My 2011 mazda 3 sport GS experience

[nguy3nha]

So i've had this car for a year and a month now. 52,000 kms

Its a great looking car, love the exterior and interior. Love the handling and the extra bit of power from the 2.5, other then that..

- paint chips and scratches too easily
- suspension is creaking now
- rear license plate light broke off somehow
- smells like rotten eggs in the summer
- dash area rattling
- front passenger seat rattling
- rear hatch lock mechanism rattling big time.. (i want to hang myself when i'm driving)
- poor fuel economy
- 4th to 5th has a slight knock in the accelerator pedal
- sometimes when the car slips, ABS and DSC light comes on and the ABS system seizes to work for a few minutes or after a few engine restarts.
- When in drive or park, if i slightly turn the steering wheel, the lowbeam lights will get slightly dimmer (alternator issue?)
- Automatic wipers never work properly.. It doesnt wipe fast in heavy rainfall and wipes even faster when there's a little drizzle??
- when the driver window roll up, the door bulges out... wat??


well.. other then that, its a great car. I wouldnt get a mazda again though. All these little annoyances add up. I would rather fix something major in a bmw since at least it will be a nice quiet and smooth ride/ more refined and wont rattle wherever i go. Next car will be german.

[Thrizzl3]

- paint chips and scratches too easily

I'm pretty sure all cars in canada have stone chips due to debris being on the road. Why did you not invest in a clear bra for the front of your car to help protect it from stone chips?

- suspension is creaking now

explain which parts of the suspension are creaking? could be sway bar bushings, cold struts or something minor.

- rear license plate light broke off somehow

broke off how? did you attempt to change the bulb? and broke the plastic housing?

- smells like rotten eggs in the summer

well your car does run on gasoline and when burnt the exhaust gases do smell like rotten eggs..unless your catalytic converter is prematurely pooched.

- dash area rattling

really? our cars are subcompacts not luxury vehicles....not everything is padded down to dampen the contact with other parts of the car...

- front passenger seat rattling

- rear hatch lock mechanism rattling big time.. (i want to hang myself when i'm driving)

get used to the noises...it's like everything little thing annoys you about this car.
- poor fuel economy

actually mz3's have amazing fuel economy..just depends how you drive..i.e. highway vs. city driving. and don't be flooring it from every traffic light.

- 4th to 5th has a slight knock in the accelerator pedal

what kind of knock?
- sometimes when the car slips, ABS and DSC light comes on and the ABS system seizes to work for a few minutes or after a few engine restarts.

abs is only when you slam on the brakes. DSC only stops you from losing control..if your slamming on the brakes while DSC is trying to keep your car straight...i don't see why ABS should be working...

- When in drive or park, if i slightly turn the steering wheel, the lowbeam lights will get slightly dimmer (alternator issue?)

That is the power steering pump working it's ass off because you're stationary. turn the car off but leave the gauges lit and try to turn the wheel and see how hard it is.. Now..roll down a road with a decline and try turning the wheel and see how easy it is..

- Automatic wipers never work properly.. It doesnt wipe fast in heavy rainfall and wipes even faster when there's a little drizzle??

so use the manual function of the wipers...don't be lazy and rely on the sensor to do everything.

- when the driver window roll up, the door bulges out... wat??

That is the actuator going into the lock position so the window doesn't fall while going over bumps.

you seem to have a lot of minor complaints about this car..i'm pretty sure there are a lot of people who have the same issues but it doesn't bug them as much as you. If you do end up going to a german car then i hope your wallet can support the costs for parts to repair it.

[aZuMi]

Had the car for almost 3 years...2010 Sport GS, but lower km's than you..

- paint chips and scratches too easily
>> I don't know where you get the scratches, but paint chips are unavoidable.

- suspension is creaking now
>> Agree, but for mine it's mostly slight knock from my RB rear swaybar. Most of the time, I don't even hear it though..

- rear license plate light broke off somehow
>> True, but I got this replaced via warranty. TBH, it's actually the plastic mount hook that breaks off. A slight bump from another car or when backing up will cause this.

- smells like rotten eggs in the summer
>> Not sure how you're getting this. No issues for me. Air freshener?

- dash area rattling
>> agree. But it's under warranty and you can send it to the dealer to get it fixed. Search for TSB, it's there..

- front passenger seat rattling
>> Not for me..unless you didn't adjust your seat properly.

- rear hatch lock mechanism rattling big time.. (i want to hang myself when i'm driving)
>> Not for me...bring it to dealer.

