Mazdas and their 2.3's

[zder]

I have a 2005 Mazda 3 GT sport with GFX...just looking to see if anyone else has had the problems that I am ENJOYING,,,NOT..
At 22,000 kms I had the engine replaced under warranty..thank god
I believe that the car tossed out a rod making a beautiful sound driving down the 400 south.
It appears as though the head gasket decided to make its own mind up as to what it's actual function is to be.
Now here i am @ 130,000 km and low and behold has that darn head gasket decided to go on another vacation leaving me with the dubious task of having to yet replace another complete engine assembly.
Please take note that i drive the car fast , not hard.
Oh have I mentioned numerous wheel bearings that have been replaced at the tune of 400.00 per pop.
Anyone want to buy A CAR.....
I personally would not recomend this car to anyone or would i recommend the dealership North of ther GTA to anyone..Very rude and unwilling to help with any issues..And to think I had actually considerd purchasing the Speed 3
If this engine will not hold up to 160 ponies what in the heck is going to happen @ 270 plus HP I quess it will just blow up FASTER...lol

[Fuman]

1. define fast.
2. what dealership are you actually referring to?


If this engine will not hold up to 160 ponies what in the heck is going to happen @ 270 plus HP I quess it will just blow up FASTER...lol
The speed 3 engine, is obviously reinforced and engineered to handle that power.

[kevcol74]

I'm under 142,000kms, and running strong... not quite sure how you keep popping head gaskets.... Ever flush your coolant?

[Malcolm991]

I have a 2005 Mazda 3 GT sport with GFX...just looking to see if anyone else has had the problems that I am ENJOYING,,,NOT..
At 22,000 kms I had the engine replaced under warranty..thank god
I believe that the car tossed out a rod making a beautiful sound driving down the 400 south.
It appears as though the head gasket decided to make its own mind up as to what it's actual function is to be.
Now here i am @ 130,000 km and low and behold has that darn head gasket decided to go on another vacation leaving me with the dubious task of having to yet replace another complete engine assembly.
Please take note that i drive the car fast , not hard.
Oh have I mentioned numerous wheel bearings that have been replaced at the tune of 400.00 per pop.
Anyone want to buy A CAR.....
I personally would not recomend this car to anyone or would i recommend the dealership North of ther GTA to anyone..Very rude and unwilling to help with any issues..And to think I had actually considerd purchasing the Speed 3
If this engine will not hold up to 160 ponies what in the heck is going to happen @ 270 plus HP I quess it will just blow up FASTER...lol

You must have purchased a car made the day after the Christmas party! I have the same but 2006, 85k and still not a single problem. Im still on original brakes!

[RemaerdLacidar]

My guess would be that there was some other underlying issue with your car that was causing the head gasket to go, and it simply wasn't fixed with the first engine replacement.

[zder]

120km/h - 145km/h never redlining the car and 90% of the shifts are at 3000 -3500 RPM
I drive aprx 200km per day and the oil is changed every 3-5000 km.

The engine coolant system has not been flushed.
Just got the news about an hour ago from my mechanic that the engine definately requires an obituary.(it's dead)
I am wondering if Mazda will help me out with this problem?

[007]

Hummmm, you are really out of luck. Sounds like you got one of the rare lemons that left the Mazda Plant.

I drove a 2004 3 Sport GT for 4 years before swaping for a Speed 3. Drove that thing to red line all the time, and it was running just like the first day.

As for the Speed 3, nothing else to say other then .. Holy sh..., that thing rocks!

Have you considered going to another dealer? Or if the car is no longer under warranty, you can go at a garage specialized in engine re-builds.

[MAZDA Kitten]

why not just replace the head gasket?

[zder]

why not just replace the head gasket?

Sent the car in for a pressure and dye check results are terminal...not good

[Walrus]

If the head gasket goes bad enough, you can get enough coolant in a cylinder to hydrolock. Or, enough coolant in the oil to screw up the motor due to lubrication problems. Or overheating from lack of coolant/coolant pressure.

