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Mazda6 Sedan

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Comments

  • troybentroyben Member Posts: 42
    Not paying attention this past weekend & my 2 yr old boy whacks my 6i (redfire w/Sport) with our Mountaineer door. AAAAH! Hefty door ding. Took to favorite body shop & the owner says "I see alot of cars that rarely catch my eye, but that is one beautiful car. I had to look at back of it to see what it was." That comment took some of the sting out of $175 repair bill.
  • shov6shov6 Member Posts: 177
    I'd wandered by the dealer on more than half a dozen occasions, hoping to at least SEE a 6S with the sport pak and a manual shift, and hopefully DRIVE it... Never put my name on a list or placed an order or anything, just looking. Well on thursday last I went by again and for the first time they actually HAD one. I test-drove it (without the salesman, he sent me off on my own), and was very impressed. When I brought it back I found a tag that showed it was $2400 off sticker, and that did it for me.

    That $2400 includes the $1000 rebate... And after doing some research I found it was about, ummmm, $480 over invoice. I thought that was fair and didn't try to dicker the sticker any further.

    So, my 6S, manual shift, sport pak, and Bose stereo had a sale price of... I don't have it down to the dollar, but I think it was $20,750 after the rebate.

    As for the buying "experience", I was a little disappointed with the salesman, as he didn't return my calls as quickly as I would've liked. He seemed rather blase about the whole thing as a matter of fact. The finance guy was much more helpful than the salesman.

    And no, no rust. Mine is a "late build", with a manufacture date of 7/03. Mine is from Michigan, not Japan.

    Anyhow, I am pleased as punch with the car. The gal who works at the front office for my apartment complex nearly soiled herself when she saw the 6. I might even get a date out of it. :)

    -SHOV6
    (yes, I know, I should change my "screen name")
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    I seriously think Mazda will offer a buyback if it's determined that the only perm fix is door replacement. If you replace the doors you have to repaint the entire car to match it and replace the whole rear trunk for those with trunk gutter problems. That's not to mention you hope they align everything properly. That's one hell of a repair bill!

    For those who think this is normal with some cars, if you saw my door frames you would think differently. This is hardly a first year bug. There is surface rust everywhere, and I've yet to see pictures that show it worse than mine. The only area I've been spared are spots on my hinges so far.

    barryso: I don't personally think Mazda is any better or worse than other manufacturers. With my luck if I bought a Honda I'm sure I would of gotten a defective tranny.
  • barrysobarryso Member Posts: 66
    "I don't personally think Mazda is any better or worse than other manufacturers. With my luck if I bought a Honda I'm sure I would of gotten a defective tranny."

    That was sort of my point. You can get good/bad stuff with any manufacturer. At some point you just have to put your money down and take the chance.

    Mazda has taken positive action with the RX-8 horsepower bruhaha and tried to do right by the customers. I'm less convinced Honda did right with with the tranmission problems of the last few years. I spent some time on the Acura CL boards a while back and couldn't believe the number of problems people were having ... some of them more than once.

    Mazda may still mess this up and not do right, too. But until they do something it is all speculation.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    with either my Protege or my Mazda6?
  • dhankesdhankes Member Posts: 8
    but it only contained a key chain light. However, it did include a questionnaire, which promised the delivery of touch-up paint if completed. I did so, and received the paint some weeks later. dh

    P.S. If you throw down for an RX-8, you'll get the same light, touch-up paint, a coffee mug, and a polo shirt. It appears they save the extra perks for the heavy-hitters. I mean, look at how much more you get if you spend another 5 to 10 grand! Please.
  • pzevpzev Member Posts: 807
    "The Toyota and Honda problems were in no way close to how wide ranging this problem is."

    Well look at it this way. Supposedly 2% of Honda transmissions were defective. That's 1 in 50 defective transmissions in cars.