- poor fuel economy
>> agree, but it's the cost of driving a car. Should you choose a bimmer, you'll be spending much more anyways..

- 4th to 5th has a slight knock in the accelerator pedal
>> Not for me

- sometimes when the car slips, ABS and DSC light comes on and the ABS system seizes to work for a few minutes or after a few engine restarts.
- When in drive or park, if i slightly turn the steering wheel, the lowbeam lights will get slightly dimmer (alternator issue?)
>> Never get these issues also..

- Automatic wipers never work properly.. It doesnt wipe fast in heavy rainfall and wipes even faster when there's a little drizzle??
>> I never use the automatic wipers..so I can't really comment on that.

- when the driver window roll up, the door bulges out... wat??
>> Weird...get it looked at..

well.. other then that, its a great car. I wouldnt get a mazda again though. All these little annoyances add up. I would rather fix something major in a bmw since at least it will be a nice quiet and smooth ride/ more refined and wont rattle wherever i go. Next car will be german.

>> From what I can tell, you seem to have a little more minor problems. It doesn't seem like a lemon, but some of your issues need to get looked at. Go to a dealer and get them to inspect it again.

As for my 2c, even if you go for german - it doesn't reduce the risk of having a car without issues. Maybe less, maybe more - but it's still definitely more expensive in terms of initial cost and cost of maintaining it.

[zzz3]

So i've had this car for a year and a month now. 52,000 kms

Its a great looking car, love the exterior and interior. Love the handling and the extra bit of power from the 2.5, other then that..

- paint chips and scratches too easily
- dash area rattling
- front passenger seat rattling
- rear hatch lock mechanism rattling big time.. (i want to hang myself when i'm driving)
- poor fuel economy

well.. other then that, its a great car. I wouldnt get a mazda again though. All these little annoyances add up. I would rather fix something major in a bmw since at least it will be a nice quiet and smooth ride/ more refined and wont rattle wherever i go. Next car will be german.

i agree with you for the most part:
1) the paint quality is particularly bad on the mz3, even compared to other compacts
2) there is a tsb to replace the felt in between the dash cowl
3) there is a tsb to replace the foam as well as to add a silencer for the front seat due to excessive squeaking
4) i and others have or had this issue, not sure if there is tsb, but dealer should be able to fix
5) your fault for buying a 2.5l

don't blame you for wanting to try german, but i hope you lease it or else you'll be posting the same things and more once the warranty runs out!

[Ps3alltheway]

Good Review , I also will not buy another Mazda .
I have so many little issues , for a 2.5 year old car (in my case) it's unacceptable .

It is funny how some of you guys try to defend Mazda so much , I can understand you like the brand and your car .. but for **** sakes .. when you pay 20 000 $ +++ for a car and in less than a few years it starts giving you problems it is CERTAINLY NOT NORMAL!

[aZuMi]

Good Review , I also will not buy another Mazda .
I have so many little issues , for a 2.5 year old car (in my case) it's unacceptable .

It is funny how some of you guys try to defend Mazda so much , I can understand you like the brand and your car .. but for **** sakes .. when you pay 20 000 $ +++ for a car and in less than a few years it starts giving you problems it is CERTAINLY NOT NORMAL!

Your car is giving out on you? What are the issues in your car to make you say that?

This is a Mazda forum, so try to understand that. But to add profanity in your issue seems to add some depth in your car's problems...unless your just being overly emotional.

That said, I think the car you pick will largely depend on the type of car that are currently on the market when you are looking. For example, I may or may not pick Mazda later on due to many different factors in my life. But saying that you're not buying Mazda for the sake of small issues in your 2.5 and discounting their future product offerings is very biased and shallow.

[Kiyomi]

Good Review , I also will not buy another Mazda .
I have so many little issues , for a 2.5 year old car (in my case) it's unacceptable .

It is funny how some of you guys try to defend Mazda so much , I can understand you like the brand and your car .. but for **** sakes .. when you pay 20 000 $ +++ for a car and in less than a few years it starts giving you problems it is CERTAINLY NOT NORMAL!

lol, "if you take care of the car, the car will take care of you." - the transporter. true story bro. If you dont want to fix the problems, next time lease a car.

[mazda72]

So i've had this car for a year and a month now. 52,000 kms

Its a great looking car, love the exterior and interior. Love the handling and the extra bit of power from the 2.5, other then that..

