Mazda5 Cold Weather Issues

jonv8

Last winter I had problems with my Mazda5 side door latches freezing so the doors wouldn't close. There were many reports of this on various internet forums. Some people commented that they heard a new latch design was in the works.

I figured I'd give Mazda one season to work out the new model year bugs. However, it's getting cold now and my dealer says there's not so much as a TSB about freezing door latches. They haven't heard of a new latch design.

Anybody have a solution for this? I can't live with a car that won't shut the doors during freezing rain.

yzerman19

Somebody in Ontario mentioned that their dealership changed the lube that was used in the doors and that seemed to work. We've been told by our dealership that Mazda is aware of the problem (after my multiple e-mails to Mazda Canada where I got a response, at least two people there know of the problem) and that yes, they were working on a new door latch mechanism. This was some time ago however. My suggestion to them would be to get some Toyoto engineers to help and come up with a solution. We will probably end up going to the Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan and return the vehicle in this fashion. Either that, or my wife will personally drive the vehicle through the showroom window and park it. It's been very frustrating to say the least. We didn't even have the vehicle for 24 hours before the problem showed up.

c3po

It's that time of the year again. Winter ! I have heard that the GS model only have this problem. The GT has a different mechanism that is not affected. Also I read in other forum is the temporary fix is to take out the door panel and grease it.

audia8q

I figured I'd give Mazda one season to work out the new model year bugs. However, it's getting cold now and my dealer says there's not so much as a TSB about freezing door latches. They haven't heard of a new latch design.

Anybody have a solution for this?

Mazda will be issuing a TSB over the next few days concerning this issue. vehicles involved were built from april 2005-feb 2006.

jonv8

You sound like you have inside information... please please let us know when the TSB is released! I will be at the dealer the next day!

Can you give us any info on the fix?

I hope this TSB works... I really love driving the 5 but my wife will sell it if the door gets stuck open one more time with our baby in the back seat...

dbt

audia8q is a Mazda dealer and is very reliable.

P.s. Thanks for letting us know that a solution was coming soon.

audia8q

Mazda will notify owners of invloved vehicles over the next few weeks....It will take a bit of time to get the parts to dealers.

nym5

fresh off the 'wire':

"Attention Mazda Service and Parts Managers

This is to notify you of an upcoming regional recall and regional SSP campaign on certain 2006 Mazda5 vehicles.

Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct a regional Recall campaign in 31 cold/wet weather states and a regional Special Service Program (SSP) in 19 remaining states to replace the sliding door latches on certain 2006 Mazda5 vehicles produced from April 12, 2005 through February 1, 2006.

On certain Mazda5 vehicles, water may accumulate inside the door latch unit when the vehicle is exposed to a large amount of water (e.g. carwash, rainwater or melting snow). If the accumulated water is frozen under low ambient temperature, the ice will crack when the door is opened. When the door is closed under these conditions, ice can interfere with the door latch operation, causing the sliding door not to latch closed. The purpose of this campaign is to replace the latch mechanism with a modified one. Mazda Motor Corporation has determined that the frozen latch condition can only occur when the ambient temperature drops to levels substantially below freezing for an extended period.

Owners of affected vehicles in the following states will be notified of Recall 4306K:

Alaska Colorado Connecticut Delaware Idaho Illinois

Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maine Maryland

Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska

New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Dakota Ohio Pennsylvania

Rhode Island South Dakota Utah Vermont West Virginia Wisconsin

Wyoming

Owners of affected vehicles in the following states will be notified of SSP 68:

Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Florida

Georgia Louisiana Mississippi Nevada New Mexico

North Carolina Oklahoma Oregon South Carolina Tennessee

Texas Virginia Washington Hawaii

TIMING

Dealers receive recall e-mail: December 13, 2006

Dealer packet mailing begins: December 14, 2006

Owner letter mailing begins: December 18, 2006

SUBJECT VEHICLES

Model
VIN Range
Build Date Range

2006 Mazda5
JM1 CR29** 60 100023 – 120693
April 12, 2005 through February 1, 2006

The asterisk symbol “*” can be any letter or number.

OWNER NOTIFICATION
Mazda will notify U.S. owners by first class mail beginning December 18, 2006.

