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Mazda5 Owners: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • jagphantombluejagphantomblue Member Posts: 13
    Make that Mazda5's.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Actually the R-class spawned from the Pacifica which has been around for years, so I wouldn't say that the Mazda 5 is a trend leader in this category. But in the econ car class I'd say yes.
  • nevergrowupnevergrowup Member Posts: 17
    Called local dealer in North Florida today. According to the service manager, they recieved parts for all 6 cars today. They expect to call the owners either tomorrow or Monday, as they finish the vehicles. We shall see!
  • gyygyy Member Posts: 5
    I just called the dealer in CA, and they told me that they received a revised MEMO from Mazda that the parts won't be shipping out until 11/15. That's 3 weeks delay from the date that Mazda promised in its letter.

    Anyone from CA got their cars back yet? Have you guys heard about this new NOV. 15 date?
  • dashdogdashdog Member Posts: 6
    I agree completely. Most of the people on this forum (with the exception of the poor guy whose car got flooded at the dealer) are being awfully whiney. OK yea, the lack of info from Mazda is frustrating, but really people, stop your complaining! You got a loaner (in most cases a brand new car), and now you're getting $500.00 too. Furthermore, I just lost a lot of respect for our Canadian neighbors when I saw the complaints about getting their $500.00 in Canadian Dollars. Geez, I thought Americans were the biggest babies in the world- grow up! Maybe you can get your refund in beer and back-bacon instead.
  • labrat70labrat70 Member Posts: 3
    I called my dealer here in toronto. He said he's got 20+ cars in the garage, and so far, he received 2 kits for fixing. Therefore they have fixed 2 cars. They are fixing cars had already been driven first.

    I guess I am somewhat behind in that line since I was going to pick it up on 9/17th, and they held on to it because it is recalled (I paid them though :-(, in order to get the mazda3 rental)

    The business manager says all cars are probably going to be done by first week of november. Then again, what the hell does he know?

    I wonder how Mazda is sending out the parts, are they feeding all dealers piece meal? rather than shipping parts to one dealer at a time, do they throw darts at a board to see who gets the next 2 kits? :-)
  • drspongklongdrspongklong Member Posts: 48
    Although I agree with some people here that Mazda so far has handled this recall well but if what you are saying is true, I am beginning to get mad because I called the dealer here in TX and was told that they are getting the parts this week. I am expecting to get my car back next week. I would be very disappointed.
  • dontecdontec Member Posts: 9
    My dealer had called me today to give me an update. It looks like they will receive a KIT(1) or TWO(2) tomorow. This also could be true for the next week. It looks like they are sending 2 kits a week. With 8 cars on the lot with standart lic. plates and 2 with temps and beeing in the end of the line, I expect my car to be fixed by December 1. HAHA.
    As to the handling of the recall. As far as I could see, Mazda did not follow a single advice they teach people in the MBA programm. Very poor managements from mazda USA, bad management at the dealership makes is double dissapointment.
    Also, stop comparing Mazda to Ford. Ford has very bad reputation. Try to run it against Honda. I had owned 4 of them with 2 minor recalls and you should see how they handled it. It should be in the book.
    Mazda could make my life and life of others very easy by creating a dedicated WEB page for Mazda5 recall, by giving each owner a tracking number, which they could run against some trucking system and see, when to receive a car.
    And finaly, Mazda was not supposed to follow the American obesity way and drop a 2.3 engine in place of 2.0 car was desined for without changing a muffler. Last month I drove a 2.0 in D-land and it felt even faster then ours 2.3.
    By the way, Europian complain about clicking noise in the swing door area....Another possible recall....for...bad welds?...
    This is all very specific. I'm not compalining, I'm advicing.
  • tacokingtacoking Member Posts: 5
    Look the way I see it and I have expressed this in other forums is I believe people can gripe if they want, as long as their not being vulgar or using expletives. Being an owner of an M5 and appreciating the uniqueness and value of the vehicle was the reason that drove me to purchase. Probably the spirit of the recall and Mazda's response was noble but it does not remove the fact that some owners will not be driving the car they purchased for close to one to two months. Is this recall Mazda's fault only God knows but.....Cmom...it's very frustrating any way you coat it. I got fed up with the confusion involving the voluntary recall and I picked up my MT 5 after 3 weeks and have been driving it sans flames since then. The 500 duckets helps with car payments for that time but I do not believe that and the so called extended warranty is proper compensation for the frustration and inconvience that 5 owners have endured. You can call me whiney or tell me to go to the dark place but it does not remove from the fact of the fear of fires and loss and frustration that owners have experienced. I'm sure that some Mazda could have extended the warranty a little longer mileage wise and time wise, the 500 is nice but it is a peace offering of sorts to placate lemon law pursuee's. In my non legal opinion you should seek legal advice in these matters of law. Corporations give you the run around, and they will not offer to buy the 5 back :lemon: . I dont want to hear about Ford Dodge or Nissan recalls all have different corporate policies... some may disagree but thats why we write and post on these forums.....Man... it's an outlet and information hub that many dealers and corporations rather you not read.. Good luck owners especially smaria... :) :P Remember Don't fry alive! Dont drive your 5 in second at 65..
  • piscarshopper1piscarshopper1 Member Posts: 2
    I'm done as well. In FL you must file 1st for mediation by sending notice to Mazda. It has been two weeks with no response. I am getting lawyer to assist with arbitration thru the state. I picked up my car on 9/14 on loan till my bank check came in. Dealer had two times to tell me in person about recall. I asked on 9/16 about other stock. I was told all sold out. Lies, lies, and more lies. Dropped off car 9/24 given a Chrysler Pacifica. $100 bucks a week in gas. Took it back when a Mazda 3 was available. Also, my options not yet installed to date. Dealer has been horrible. I had to follow up on ordering paid for options. Phone calls not returned, ect. :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    Our customers MZ5's have been fixed and they are picking them up today....Our stock units will be fixed as non customers parts come it over the next couple weeks.
  • msljmslj Member Posts: 4
    I spoke with my dealer this morning. He still has not received any parts to fix the MZ5s, and he was told by Mazda that he might have parts mid-next week, but probably not until the end of next week at the earliest. He doesn't seem to have any faith in that either, but said he'll call me next week with an update (and probably another delay from Mazda).

