2004 Mazda MAZDA3

(1) I PURCHASED MY 2004 MAZDA 3S IN MARCH OF 2004. I HAVE ENJOYED IT VIRTUALLY MAINTENANCE FREE (BESIDES ROUTINE) FOR OVER 1 YEAR. (2) IN APRIL OF 2005, I TURNED THE KEY TO START THE CAR. IT HESITATED FOR OVER 10 SECONDS AND FINALLY TURNED OVER. I WAS ALARMED, AND AFTER A FEW MORE TIMES OF THIS HAPPENING, I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY. (3) IT WAS DECIDED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. I RECEIVED A NEW FUEL PUMP (UNDER WARRANTY) AND AFTER A WEEK, IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN, AND MY CAR WENT BACK INTO THE SHOP. THEY CLEANED THE BATTERY, AND ALL OF THE CONNECTIONS, RULING OUT A POSSIBLE ELECTRIC PROBLEM. IT WAS OKAY, THEN IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN. I HAD IT IN FOR THE THIRD TIME, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THE FUEL PUMP THEY USED TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL MUST HAVE BEEN OF THE SAME POOR QUALITY, SO FUEL PUMP #3 WENT IN. WELL, WHEN I STARTED THE CAR TO DRIVE IT OUT OF THE SERVICE LOT, IT HESITATED AGAIN! I SAT IN MY CAR AND CRIED. I WENT RIGHT BACK INTO THE SERVICE DEPT., AND ASKED THEM TO TAKE CARE OF IT.THEY SAID SINCE IT RAN FINE, IT WAS ONLY THE STARTING ISSUE, IT WAS OKAY TO DRIVE 700 MILES ROUND TRIP TO MASSACHUSETTS (MY PREVIOUSLY PLANNED WEEKEND TRIP) AND THEY'D SEE ME WHEN I RETURNED. WELL, IT SURVIVED THE DRIVE, AND I HAD THE CHANCE TO REFILL THE FUEL TANK 3 WHOLE TIMES WITH 2 DIFFERENT TYPES OF GAS THAN I NORMALLY USE. IT STILL HESITIATED A LOT, BUT WAS ACTING THE SAME. I DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO THE SHOP THAT WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AFTER I RETURNED TO PA, AND JUST RECEIVED A CALL TODAY THAT THE TECHNICIAN FROM JAPAN WAS LOOKING AT IT, AND DECIDED IT NEEDED A NEW FUEL PUMP. YES, FUEL PUMP #4! I AM BEYOND FED UP WITH THIS CAR, AND I AM CONTACTING THE PA LEMON LAW ATTORNEYS TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO DESPITE THE FACT THAT MY CAR IS OVER 12 MONTHS AND 12,000 MILES OLD. (P.S. I AM ALSO EXPERIENCING THE ROTOR WEAR PROBLEMS, BUT I'M TAKING CARE OF ONE PROBLEM AT A TIME. MAYBE MAZDA WILL BUY THIS SUCKER BACK!) *TR

INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISON ON APRIL 18 2005 AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY HAVE CALLED AND EMAILS MAZDA ABOUT THIS AND THEY WILL NOT HELP ME. THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FOR THE AIR BAG LIGHTS FLASHING. I WAS TRAVING AT 25 TO 30MPH AND THE OTHER CAR ( THERE FAULT ) WAS GOING ABOUT 20MPH. I SUFFERD HEAD, BACK, GROIN INJURYS. I VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE WAY MAZDA IS TREATING ME ON THIS!!!

CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, SHORTLY THEREAFTER ALL FOUR TIRES STARTED TO WEAR. THE TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $700.00. THE TIRE DEALER STATED THE WEAR WAS NORMAL, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH THE SAME ORIGINAL TIRE HE WAS REMOVING FROM THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER NOTICED ALL OF THE TIRES HAD BUBBLES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DRIVER'S, AND THEY ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOUND.*AK

THE CONSUMER HAD A CONCERN THAT THE PLASTIC COVER THAT GOES AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD COME LOOSE WHILE DRIVING A 2004 MAZDA 3, WHEN THIS OCCURRED IT INTERFERED WITH THE BRAKING WHEN NEEDED. THE CONDITION ALMOST CAUSED A VEHICLE CRASH.*JB AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN THE CONSUMER NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN FOUND BRAKE PEDAL HINDERED BY LOOSE COVER ON STERING COLUMN. *EH THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS BENT.

THE ADVANCED AIRBAG SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY DEACTIVATES THE PASSENGER AIRBAGS WHEN MY WIFE IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. SHE IS 5'0" AND WEIGHS 95 POUNDS. WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN PART BECAUSE OF ITS SAFETY FEATURES. WE HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER TWICE, BOTH TIMES WE WERE TOLD IT IS SIMPLY THE WAY THE AIRBAG SENSOR IS DESIGNED, AND THAT IT IS BECAUSE HER WEIGHT IS RIGHT ON THE BORDERLINE FOR THE SENSOR. MAZDA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS TOLD US THE SAME THING AND TOLD US THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE THE SENSOR ADJUSTED. MY RESEARCH TELLS ME THAT MY WIFE WOULD BE MUCH SAFER IN A CRASH WITH AIRBAG PROTECTION, DESPITE HER SMALL SIZE. AS IT IS NOW, IT IS UNPREDICTABLE WHETHER THE AIRBAG WILL BE ACTIVE OR NOT AT ANY GIVEN TIME -- IT MAY GO ON WHEN GOING UP A HILL AND OFF WHEN GOING DOWN THE HILL. THIS SEEMS OBVIOUSLY UNSAFE. I BELIEVE IT IS A DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED.*AK

MY MAZDA3 IS 4 MONTHS OLD AND I HAVE BEEN TOWED 2 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 DAYS. BOTH TIMES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON FIRST, THEN THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND THEN I LOST ACCELERATION POWER AND COULD ONLY GO A FEW MILES AN HOUR TO PULL OVER. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED WAS WITHIN 2 MILES OF THE DEALERSHIP AFTER I HAD PICKED IT UP FROM "GETTING FIXED"--THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED. NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS "LOW ON GAS" (UNDER 1/4 TANK). PRIOR TO THIS I WAS HAVING HESITATIONS AT 30 MILES AN HOUR--MOST NOTICABLE WHEN ENGINE WAS COLD. THE DEALER COULD NEVER NOTICE THE PROBLEM DESPITE MY BRINGING IT FOR SERVICE 2 TIMES. ? IF THE PROBLEMS ARE ALL RELATED OR NOT.*AK