Power Steering Failure 2007-2009 (Recall Issued by Mazda Canada)

[Silv3r]

Got call from dealer. Parts came in for my car. Dropped it off, got into a "great" rental and should be able to pick up my car tomorrow after work. Will keep you posted on how it went.

[TokyoKiller]

Got call from dealer. Parts came in for my car. Dropped it off, got into a "great" rental and should be able to pick up my car tomorrow after work. Will keep you posted on how it went.

What's the "great" rental?

[michaelm]

Thou the little Hyundai rental is gone, and it took a while for the dealer to get the parts... I'm happy that the car is fixed and I'm back in my mazda

One thing I did notice when I got the car back was that the steering wheel was a bit stiffer. I guess since its a new pump it will adjust in time.
GL to the rest of you waiting for the replacement parts >=]

[shaqkur]

got my Mazda3 back today. took about 3 weeks. i too noticed that the steering is stiffer/tighter which i actually prefer. my invoice says new pumps, new lines and flushed. hopefully that solves the problem. kudos to QEW Mazda!

[BigO]

Just a stupid thought, what do you think is worse the power steering shutting off randomly or Toyota's "unintended" acceleration problem. BTW my friend (not from forum) has an '09 hatch he was making fun of me for this problem. A week later his power steering goes on the 401.

[Iceman_F1]

Just a stupid thought, what do you think is worse the power steering shutting off randomly or Toyota's "unintended" acceleration problem. BTW my friend (not from forum) has an '09 hatch he was making fun of me for this problem. A week later his power steering goes on the 401.

Toyota's "unintended" acceleration problem. Reason being the majority of people who would get this would either A) Panic and forget what to do or B) not even know what to do in the first place. In which case they are kinda screwed. Unlike the power steering going where it's not like you CAN'T steer...just that it takes a LOT of effort to do so and you are still able to stop.

[xxSlidewaysxx]

That and the PS problem is mechanical of sorts where the Toyota issue was purely electronic.

[BigO]

That and the PS problem is mechanical of sorts where the Toyota issue was purely electronic.

Not necessarily, they did put the metal piece between the pedal and the base of the accelerator, so that it doesn't go too far. What I'm trying to get at is if you're in the middle of a sharp turn and your p/s cuts out it would really suck, chances are you won't expect it.

[Pyro]

this happened to me today in the parking lot of pacific mall too....gotta bring it to a dealer now

[Kaiserhead]

http://www.thestar.com/business/auto...obes-bmw-mazda

U.S. probes BMW, Mazda
Cars examined for possible power steering flaws

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Mazda Motor Corp. cars are under investigation by the U.S. auto-safety regulator for possible defects with power-steering systems.

The BMW Z4 and Mazda3 have been the subject of 140 complaints related to a loss of power steering, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today on its website. The probe of more than 342,000 vehicles may lead to recalls.

The safety agency has elevated oversight of defects following record recalls of more than 8 million vehicles by Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s largest automaker.

The model year 2007-2009 Mazda3s have had three reported crashes out of 33 complaints and model year 2003-2005 BMW Z4s have had one crash and 107 complaints, NHTSA said.

“We will provide all the information they request and we co-operate with them always at these levels,” said Tom Kowaleski, a U.S.-based spokesman for BMW, based in Munich.

Tamara Mylnarczyk, a U.S. spokeswoman for Hiroshima, Japan- based Mazda, didn’t immediately respond to a phone call seeking comment.

The investigation covers an estimated 48,764 BMWs and 293,787 Mazdas, NHTSA said. The BMW “steering wheel sticks, binds or locks up, and requires increased steering effort resulting in difficulty controlling the vehicle,” the agency said.

The BMW malfunction, which occurs at speeds of 72 kilometres per hour or greater and temperatures of 24 degrees Celsius or higher, may cause drivers to over-steer when turning, NHTSA said.

In the Mazdas, complaints “allege loss of power steering assist while driving, requiring excessive force on the driver’s part to maintain control, or in some cases causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle,” NHTSA said.

BMW has recalled this year in the U.S. motorcycles for brake and stalling defects, 1 Series luxury cars for seat-belt retractors that could ignite and sport-utility vehicles because windshields may not be properly attached.

[Brammer]

So here we go.

Ya gotta wonder - was it really worth it for Mazda to ignore the issue compared to the negative publicity that has already started (Star article above - case in point)?

I guess there are accounting folks somewhere who figured the hit on brand value was less than the $$$ it would cost to recall. Now they may have to pay for both.

B

[xxSlidewaysxx]

Risk analysis at it's worst?

[michaelm]

It's about freggin time they made it public. Having my steering wheel lock up in the middle of a turn was one scary experience.

[lowlevel]

2009 Mazda 3 i here (sales slip says GX, but ownership says i)
20,000km, purchased just over a year ago.

We're getting grinding noise and loss of power steering at slow speeds (parking.)
Seems to come and go, no power steering light on dash...

Dropped it off at Mazda of Toronto... They'll look at it tomorrow and let us know what they find.

