Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Most popular vehicles
Popular New Cars
- New Acura MDX
- New Acura RDX
- New Audi Q5
- New BMW 3 Series
- New BMW X3
- New Buick Enclave
- New Cadillac Escalade
- New Chevrolet Equinox
- New Chrysler 300
- New Dodge Challenger
- New Ford Edge
- New Ford Escape
- New Ford Expedition
- New Ford Explorer
- New Ford F-150
- New Ford Focus
- New Ford Mustang
- New Honda Accord
- New Honda Civic
- New Honda CR-V
- New Honda Fit
- New Honda Odyssey
- New Honda Pilot
- New Hyundai Elantra
- New Hyundai Santa Fe
- New Hyundai Sonata
- New Hyundai Tucson
- New Jeep Compass
- New Jeep Grand Cherokee
- New Jeep Wrangler
- New Mazda 3
- New Mazda 6
- New Mazda CX-5
- New Nissan Altima
- New Nissan Maxima
- New Nissan Rogue
- New Porsche Cayenne
- New Ram 1500
- New Subaru Crosstrek
- New Subaru Forester
- New Subaru Impreza
- New Subaru Outback
- New Tesla Model S
- New Tesla Model X
- New Toyota 4Runner
- New Toyota Camry
- New Toyota Corolla
- New Toyota Highlander
- New Toyota Prius
- New Toyota RAV4
- New Toyota Sienna
- New Toyota Tacoma
- New Volkswagen Jetta
- New Volvo XC60
- New Volvo XC90
Popular Used Sedans
- Used BMW 5 Series
- Used Chevrolet Impala
- Used Chevrolet Malibu
- Used Chrysler 200
- Used Dodge Charger
- Used Ford Fusion
- Used Ford Taurus
- Used Honda Accord
- Used Honda Civic
- Used Hyundai Elantra
- Used Hyundai Sonata
- Used Tesla Model S
- Used Toyota Camry
- Used Toyota Corolla
- Used Volkswagen Jetta
Popular Used SUVs
- Used Acura MDX
- Used Acura RDX
- Used Ford Edge
- Used Ford Explorer
- Used Honda CR-V
- Used Honda Pilot
- Used Hyundai Santa Fe
- Used Jeep Compass
- Used Lincoln Navigator
- Used Mazda CX-5
- Used Nissan Rogue
- Used Subaru Crosstrek
- Used Subaru Forester
- Used Tesla Model X
- Used Volvo XC90
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I got my Mazda 3 GT December 18th.... what a great car! However I now have a problem... The engine light has come on and has not come off since New Years Eve?! I called the dealership and they say its just an electrical problem.....kinda frustrating!
Pet
I noticed the other day that while the car is at rest, and only at rest, you can hear a faint high-pitched whining sound while seated inside.
The sound actually was coming from under the hood, and extending into the cabin. But it disappears as soon as the car is in motion. It's not a loud sound, but I was very curious as to what the source was. It doesn't come from the fan or AC unit, or the engine or transmission.
So I took it into the dealer.
It's actually the power steering unit. The fluid pressure is programmed to constantly change, depending on the speed of the car.
So when the car is not moving, the power steering fluid pressure is highest (to make it easier to steer), and makes the faint whine. But when the car is on the highway, the pressure is the lowest (to make it a little harder to steer).
The dealer says it's designed this way, and there's nothing mechnically wrong with the car. I imagine the faint whine will be completely corrected for next year's model year (as they work out real-world bugs like this).
But for those who have Mazda 3 cars now (Jan-04), if you hear this faint noise, you can relax and take it easy, knowing all is well. Your car is still like fine wine (even with faint whine).
As some of you know, my check engine light came on about 2 weeks ago. The car appeared to be operating normally, but the CEL would not turn off. I took the car to the dealership and they said that the code indicated that the thermostat was stuck open. They replaced the thermostat and the light went off.
This morning, 500 miles later, the check engine light came on again. I called the dealership and they said that the problem is not the thermostat. They just learned about the software bug in the engine computer.
This software bug was mentioned some time ago by everfeb and fowler3. My dealer says that there are no mechanical problems and that the car is okay to drive. The software will take about 2 weeks to arrive and they will flash my computer then.
My dealer doesn't know exactly what causes the bug to rear its ugly head or what the mechanical effect is on the engine itself.
Sure, there might not be any mechanical problems now, but what if the computer glitch is causing my engine to do something damaging to itself that will cause damage before I get the software update, like running rich?
Since they don't know what the software bug's effect is on the engine's operation, I can't find justification for them to say that it is okay to drive it.
Canadians on the forums are having this problem, and so are Americans, so I assume that every North American Mazda3 so far has been shipped with the same buggy software onboard.