- paint chips and scratches too easily
- suspension is creaking now
- rear license plate light broke off somehow
- smells like rotten eggs in the summer
- dash area rattling
- front passenger seat rattling
- rear hatch lock mechanism rattling big time.. (i want to hang myself when i'm driving)
- poor fuel economy
- 4th to 5th has a slight knock in the accelerator pedal
- sometimes when the car slips, ABS and DSC light comes on and the ABS system seizes to work for a few minutes or after a few engine restarts.
- When in drive or park, if i slightly turn the steering wheel, the lowbeam lights will get slightly dimmer (alternator issue?)
- Automatic wipers never work properly.. It doesnt wipe fast in heavy rainfall and wipes even faster when there's a little drizzle??
- when the driver window roll up, the door bulges out... wat??


well.. other then that, its a great car. I wouldnt get a mazda again though. All these little annoyances add up. I would rather fix something major in a bmw since at least it will be a nice quiet and smooth ride/ more refined and wont rattle wherever i go. Next car will be german.


WOW, I suspect you got a Lemon...

[mazda72]

I've owned 4 Mazdas so far and I've had nothing but stellar reliability from each car.

[Ps3alltheway]

lol, "if you take care of the car, the car will take care of you." - the transporter. true story bro. If you dont want to fix the problems, next time lease a car.

Hmmm , I take care of my cars . I've owned 2 Mazda's before this one and loved all of them for the way it drives , but for reliability , Mazda has always been in the bottom for Jap cars . That said , I knew what I was getting into when I bought a brand new Mazda , don't get me wrong here I like the model and the way it drives BUT it is only 2.5 years and already is giving me some problems , For now I don't even want to imagine what it will be like in 10 years . The thing is , you would atleast think that a car would be problem free for atleast the first few years . The G/F has a 2004 Civic bought Brand new , she doesn't zig-zag like me to avoid holes on the road , she doesn't wait for the engine to warm a little before driving the car and it is funny , the car had NO problem at all since she first got it , the only thing that had to be changed was the Front brakes and Battery . What ever Mazda is the best and no one can argue on this forum about it

[Kiyomi]

Hmmm , I take care of my cars . I've owned 2 Mazda's before this one and loved all of them for the way it drives , but for reliability , Mazda has always been in the bottom for Jap cars . That said , I knew what I was getting into when I bought a brand new Mazda , don't get me wrong here I like the model and the way it drives BUT it is only 2.5 years and already is giving me some problems , For now I don't even want to imagine what it will be like in 10 years . The thing is , you would atleast think that a car would be problem free for atleast the first few years . The G/F has a 2004 Civic bought Brand new , she doesn't zig-zag like me to avoid holes on the road , she doesn't wait for the engine to warm a little before driving the car and it is funny , the car had NO problem at all since she first got it , the only thing that had to be changed was the Front brakes and Battery . What ever Mazda is the best and no one can argue on this forum about it

the fact that a car has to be perfect for you is just funny to me. If you personally think that mazda has let you down, then stop buying them period, end of story. stop complaining about things that the majority of the forum knows about already. its just beating a dead horse. i dont think mazda is the best. but continue thinking that if you buy a german car, you will have no problems at all. :D

edit: also, i dont understand why your gf feels the need to hit pot holes in the road or drive off instantly. no matter what car i buy, im never gonna aim for a pothole or not let the car warm up.... lmao!!!

[Aitch]

LOL that's what I thought. People that just drive through potholes regardless are the ones that make them worse.

[Impressive]

Hmmm , I take care of my cars . I've owned 2 Mazda's before this one and loved all of them for the way it drives , but for reliability , Mazda has always been in the bottom for Jap cars . That said , I knew what I was getting into when I bought a brand new Mazda , don't get me wrong here I like the model and the way it drives BUT it is only 2.5 years and already is giving me some problems , For now I don't even want to imagine what it will be like in 10 years . The thing is , you would atleast think that a car would be problem free for atleast the first few years . The G/F has a 2004 Civic bought Brand new , she doesn't zig-zag like me to avoid holes on the road , she doesn't wait for the engine to warm a little before driving the car and it is funny , the car had NO problem at all since she first got it , the only thing that had to be changed was the Front brakes and Battery . What ever Mazda is the best and no one can argue on this forum about it

04 Mazda 3 > 04 Civic...Any day of the week. I wouldn't trade my Mazda for anything less than an 08 Civic SI if I had to.