[lowlevel]

They didn't find anything wrong with it, so we picked it up today. I drove it around some more, and it seems fine now.
They checked for codes and there were not any set. I suspect this will come up again after driving the car around in traffic or in the heat... *shrug*

2009 Mazda 3 i here (sales slip says GX, but ownership says i)
20,000km, purchased just over a year ago.

We're getting grinding noise and loss of power steering at slow speeds (parking.)
Seems to come and go, no power steering light on dash...

Dropped it off at Mazda of Toronto... They'll look at it tomorrow and let us know what they find.

[Peter Harper]

I Have a 2008 Mazda 3 with 63,000 kms and just experienced for the first time the power steering failure. Obviously in the wrong place and at the wrong time this could cause a nasty accident and\or fatality.

Reading on the web and talking to my dealership this is obviously a known problem with a range of M3's.

Does anyone know how to register a formal complain with Mazda and Federal authorities in order to increase the pressure for this to be a recall item.

Hope to hear from you.

[Ogata]

At about 49K and the Power Steering light went on for me a couple of weeks ago. The car did not produce any error codes but for precautionary measures, they gave me a rental as they need to replace the pump but the part is backordered. I really wonder if the squealing is normal or not for our cars. Any 2010's hear any squealing with turning?

[Speedy2008]

Wow. I just read about this today because there's a note posted on Mazda Canada's website now.

[liquidzyklon]

Wow. I just read about this today because there's a note posted on Mazda Canada's website now.

Thanks Speedy2008. I just saw the video Mazda put out. Personally, I would think that a recall should be less harmful for the Mazda brand and instill the confidence back into their customers. The recall would still pale in size compared to Toyota's recall. Let see how this pans out.

[McGuyver_3]

ill be 100% honest with all of you but i DO NOT think that the loss of power steering is a safety concern. Its a luxury item that was installed to help assist the driver. the locking up part is just the stiffness from the lack of power steering pump, it's not like the steering wheel doesnt move at all. At higher speeds mannual steering is easier to control, but if you were to paralel park oh boy lol have fun

[michaelm]

ill be 100% honest with all of you but i DO NOT think that the loss of power steering is a safety concern. Its a luxury item that was installed to help assist the driver. the locking up part is just the stiffness from the lack of power steering pump, it's not like the steering wheel doesnt move at all. At higher speeds mannual steering is easier to control, but if you were to paralel park oh boy lol have fun

I think it is a safety concern since we purchased the car with the knowledge that it has power steering installed and should be engaged at all times while driving. What if the Power steering cuts off during say a left turn causing an inexperienced driver who is not used to driving without powering steering to loose grip of the wheel and crash into the sidewalk/car/pedestrian causing injury. Also this issue kicks in during low rpm's. What if the power steering all of a sudden cuts off during slippery conditions such as our winters here in Canada... thats a nasty accident waiting to happen.

[McGuyver_3]

I think it is a safety concern since we purchased the car with the knowledge that it has power steering installed and should be engaged at all times while driving. What if the Power steering cuts off during say a left turn causing an inexperienced driver who is not used to driving without powering steering to loose grip of the wheel and crash into the sidewalk/car/pedestrian causing injury. Also this issue kicks in during low rpm's. What if the power steering all of a sudden cuts off during slippery conditions such as our winters here in Canada... thats a nasty accident waiting to happen.

Not so much back in the 80's and early 90's they pretty much all had mannual steering and they managed just fine. Mind you they were used to it but in the article it sounds more like the steering locks and it doesnt turn at all. As long as it still works I don't see any hazards. A little more force is needed but then again once a car is moving and rolling the steering becomes alot easier

[xxSlidewaysxx]

When you are used to have PS the sudden loss of it makes a huge difference. I lost mine twice, the second time was on the 410 going to work in rush hour, and boy that was fun.

And back in the 80's and 90's the manual racks were designed that way. The racks in the 3 were designed for power assist and turning them manually is not an easy task. I'm 6 foot, 220 lbs and with no power assist the 3 is more then a handful.

[Mitchell3]

I was idling for about 2 minutes, odd grinding noise came from the engine and the check engine came on. When i went to pull away, no power steering, no fluid leak either. I took it right away to Direct Mazda in Mississauga, and they had me patched up in a couple of hours.

Apparently it's a known issue of sorts, they knew exactly what went wrong and had the kit to repair it.

My first real problem with the car and i've only had it for 1 year now, with 39,000 kms and change on it.

sounds like what happened to me last evening. not the first time either. but both time under similar conditions, summertime, hot day, low speed or idling. only the most recent time i heard that noise you said. i had the hood open for a while both times and that cures it.

[McGuyver_3]

When you are used to have PS the sudden loss of it makes a huge difference. I lost mine twice, the second time was on the 410 going to work in rush hour, and boy that was fun.

And back in the 80's and 90's the manual racks were designed that way. The racks in the 3 were designed for power assist and turning them manually is not an easy task. I'm 6 foot, 220 lbs and with no power assist the 3 is more then a handful.

I know what you mean, I lost my power steering in my old car a few times as well but that was due to my tampering with my old car so much. It was a handful to manage but the main point i am trying to get across is you can still turn the car hence why I don't see it as a hazard. At work we push cars around so maybe I am used to it because of that lol