    Line up 50 Acura TL's and with 49 other owners you all take your pick, and drive away. Were you the unlucky person? Odds are you weren't, but at the same time it's not very comforting to not know if you have the defective transmission. By the time you figure it out your transmission may go out at highway speeds. 1 in 50 is too many as far as I'm concerned.
  • buggywhipbuggywhip Member Posts: 188
    I think a buyback is a definite possibility. Merely replacing 4 doors is an expensive proposition in itself. Any offer to repair and repaint will be soundly rebuffed. Let Mazda do the right thing.
  • livaudaislivaudais Member Posts: 55
    I think I did fill out a survey a few weeks ago, so perhaps that's why I received it (just joking, of course, about the response to rust). I also received a coffee mug about a month ago. No polo shirt, but I did get a fake key fob that my 14 month oild loves. Remote controls, key fobs, power tools -- he's such a boy already :-)

    CL
  • kannonkannon Member Posts: 18
    I am an owner of a 6i - Lapis Blue - my favorite color. It took me months of searching to finally purchase the 6i. I am happy with it but like so many others are worried about the rust issue. If they had a buy back - what would you do??

    I purchased the 6 because of its great safety crash test results, its sporty handling, the 0% financing, side air bags. If the car was brought back I would have a difficult time replacing it. Maybe the Accord EX. Maybe a TSX. But the days of low finance rates are going fast and the rebates are nearly completely gone.

    Remember - be careful what you ask for, you might get it.

    Bruce
  • barich1barich1 Member Posts: 143
    Presumably they'll be fixing the problem at Flat Rock immediately, and if you've been happy with the car otherwise why not get another one? I would expect that they wouldn't do a flat out buyback but might have some sort of an exchange program where you get another 6 (albeit rust-free). It's cheaper for them that way, and they don't lose market share.
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    One problem with the exchange program. I can't stand the antenna that you would get instead of the integrated one in the windshield that I have now. At least you could drive the crap out of your old 6 before they gave you the new one, I would make sure there would be no tread left on those Michelins. It would be just like a rental.

    If there was a buyback I wouldn't get a Camry,Altima or Accord, thats for sure. I still prefer my rust infested 6 to those cars. The only others I would consider is cough up the extra cash and get a RX-8 or G35. I would probably take a new 6 but with leather(can't stand that cloth fabric)since I 've always been a Mazda type of guy. I just connect with that car so this rust thing is really a low blow.
  • mazda6smazda6s Member Posts: 1,901
    Do you have rust on your 6i?
  • shov6shov6 Member Posts: 177
    Errr, I already answered your questions when you asked the FIRST time. See msg. #14625.
  • kannonkannon Member Posts: 18
    I have a 6i, AT, SAB, TC/ABS, Premium, Lapis Blue and so far no rust (cross my fingers). For me, it was a great deal - good trade in for my 95 Accord, 0% financing, $500 college rebate, and excellent safty features - where can you get SAB, TC, and ABS at such a good price. If rust problem develops, I would be first in line to trade in for exact same car sans the rust.
  • seafseaf Member Posts: 339
    I imagine the same situation as you. I do have some minor rust. If we go for the exchange, I don't know if 2004's Mazda6's are configured the same as ours. We'd probably have to pay extra for some extra options that we don't need just to get the side airbags. I'm patiently awaiting Mazda's response to this rust situation.
  • thegreatvudinithegreatvudini Member Posts: 103
    on my banana yellow 6s, with 1800 miles. I read with trepidation all your messages about 6's with rust, some of which were built in 03/03.
    Well, mine is also 03/03, but no rust. Yippie! Was there something special about the color, or maybe my car was painted during a different shift? In any case, I am so relieved.

    Marla: how is your yellow i? rusty, or trusty?

    One sad note: driving out of a parking lot, I did scrape the bottom of my front fascia (Appearance Pkg), towards the right. Does anyone know what to do with this problem? It's like 3 small scratches. If you didn't know what happened, you wouldn't know they're there.

    Tinting: did anyone have the back panel tinted? It looks so raked I am not sure if they can do a good job on it. The glass panels look pretty tinted if you look at them at an angle. Straight up, they look clear. Does tinting make that much a difference?