    I still don't understand why this is taking so long and why some of us could be waiting up to a month longer than other existing customers, and could still be waiting longer than some dealership's lot vehicles.

    I'm not mad at my dealership, but I am frustrated by Mazda. I don't expect life to be fair, but this is ridiculous.

    Besides, I'm sick of driving this 6. It arrived with globs of jelly all over the interior. The brakes squeal. It was dirty as all heck. The steering and suspension are terribly loose. Enterprise told me "well, not our responsibility, it must have been overlooked. Too bad. We'll give you up to TEN dollars to pay for detailing." I called Mazda after that and they convinced Enterprise to come and get the car and get it detailed. At least Mazda thought the globs of jelly were gross. (I'm suspicious of this car. It has an expired "village of" sticker on the windshield even.) I want my car back. I miss my 5. My dogs miss my 5.
  • skeltonskelton Member Posts: 13
    Is it possible that the reason that the heat shields are shipping in small quantities is limited by the speed of the blacksmiths? Even with 100 blacksmiths working twelve hour days, I wouldn't expect so see all recalled vehicles done in a single week. These aren't soccer balls. These heat shields take quite a bit of skill and muscle to bang out. It's not like these guys aren't already busy pounding out engine blocks for models that are still in production.
  • msljmslj Member Posts: 4
    I spoke with Mazda, who I don't know if I believe anymore about this, and they say the parts will ship on Halloween to my dealer and they should have them Tuesday to fix my car.

    I hope so. I really really do.
  • skeltonskelton Member Posts: 13
    Halloween?

    I knew they had other things on their plate. Holidays always cause disruptions in production, as people tend to think about things other than work. Probably a bunch of killer parties this weekend.
  • tacokingtacoking Member Posts: 5
    Maybe it's the ghost of recalls past..........spooky isnt it? :)
  • mtgapmtgap Member Posts: 3
    Just picked up vehicle and drove it home 80 miles or so...to those that have not received their vehicle as of yet, relax I didn't detect any difference in the performance of the vehicle or how it rides...also, no "idiot" sticker next to the gear shifter. The heat shield is not readily visible - in fact, it appears as if a completely new muffller system has been added...I now have a rather nice looking aluminum exhaust tip. Was also informed the computer was not altered in any way - In fact they didn't even disconnect the battery to make the repairs, since all of my pre-programmed radio stations are still present. was given an invoice that listed parts added and labor provided - the major expense was the rental car bill $1,100 ouch. Good luck to everyone still waiting.
  • nevergrowupnevergrowup Member Posts: 17
    Got called this afternoon to pickup my Mazda5. I called them and told them I was on my way. When I got there my 5 was pulled around, detailed, filled with fuel and the one of the service managers met me and took the rental car keys. My rental was a 2005 Toyota Sienna with about 6K miles.
    According to the work order, the recall was for a main silencer replacement, they replaced the Helmut (whatever that is) and there was a silencer kit and two heat insulating kits. Labor states they installed the recall parts and reflashed the PCM.
    No noticeable change from what I remember of the car some 6 weeks ago I dropped it off Sept 16..
  • twozoomstwozooms Member Posts: 1
    I picked up my repaired Mazda5 this afternoon (black auto touring)-nicely detailed with a full tank and the oil changed. Bought on 7/30, turned in on 9/21 with 3K miles. Although the loaner 2005 MPV from my dealer was better than some alternatives, I am very glad to have my smaller peppier more fuel-efficient Mazda5 back!

    Yesterday my dealer received parts for 6 of 7 vehicles sold and was getting them back to their owners today. The ticket indicates a main silencer replacement, a heat insulator, and reprogramming of the powertrain control module.

    Now I am just looking forward to getting that $500 check.

    I love this car-a great companion to my Protege5! :)
  • zakoopszakoops Member Posts: 1
    Just got a call this Friday night on my answering machine (Oct. 28) that my M5 is now fixed and available at my dealer.

