garaged my 2002 Mazda Protege 5 and LOVE this car have 205,711 miles on her and my rust started 2 years ago as bubbles at the back wheel well where the seems meet. Have seen all models of Protege do the same thing 2010, 2011 etc. Keep my cars forever as I get so attached, want a new Mazda 3 5 door but will not purchase another Mazda as it appears they care nothing about the Rust issue and that you also recognize the comprised quality of your product. I'm sure you recall Toyota trucks back in the 90's had rust issues so severe that they gave all customers full retail price reimbursement plus additional damages to their customers for return of their vehicle, they also fixed the problem on future generation trucks. Mazda and design changes must be made and support must be given to current customers if they want to continue to have repeat customers!

 

[bonsai500]

Changes have been made in model years 2012 and up.

 

[2.0_Mazda]

The fact that cars dating back to 1996 through present generations have this issue shows a sheer lack of concern by Mazda and its dealerships. This is a systemic issue and with modern metallurgy and coating technology this should not be occurring. If Mazda is not going to support the issues then they will continue to struggle to sustain a customer base let alone a loyal one. How do you tell a car owner who has to deem their car as damaged on a Kelly Blue Book report due to rust, which greatly devalues the car by thousands of dollars, to come and buy another one...? I have washed & waxed & garaged my 2002 Mazda Protege 5 and LOVE this car have 205,711 miles on her and my rust started 2 years ago as bubbles at the back wheel well where the seems meet. Have seen all models of Protege do the same thing 2010, 2011 etc. Keep my cars forever as I get so attached, want a new Mazda 3 5 door but will not purchase another Mazda as it appears they care nothing about the Rust issue and that you also recognize the comprised quality of your product. I'm sure you recall Toyota trucks back in the 90's had rust issues so severe that they gave all customers full retail price reimbursement plus additional damages to their customers for return of their vehicle, they also fixed the problem on future generation trucks. Mazda and design changes must be made and support must be given to current customers if they want to continue to have repeat customers!

I can understand your frustration towards Mazda's past rust issues, I as well have a Protege with rust that must have started 6-7 years ago, but the current generations share nothing in common with the first gen 3 and Protege's. As for why Mazda hasn't been reimbursing any owner like Toyota did with their trucks, Mazda's rust that commonly occurs is not a safety issue. It looks pretty damn ugly, but it doesn't compromise the structure (in less severe cases). The Tacoma's had frame rust which did compromise safety, meaning that Toyota would be liable for deaths relating to the truck crumpling too much as it had a weakened structure. Much like GM's recall with the ignition switches, they must fix the problem to try to avoid a lawsuit. Since a rusty frame is much more expensive to replace than an ignition switch, Toyota had to buy back the trucks. In Mazda's case, they didn't buy back any of their 3's (to my knowledge), but I have heard them "fixing" the rust issues.

Nevertheless, when I do buy my next Mazda, I will rust proof it to hell, and put 3M film on the entire hood to prevent rock chips, and maintain the crap out of the paint so it doesn't fade as much as my Protege, but there is a reason why Mazda now offers 8 years against corrosion (was previously 5). They are more confident that their cars will last longer with no signs of rust.

 

[PvtStarks]

I basically joined the forum to find out if Mazda has a rust problem. I bought a brand new Mazda2 venture edition from Mazda last year and have discovered rust on the back boot (will attach pictures in a little while). The car has only been through one winter (December 2013 in London). In between going back and forth with the Mazda Dealership where I bought the car, this little rust is getting worse. I have now had contact back from Mazda saying they won’t fix the car as the car has been in an accident. How and where they got this from I would never understand as this car has not been hit at all. No impact whatsoever to the back has occurred. I now have to go through a long winded process trying to get through to Mazda UK to complain because the Dealer (Mazda Romford) won’t fix it. I shall keep you posted but believe me when I say I am never buying a Mazda ever again and will discourage anyone from buying it. This is a terrible situation to own a brand new car for less than a year which was bought directly from Mazda and have this issue occur. I shall keep you posted on any developments.