But a dye test just indicates that you are getting mixing of coolant and oil. The dye test tells you the head gasket is gone, not that the motor is toast.

[kevcol74]

A dye test can detect exhaust in the coolant, hence the leaking head gasket, not necessarity into the crankcase. But, if it overheated due to loss of coolant, you may be looking at a warped or cracked head, or scorched piston rings. (I'd put my money on the warped/cracked head) If there was never any overheating, it CAN be resolved with a new head gasket. Not enough info has been given to know. Usually a head gasket won't allow enough coolant into the combustion chamber to hydrolock. It will just burn out the exhaut very white and have a distinct "sweet" smell. I had a Chrysler 2.2 Turbo once, it ate 3 head gaskets...they were known for that!

[zder]

I am getting my 05 mazda 3 GT sport back on friday with a new(used) engine that has 78,000 km on it.I hope that I can get the rest of the winter out of it LOL.
I have requested that the old engine be returned to me so that i can tear the whore apart and try and diagnose WTF.
PLease has anyone else found oil in their coolant?

[mogul_pro]

You can replace the engine on a mazda3 for cheaper than you would think if you do your research... been there paid that.

Good luck to you.

[midnightfxgt]

If this engine will not hold up to 160 ponies what in the heck is going to happen @ 270 plus HP I quess it will just blow up FASTER...lol

The engine holds 160HP just fine. It sounds like you have a bad one, sadly it happens. I wouldnt cast a blanket statement saying the car cant hold up. I have like 130K KMs on my car, running close to 277HP on the motor (235ish at the wheels), and it holds just fine. Engine, tranny and even stock clutch are good.

-John

[1flycdnM3]

I would have to agree, your car is just a lemon. I had similar problems with my Accord that died (no warranty after 10 years so i bought a 3). Sorry to hear though, sounds like you've had a bad experience with Mazda. I had a bad one with Honda too, but i also know it is very rare and i was just unlucky.

[b]

You can replace the engine on a mazda3 for cheaper than you would think if you do your research... been there paid that.

Good luck to you.

Would love to know what you mean? I am sure a lot of us that have blown engines would appreciate knowing what you spent on a replacement. Incase it ever happens again. Details?

[Fuman]

I am getting my 05 mazda 3 GT sport back on friday with a new(used) engine that has 78,000 km on it.I hope that I can get the rest of the winter out of it LOL.
I have requested that the old engine be returned to me so that i can tear the whore apart and try and diagnose WTF.
PLease has anyone else found oil in their coolant?
my coolant looks clean... only coolant in there.
im guessing you found oil?

[mogul_pro]

I would have to agree, your car is just a lemon. I had similar problems with my Accord that died (no warranty after 10 years so i bought a 3). Sorry to hear though, sounds like you've had a bad experience with Mazda. I had a bad one with Honda too, but i also know it is very rare and i was just unlucky.

Your honda lasted 10 years though..

I'd be REALLY happy if my mazda3 didnt need some SERIOUS part replaced or repaired every 25,000km or less... :S

I had an integra before too.. drove it every day for 5 years... barely an issue... looking back i was spoiled with honda's reliability over mazda and would happily jump back... frankly the sooner the better.

[mogul_pro]

Would love to know what you mean? I am sure a lot of us that have blown engines would appreciate knowing what you spent on a replacement. Incase it ever happens again. Details?

A friend of mine who is a custom shop owner has access through his shop to a north american wide auto wreckers parts network. We sourced the engine through there... I had numerous options i went with a 2008.5 model with just under 20,000km on it came with everything and i think AFTER the shipping to the shop it was still WELL under $2000.00... do the swap and your good to go for under 3 grand with a new engine under the hood...

I have a 2006 model and when I look on autotrader you can get some 2006 models with not unreasonable km's for UNDER 10,000! WOW I paid 25,000 for mine after all was said and done what a waste! Lesson learned no doubt. If the car had more value, I would have sold it and got something else. At this point its almost worth keeping with all that depreciation behind us already.. even after factoring in another engine replacement at another 3 grand...