Actually I'm the one who brought the bug issue into the attention: bluong1 "Mazda3" Dec 4, 2003 3:57am
On the power steering whine story, I couldn't help but to make a link to aviation hydraulic systems... I just hope the "whining power steering" system has a fail-safe operation, meaning that if that whining thingmabob was to fail, that you can still steer. In a helicopter for instance, if you lose your hydraulically-assisted flight controls, you can still land, albeit with much stiffer controls. Full hydraulic hardovers have happened where the controls jammed totally and human force could not prevent the subsequent crash. Hopefully the sophisticated power steering in our 3's will allow us to steer safely should it fail.
Pet
I see old Mazdas regularly, such as Mazda 323's and 626' in particular. If you stick to regular maintenance and protect the body from rust if you live in salt-infested roads, you will be fine. In then end, a Mazda will cost you a LOT less than any BMW, in terms of initial costs and long term costs.
Why?
Mostly paranoia. We've had such cold weather in Toronto (-22C/-8F), that the hard starts were horrible. Not only that, but everyday I have been revving this engine "high" at times, approaching 3500rpm gradually, holding it, and then varying the speed to break-in the motor. The oil was being consumed slightly, and getting brown.
Of course, this is all normal...but being me, I did an oil and filter at Mazda anyhow...and it could be my imagination, but the car LOVED it...it's purring now. Revs are noticeably smoother, and it seems quieter. I won't do a change now until I hit the regular 4month maintenance interval (or 5000mi/8000km).
Cheers, folks.
I kept asking the service guys at several dealerships if there was a special "break-in" oil put in by the factory, and nobody would definitively say.
Like trained seals, they all just said, "We recommend following the maintenance schedule outlined in your vehicle manual". No variation. Word for word. It was like they were following a playbook. That's fine. I know it's probably sound advice. They all acknowledged though, that changing the oil and filter at my mileage (2000km/1240miles) certainly would not HURT the car. I'm glad I did, because the engine sounds and feels better.
They did tell me in no uncertain terms though:
1) DO NOT use synthetic oil until the engine is at the very least 10,000km (6200miles) old.
2) after 10,000km, stick with the SAME oil for the life of the car (whether it's Castrol Syntec, Quaker State, or Mazda's own oil, etc.
**The reason is certain additives may not mix or behave very well with additives from other oils. It depends on what's being mixed. This is why Amsoil, for example, tells people not to mix their XL-7500 series oils with other oils. (Amsoil says for their other oils, one can mix and match)
3) If you change oil brands, do a flush first (to stop different oil brand additives from mixing)
The same advice goes for the tranny fluid. Mazda's tranny fluid is compatible with any "Type 3" tranny fluid, but one should NOT just add a bottle of synthetic tranny fluid to "top up" levels. Replace the old tranny fluid completely, using a good flush first, IF you are changing brands. That seems to be the general rule. Toyota has given similar advice to their mechanics when using synthetics.
I have to resort to street parking, and for various reasons, can't wash it by my house.
So I have to go to the touchless car wash (either do-it-yourself or gas station one).
When I had a black honda accord coupe, I was doing it 2-3 times a week...but with a silver car, just once a week...although the road salt here cakes on..
Any prefs as to how often? Also anyone waxed theirs yet?
I figure at least twice a month is good enough to keep the salt rinsed off. Just my opinion though.
I'm telling you, when I had a black Honda Accord coupe, in winter I was washing every 2-3 days at times. Even though, I loved that car, I really learned my lesson.
For places like New York/Toronto...I'll now only purchase a silver or gold vehicle...if I lived in Florida or LA or a place without salt, I'd go for a darker color...but then you have to fight the dust in summer...
We have a black envoy that looks really cool when it's clean, but absolutely terrible when it's dirty.
Black cars, black cars...look better when they're clean! lol
Luckily I enjoy cleaning my cars...otherwise I'd never buy another black one. I will probably steer clear of black for my next 2 or 3 cars, but you never know after that...?
For now, I have a silver GTI, silver Mz3, and will probably be buying a silver Volvo V70R to replace the Envoy in a year or two. Hmmmmm, a whole fleet of silver cars... lol
The other downside to black was the swirlmarks. They'd develop no matter how careful I was with my waxing/drying cloths. One article I read even said swirl-marks can develop just by going through a strong wind?!?
So to hide them, I'd have to buy a glaze, and that added to the paint maintenance process. A lot of work.
One thing I have noticed just from drying my hatchback...one of the quarterpanels up front is prone to "buckling". If I lean against it, I hear it buckling in, and then when I step back, it buckles back out. No dent left or anything, but it's something to be wary of in the future.
crx
integra
type r
4runner
My crx and integra both developed a residual 'dent' (not really a dent, but the light reflected funny) from bouncing in and out repeatedly. This happened on the front fender of both cars actually, on the driver's side. Be careful...
The sheet metal they use for their stampings seems to be significantly thinner than european and us manufacturers. This would be from comparing the above noted cars to...
pontiac sunbird
eagle vision
volvo v70t
gmc envoy
Yeah, the swirls... Our black Envoy had them after 3 weeks - My wife the brain surgeon took our new truck through a 'soft-cloth' car wash, and voila! Oh, well...
matt
I think some moisture may get in there and freeze (literally) the parking brake cables. I'm not sure of the situation with the 3, but on the Protege/P5, the end of the cable points upwards. There are rubber boots covering them, but I'm sure some dirt and moisture gets in there, which may cause the cables or mechanisms to stick.