 

[Chibana]

That sucks, and makes me more nervous about my new 3. I'm wondering if it's possible your new car actually was in an accident and then resold as a new? I've read stories of dealers in the U.S. doing that (Illegally, if course).

 

[bonsai500]

That sucks, and makes me more nervous about my new 3. I'm wondering if it's possible your new car actually was in an accident and then resold as a new? I've read stories of dealers in the U.S. doing that (Illegally, if course).

I saw pictures of yours where I see you park your car outside in the snow. Not doing that will probably help a little.

I spent hours and hours checking with local Mazda owners, checking out used car lots, and talking to mechanics. None reported issues with rusting. In Utah it snows a fair amount, but mostly in the mountains. We may have about 10-20 days of snow/salt on the road. I have no clue if the rust issues are area specific. When I google it, I see most complaints coming from Canada.

 

[Chibana]

I saw pictures of yours where I see you park your car outside in the snow. Not doing that will probably help a little.

I spent hours and hours checking with local Mazda owners, checking out used car lots, and talking to mechanics. None reported issues with rusting. In Utah it snows a fair amount, but mostly in the mountains. We may have about 10-20 days of snow/salt on the road. I have no clue if the rust issues are area specific. When I google it, I see most complaints coming from Canada.

Yeah, not much I can do about that; however, I see a whole lot of neighbor cars with little to no rust that are far older than my 2005 3 was when it developed a hole in the passenger-side rear door B-pillar. My own Mazda dealer's body shop told me that they see significantly more rust issues with Mazdas than the other brands they sell (Volvo and muitiple brands of GM).

 

[Chibana]

I should have also mentioned that my 2005 Mazda3 was garaged for the first 3.5 years of its life. By the time it was kicked out of the garage by my RX-8, it had already developed the hole in the rear passenger side door. The other door did the same thing about a year later. I'm hoping that particular rust issue won't be a problem on the 2014 Mazda3. The 2005 had a vinyl application over the metal underneath, and I'm guessing that water got under there and rusted it out. The new car doesn't have that "sticker" there.

 

[rochrunner]

Our '08 has been through 6 Michigan winters with plenty of salt and does not have any rust issues whatsoever.

 

[CanadaM3]

Our '08 has been through 6 Michigan winters with plenty of salt and does not have any rust issues whatsoever.

New Member here...2014 M3 Base car with 2.0 liter.....Nice motor...Great mileage by the way.....2nd M3....Tonnes and tonnes of rusty 04's to 07's in Toronto area and older Protgs are a disaster.....After nearly 30 years in the car business I will pipe in with my opinion on this issue.....Rustproofing is a COMPLETE waste of money....This is a dealer profit center of enormous proportion....it cost the dealer about 20 bucks in material if that and some kid shoots it after hours in most cases and the application is at best for the most part cosmetic. The black they shoot on the bottom is being applied on Plastic quite often and does not hold or really have an effect. Then a warranty is given...for 10 years or so but so few claims are made that the math is fantastic as the car is sold or has an accident or is not "re-checked" yearly and therefore become non warrantied. Its a great business for the dealers and the companies who supply the warranties as they are good as the paper they are written on. IF the product is well applied it may help a BIT...but for the most part Ziebart and dealer products are a waste....what to do? The ONLY process that works is OILING.....if you don't know what I am talking about google it.....Yearly oil spray in the underneath frame rails and inner wheel wells done by someone who really knows what they are doing is the way to keep that Mazda 15 years.....it works, the oil creeps and its a messy process for your driveway as it drips for over a month when warm....Done yearly in the spring not the Fall and spend 100 bucks or so and your car will NOT rust.....my 92 Camry NEVER rusted for 17 years....just got miled out with over 400,000 miles....it works.....

 

[Chibana]

I noticed that the inside lip of the new 3 has a thicker strip around the inside edge. I wonder if this is some extra rust protection? I'm pretty sure my 05 3 didn't have this.