[b]

^ Thanks for the info. That is much cheaper than I thought you'd say. That post will make some people a little happier knowing it won't cost 10 grand if an engine goes past warranty!!!

[mogul_pro]

When mazda said they would not cover my blown engine under waranty they wanted to "cut me a deal" and do it for $12,800.00!!!! (More than the car is worth on trader)

[b]

When mazda said they would not cover my blown engine under waranty they wanted to "cut me a deal" and do it for $12,800.00!!!! (More than the car is worth on trader)

Ya thats why I wanted you to post up additional options for other owners. I remember being told it would be that price too if it wasn't covered. They covered mine np tho.

[mogul_pro]

Yup...

The only other option besides those two really would be to sell with car w/ no engine for VERY little, and take what you get plus the money you would have spent on a new engine and put it towards a new vehicle... BUT you'd still be ahead of the game to get that engine put back in then sell the car for something else after if you really wanted to be rid of it..

[zder]

The new engine is in and it seems O.K however I have lost total faith in the car.It's like having the old lady cheat on you and you take her back...it's just not the same....lol
Now I have the rear wheel bearing starting to sound like an old bear..that will have to be changed as well...when will this end..
I am driving about 200 kms a day and really need to have something very reliable.

However have ya checked out the 2010 3's
I like the look...I hope I do not do something foolish and go and purchase one..I must resist the urge.

[TheMAN]

A friend of mine who is a custom shop owner has access through his shop to a north american wide auto wreckers parts network. We sourced the engine through there... I had numerous options i went with a 2008.5 model with just under 20,000km on it came with everything and i think AFTER the shipping to the shop it was still WELL under $2000.00... do the swap and your good to go for under 3 grand with a new engine under the hood...

I have a 2006 model and when I look on autotrader you can get some 2006 models with not unreasonable km's for UNDER 10,000! WOW I paid 25,000 for mine after all was said and done what a waste! Lesson learned no doubt. If the car had more value, I would have sold it and got something else. At this point its almost worth keeping with all that depreciation behind us already.. even after factoring in another engine replacement at another 3 grand...
right.... and mazda redesigned the heads for the 06-09 engines, meaning you can't put them into an 04-05

[TheMAN]

The new engine is in and it seems O.K however I have lost total faith in the car.It's like having the old lady cheat on you and you take her back...it's just not the same....lol
Now I have the rear wheel bearing starting to sound like an old bear..that will have to be changed as well...when will this end..
I am driving about 200 kms a day and really need to have something very reliable.

However have ya checked out the 2010 3's
I like the look...I hope I do not do something foolish and go and purchase one..I must resist the urge.
general rule of thumb is to not buy a new model car the first year... but if you really have to, I say wait 6 months for the dust to settle... by that time, you will know how many TSBs the car have and if it's not too many, it won't be much of a problem car.... you should see how many TSBs and recalls the 09 6 has already

[Tsirpas]

Wow, *knocks on wood* I haven't had any engine problems as of yet. But so far my lighting has been driving me freaking nuts!!

And as far as I've heard the speed3 has TONS of engine and drivetrain problem since these Mazda actually... Ford Z-Tech engines aren't really meant for turbo, even if the engine is MINORLY adjusted to handle the STOCK turbo, it still can't really.

But considering what we pay for these cars, we shouldn't really be complaining, they're economy class asian cars (made in the states) so, really you get what you paid for in that sense.

As for dealerships, they all suck, they're all sharks, and never trust any of them because quite frankly they don't give 2 shits about you or your mazda once your $$$ has been sent to them.

And in the end, maybe you got a lemon ONTOP of all of the above mentioned... Fix it, and sell it, and get a new car? lol

[TheMAN]

made in the states? :rolleyes:
have you looked at your door jamb sticker ever at all?