DEALER INVENTORY

Dealers should complete Recall 4306K or SSP 68 for affected Mazda5 vehicles in dealer inventory."

Finally, some action

marlonchwo

Hi guys,
I am new to this forum, but I owned my M5 GT since Sept 06. So far, my car running good except I have my right slide door freezed twice. I called the dealership today, and will send for a replacement on Fri. I was told Mazda Canada aware of this issue, and have replacement parts. Will posted when I have it fixed. Hope it fixed permanetly.

PF_Flyer

Welcome to the forum Marlon! Hope we ge to see some pics of your ride on your CarSpace page soon!

hifive

I did receive the recall notice, but since I had no problems last winter I ignored. I am in Minnesota and we are finally getting some actual cold weather. My door latches froze tonight and I drove the car without the doors latching. It's now parked in the garage. Will the latch thaw out overnight? I need my car for clients this week, and I don't have time to take it to the dealership until next week. Has this happened to anyone? Any suggestions. I got the car washed today, could that have made a difference?

April in Minnesota

jonv8

I'm sure the car wash got water in the latch, which then froze.

I'd blow a hairdryer into the latch and dry it out as much as possible. At least you have a garage! Last winter I ran an extension cord out to the street and stood there in the freezing rain with a hairdryer! :mad:

Hopefully the recall actually works... the weather has been warm this year so I haven't been able to really test it yet.

blynmazda5

I brought the car in for the recall.

The service manager said that Mazda was going to send me a questionaire and that I was going to receive a $50 voucher from the dealership once I returned the questionaire.

I plan to use the voucher to either purchase a cargo cover or towards future oil changes.

David

hifive

I called Mazda USA, and they are sending me $100 in gift vouchers that I am going to use to pay for my 15,000 mile service. I told them my life was in danger having to drive with frozen latches, and that it would have endangered my children had they been in the car. I think they don't want a lawsuit. I am taking it in for the recall Friday, I haven't needed to open the sliding doors, my kids are in school this week. It did work again after it had been in the garage overnight.

April in Minnesota

marlonchwo

After the freezing rain, and icy rain in Toronto on this Mon and Tue, the sliding doors are still able to open. What the dealer did to my M5 GT is to apply some kind of silicon lube. I do not think they changed the latch mechanically, as they told me my car is not on the recall list.

Does anyone in Canada hear any recall from Mazda Canada? I still concern that the fix to my car is going to last long enough for the life of it. Please let me know if there is any recall in canada

yzerman19

Finally received a letter from Mazda Canada after our dealership had phoned us in regards to the recall for installing parts for the sliding doors. The parts aren't in yet, probably on back order. It's been 14 months since we first reported the problem to Mazda Canada after it appeared before we even had 24 hours with the 5. This problem is more apparent in Canada due to weather than in the U.S.

c3po

I called the dealer in Toronto, and they never heard of any problems\recalls on freezing door latches. Is this only a problem with the GS model ????

marlonchwo

I do not think so, as mine is GT, and it had this problem before the dealer fixed with lube. I still prefer to have a perm fix as lube will dried out eventually. Hope Mazda Canada will send me a letter. Should I called them, but I did once, and the girl know nothing.

idavidson

No its not a problem with just the sports or must 2006.
I bought a 2007 Touring on Friday and on Tuesday the
door latches froze and one side broke.

Straight to the dealer and got both fixed (insist on
both). Then sent a complaint to Mazda that they should
fix these before sending them out as its down right
dangerous with kids at the back.

nissmazlover

Hey,

Just want to let you guys know that I went to take my 5 also for the recall fix for the sliding doors. They changed them, but I noticed that my doors were seriously out of allignment when I got home. When closed, the left sliding door still looked as if it were open - there was a huge gap between the door and the body of the car and it still protruded. The same happened on the right side, but to a much lesser degree. So, I took it back to get it alligned and they alligned it perfectly. But, ever since the replacement of the latches, the doors sound and feel very different and no where near as smooth as they were. Has anyone else experienced these problems?

mazic

It seems that in cold temperatures ( below freezing) that my madzda 5 creeks loadly in the front end while going over minor bumps. Has anyone out there been expericeing the same? I'm going to bring this issue up with the dealership soon.

