Mazda3 Engine Issues

igozoomzoom

My 2006 MZ3 2.3L spun a bearing at 49,200 miles back in May 2008. The car was only 29 months old! Another 800 miles and it would have been out of warranty. Even under warranty, I had to be VERY direct and firm with the Service Manager and the Regional Service Manager to get the engine replaced. All of my oil changes were performed between 5800 and 7300 miles and I provided the documentation to prove that. Mazda required oil and filter changes every 7500 miles per the manual. They called my mechanic multiple times and grilled him about the brand and weight of oil he used, brand of filter and several other things. It was obvious that they were trying to deny the warranty claim. After three days of stall tactics, I had my attorney draft a letter demanding that they comply with the warranty. They delivered a loaner vehicle to my office and ordered the new engine the same day they got the letter. If it had happened 800 miles later, I wouldn’t have been as fortunate.

buckdashe

I have to chime in. I bought a 2005 Mazda 3 Sport last year (June 2014) and love it. My wife drives it mostly...
Yep, drinks a quart of Mobile 1 every 500 miles. No leaks, no smoke. I had 67,000 miles when I bought, I have changed the PCV (and made a YouTube video!) and tried an oil additive. No luck.
We took the car on a 5000 mile vacation with no issues except the oil consumption. On the highway, it slowed to about a quart every 1000.
This car is so fun to drive so, on July 4, 2015 I bought another one for myself! A 2008 Mazda 3 Sport which now has 64,000 miles and does not use any oil at all (and so far runs fantastic.) I'm wondering why this is so random...
Somebody mentioned a "collapsed oil seal" being the cause. Is there any background on this? Like which oil seal or where it's located?