    Manual shifting: I have an AT (6s), but I especially like it when merging into highway traffic, where I can manual shift. My son (14-y-o), now also gets into action when he shifts it for me sitting in the passenger seat. He still thinks it's his in 2 years. How do I tell him? :)
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    There are 4 yellow Mazda6's listed on the 4DoorZoom rust list. Two of them were built 3/03. Painting is usually done by machines, so it shouldn't matter what shift it was built in. We believe the problem is in the assembly process before painting. Keep a watch on it, and make sure to really look closely. There have been several owners boasting about no rust, only to quietly add themselves to the rust list later.
  • glideslopesglideslopes Member Posts: 431
    As long as Mazda is honest, and fixes the problem, I would buy another 6s on the spot. The car is simply too much of a match for my driving style and budget. Nothing else is even close. I also have no concerns at all as to the mechanical reliability.
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    With my multiple problems, I had been considering another Mazda6 when my car finally triggers my state's lemon law (rapidly approaching). Obviously, my car was built on a Monday morning or Friday evening, but a buy-back because of the rust would be a lot cheaper and cleaner than the lemon law. Anyways, I would be perfectly happy with another 6 if Mazda fixes the rust problem. I have thought about what other car I would like to get, but I keep coming back to the 6!

    BTW, the hatchback and wagon are shown in the 2004 brochure. It says they are coming in early 2004! I wouldn't mind a hatch...
  • kannonkannon Member Posts: 18
    Seaf - you bring up a good point. What if we did get a buyout and we could not get our same vehicle configured the way we want because of Mazda's unusual options configuration. I know my answer who would pay the extra cost. Hey - this could be a goldmine - I may finally get the leather seats I always wanted but lost out to kitchen countertops for my wife :)
  • darmc96darmc96 Member Posts: 21
    Wouldn't surprise me in this situation that if it is a situation where a buyout is offered, they will also offer you a 2004 model of the same configuration. Can't compare this to the RX-8 situation which was not a curable defect that a brand new car would fix. May have to order to get what you want, but why would Mazda not offer this? Dodge offered it when they had to offer a buyback on the 98 pickups that were not painted the proper thickness....
  • kannonkannon Member Posts: 18
    Seaf - you bring up a good point. What if we did get a buyout and we could not get our same vehicle configured the way we want because of Mazda's unusual options configuration. I know my answer who would pay the extra cost. Hey - this could be a goldmine - I may finally get the leather seats I always wanted but lost out to kitchen countertops for my wife :)
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but I'd view it as a one-in-a-million chance that Mazda is going to buy back cars.

    Even the most severe defects in the car business are addressed with repairs and an extended warranty. Perhaps some freebies in addition, like discounts on new cars or accessories. I can't recall a single instance where there has been a buy back of a mass-produced, widely distributed car - ever.

    - Mark
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    The more I think about the more it seems probable that Mazda will propose an exchange. The rust on the inside of the frames has to be pretty bad for the surface rust to spread that quickly to the outside. Don't think that can be fixed without replacing the doors and all the costs incurred with that.

    I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I forget all about the hatch. Now I hope Mazda takes it's time resolving this so that's it's timed with the debut of the hatch. This could be a blessing in disguise. I'm already starting to feel better.

    Is there anyway to find out on the internet what models, if any, had a buyback or exchange program for a defect before I get my bubbles burst? Was it the Dodge Daytona that had the buybacks?
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    It is true that the chance of a buy-back option is pretty slim. However, Mazda has done it twice in the past 3 years... the 2004 RX-8 was supposed to produce 247 hp but only produced 238 (automatics: 207 advertised, 197 reality). The 2001 Miata was supposed to produce 155 hp, but only produced 142. They offered buy-backs on both vehicles.
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    Both the RX-8 and Miata buybacks were based on false advertising(maybe easier to sue) rather than defects so maybe that's not a good example. Also there were alot less of those bought compared to the 6 but you never know, maybe Mazda is buyback happy.
  • buggywhipbuggywhip Member Posts: 188
    I think a buyback is eminently possible, esp. in aromas's case. His whole car is basically rusting out from within. Repainting won't solve it nor will replacing the doors. Sure, corporations rarely do buybacks, at least none you hear about. But here, Mazda's goof is so egregious, so utterly careless, that a buyback will be the only way to go.
  • fowler3fowler3 Member Posts: 1,919
    jstandefer said: "Obviously, my car was built on a Monday morning or Friday evening."