Thanks in advance
mazic

andrewhe

You should check the suspension message board for your answer.

zoom500

This past weekend I experienced the same thing. It sounded like something between the windshield and dashboard. I began to think one of the engine mounts was about to give way. very scary especially on the highway.
Where do I find the suspension message board?
zoom 500

zoom500

how do i find that message board?

trishr1

Go to the Forums menu bar at the top of the page - select Mazda5 - suspension - you will find a lot of information there.

trishr1

That didn't work Hmmm - you could copy and paste this into the "search" Ugly Suspension Noise When Cold
It starts with messages from Feb 2006 right up to my last post tonight - it will keep you up for hours.

trishr1

It's late - make sure you scroll down and remove the box that limits you to discussion forum on "Mazda5 cold weather issues" and select "all forums" that will get you a series of messages - pick any one of those and you are in the Mazda5 suspension forum - at least it did when I just tried it.

caliberchic

We are working on making a new place for suspension specific questions. I'll link you there, along with moving all related topics there as soon as it's ready.

zoom500

excellent
thanks for your help
zoom500

castg1

My cold weather issue is that of the mazda remote starter.
At -28Celcius and below, if the car has been parked for 2 hours, chances are the car will not start the first time. AND the remote starter does not do a 'Retry' like the other typical remote start units I've used on other cars. The light turns on as if it has started and then turns off
after the cycle.

So, from the 6floor of the building looking down at my car byt the car park, I would click the remote starter, observe the car. If no steam comes out of the tail pipe, Then I will have to do another 'remote start' procedure.

I think this mazda remote starter does not know if the car has started or not. lolz.

marlonchwo

I have similar case, as I sent my Mazda 5 GT for fixing the freezing latch. They did not change the latch, but added silicon lube. It resolved the problem, and my car did not have the problem afterward.

However, today, after I brought my BB for a wash, I discovered the rear side beside the right sliding door has a scratch. It was rubbed by the inside panel of the sliding door which also has scratch. I brought to the same dealer, and asked for a fix. At first, the manager said he did not see it. But after I pin point the area, he can no longer denied. He ordered the inside panel, and also arranged the affected area to be repaint.

The cause probably due to the poor workmanship, but the manager said b/c of the warpage of the panel. Anyway, the fix will be done in a day, and will let you know if fixed. Anyone would suggest me what should I do other than send the car for fix, and what should I do to ensure the fix is good?

Thanks.

what2get07

Hello,

I have seen a couple of posts from Jan and Mar '07 about the freezing door latches and they appear to be on the '07 model.

Can anyone confirm if this is still a problem / recall on the '07 models as I am considering purchasing a Mazda5 Touring edition and want to check first with other owners.

Also, are there any other recalls / problems prospective owners should know about on the '07's? Would you recommend the vehicle overall?

Thanks!

caliberchic

Hi!

Just FYI bumped that post to New Owners Report

hifive

Mine is an '06, and there were quite a few problems, like the car was removed from the road for a while to fix a problem that caused a couple cars to catch fire. It was recalled twice, once for that, and then again for the door latch. I have heard of other types of cars having door latches freeze in cold climates.

HiFive :shades:

kanata

My Mazda 5 had rear doors that would not latch in freezing temperatures. The initial attempt by the dealer to alleviate the problem was to clean and relube the latches: my Mazda's VIN was out of range for the door latch fix. The relube did not work and I was fortunate enough to have a new appointment the day after a very cold night. I could show the service advisor that the door was not able to be closed, the dealer contacted Mazda Canada and got authorization to apply the SB based on the visible evidence.

However the car was left in a dirty state with oil runs from the doors down the sills, and oil splashes inside, especially on the 2nd-row seats. It seems that Mazda mechanics do not provide or use the paper floor or seat covers that NA car dealers use to protect the car interior from oily clothes and accidents.

trishr1

I had the same issue when the temperature here was really cold (-35 to -40 C). Just the type of weather that you appreciate remote starters.
I would here the horn honk to tell me that it responded to the starter but when I came out there was no motor running - just lights on, radio on and fan on but no heat.
This has happened twice so far...

mazic

kivo

I'm interested in buying an '08 and I was wondering if anyone knows if the freezing sliding door problem has been fixed for 2008. It should have been! Thanks.

coolmazda5

It only affected 06s I believe. 07s and 08s, no probs.

mdchachi

Has anybody experienced this? Lately, when the temperature is low (20s) and I start driving my 06, if I hit a (small) bump I'll hear a cracking noise that sounds exactly like the windshield has just cracked. It's quite loud and unnerving but there is no visible damage. I'll frequently hear it a few times until either the car has somehow "settled" or warmed up.