 

[Oblithian]

Well my 2014 mazda 6 already has paint coming off (just the colour, not the primer) like a 5 year old car (and I don't drive on gravel roads or follow close behind people), so I foresee it being maybe a year or 2 before I start seeing rust.

 

[bonsai500]

Well my 2014 mazda 6 already has paint coming off (just the colour, not the primer) like a 5 year old car (and I don't drive on gravel roads or follow close behind people), so I foresee it being maybe a year or 2 before I start seeing rust.

My Toyota had paint coming off too, but at no point did it ever rust. So I don't think one automatically infers the other.

 

[Chibana]

I had significant paint pealing off of my 2012 Focus Titanium hatchback before I traded it in for my 2014 Mazda3. I haven't seen it, yet, on my 3, but it sure does have a crazy number of stone chips and scratches already.

 

[CarLadyLisa]

So I'm getting a new car in April/May and the Mazda 3 is at the top of my list. WAY up top. I've had a Mazda Protege a few years ago and it was a great little car, but plagued with rust in the rear quarters. Now, I know they've come a long way since then, but Mazdas are still ranked top worse in rust prevention in every car sold in Quebec. I'm aware of the 8-year "perforation warranty", Volkswagen has the same thing going on, but for 12 years and my 2009 has patches of surface rust in the front fenders. In Qubec, rust is a big deal, and would be my only deal breaker as I consider the new Mazda 3.

...I plan to keep the car "for ever" /15 years, to give you an idea.

What do you think?

The earlier generations did have some issues. It wasn't until mid 2007 that Mazda officially corrected the error. This is why you see some 3's in pretty bad shape and some good. Apparently the metal wasn't sealed properly so the majority of corrosion starts on rear fenders, around emblems, and the trunk lights.
This has certainly been corrected, however if you live in a rough climate that uses salt get a Rust Module. It is your best bet for overall protection against the elements. Undercoating is good, but does not give you overall protection on the body panels.
If you have stone chips, seal them. When the metal is open to air it will oxidize and rust. The corrosion modules technology's purpose is to stop the oxidization process from happening.

And remember to teat your new car to a wax once in a while.

 

[worth_fixing]

Well my 2014 mazda 6 already has paint coming off (just the colour, not the primer) like a 5 year old car (and I don't drive on gravel roads or follow close behind people), so I foresee it being maybe a year or 2 before I start seeing rust.

Ouch! Really?! That's terrible!

I just got my 2014 Mazda3 GS 2.0L Skyactiv 6MT and went out of my way to have the front end covered with a clear bra to prevent stone chips. The car was rust proofed with parafin wax, and I'll have it redone every year to be sure. Once thing I'm also going to do (which some have told me is overkill) is I'm going to spray the inside of each fender with spray-on clear bra to prevent stone chips and moisture from getting to the most vulnerable parts of the car. That way, the fenders will still look like new 10 years down the road.

Apart from that, the car drives amazingly. I wish it had more power (down about 50hp from my previous GTI) but apart from that, I love it.

 

[Oblithian]

Ouch! Really?! That's terrible!

I just got my 2014 Mazda3 GS 2.0L Skyactiv 6MT and went out of my way to have the front end covered with a clear bra to prevent stone chips. The car was rust proofed with parafin wax, and I'll have it redone every year to be sure. Once thing I'm also going to do (which some have told me is overkill) is I'm going to spray the inside of each fender with spray-on clear bra to prevent stone chips and moisture from getting to the most vulnerable parts of the car. That way, the fenders will still look like new 10 years down the road.

Apart from that, the car drives amazingly. I wish it had more power (down about 50hp from my previous GTI) but apart from that, I love it.

Sounds like a good idea. Now that the weather is warm where I live I was planning on getting some under coating, and other rust proofing. I saw a 2009 mazda 3 the other day that had some large rust spots, and it made me concerned (keep in mind this is where I live, which generally sees more rust than other places since the roads are so heavily salted in the winter).