[Ps3alltheway]

the fact that a car has to be perfect for you is just funny to me. If you personally think that mazda has let you down, then stop buying them period, end of story. stop complaining about things that the majority of the forum knows about already. its just beating a dead horse. i dont think mazda is the best. but continue thinking that if you buy a german car, you will have no problems at all. :D

edit: also, i dont understand why your gf feels the need to hit pot holes in the road or drive off instantly. no matter what car i buy, im never gonna aim for a pothole or not let the car warm up.... lmao!!!


Im not saying that she feels like she needs to hit the pot holes or drive off instantly , im just saying that I make sure nothing of thoses things happen to my car and when I hit a pothole I swear like crazy , while my GF will hit one and will just say ''ooops'' , As for my car I wait a few mins , especially when cold , her she used to take off instantly until i told her it is better if she waits atleast a few seconds , now she probably waits 5 to 10 seconds before taking off , which is .. not much better lol .

But anyways , I am not saying Honda is better , and also you're mistaking with the other guy , I don't plan on buying German !!!

[Ps3alltheway]

04 Mazda 3 > 04 Civic...Any day of the week. I wouldn't trade my Mazda for anything less than an 08 Civic SI if I had to.

Hmmm , I'm not interested in Civic's ... But I would take a 2004 Civic over a 2004 Mazda anytime , especially since the M3 04 has rust problems , engine problems etc

[Impressive]

Hmmm , I'm not interested in Civic's ... But I would take a 2004 Civic over a 2004 Mazda anytime , especially since the M3 04 has rust problems , engine problems etc

I'd rather get an '01 Civic as opposed to a 2004, that way I wouldn't feel like I bought the last of a shitty model before it got a facelift.

[Ozil]

you seem to have a lot of minor complaints about this car..i'm pretty sure there are a lot of people who have the same issues but it doesn't bug them as much as you. If you do end up going to a german car then i hope your wallet can support the costs for parts to repair it.

my dad just paid $1,500 for a new battery + installation for his Mercedes :s

[Hyperion]

my dad just paid $1,500 for a new battery + installation for his Mercedes :s

Send him to me for a $500 discount

Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio using Tapatalk

[Felks24]

i agree with you for the most part:
1) the paint quality is particularly bad on the mz3, even compared to other compacts
2) there is a tsb to replace the felt in between the dash cowl
3) there is a tsb to replace the foam as well as to add a silencer for the front seat due to excessive squeaking
4) i and others have or had this issue, not sure if there is tsb, but dealer should be able to fix
5) your fault for buying a 2.5l

don't blame you for wanting to try german, but i hope you lease it or else you'll be posting the same things and more once the warranty runs out!

Agreed 100%. IMO, a German car won't be any better for issues within the warranty period and afterwards. My previous car (thankfully a lease) was an 06 VW Jetta 2.0T and my MZ3 2.5 is an owner's dream compared to the VW.


Good Review , I also will not buy another Mazda .
I have so many little issues , for a 2.5 year old car (in my case) it's unacceptable .

It is funny how some of you guys try to defend Mazda so much , I can understand you like the brand and your car .. but for **** sakes .. when you pay 20 000 $ +++ for a car and in less than a few years it starts giving you problems it is CERTAINLY NOT NORMAL!

See comment above. You can spend a lot more than $20K and get a lemon.

[ipse]

lol, "if you take care of the car, the car will take care of you." - the transporter. true story bro. If you dont want to fix the problems, next time lease a car.
He was driving a Bimmer :p

[Ps3alltheway]

anyways right now its minor issues , I'l wait and see later on if something expensive will break and not covered by the warranty .

[visx]

I used to own a 06 Civic LX. And I am satisfy with the reliability of it. Then I needed to buy a car last year. The reason why I don't consider another Civic is that I want more excitement(power, handling, look). I am willing to trade some reliability, fuel economy, cost for something more exciting.

I know Mazda is not as reliable as Honda. And I have already heard of the rust problem with older 3's. But I still bought a 3. After the purchase, I have done some things to help the car to last longer (rust-proofing, perma-shine coating, hood deflector, frequent car wash). If there is any mechanical issue, I will bring it to the dealership.

I have had the car for 2 months. So far, the initial quality is good. I alsol have some of the issues listed as OP (stone chips easily, a bit of rattle). But I feel great driving it. I can go into a corner around 15% faster than my Civic. I have a 6th gear to play with. And the car is slightly more stable at high speed.

One can only hope that with proper care (clean regularly and doing regular maintenance), a car will last as long as necessary.

I am planning to keep my 3 for 8 years. Hope it will hold it up for this long. :)