Wow, those pics look like they could be from a Protege. Makes me really reconsider buying another Mazda in the future.
Wow, those pics look like they could be from a Protege. Makes me really reconsider buying another Mazda in the future.
I also have a 2015 GT Sedan (Japanese built) and live in Ottawa. About six months ago I had rust issues coming out of the spot welds on the trunk lip area and it was taken care of by Mazda under the warranty. However, since then, more rust has appeared in three places: two near the trunk/plate lights and a rust spot on the rear passenger door interior. See the photos I have attached.
I actually leased this car and have one more year to go. I love this car and was actually going to buy it out at the end of the lease. But I will have to reconsider. Given that a rust spot is appearing inside the door, I suspect that the rust issue is not isolated to the trunk area.
Last edited by cwp_sedan; 07-06-2017 at 04:20 PM. Reason: attempt to fix pics
Hey all,
I have a 2014 Mazda 3 sport soul red and made in Japan,
I just bought it CPO certified and a month later have noticed some rust bubbling on the front wheel arches by the front bumper cover,
Looks like it wont be covered under warranty despite me just buying the car, really kicking my self for not inspecting that part closer and having any faith in Mazda products improving rust protection since my 2004 Mazda 3,
Does anyone else have any rust here? can this part have a long lasting repair? as of now its not very bad, and can the dealership help me?
Mazda Canada emailed me back and basically said I was SOL and gave me some wrong warranty dates
I just sprayed some corrosion free on the spot since
Friendly Mazda rust tip: Remove the rear license plate bolts and get some vaseline or grease in the threaded holes, which Mazda appears to drill into the sheetmetal with no corrosion protection. At least on my daughter's 2016 Sport.
It remains to be seen if the newer Mazdas are as rust-prone as a couple generations ago. I suspect not. Some of the photos appearing in this forum appear to be "normal" surface rust caused by untreated paint nicks or environmental contamination like rail dust. I've owned Nissans and Hondas which did the same thing. Just give the car a little TLC using WD40, rubbing alcohol, touchup paint, wax, etc. and you'll be fine.
Bubbling paint is another matter. That goes deeper, and is usually the result of sloppy accident repairs or a factory defect in the primer. Spraying gunk on top of it does nothing. You need to sand it down to clean metal, then prime and paint.
To complete my rant, you definitely want to get the car oil sprayed if you drive in road salt and plan to keep it more than 5 years. If you don't like the grimy mess, limit it to the inner fenders, dog legs, rockers, subframes, and brake & fuel lines where it does the most good. Or use linseed oil thinned with solvent, which creeps everywhere before turning into a thin waxy film. Very good stuff. Avoid the rubberized black goo, unless you're starting with a very clean new car. It has a habit of hiding the problem, until one day it starts peeling off to reveal a rusty horror show underneath.
I replaced my winter steelies with the OEM wheels and tires and tires today and I've noticed that there are a couple of rust spots along the suspension, bolts, and exhaust. There's also rust on the threads for the license plate bolts which I fixed by cleaning and painting it when I detailed my car before winter. There were also surface rusts along the bottom part of the doors which were thankfully removed by claying. I still wash my car at home on a weekly basis, along with a coat of wax every 2 weeks . Yes, I put my car on jack stands and also clean the underchassis but the rusting is still unavoidable.
My brother's 2010 BMW X3's underchassis that never had any rust protection nor any meticulous detaling looks a lot better than my car, LOL.
These cars are rust buckets I know its not a 3rd gen but I had a 2013 gs sky and it also had rust issues I actually got rid of it because of that. I bought a 2011 2.5 that had been rust proofed yearly it makes a huge difference no rust at all on my 2011 which has more km than my 2013 had. my 2013 had 87,000km the 2011 has 151,000 rust proof your cars its worth it especailly in salty brine Ontario.
Just going to put my input in. I spray my car myself in the spring and fall when switching my tires over. 2 cans in the spring and 4 in the fall. 240k on my gen one and no rust. I buy the cans from TSC on sale so this costs me around $30 a year for both sprays. Just a tip if you want to save money.
Anyone else are having issues with rust bubbles? They are all over the roof of my 2015. And those aren’t rock chips. I can post pictures later. I also noticed bubbling around the top of the back license plate... this is pretty shitty... seems like they haven’t quite fixed the rust issue and it honestly turns me off from Mazda.... :’(
I've dealt with these on all three Mazda 3's that I've owned since 2005. Doesn't sound like it's gotten any better in newer generations.
Older seem to have the same issue. Rear wheelwells where the rear bumper end. Not sure if 2014 + will be the same.
Its the way the metal is bent to form a space that can hold debris (sand, grit and salt)..your little rust cesspool.
Ive been having Krown spray my 2012 every year and so far only unattended hood chips have shown a spot of rust.
Yes im lazy....
I didn't have any rust at all on my 2010 with over 120,000km, not even if I climbed under the thing. Maybe I sold it in time? I drove it all winter. I think it's luck of the draw more than anything, it's clear some of this steel is either poorly galvanized or contaminated. Most people are reporting rust bubbling up under the paint, that's perforation, no oil spray is going to help with that (and since cars are galvanized, it's debatable if oil is really that effective newer cars). Personally, I'd call noticeable body rust on a car under 10 years old to be totally unacceptable. This thread really makes me think twice about buying another Mazda, because the type of rust you guys are describing is not something you can do much to prevent.
i got a 2018 GT Hatch this year, and i already noticed what looked like rust where the rear plate is screwed in. Took it to Krown rustproofing straight away.
Mine is still 100% rust-free; 8 years old and driven every winter. Krowned every year since 2013. A lot of it has to do with good practices and maintenance habits.
Luck has it... I too have a Japanese built 3 (only the GT is assembled there so I'm told) which has identical rust issues as to what's being posted. There's brake dust rust or rail dust rust alllll over the body but the trunk itself holy shit.
A bunch of rust spots above and around the license plate which are actually bubbling.
Also have rust around the trunk seal as well.
Mines a 2017 Mazda3 GT beginning with JM1BN1W33H...
Have pics but not sure how to post them from my phone.