[Olestra]

Wow, *knocks on wood* I haven't had any engine problems as of yet. But so far my lighting has been driving me freaking nuts!!

And as far as I've heard the speed3 has TONS of engine and drivetrain problem since these Mazda actually... Ford Z-Tech engines aren't really meant for turbo, even if the engine is MINORLY adjusted to handle the STOCK turbo, it still can't really.

But considering what we pay for these cars, we shouldn't really be complaining, they're economy class asian cars (made in the states) so, really you get what you paid for in that sense.

As for dealerships, they all suck, they're all sharks, and never trust any of them because quite frankly they don't give 2 shits about you or your mazda once your $$$ has been sent to them.

And in the end, maybe you got a lemon ONTOP of all of the above mentioned... Fix it, and sell it, and get a new car? lol

As TheMan says, non of your information is correct.

[kevcol74]

made in the states? :rolleyes:
have you looked at your door jamb sticker ever at all?

Maybe he can't tell the difference between the number "3" and "6"... :chuckle

[zder]

well I am back and after having put the third engine into my 05 GT3 just a quick recap 22000 KMS mazda replaces the engine...@140000 KMS i REPLACE THE ENGINE another head gasket rappity rap.As well as having to replace all of the wheel beaarings on al 4 corners...try to get Mazda to cough up some renumeration ..got the big NO,
I now have 176000kms on the car and after having Mazda repaint the rear wheel wells @120000kms under waranty the god dam thing starting to look bad..only were they did the rework....anyone think they will repair it? There is no warranty left.....I have just also replaced all shocks , struts complete break system as well as every bushing on the suspension...oh well thats all I have to say about that

[TheMAN]

either its you who messed up the car by the way you drive somehow, or there's something else that caused it to blow

[Default User]

Sorry - but I have to agree with everyone else.
I think the problem is either you or your driving.

I mean 3 engines within 170K? Kia's and Daewoo's last longer.
You're driving 35K a year which is almost double that of a regular commuter car.
Are you keeping up with regular maintenance...putting cheap value fuel?

Even having to do FULL suspension and all 4 corners tells me you're basically off-roading this car.

I think you're better off with a Civic where engine swaps and used parts are a dime a dozen nowadays

[btown-mazda]

Wow, sorry to hear about your bad luck. I've had my 04' for a couple years bought it used at 48,000 km and it's now at about 173,000 and no engine problems. Maybe you did get a lemon afterall

[TheMAN]

how can the car be a "lemon" when 1 replacement engine was brand new, and another was from a different car?
clearly there is something wrong with how he drives or what is under the hood to cause the engine to go

[m_bisson]

need to know specifically what was failing.. the word "engine" covers a lot of parts.

[Triznox]

The problems you've had don't surprise me, I haven't had to replace an engine... yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if happened. It's making clicking noises, and I've had to replace a bunch of emissions parts to get it running properly. Also had rust issues (doors, quarters, wheels and misc.), bad wheel bearings, mystery rattles, and cruise control surging. All this started to show before 80,000km.
This car and Mazda's service (lack there of) has been a thorn in my side.

[stock3]

I really doubt that the car is at fault, multiple engine replacements, emissions control parts failures and premature suspension wear all sound like really hard driving and lack of maintenence to me. Rust is another story.

Basically, take care of your car and it will take care of you, no matter what you drive. I mean, my POS 92 Corsica with 300K on her always passed emissions with flying colors and never failed to start even on the coldest mornings, and some of you guys are having a hard time keeping virtually new cars (anything under 10 years of age is really not that old for today's cars) running or passing emissions? That's pathetic.

[Impressive]

I really doubt that the car is at fault, multiple engine replacements, emissions control parts failures and premature suspension wear all sound like really hard driving and lack of maintenence to me. Rust is another story.

Basically, take care of your car and it will take care of you, no matter what you drive. I mean, my POS 92 Corsica with 300K on her always passed emissions with flying colors and never failed to start even on the coldest mornings, and some of you guys are having a hard time keeping virtually new cars (anything under 10 years of age is really not that old for today's cars) running or passing emissions? That's pathetic.


