How long are your cars lasting?

[Dave88LX]

As I posted in the Engine/Trans thread, I have a 2008 Mazda5 Grand Touring with 83K miles, and I need a transmission. Everyone is pushing me towards getting rid of the vehicle and buying something else.

Trans is going to be $1500-$3000 depending on which route I take. We owe $5,700 still on it. Dealer offered to buy it for $3,500 (go pound sand!).

I guess the concern is that everything is going to start falling apart around this vehicle. I'd like to think I can just put a trans in there and keep on moving. But if this is a disposable vehicle with a 140K service life, then I'd be better off dumping it.

 

[rodslinger]

As I posted in the Engine/Trans thread, I have a 2008 Mazda5 Grand Touring with 83K miles, and I need a transmission. Everyone is pushing me towards getting rid of the vehicle and buying something else.

Trans is going to be $1500-$3000 depending on which route I take. We owe $5,700 still on it. Dealer offered to buy it for $3,500 (go pound sand!).

I guess the concern is that everything is going to start falling apart around this vehicle. I'd like to think I can just put a trans in there and keep on moving. But if this is a disposable vehicle with a 140K service life, then I'd be better off dumping it.

I've owned about eight Mazda vehicles since 1992 but I don't think I've kept any of them past 80k miles. I don't recall any real issues on any of them. I honestly don't recall any major issues on any car I've owned in the past 25 years that weren't directly caused by my tinkering. All of them went their life on just fluids, filters, plugs, belts, brakes and tires. Some I kept as long as 250k miles. Most modern cars should last pretty easily to 200k miles with proper maintenance with minimal issues. You'll get random failures but not the majority of the time. I would still maintain that you'll be better off just putting a trans in it, getting other maintenance up to date then keep driving it. I also tend to change fluids more frequently than the manufacturer recommends. Mostly out of habit and I like to use mileage intervals that are easy to remember. For example, I drain and fill the trans fluid in my 5 every 15k miles. It isn't a complete flush but the frequency keeps it clean, it's cheap and can be done at the same time the oil is change in the garage.

 

[Silentnoise713]

Years and conditions the car is driven in and endures more dictates longevity than miles alone. With proper maintenance, this car should handle 140k easy (as do most cars) but do expect occasional minor parts failure. What I find and my big grip with Mazda products is that it seems they use the absolute lowest bidding supplier and put little consideration on quality beyond the first few years. This is understandable given their position but just unfortunate. My family has had Hondas, Nissans, Subarus, Suzuki, and Maxdas and we tend them ~10 years.

 

[Secondtyme]

The real question you need to ask yourself is this " Has my faith in this car been irreperably damaged?" If the answer is yes then I say get rid of it and save yourself years of regret and hand-wringing. If the answer is no, then you don't really need our help to make your decison. I say this with no intention of insulting you AT ALL. I have an 04 Subaru Forester, that we bought for my wife new in 04. I have driven it for the last three years and it currently has 252,000 miles on it. I have my Mazda because in the last seven months we have: replaced the head gaskets, timing belt, throw-out bearing (twice!) and clutch. At this mileage those things were to be expected, but when the driveshaft failed shortly thereafter, I had to say ENOUGH. It was a tough call to make, I love that damn car, but it just couldn't take the daily beating anymore. HTH, Ross BTW I got my 5 at auction with 110K on it, it has 122K on it now and i'm keeping it FOREVER

 

[mpvue]

I'm assuming you have an automatic trans; did you keep up with all required maintenance? I ask this because it seems most people that will keep up with oil changes never get the trans serviced, and really, it should be getting fluid and filter every year. also, do you set the parking brake every time? it amazes me how most all people just put the car in park on hills and let it rock back and forth on the trans. this puts a lot of strain on it.
all that being said, if you like the car, fix it. if you want to get rid of it and can afford it, then do so.

 

[Wishmaster]

I've been keeping an eye on your transmission thread. I've got a 2007 with almost 130,000 kms (80,000 miles). So far so good. I mean I did have to deal with the suspension (blown struts, shocks, end links & worn sway bar bushings). And from being around this forum for a few years now... anecdotaly... I would say the only major (over $1000 job) issue that, scarily, seems to be coming up is the transmission. But looks like you're on your way to sorting that out now.