    Too late as dealers are closed on week-end (that's in Montreal, Canada). Will be really curious to see (next Monday or Tuesday) if the car rides as nice as the memory I got from it some weeks ago... I guess that the reflashed PCM is probably the more impacting change, if any.

    Anyway, I'm somewhat glad that you did not notice any change in the car behavior!
  • willz2006willz2006 Member Posts: 8
    I am stilll waiting for the Mazda.We're still driving the noisy Ford Freestar! WE still didnt hear anythin from the dealer ( Roy Foss a GM dealer). We got it from them because we bought our cars since we came to Canada. They aparently sell other make and models too. Is my car getting delayed becuz i bought it from a GM Dealer? Btw, I think my car is coming from Scarboro Mazda to RoyFoss.
  • willz2006willz2006 Member Posts: 8
    I'm getting frustrated now!!!!!!
  • bypasskidbypasskid Member Posts: 57
    I am really fed up!!! Still driving that pig (no offense to the actual animals) Buick Rendez Vous, called the dealer, the answer was, "Geez... we don't know" It was as though I was talking to Homer Simpson.
  • miffedmiffed Member Posts: 36
    I sent my lemon law notification by certified letter to Mazda on the 30th day which was like October 17th like the NE lemon law tells me too! I drove the car for 5 days to date it's been in the shop for 43 days. The NE law says that after 40 days of non use it is deemed a lemon. The dealer was called this week to see when the car's parts would be in since Mazda said the week of the 24th of October the parts would be shipped. The dealer has no parts yet. I have only received to date the certified receipt that Mazda signed for my letter. My step on Monday is to call the Attorney General for the State of NE to say they are not responding to the Ne lemon law. I will probably have to get a lawyer to get out of this mess. Which will cost me about the same if I just took the car and traded it in. I can't believe some of the articles I read in this forum. No doubt the car is a good looking vehicle. But if you can never drive it what good is it? Every person that bought this vehicle has been screwed over by Mazda. They put out a defective vehicle and are trying to make us feel good about what they've so called done for us. US and Canadian people bend over and get zoom zoomed. I think we all need to get together contact an attorney that specializes in class action lawsuits and thank Mazda for the 50 plus days we could not use our cars for selling us all :lemon:
  • mazda5lovermazda5lover Member Posts: 29
    I am also Waiting. I just got a call from my delaer here in Boston and he tells me that the parts are in. He tells me that my car will be ready by mid-next week. I was informed that they are replacing the heat shield and the WHOLE muffler. Just an update on the info I've gotten. I have not yet driven by brand new 11 mile Mazda 5. It never left the lot and I am anxious to get in there. I guess I will not be able to tell you the difference. I never had the car before the recall.
  • mctwinsmctwins Member Posts: 4
    I was surprised to see that no one has started a class action suit. I'm sure Mazda is well aware of their grim position. We sent our lemon letter as well. In Oregon we are entitled to 3 times the amount of the purchase price and fees of the vehicle and associated fees as well as the attorney fees if it has to go to court. I am disappointed that Mazda is not contacting those that have started the process, although I guess I should have expected it from the way they have handled this recall. I have no idea when our 5 will be done as we have never heard one word from the dealership. We are not planning to take repossession of the car when it is done though. They can keep it. We'll be turning in our loaner and continuing with the lemon proceedings... :sick: :lemon:
  • nevergrowupnevergrowup Member Posts: 17
    As a Mazda5 owner whose vehicle was recalled after having it 4 days and has now been returned, I think Mazda did the right thing. They realized and admitted there was problem (even when caused by operator stupidity). They recalled the vehicles and got them off the road and gave out loaners. They engineered a fix and are fixing the cars all at no cost to the owners. They are also giving $500 for inconvienence to the owners and resetting the time on the warrenty. I have had many acquantances who have had their vehicles recalled, and none were treated this well. This was a very responsible way to treat the customers. I guarentee you any number of American made car owners whose cars were recalled would love to be treated like this. I agree that 6 weeks or so is a good amount of time to be without a your new toy, but what is your families safety worth. If they had denighed there was a problem, until a fix was engineered, the same folks would be complaining of a cover-up. We live in a society where everyone wants everything right now. Somethings cannot be done in a day or a week. I am not in the auto industry at all, I am a Computer Engineer. And the only guy I know who should complain is the poor person who got his or her vehicle flooded and that is a poor Dealer issue. Mazda in my humble opinion - Ya Done Good
  • frank4carsfrank4cars Member Posts: 98
    I have to admit that I'm one of those people on the other side of this issue, but I keep shaking my head at all of the hatred for Mazda here. I bought this vehicle because it met all of my motoring needs most closely. I think I want to give Mazda enough time to at least try to fix it. I am willing to wait and I understand a lot of you might not be.

    Whether it's for buyers remorse or fear of future problems or some other reason, some of you have decided to take Mazda to task on this and that is certainly your prerogative. I'm not trying to change your minds, just trying to explain why I (and I assume others) might be questioning all of these lemon law actions. I can't see how anybody will actually come out even, let alone ahead, when all is said and done. At any rate, here are some of my thoughts on some of the issues that have been brought up regarding this recall.