    This is something I have never heard of, what is the difference? Aren't cars mostly assembled by robots? Do robots come to work with hangovers? Do robots think about leaving early on Fridays?

    kannon said: "Hey - this could be a goldmine - I may finally get the leather seats I always wanted but lost out to kitchen countertops for my wife :)"

    kannon, would you believe formica seats?

    Possibly Mazda may offer buybacks on the worst models with rust. They would then make the repairs to those cars and sell them to fleet buyers. Another good reason NOT to buy from fleets. Mazda will lose money but they can recover some of it.

    fowler3
  • mazdamarlamazdamarla Member Posts: 350
    I have not found any rust. But then I'm not 100% sure that I'm looking in all the right places, either. :-S
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    At this point, I would not count on any buybacks.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    cars like Aromas', I'd like to see what they will do about it.

    At the rate some of these cars are rusting, it won't be long before they are rolling billboards for rust.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    It took over 11 Minnesota winters for any rust to be visible on my parents silver 92' Camry. A friend has it now and it's just starting to rust.

    My car has visible rust and it's 4 months old.

    What will it look like in 11 years?
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    that a buyback would not be offered as the first choice. At the most replacing doors and extended warranty with a couple of freebies. For parts that cannot be replaced, they might offer to pay for the best bodyshop in town in addition.

    To get a buyback, I am sure you would have to spend some time corresponding back and forth with the Dealer, Mazda Rep and MNAO. And it would be case to case basis.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    It might actually be cheaper for Mazda to just give you a whole new car instead of paying the "best body shop in town" to get rid of all of the rust and paint the entire car.

    The paint job on my buddy's brother's 63' Corvette was almost as much money as I paid for my entire car.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    that Ford Focus had door rust problems in Europe and Ford Europe replaced the doors, not the car.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I don't like that idea.

    Like I've said before, my car has 4000 miles on it and now somebody might have to replace my doors, repaint the sides of my car, take the windows and interior door pieces off of my old doors and put them on the new ones? Ish.

    So much for that new car smell. Now it'll smell like a body shop.
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    Don't worry. We'll get rid of our rust in exchange for orange peel and overspray. Try explaining that when you go to trade it in... those are both typical signs that a vehicle has been through an accident. There goes the resale value...

    fowler3: Most of the vehicle's body components are assembled and painted by robots. But, interior and mechanical components are generally mounted by hand.
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    The Focus didn't have rust problems in the trunk gutter as well. I have several spots there as well,not as bad as the doors but give it time, can't really tell whats under the molding because it's hard to lift it to take a good look. God knows what condition it is there. I'm certain the "series" of cars affected will see the gutter rust sooner rather than later.

    I'd like to know how they will fix my gutter without replacing my whole back end(suggestions anyone?). The gutter is a perfect example of how sloppily Mazda put together this car. My door frames have basically one long crimson stripe all across every door.

    I think it all depends how big a jerk you wanna be if you want a buyback. I plan on being a big one. If you start seeing rust in that gutter begin planning on the next car you want because Mazda won't have much of a case in saying no. To those who aren't crazy about getting doors replaced, start praying it gets to your gutter.(newcar,jstandefer, only time I hope you find some)
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    The trunk gutters are easily repairable... remove trunk and hinges, sand, clean, prep, prime, and paint. The problem with the doors is that you can't get to the source of the problem without removing the weatherstripping channels from the door frame, fixing, painting, and then welding the channels back on. Plus, we are not even sure if they are welded or part of the frame... hard to tell without really tearing everything apart.
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    I think we all agree that doors will need to be replaced. So basically they have to replace 4 doors and repaint entire car(we'll omit the trunk work for now as it less common) What's the total cost of that? Just want to compare the repair cost to buying back. I really have no clue but it's gotta be between 5K and 10K, probably closer to 10K. The paint job alone has to be a couple of thousand.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,435
    If Mazda needs to do a large scale replacement of the doors, wouldn't it make sense for them to ship them in already painted? After all, they have the right paint already, and should finally know how to do it.