With this car, it seems to me that once you've upgraded the suspension with even basic aftermarket parts (not OEM), sorted the tire eating issue (which the previous owner must have done on mine as I haven't had to deal with it) you're pretty much good to go. Of course people have little problems here and there, switches, dash/switch lights, the odd sensor, etc, etc... things that fail on any car as it ages based on use and abuse (I've got a seat heater switch light that needs replacing right now!).

Again, the only thing that scares me a bit is the transmission. Mine seems to be just fine... but it does seem to be an issue that is cropping up more and more on these forums as the cars age and gain more miles. A fix for that might be (we'll see over time) replacing the trans fluid at least once a year or every 20,000 kms (12500 miles). I think this tranny, once past about 50,000 kms (30,000 miles), needs yearly maintenance to remain reliable over the long term... we'll see how that plays out over the next few years. I was in an accident a couple years ago, not my fault, but cost my insurance company about $8000, it wasn't even serious, parts, labour and paint are just so expensive these days... it was very close to being written off... needless to say, I'll be driving this thing into the ground as my re-sale value is probably s*** (how much would you pay for a 2007 with 80,000 miles, 2 owners, that's been in an 8k accident?).

I think the dealerships need to adjust the service intervals for the transmission and start telling owners to have the fluid replaced every year... but I guess that would amount to admitting it might be a bit weak for the 5, so we shouldn't expect that to happen anytime soon .

Someone should start a poll asking questions about year, tranny issues, how often you replace your tranny fluid, general feeling about your tranny, etc.

(FYI, this is in regards to the auto tranny, just in case.)

 

[jandyp]

Longevity

I had to have a new tranny installed on my 2010 Mazda5--fortunately covered by warranty. But I empathize with you, as I'm still wary of it even though it's been operating fine since I got all of the issues around the new transmission sorted out. I'm still toying with the idea of getting rid of it at the end of the year. What I would really love, though, is a hybrid vehicle with sliding doors similar to the 5. Heck, if they just adopted SkyActiv on the 2014 5 I would be happy and would consider getting a new one. Info on the future of the 5 is scarce, though, and given sales figures I'm thinking its future could be questionable. But there is really nothing quite like the 5 on the market. I've looked at the Prius V and the C Max, but neither has sliding doors, which are great for a family.

 

[Orangutan]

I've been keeping an eye on your transmission thread. I've got a 2007 with almost 130,000 kms (80,000 miles). So far so good. I mean I did have to deal with the suspension (blown struts, shocks, end links & worn sway bar bushings). And from being around this forum for a few years now... anecdotaly... I would say the only major (over $1000 job) issue that, scarily, seems to be coming up is the transmission. But looks like you're on your way to sorting that out now.

With this car, it seems to me that once you've upgraded the suspension with even basic aftermarket parts (not OEM), sorted the tire eating issue (which the previous owner must have done on mine as I haven't had to deal with it) you're pretty much good to go. Of course people have little problems here and there, switches, dash/switch lights, the odd sensor, etc, etc... things that fail on any car as it ages based on use and abuse (I've got a seat heater switch light that needs replacing right now!).

Again, the only thing that scares me a bit is the transmission. Mine seems to be just fine... but it does seem to be an issue that is cropping up more and more on these forums as the cars age and gain more miles. A fix for that might be (we'll see over time) replacing the trans fluid at least once a year or every 20,000 kms (12500 miles). I think this tranny, once past about 50,000 kms (30,000 miles), needs yearly maintenance to remain reliable over the long term... we'll see how that plays out over the next few years. I was in an accident a couple years ago, not my fault, but cost my insurance company about $8000, it wasn't even serious, parts, labour and paint are just so expensive these days... it was very close to being written off... needless to say, I'll be driving this thing into the ground as my re-sale value is probably s*** (how much would you pay for a 2007 with 80,000 miles, 2 owners, that's been in an 8k accident?).