    I think Mazda did a standup job by being proactive when they heard about a potential problem. With this being a new model, there were probably thousands of things they needed to look at to identify the cause of the three reported fires. Mazda decided to play it safe and recall all of the vehicles until the cause of the problem and a fix could be found.

    All three fires occured within the first 100 miles of operation, telling me that these drivers were just learning about their new vehicles and hadn't read the manual or had the features explained to them adequately. Although the programming on the transmission did not disallow this kind of prolongued high RPM driving, it's hard for me to imagine a company being able to anticipate such driver abuse. Manual transmissions do not seem to have any such safeguards. What some see as a design flaw or something Mazda overlooked, appears to me to be an attempt to give drivers what many enthusiasts were demanding; true manual control of the automatic transmission when needed.

    The information we received on this board was a lot faster than the postal service but Mazda did send notices even before the official NHTSA recall. Once the remedy was identified Mazda sent another notice identifying a date that parts would ship. A third letter was sent promising an additional $500 in compensation for the trouble this has caused owners.

    Some people have already received their retrofitted 5s back from the dealer. Most others will probably be fixed in the next couple of weeks. Others (mine included) were either never turned in or were picked up weeks ago when the problem had been identified as driver error causing an excessive heat buildup. True, those who decided to leave their vehicles at the shop the whole time were justified in protecting themselves against a potentially deadly fire, but Mazda didn't take the vehicle away. There was no mechanical problem that was keeping the 5s from running and being driven. It's not as if Mazda had tried to fix the problem and failed and the vehicle had to be returned to attempt another fix. My belief about the lemon law is that it is there to give the dealer a reasonable amount of tries (or time) to fix a problem. This was a complex diagnosis and fix for an all-new model and it therefore required a lot of time to implement.

    Mazda authorized loaners for all affected owners. They provided dealers with the authorization to have other Mazda models available as loaners (however poorly some individual dealers handled this). Complaining about the loaners seems a bit disingenuous at best. The loaners might not have been Mazda 5s, but Mazda encouraged dealers to provide whatever vehicle the customer felt met their needs best. Those complaining about poor mileage in their MPVs could have chosen a 3 or 6 instead. Those who complained about the lack of space in their 3s could have gone for the MPV. What vehicle would you have purchased had the 5 not been available? Would that have met all of your needs the way the 5 did? I know a lot of dealerships that don't provide ANY service loaners when a car is in for service.

    For those who are complaining about being without the car they were making payments on (or who had paid for in full already), any car that goes into the shop has the same problem. Would you be justified in demanding a week's worth of payments back? A day's? An hour's? I understand that we had just purchased a new car, were generally excited about it, and it was now taken away from us, but while we were making payments on our 5 we weren't putting any miles on it and we were driving loaners for free.

    From what I've seen here about a dozen people have decided to cut their losses and attempt a lemon law buyback from Mazda. That's a fairly small percentage of the 5 owners here and I am guessing for Mazda5 owners overall it will be a similarly small percentage. I don't know if those vehicles will be ineligible for future resale or if they will have to have some documentation attached before they are sold again, but it appears that a savvy buyer could get a REAL bargain on a vehicle that should be perfectly safe once the exhaust is fixed.

    For those that have chosen to file a lemon law action, I truly wish you the best. I think I'm just a little sad to see so many people "giving up on" such a fun and exciting, and truly unique automobile. For those that are keeping their 5s, let's hope the fixes are finished soon and that no other problems pop up any time soon. Peace.
  • mtgapmtgap Member Posts: 3
    Well said frank4cars..

    Under the circumstances, I feel Mazda has handled the situation quite satisfactory given their no win situation. If it means that I'm inconvenienced for a month or so, I can live with it - better to err on the side of caution than to do nothing.

    Let's face it the vehicle is unique, that's why we purchased it...we wanted the handling, utility and gas mileage of a smaller vehicle while not sacrificing passenger space and comfort (and we did not want to be seen driving a mini van)- we got all this a price that is extremely competitive...Believe me, after driving a $28,000 Pontiac rental for a month I was more than happy to be reunited with the Mazda.