One time it was noticeably worse (many "cracks") the next day after driving through a car wash. So this made me think moisture was somehow the cause. Maybe ice is forming between the windshield its mount. I don't know.

Anyway I'm curious if this has happened to anybody else.

coolmazda5

I'm sure is not the same, but the dashboard crunches when very cold, that's pretty much it (see link below). I started noticing it until I began driving my 08 daily (and my 06 does it too).

Not a biggie to me, my former car, a Honda Civic, did it since new as well (and that one's suspension squeaked bad during cold, but not my Mazda5s :surprise:).

coolmazda5, "Mazda5 Suspension" #137, 1 Mar 2008 5:20 pm

athenasius

if i did not know better i would say you had your service in Ottawa they are crap. they are all owned by the same guy i think.

gholl

It's possible it's a loose headliner clamp. I had a similar problem last year. I would hear a cracking sound which sounded like it was coming from the edge of the windshield when going over bumps.
I am having the same problem once again. The noise appears to be more pronounced when it gets colder outside.

Glen

saftgek

I recently purchased a 2006 Mazda 5 and noted there are two recalls on NHTSA site (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM and LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH).

Does anyone know if one can look up a vehicle by VIN or other information to determine if the vehicle has had its repairs?

Anything else I should know about the car? Seems like a great vehicle.

Thanks.

coolmazda5

You can register it on www.mazdausa.com (under Owners). Once registered you can see if those have been already applied

saftgek

WOW ! ! ! That was beyond quick. Thanks for your help...............saftgek

AnnoyedMother

Hi all. New to this. I noticed that a lot of the post is about the 2006 models. However, the past week or so, my Mazda 5's driver side sliding door will not close. First it won't open and when it finally does, it won't close. At first I thought heating the car up will help but after an hour of the car already running, heat at the highest setting, still the same problem. I finally took it to my dealer. Of course, once there, the door works. The office manager told me they just can't order a part to order a part especially if it was working. I told them, it's working because the car was running for 5 hours. I had to tell him that my daughter would have fallen out if I drove the car with the problem and he finally asked the mechanic to talk to me. The mechanic was nice enough and told me he will clean the latch and relube it and it should help. I said fine as long as it works. Guess what all, I went to work, park the car for 2 hours left work to pick up my kids at day care and lo and behold, the sliding door would not open. I didn't even dare try to open it again until I got home because I was scared it wouldn't close. Got home, got the door to open, and then it wouldn't close. I called the dealer right away and the manager ordered the part for me. Anyhow, has anyone else experience this?

hifive

I would call Mazda USA, go to their website and call customer service. The 06s were recalled for this. I would scream lawsuit. My Mazda was recalled twice, once for an engine problem, and again for the door latches. I had washed my car the day that the latch stopped working, but it still should never happen. Mazda gave me a $50 gift certificate and also a check for $500 for all my troubles.

AnnoyedMother

Thanks for the tip hifive. I was very disappointed with the office manager. He made me feel like I was overreacting about something so little. I will be contacting Mazda USA because as you said, this shouldn't happen. Will keep you posted. Thanks again.

saftgek

My wife and I purchased an '06 Mazda 5 w/15k miles. We've had it a little over a month. Winter has set in around our part of the country: a couple of sub-zero days, some fairly stiff winds, and snow/sleet.

Thus far, we've had no issues with doors - and are quite pleased with the vehicle. It has already carried 6 adults; 4 adults and a child's car seat, and some miscellaneous loads in the rear.

I will watch for door problems, and really appreciate this website forum. As a new owner of a Mazda 5, its nice to be connected to "a community."

Happy Holidays ! ! !

superwanda

Hi - I just recently started hearing a similar noise from the dash or windshield. It does seem to get worse when it is cold. Just wondering if any of you figured out what was causing it?