There is a believable speculation that this is tie to the ABS. Hence my question above.
- airbag light
- CEL light
- extreme pitting on brake rotors
My dealer just called me on Monday, my Mazda3 factory order was submitted last week, so I'm looking at a Jan or Feb build. It'll be interesting to see if these issues have been fixed at the factory yet.
I have always said - I would never buy a 4 door car, never buy a car with 4 cylinder engine and would never buy a black car.
Since I just bought a black Mazda 3 4 door sedan I guess I will need to rethink my position.
We started off wanting white, then silver then blue then gray and finally went with black. So much for trying to get my wife and daughter involved in the selection! The way I look at it - compared to my full size X-cab pick up and Tahoe the Mazda 3 will be easy to wash - I can even reach the top of the car without using the step stool!
Yeas my car as ABS, it also has 17 inch wheels. When I took the car in to the dealer it had 750 miles on it.
If the hand brake cable is getting stuck or frozen I don't know how. Honestly the only time that it has been used was when the dealer parked it and gave me the keys. I did drive about 3 feet and then took the brake off.
That being said, I don't know how much the weather in atlanta could have effected the cable. I has only been below freezing 3 days since we bought the car. And I'm pretty certain that the ABS has never engaged, I would have noticed it in the pedal vibration and noise, right?
LF
http://www.retrostylin.com/images/mazda/FLeftclose.jpg
RF
http://www.retrostylin.com/images/mazda/FRightclose.jpg
LR
http://www.retrostylin.com/images/mazda/LRRim.jpg
RR
http://www.retrostylin.com/images/mazda/RRRim.jpg
Also, the front wheels are clean, and I mean shiny. I'll try to post phots of the difference later. Even if EBD activated the rears more, wouldn't the wheels show about equal amounts of dust, since normal brakes have more front than rear?
I did a check on the GA lemon law today. One major repair on the brakes or two minor repairs in 12,000 miles and I get a replacement or refund. Maybe that will be motivation for mazda to fix this problem. I have checked a couple of other owner forums and I don't think that I am the only persono with this problem.
Hahaha. Sometimes your positions can change in that showroom, eh? Especially when the whole family is involved.
Well, you picked a good one to "break" the rules on. And Houston doesn't salt its road very much either, so you should be fine with black
The front is like two discs that have been welded together - they have a space between them. This is what I consider normal - it is the way all three of my other vehicles brakes (front and rear) are designed.
The back is just one solid disc - no spacers. This may be normal - but I have never seen this design before. IMO - it would not handle heat as well as the front design - but in a normal situations I would think that more heat is generated in the front.
I only have 180 miles on my car - so it may be to soon to see any problem.
Brake dust on the wheels is normal - although it usually shows up more on the front than the rear. You will see more dust when the pads are new - but as the pads wear the dust must go somewhere.
The rear brakes do make more noise - kind of a "scrubbing" sound - when I stop - but I expect that will go away once the pads and rotor get broken in.
I have a feeling this system may be a service department money maker, but beyond that, any ideas why this would happen in a car with 50 miles on it? Also, it was cold overnight (0 degrees F).
Thanks
Looks like those rotors are too soft for the pads (composite materials, like semi-metallics, have harder bits surrounded by a softer binder). It could explain the premature pitting and grooving.
Early on, I noticed the the rear brakes would squeal when was executing a slow turn, particularly when in reverse. I assumed it was just the new brakes settling in. They still do it occasionally, and this might explain why.
I've got a 4-door "S" with an Automatic. I've had it about a month and have put roughly 800 miles on it. I know that the initial break-in period may not deliver optimal gas mileage, but I seem to be only getting about 240-280 miles per tank. (approx 12 gallons at fill up.)
That works out to 20-23 mpg. Most of my driving is on secondary roads with occasional highway, but very little city stop-and-go. I drive it sportingly, but I haven't been thrashing it because it's still under 1000 miles.
I'm very dissapointed since my last car was a 4500lb full size land yacht with a V8 and it got 18mpg with the same commute.
So some questions are:
1) How cold has it been where you live, and what are the road conditions like (i.e. muddy, snowy)?
Temperature is very crucial to fuel economy. So is snow/mud because it increases rolling resistance.
2) Are you using your wipers, defrost, windshield fluid a lot;
These all endup making your engine work harder (esp.defrost) and thus, use up gas.
3) What is driving "sportingly"...hammer it to 55mph, but then don't exceed that...or continuous 65mph the whole way? Just trying to get an idea about your rpms.
A difference of 800 rpm can mean 33% increase in gas consumption, depending on the car.
Also, bottom line is I don't you think are going to get optimum fuel economy until at least 8000 miles or so. That's the case for most new 4 bangers. I would wait until the spring before getting worried. If your fuel economy hasn't improved significantly by then, then have the dealer check it out at the first oil change.