    I understand the frustration concerning the long wait and lemon law proceedings, but at present there's not a vehicle in this price range that can top the Mazda - anyone that's been driving a rental for the last month will surely agree.
  • nevergrowupnevergrowup Member Posts: 17
    When you think about it, they analysed the problem. ( This can be the hardest part as you may not have all of the causes and symtoms, - I had a fire in the back) Designed a solution and I assume tested it. Now that they had a design, they had to get a contract with a vendor to produce them and the vendor had to set up production for the new parts with their other business. Then they had to be ship them to Mazda and to the dealers for installation. Have worked with contracting and production line scheduling systems, this seems pretty reasonable.
  • miffedmiffed Member Posts: 36
    I hope all your 5's are wonderful and care free. I under my free will, purchased an automobile from Mazda that was suppose to be free from defects when it was engineered. Not when people figured out there was something wrong with it. I believe that is what they use their R&D for. The testing of the vehicle. Mazda didn't do this they were in such a rush to market they forgot one important factor stupid people may purchase one. I can not stand the manual mode in this automobile but my wife has to drive an automatic so I was stuck. I also know that it can get knocked out of auto into the manual mode very easy and if you haven't noticed it, the engine will race and it will get hot. Poor design yes. Why put this type of transmission in vehicle in the first place? People either buy manual or auto transmisions I guess it's a fad. The Mazda 5 is not a race car it is a family car it is not fast it is a 4 cylinder economical automobile. That is why I bought it. No other reason. It doesn't zoom zoom its a van! It's a soccer Mom's van that gets good gas mileage. That is it, no more no less. mazda IMO did a piss poor job with this recall. The $500.00 means nothing to me. It's an insigificant amount of money that will not pay for the taxes and license I've paid on this vehicle the interest on my loan or any portion of my car payment or insurance. Who ever said that we are not putting any miles on our cars and we have a loaner for free is an idiot! I also bought the extended warranty to 100,000 miles big crap about the December 1 st stuff who cares! It's not that much money and it's a poor token of appreciation for buying a lemon. I hope all you savvy buyer's buy the ones we don't want any longer. You say that fat americans want everything right now.. No I purchased this vehicle so my family would have safe transportation from school to work to basketball practice and football practice. I bought a 4 cylinder because gas prices were near $3.25/gallon. When i purchased the vehicle I washed and waxed it and scotch guarded the interior. I didn't want to buy a new car but i had to because my Nissan Quest was falling apart. It was a necessity. I paid my hard earned money for this vehicle not a loaner. I have been waiting for Mazda to fix it for 44 days. They haven't come through yet. All of you may fool yourself and say what a wonderful job Mazda did on this. But think of this? If they are such a great car maker why did this happen in the first place? Why did it take so long to come up with a fix? The people who went back to get their cars from the dealers early were scared that just maybe something is really wrong with this vehicle. So they took them in. They loved their Mazda's hmm maybe they do start on fire? I better take it in? The bold move they made was portrayed when they found out what the problem was and went back to the dealer and got their vehicles back. I hope you don't carry your families in them you may have made a mistake if there was a real fire problem with them. Which for all who did, we sit here with a loaner and car payments and letters from Mazda that say we have a fix the parts will be shipped the 24th of October you will get your car back as soon as the dealer modifies them for safety. Now we learn that not all of the packages to fix these vehicles are made yet. That letter IMO was a stall letter so more people wouldn't invoke the lemon law. Send your letters people... or you may think your getting a new vehicle for christmas. Because if they are sending 2 packages a week for over 5,500 vehicles it will be christmas before some of us see them again. We won't know the real truth about what was wrong with them specifically. We all are guessing! But it scared Mazda enough to recall them. A lawsuit has a tendancy to scare car manufacturer's when people start burning up inside their cars because of a poor design. It is not a unique vehicle it's a small mini van that IMO is defective. The car is not human you give up on life you give up smoking you can't give up on an automobile. It is not alive it does not have feelings. We buy cars because they are a necessity that is it. After this recall who cares if they get recalled again it would be par for the course. Maybe the next one will take it to the 4 year mark so they can rerestart our warranty again. :lemon:
  • dontecdontec Member Posts: 9
    I just want to add two small remarks.
    First, Mazda did screw up, when it placed a defective vehicle on the market. The “tiptronik”(i.e.Auto-manual) is not the source of the problem. The problem is very poor adaptation of the car to the American market and to the only 4 cyl engine certified for the USA:2.3 liter. The rest of the world is happy with 2.0 and the muffler and heat shield are carried over from that engine, that is why they did not issue a recall on Euro 5s.
    Second, Mazda screw up the second time, when they promised to fix all the vehicles by the end of the October. It is now more then 45 days past due.
    Just imagine you being late 45 days for your Mazda 5 payment and how “happy” they will be to wait another a COPLE OF WHEEKS TO get your payment. How long will they wait to call a REPO company??? This is the same thing. I did not drive my car for 45 days now, and I want Mazda to be very careful with dates they promise, and pay, when then can not keep their word.
    I’m not filing a Lemon for now, but very upset and disappointed with Mazda USA management. I thought Mazda would be able to show the best example to Ford company of how to develop and market new cars. I was wrong. It is Ford, with their poor quality and reputation, who drags Mazda into a pile of junk. Volvo is on the same page. Their cars are getting terrible since Ford bought Volvo...

    Thanks for reading
  • miffedmiffed Member Posts: 36
    If you bought a computer from a company and it was broken when you purchased it. Do you think you should have to pay to have it repaired? If we go with your notes posted on this forum the answer would be yes. And I bet we should be happy about it! Please tell me that you didn't design the computer for the Mazda 5? Believe me I know when I purchased my vehicle in September that I really wasn't in a hurry to drive it. I wanted to let it sit in dealers lot for 50 days so I wouldn't put too many miles on it. I also wouldn't have been able to get a loaner like the used Mazda 6. I always wanted to see what a used smelly Mazda 6 was like. IMO it is also a piece but it hasn't been recalled yet. Mazda in my humble
    opinion oh never mind. :lemon:
  • miffedmiffed Member Posts: 36
    Well said dontec I hope everyone reads your message, and it dawns on them Mazda is like every other car manufacturer. IMO they do not care about you or me or any other Mazda 5 owner. IMO I think they are probably worried more about legal issues resulting from this recall than anything else :lemon: .
  • nevergrowupnevergrowup Member Posts: 17
    I do not understand the analogy of the computer. With the Mazda, I am not paying anything, other than any difference in gas mileage. They provided a dependable loaner and are paying all the costs of repair plus $500. I guess it is all in how you look at it.