+1.

I can't believe you guys have problems with these cars...I have 3 in the family and we've never had ANY problems and we've put probably about 100k into them total.

[Triznox]

I really doubt that the car is at fault, multiple engine replacements, emissions control parts failures and premature suspension wear all sound like really hard driving and lack of maintenence to me. Rust is another story.


It's not about how it is driven/maintained, they are just poor quality lots of people have had to replace the things I listed. You must be lucky to have no issues.
How do you maintain your wheel bearings or emissions control equipment, I'd like to know so I don't have to replace anymore?



Basically, take care of your car and it will take care of you, no matter what you drive. I mean, my POS 92 Corsica with 300K on her always passed emissions with flying colors and never failed to start even on the coldest mornings, and some of you guys are having a hard time keeping virtually new cars (anything under 10 years of age is really not that old for today's cars) running or passing emissions? That's pathetic.

I agree with your statement if you add 'Unless it is poor quality', which the Mazda 3 has been for me and many others. I have a car similar to your Corsica example... A 94 Buick LeSabre with 300,000km. One of the reasons I say the Mazda 3 is poor quality is when comparing issues to the LeSabre, the LeSabre is better. LeSabre is 3X as old with 3X the mileage, yet the Mazda has just as many problems. Why is my Mazda rustier, why did it need wheel bearings, and emissions parts, the Buick didn't need any of that stuff replaced ever (but the Mazda did and all before 80,000km). Both cars were cared for and driven the same. It is obvious to me the blame is on Mazda and their design/reliability/quality issues, it really is quite pathetic.

[Triznox]

Want another one? Well maintained, oil changed every 3 months. Spent about $2000 on repairs recently. Should be good to go, but I don't want to wait around to see what fails next.

[Impressive]

Just because your car is of poor quality, you shouldn't generalize and say all Mazda3s are. I had a whole whackload of problems with my old Jetta, yet people (I personally don't know how) still love them and consider them to be good vehicles.

You just have no luck with Mazda.

[em3]

I guess the simple answer is...Mazda has a lot of lemons out there. But if you get a good one then it works great. Same can be said for a lot of other brands, its mostly luck?

[stock3]

It's not about how it is driven/maintained, they are just poor quality lots of people have had to replace the things I listed. You must be lucky to have no issues.
How do you maintain your wheel bearings or emissions control equipment, I'd like to know so I don't have to replace anymore?

I agree with your statement if you add 'Unless it is poor quality', which the Mazda 3 has been for me and many others. I have a car similar to your Corsica example... A 94 Buick LeSabre with 300,000km. One of the reasons I say the Mazda 3 is poor quality is when comparing issues to the LeSabre, the LeSabre is better. LeSabre is 3X as old with 3X the mileage, yet the Mazda has just as many problems. Why is my Mazda rustier, why did it need wheel bearings, and emissions parts, the Buick didn't need any of that stuff replaced ever (but the Mazda did and all before 80,000km). Both cars were cared for and driven the same. It is obvious to me the blame is on Mazda and their design/reliability/quality issues, it really is quite pathetic.

What kind of "emission stuff" did you have to replace and why? The emission system really only consist of catalytic converter, PCV system, rear O2 sensor, EGR valve and fuel tank evaporative system. All of which should be perfectly fine to about 200K, more if the car is well taken care of.
Does your car consume oil, if so do you know how much, do you have to add any make up oil, again if yes, how much?
Do you drive it gently for the first 15-20 minutes of you commute i.e. no WOT runs or redlining.

Wheel bearings are maintenance free, but their life is severely affected by how you drive, just like your brakes. Lots of potholes, aggressive turns, wheel alignment and balance all affect bearing life, even dragging brakes that overheat will affect bearing life.
At this low mileage you should be asking and trying to find out why the stuff goes wrong, instead of blaming Mazda for poor quality, especially since majority of Mazda owners don't experience your problems.