    Easiest thing seems to be to swap in complete door assemblies, but I guess that would be more expensive (though quicker) than dismantelling the door components.

    On a selfish note, my inability to make a decision and putt the trigger seems to have paid off for once, since I really liked the 6 when it first came out, but couldn't make up my mind to get one.

    At least the hatch and wagon (that really intrique me) should benefit from the new and improved production process.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Even if Mazda shipped painted doors it would not guarantee that the doors would match the rest of the car, especially on a silver car like mine. Different batches of paint can be slightly different shades of the same color.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I wouldn't be so quick to call the trunk gutters an easy fix.

    It depends on how they are rusting.
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    If they decided to replace doors, I suspect they would ship the door skins unpainted to dealers and the dealer would paint, swap the glass, pwr controls, interior panel etc....but thinking this far in advance is putting the cart in front of the horse...I think its more important to pinpoint the cause of the problem first.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    ...and I would not be happy with that solution if that's what Mazda decided to do.

    I try to keep my car away from the dealer as much as I can because any time I bring in any of my cars, they might fix the problem that I brought it in for, but they screw something else up in the process.

    Imagine the potential for mistakes when disassembling all 4 doors and then re-assembling them. Imagine having a brand new car that has been almost entirely re-painted. I don't even want to think about that.
  • jstandeferjstandefer Member Posts: 805
    From what I have seen so far, I don't think the trunk gutters are really rusting. I have a big spot in mine, but I scraped off a bit of it and it appears something metallic landed in there, adhered to the paint, and started rusting. The pics I have seen appear to be "rail dust" or other metallic debris that are rusting on top of the paint. We'll have to wait and see, though. Plenty of people have complained about it that I haven't seen pics of. I'll have to scrape off the rest of mine to see the condition of the paint underneath.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    "From what I have seen so far, I don't think the trunk gutters are really rusting. I have a big spot in mine, but I scraped off a bit of it and it appears something metallic landed in there, adhered to the paint, and started rusting."

    That would be great. That is really heart warming news. I hope there isn't a problem with the trunk gutters. I kinda feel a little bit better now.
  • igota6sigota6s Member Posts: 5
    So I'm making a quick trip up to the corner store, look down at my speedometer, and it's pegged on zero while I'm doing about 50! The ABS light, Brake light, and check engine light were all lit. I dropped it off with the dealer at 7:00 Wednesday to check it out and have the two recalls (brake reservoir and EMC module [I think that was it...don't have the paper work with me]. They called that afternoon and said the ABS module was faulty and they were overnighting the part to be fixed today and they gave me a base 6i as a loaner. I called today and they had the part installed, but it wasn't operating properly and they were still working on it by the time I was ready to leave work at 3:00. So, I'm hoping to pick it up Friday morning.

    I searched the board for ABS module, but no hits. Has anyone else had or heard about this problem?

    I did do a quick check of my doors and trunk about a week ago and saw no rust (6S, Lapis Blue, don't remember the build date, but bought in January 2003 and gone through a Michigan winter). When I get it back tomorrow, I'm going to do a more thorough check.

    I did ask the service guy how many 6 owners had reported rust problems and he just looked at me and said "Rust problem? What rust problem?" I said "Quite a few 6 owners are reporting that their new cars are rusting around the doors and trunk." "Hmm...nope, haven't seen that," he replied. Guess their first defense is deny, deny, deny. Hopefully, I won't have any first hand proof to show him next week on my blue baby.
  • aromasaromas Member Posts: 314
    The spots on my gutter show the paint to be very thin in those areas. They are isolated spots so they are not coming from the molding, just like the spots that I see on other cars' hinges. It's just a crappy paint job.

    Do you think there's a chance Steve Bartman works for Mazda? That could explain alot of things.

    BTW Mazda seems to have a soapy solution to this rust problem. Check out the problems board if you want a good laugh. I had to check if it was April 1st after I read it. If it's true than it's gonna be a long winter.
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