    I agree with you, I bought the car for dependable family transportation. I traded in a Nissan Pickup because I did not like having to come home and change vehicles whenever I need to pick up both of my teenagers. I usually hold on to vehicles 10 years or more and expect to do this with my Mazda5.

    As to your smelly 6 that seems like a dealer issue. I looked at the 6 wagon and decided there were issues with the 6 cylinder motor I did not like and passed on it. I also felt it was too high priced for the vehicle. I wanted a mini van but they are not "mini" anymore. My dealer is a Toyota/Mazda Dealer, at first they offered a Mazda 3 or Camry, I explained I needed more space they offered a MPV or a Sienna, I liked the Sienna better and drove it for 6 weeks. Also according to posts in this forum, after the problem was determined, people were getting their cars back to drive while waiting, if they chose to do so.

    I have been driving Asian imports for over 30 years and this is my first recall on an import. My 1992 Jeep Wrangler, has had 5 or 6 recalls (Wiring harness, starter, muffler, fuel tank). So this is no big deal, protecting the operator against themselves. When you purchase a vehicle in the first year of production, there is a risk of recall, this is my first Mazda and while it is unfortunate that it happened, this sometimes happens with new vehicles. I just could not find anything else with smaller size, fuel efficiency and cost that competes with the Mazda 5. No, I did not work on the computer system for Mazda, however I did help implement production line system upgrades at Honda in Ohio a few years back.

    I understand people see things through different viewpoints. Lemon laws exist for those who have unresolvable issues. I believe that anyone, who has gone through this recall, has the right to envolk the Lemon Laws according to their state laws. And encourage them to do so if they chose. I personally do not think it is warrented in my case, but if you or any one else does by all means go for it. My local dealer had 6 - Mazda5s in for recall and one person used Florida Lemon Law. All have been repaired and returned, I do not understand the two kits per week that has been mentioned but that is anther issue. I talked with the Mazda sales manager periodically to keep up to date (he was more helpful than the service manager). He understood it was the persons right and even helped them fill out the paperwork. I think they ended up buying a Scion xB from him.
  • miffedmiffed Member Posts: 36
    I guess when we buy something we expect it to be free of defects. We should demand it from the manufacturer. My first vehicle was a Ford pickup I was under that vehicle constantly making repairs. I bought my first foreign car in 1984 I haven't owned a domestic car since then. I feel the $500 dollars is hush money for all 5 owners who are going through this recall. I have never ever had a recall last this long. I have never seen or heard of anyone not being able to use there new cars for 50 + days. I have had vehicles recalled before. They fix it in a day and I'm back in service. I guess when I look at this it angers me. I work hard for my money I spent $20,000 dollars on a vehicle I can't drive because the engineering on the vehicle was screwed up. As a consumer I have the right to purchase items that are free of defects. But defects happen and I know whatever I purchase that could happen but never ever to this extreme. Since I purchased this vehicle in September it has sat in the dealers lot outside in the weather. I take care of my vehicles it drives me crazy that it sits outside when it should be sitting in my garage free from hail and snow. I don't know about all you other owners but $20,0000 dollars to let something sit and rot and weather outside is not good use of my money. I hate to see what this recall will do to the trade in value we all might be driving AMC Pacers? I hate this vehicle and I wish it would go away. I hate Mazda for selling me a vehicle that is defective. But Mazda nor the dealership care. I am angry because I put my trust in Mazda to sell me a good vehicle and they did not. Now they want to offer me $500.00 dollars to make it right. I spend $20,000 on a defective vehicle they give me $500.00 and say were even? They gave me a loaner car and they didn't have too! My insurance and my extended warranty would have given me a loaner so that is no big deal. Besides if my insurance company had given me the rental I probably wouldn't have been stuck with a smelly Mazda 6. We as consumers shrugg our shoulders when we purchase something that is junk or defective. We shouldn't have to accept anything less than what we pay for or accept treatment any less than we deserve, we should take it back and say here we don't want this any longer because it's junk and it's defective we want our money back! We all do it for purchases at Wal Mart and Target and Kmart. They have no problem with it. Why should cars be any different? Just my opinion but this is how they made me feel with this recall! :lemon:
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    No manufacturer will EVER promise a product free of defects. It doesn't say that anywhere and Mazda won't say it.

    This is what warranties are for. To correct the inevitable, unavoidable and you can count on 'em defects that any product made by humans and their robot friends produce.

    An automaker's highest (and most realistic) goal is to stand behind their products, not promise perfection.