If these things were indeed the result of poor quality and a design fault, the a lot more Mazda owners would have exactly the same problems, just like GM's Dexcool debacle or Honda auto transmissions. Don't get me wrong, you may have a lemon, can happen to anybody with any car manufacturer, but these boards are hardly the rule to the problems that are posted, because people with problems will seek out solutions, therefore they start threads or post about them, people with no problems just go on with their life.

My 2006 with 97k drive just like it came of the dealer's lot, except few minor squeaks in the dash, but I only notice them, my wife never hears anything, so they can't be that bad but they still annoy me, other than that the car runs perfect and I bet that there are a lot of people with similar experience, I have two co-workers that both have Mazda 3 one is a 2004 and the other 2005 and both have exactly zero problems with theirs.

So your experience is an exception not a rule.

[Triznox]

What kind of "emission stuff" did you have to replace and why? The emission system really only consist of catalytic converter, PCV system, rear O2 sensor, EGR valve and fuel tank evaporative system. All of which should be perfectly fine to about 200K, more if the car is well taken care of.
Does your car consume oil, if so do you know how much, do you have to add any make up oil, again if yes, how much?
Do you drive it gently for the first 15-20 minutes of you commute i.e. no WOT runs or redlining.

Wheel bearings are maintenance free, but their life is severely affected by how you drive, just like your brakes. Lots of potholes, aggressive turns, wheel alignment and balance all affect bearing life, even dragging brakes that overheat will affect bearing life.
At this low mileage you should be asking and trying to find out why the stuff goes wrong, instead of blaming Mazda for poor quality, especially since majority of Mazda owners don't experience your problems.

If these things were indeed the result of poor quality and a design fault, the a lot more Mazda owners would have exactly the same problems, just like GM's Dexcool debacle or Honda auto transmissions. Don't get me wrong, you may have a lemon, can happen to anybody with any car manufacturer, but these boards are hardly the rule to the problems that are posted, because people with problems will seek out solutions, therefore they start threads or post about them, people with no problems just go on with their life.

My 2006 with 97k drive just like it came of the dealer's lot, except few minor squeaks in the dash, but I only notice them, my wife never hears anything, so they can't be that bad but they still annoy me, other than that the car runs perfect and I bet that there are a lot of people with similar experience, I have two co-workers that both have Mazda 3 one is a 2004 and the other 2005 and both have exactly zero problems with theirs.

So your experience is an exception not a rule.

Not saying they are all bad. I'm mostly surprised that a lot of people have had such good luck and not seen any issues with their 3 considering what I've come across with mine. Maybe there were significant corrections made in the 2006+ models? I do seem to see less complaints with cars a few years newer, but then maybe it is because they are 2 years newer less complaints have come forward?
As for emissions stuff I have a new PCV and EGR. CEL was going on and off and the idle was bouncing around constantly for a few days then stop for a bit then back to bouncing, etc. I've seen quite a few complaint of check engine lights on this site alone for various reasons, some practically right off the lot. My car also consumed 2-3 times the posted fuel consumption (it varied wildly, each fill up was a mystery). Luckily I've never had to add oil to it. As for driving style, never red lined it, but do like to giver from time to time, which any car should be able to take with out compliant.
With the wheel bearings both front were shot and making awful noise and I had them replaced with lifetime non-Mazda parts. Since the originals didn't even make 100k, there was no way I was going to put those back in given a choice. The back so far are original and hopefully they they say original for a few more years. From my research online, premature wearing of the front bearings is more common than you would be used to with the Mazda 3. The rust also is quite common, which I'm sure most already know about.
Like I said, I drive it like I drove the old man Buick mobile. I bought the 3 to replace the Buick and now I have the Mazda 3 up for sale and am going to put money into the $2000 vehicle with 300k as it seems to develop less problems. This is coming from a long time Mazda fan. I've owned 3 Rx-7s and bought the Mazda 3 because I liked the 7s.