I think the dealerships need to adjust the service intervals for the transmission and start telling owners to have the fluid replaced every year... but I guess that would amount to admitting it might be a bit weak for the 5, so we shouldn't expect that to happen anytime soon .

Someone should start a poll asking questions about year, tranny issues, how often you replace your tranny fluid, general feeling about your tranny, etc.

(FYI, this is in regards to the auto tranny, just in case.)

Something else to keep in mind is that your 2007 uses the four-speed automatic, not the five-speed that the 2008-current ones use that people seem to have issues with.

 

[Wishmaster]

Something else to keep in mind is that your 2007 uses the four-speed automatic, not the five-speed that the 2008-current ones use that people seem to have issues with.

Oh right... didn't even think about that... thinking back, it does seem it's the newer gen 5 speed (2008+) that is having the most issues IIRC.

 

[Wishmaster]

Also check out True Delta's reporting of issues - http://www.truedelta.com/Mazda-Mazda5/reliability-173

I'm a member (it's free), you just detail your issues every once in a while (every quarter I think?), they send an email to remind you. If anyone is not a member you should be, the more info the better the info. And to Orangutan's point about the 2008+ tranny, it's interesting to see so many more repair trips there are with the 08 vs 06 & 07 or even 09, then another spike with the 2010 version.

If you click on the 2008 version and dig into the repairs there are quite a few transmission issues compared with other years (two for the '06, zero for '07, four in '08, zero in '09, two in '10, N/A in '11 and zero in '12 (probably too soon for the 2012+ models anyway).

 

[Dave88LX]

The fluid wasn't changed every 30K, but I'd have to look through my wife's stack of papers to see when it was last changed. It does appear that there are faults and weaknesses with these transmissions though.

I do know that my rear shocks are shot as well. I'm debating on replacing with some KYBs, or upgrade to Konis. I wish Bilstein had them. Depends what we do with the car. If these cars are falling apart like a 1995 Dodge Caravan by the time they hit 150K miles, then I don't want to sink an extra cent into this car. If it's a solid vehicle/platform with a trans issue, then I don't mind replacing the trans, doing a pan drop/filter every 20K, and keeping up with the small stuff.

I think the thing that pisses me off most is the dealer's denial of warranty.

I updated my other thread, but my coworker's son-in-law works for a dealership, and can get me a Mazda reman (12/12,000) for $1650 + $700 labor. I think that is my best deal/option for this thing. Then, like I said, just do much more frequent fluid/filter changes.

 

[switz]

If you change fluids regularily, pay attention to every new sound that appears and deal with it, you should be able to make the 5 go a long way. My 2008 GT 5spd is currently at 224,800km and drives like new. At some point something is going to break. Depending on what goes wrong, I'll decide if I get rid of it or keep it. It is our main family car right now. I anticipate putting more than 300,000km on it before I get a new car. It's worth nothing on a trade-in now, so I might as well drive it into the ground. But the thing is, it is still running fine I love my 5!

 

[slbenz]

I have a 2007 with approximately 90K miles on it. The only things I had to do to the car was replace the thermostat, brakes and suspension. All of which I did myself. I change the fluids as per spec and the car drives actually better than when I purchased it new back in 2007. Replaced the shocks and struts recently with KYB and the sway bar bushings with performance ones. I plan to keep the Mazda for a very long time.

 

[AZM5]

Have had our 2007 for a little over 5 years, bought it with 17K and now have 98K (AT). Love it. Agree with other posters that there is nothing else like it. We got it when our oldest son was 6 and youngest was 1. Lifesaver coming from a little Civiv. A few months ago had to have motor mounts replaced and oil sending unit, that was the biggest repair. Have had a front strut go and have replaced front bushings. Did front brakes and rotors once. That's about it. Just did plugs, new battery, air filter, oil change, and will be doing front pads and rear shocks tomorrow. Rear shocks actually seem fine but I'm going to replace anyway. Hope to keep it for a long time even when we get a larger vehicle for my wife (carpools with the niece and nephews and they aren't getting smaller, 5 big kids in a M5 won't work with back packs, instruments etc. Ok it could but will probably get something bigger anyway...wish we could get the 8 here.