    If you are looking for perfection you will be eternally disappointed with any car you buy I'm afraid.
  • frank4carsfrank4cars Member Posts: 98
    I think I just spotted something that might help explain your anger about this issue. The official recall letter just arrived a couple of days ago. Most other recalls you have experienced probably had resulted from receiving a similar letter, setting up an appointment to fix the car, and getting the vehicle in and out of service in a day or two. Mazda didn't want to wait those couple of months between hearing about the problem and developing a fix so they sent out letters to inform owners and have them bring them in during this period to protect owners and their passngers from a potential fire. I brought mine in fairly quickly but picked it up a couple of weeks later after the cause had been identified. For those who left their 5s at the dealer, this has been a long time to be without your new car, but everybody had a choice

    If we go by when the official recall letter arrived, some vehicles were already fixed and many apparently, will be fixed within a couple of weeks. Still not a day, but not a few months. Since the original notices were sent by Mazda, some people chose to bring their 5s in. Choosing to err on the side of caution, feeling the potential fire was too big a risk to take with their safety, but you had the option of going and getting your 5 at any time.

    As for the car sitting outside during this process, that is exactly why I went and got mine back after a couple of weeks. And many owners don't have garages or even carports to protect their vehicles from the weather, so the dealer lot isn't necessarily worse. Of course this is a bit of an illusion as the vehicles had already sat outside the Mazda factory, had been transported across the ocean, had sat in a distribution lot, and had sat on the dealer lot for up to two months.

    Finally, you have persisted in describing this as a defect that Mazda overlooked or in saying that Mazda sold you a vehicle that wasn't properly engineered. I don't know that I will ever be able to convince you otherwise (and I don't even know why I'm bothering to try after you called me an idiot :D), but this was a flaw that wasn't discovered until a couple of individuals drove their vehicles in an exceptional and understandably unpredictable way in my mind. Again I can only refer to the fact that manual transmission cars have been sold for decades without requiring any safeguards against sustained high-RPM operation.

    Responding to my earlier post you said : "I can not stand the manual mode in this automobile but my wife has to drive an automatic so I was stuck. I also know that it can get knocked out of auto into the manual mode very easy and if you haven't noticed it, the engine will race and it will get hot. Poor design yes. Why put this type of transmission in vehicle in the first place? People either buy manual or auto transmisions I guess it's a fad. The Mazda 5 is not a race car it is a family car it is not fast it is a 4 cylinder economical automobile. That is why I bought it. No other reason. It doesn't zoom zoom its a van! It's a soccer Mom's van that gets good gas mileage. That is it, no more no less."

    Manual shifting automatics have been on the market for years and they represent the best of both worlds for many drivers. This same transmission has been in use on other Mazdas for years and has not resulted in any similar problems. If it is knocked into manual mode, most owners would probably notice that the car wasn't upshifting when necessary and would probably slow down or stop when they heard the engine racing. Three people apparently didn't notice and continued on driving this way. That is driver ignorance or abuse, not a design flaw.

    I don't see this transmission as a performance oriented option but as a vehicle control feature. On grades or when traction is an issue, gear selection may be desirable. Some people like yourself see this vehicle as a minivan and think this transmission is out of place (I assume you don't understand why a stick would be offered at all then). For myself, and I assume others, this is not a minivan and that's what makes it unique. I see it as the biggest economy wagon I can buy. I like the sporty handling (thanks in part to high-performance, low-profile 17 inch tires) and the brisk acceleration this vehicle offers compared to the performance I would have had if I had gone with a minivan or SUV. Like it or not, it does zoom-zoom compared to most vehicles out there that even come close to being competition for the 5.

    Anyways, I want to repeat that I'm truly sorry you are having such a painful experience with your 5. I wish you the best in getting your money back. Everybody has different reactions to people and events. I just felt I needed to clarify some of the points from your last resonse and try to explain why your hostility towards Mazda and other townhall members seems out of place. This will be the last thing I say about the issue. E-mail me if you want to discuss it further.
  • dontecdontec Member Posts: 9
    Well, there is no hostility. It is pure business. I paid 20k and I want my car on time.
    I want Mazda to read this forum and understand true values and run like a German Trains-On TIME up to a second. No stupid excuses, no meaningless dates they could not keep.
    I have heard some people in FL are getting their 5s back. Here, in Ohio, not a single vehicle was released. I call 20 dealers from Indiana border to Pa Border and no one has a single kit.
    I assume FL and TX get their kits first or our government will try to find some Arms of Mass Destruction in Japan. They are scared of Bush boys….What about swing State? We were also red.

    Cheers
  • mctwinsmctwins Member Posts: 4
    How many of the 5,000 Mazda5 owners do you think are actually reading this forum? I would doubt that even 10% are following this discussion. It is ignorant to say that only 5-12 people are pursuing the lemon law and the rest of the owners are perfectly happy with the situation. I am pursuing the lemon law not because I want to stick it to Mazda, but because my car has now had 2 defects, has been in the shop for 50+ days so far, I had to fight the dealership to replace the first defect (they tried to blame me for it and I had to have an outside company assess the situation), I am concerned about other future defects and the welfare of my family and I am concerned about the financial reprocussions of this recall. It is one thing to have a recall and to take you car in for repair and have it back a week later. It is another thing altogether to have to tell someone the car spent 60 days in the shop. Would you purchase a vehicle you knew spent considerable time in the shop? I wouldn't. I am concerned that this recall is going to have an effect on the resale of my vehicle...and maybe it won't, but that is not a risk I am going to take....and don't get my wrong, I loved my 5 and I am sad that I am losing it, but I am not happy with the situation and want out! :lemon:
  • lolo2lolo2 Member Posts: 10
    Hate to disappoint you..but I'm in Houston and I'm still waiting for my 5..So try another theory :D
  • drspongklongdrspongklong Member Posts: 48
    I'm also in Fort Worth and still waiting for my 5. Where did you get your idea that people in TX are getting their kits first?
  • drspongklongdrspongklong Member Posts: 48
    Why don't you buy a car from Wal-mart or Target or K-mart and return it if you don't wan't it anymore? I guess this explains why cars are different.
  • dontecdontec Member Posts: 9
    I was kidding… ;)
  • miffedmiffed Member Posts: 36
    If I said anything hurtful to anyone in this forum I apologize. Maybe a lot of frustration and a lot of anger keeps coming out because of this whole nightmare. But if I offended anyone I'm sorry please forgive me. I hope for everyones sake we get what we want and for God's sake I hope no one gets hurt because of defects from any automobile. I feel cheated because I spent a lot of money for a car I can't drive. I do agree that the cars come over on a ship and they sit outside on a rail car and they sit on the dealers lot. But I own this car and if a hail storm or ice storm comes and the car gets damaged the dealer said to me "That's why you have insurance" That really torqued me. Then we have SMARA who's car was flooded in the dealers lot through no fault of hers. The dealer says turn it in to your insurance company. She will probably have to get an attorney to get taken care of. The 4 letters I've received from Mazda was crap. We wanted a time frame we got nothing. People are getting their cars fixed the other's wait. I have had enough. I didn't care if I was first with the fix or last just tell me when! They did the warranty redo (does nothing for me) the $500.00 is still far below of what I paid so far out of my pocket besides the price I paid for the car that I can't drive. I can detail my car better than the dealer. For me now IT IS THE PRINCIPAL OF IT ALL, THAT I AM AT THE MERCY OF MAZDA AFTER HANDING THEM $20,000.00 AND I HAVE NO SAY OVER IT! I have lost faith in Mazda as a car manufacturer, the car itself and my dealer. If I get stuck taking this vehicle back and my family gets hurt I will never forgive myself. I have that gut feeling about this and it scares the heck out of me. To all of you I wish you the best of luck and I hope no one gets injured in their 5's. Besides if I get stuck with this and it breaks again you will hear from again but this time I will not be very nice towards Mazda. :lemon:
  • miffedmiffed Member Posts: 36
    But think about it. For what they cost we should be able too! If I buy a saw from Wal Mart for $200.00 and it doesn't work properly they'll refund or replace. But if I spend $20,000.00 for something that does not work properly it's mine forever. I have a hard time understanding this. Really, I could have had virtually any vehicle made and I chose a lemon and I'm mad at myself for it. I chose poorly. :lemon:
  • piscarshopper1piscarshopper1 Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone checked out the maintenance schedule? I reviewed briefly and found reference to inspection of HEAT SHIELDS!! Did our cars miss something in the production or deleted for cost savings?
  • dontecdontec Member Posts: 9
    Yes, Inspect Mufflers and Heatshield is in there for every 75k miles. The same is for Mazda3. I just checked. They probably mean: check for leakes and rust.

    By the way, Mazda has to be driven gently for the first 600 miles for a break-in. No high revs, no constant speed for long time, no fires....Why not to put a lower RPM limiter for an Auto Tranny for the first 600 miles? This would have taken care of the recall problem. 3 fires happened in the break-in period, when their cars were supposed to be used gently. Why not to read a manual??? Why not to explain it at the dealership about a break-in...?
    I assume they know about a break-in at the dealership and will not screw my engine, especially at 150 miles I have on it.
  • jagphantombluejagphantomblue Member Posts: 13
    I live in Clearwater Fl and my Mazda5 is ready for me to pick up this afternoon. :shades:
  • smariasmaria Member Posts: 279
    Then we have SMARA who's car was flooded in the dealers lot through no fault of hers. The dealer says turn it in to your insurance company. She will probably have to get an attorney to get taken care of.

    First of all, I'm a he, not a she ;)

    I still haven't resolved this. In the meantime, I've done 2 things:

    (1) My insurance company is fixing the car. I've been informed by some reliable sources that having my insurance company fix the car doesn't preclude any future legal settlement. So at least this way the car'll get fixed and I'll have something to drive, and I can still pursue other means of getting reimbursed for my losses.

    (2) I've also contacted the State of New Jersey's Division of Banking and Insurance Consumer Protection division, and they're reviewing the dealer's insurance claim. Hopefully the agency will decide that the dealer's insurance company needs to pay up *keeping my fingers crossed*

    Steve
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