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Mazda5

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    rcinmdrcinmd Member Posts: 139
    A nearby dealer has a 5 on the lot that I am interested in. First time I had seen one in Cardinal Red. Turns out it is a male Cardinal, not the female. Once they are permitted to resume test drives, I'll give it a spin. And hopefully by then there may be some sort of rebate or buyer loyalty program, so I can more easily get out of my creaky 05 Tribute.
    The dealer has a 5 on the showroom floor, which I think is a sign that he knows the public needs to remain in touch with the vehicle, and I am sure they are being upfront with any interested parties regarding the recall.
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    lost5lost5 Member Posts: 8
    We had the same situation ... ordered the car at the beginning of Sep, and was told had to wait 8-12 weeks ... dealer has not told us anything re. the recall ...
    I am wondering should I request a rental although my husband has a car but technically his Mazda 626 is the trade in ... 626 is not running well now ... we are waiting for the same color same type M5 now ... we figure we might have to start to look at other options now as the contract will expire beginning of Dec .... seriously we don't think the dealer at London, Ontario could have a car for us by that time ... sorry I don't have the answer .. but we are with you ... :cry:
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    rcinmdrcinmd Member Posts: 139
    whoops. Make that "turns out it is a female Cardinal, not the male." Just dawned on me I had gotten my hues reversed.
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    smariasmaria Member Posts: 279
    I don't think that anyone on this forum can give you a specific date. But, the stop in production appears to be roughly a one month effect.

    If your car is already at a dealer, then it'll be available to you as soon as the recall is over (i.e., in another 2-3 weeks). In the US, dealers have a good number of Mazda5s in inventory, they're just waiting until the recall is over so they can start selling them. It appears that this isn't the case in Canada?

    If your car hasn't been manufactured yet (i.e., it's still waiting to be made in Japan, then shipped to your dealer), I'd add roughly 1 to 1.5 months to whatever you were told before the recall. In other words, if you were originally told "early November", I'd guess that it'll now be "early-to-mid December". Of course, this also assumes that your "pre-recall" estimate was accurate at the time.

    Good luck getting your Mazda5s! In my opinion, they're worth the wait!

    Steve
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    lost5lost5 Member Posts: 8
    people around me are asking when I will have my new Mazda 5 as they know we bought a car .... I told them "my" car is "burning" somewhere .. it is a very "hot" car now ... actually too hot....... the first accessory we should equip for the new 5 is 2 ...maybe 3 extinguishers .... just in case ... thank you for your info. I doubt if the dealer can get our car by the time the contract expires ... although we did not have good experience on Mazda 626 my husband drives... we had to get it fixed all the time .. because 5 is the first year car we decided to order .... but ... it is the last Mazda for us for sure ...if we have enough patience to wait for this 5 ... :sick:
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    uillianouilliano Member Posts: 2
    I called Mazda on tuesday -- they assured me i would have my car back shortly after the 24th. I asked them what reparations they were going to make for their customers and the woman i have been dealing with told me there was a meeting going on at that moment about what to do to make this whole thing up to owners. She said she would definitely know by Friday. I left the number at work or I would call today. Anyone else out there know? I am not so sure I want my mazda5 back now. But I don't know that I have a choice.
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    hifivehifive Member Posts: 72
    Why don't you want it back? Have you personally experienced any problems with the car, or do you just have cold feet because of the recall? I got mine back a couple weeks ago, did not sign a waiver (I don't think it had been created yet). I think I was one of the first to demand the car back, so they just gave it to me. I have over 2,000 miles on it and still love it.

    HiFive
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    poohbah75poohbah75 Member Posts: 41
    rcinmd,
    Where did you find one still in the showroom? Last one I saw in the showroom was at Rich Morton Mazda in Glen Burnie, which actually has a decent sized room. Russel Mazda in Catonsville barely has enough room for 2-3 cars in their showroom, and of course one of them has to be the Miata MX-5. At the time, the salesperson at Rich Morton wasn't very knowledgable about the recall, but the service and sales managers certainly were. I wouldn't mind some sort of an incentive to purchase this car now; Mazda's got to be pushing to get them on the road now that they've been recalled for a month or so. The car is selling by word of mouth, not advertising. Some cash back, perhaps? :blush:
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    nola1nola1 Member Posts: 18
    I also got mine back, have over 5,000 miles on it and still love it! They did not make me sign a waiver either.

    Monday, I even took my 5 back to the dealer for the first oil change (free) and they didn't give me any hassels, they said they would let me know when the fix is in.

    While I have been getting about 21-22 miles per gallon (US), I tried to keep my speed under 70 and be a little more conscious about fast starts, I got 30 mpg this time. This was with about 80% highway driving and about 20% with 4 passengers.
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    willz2006willz2006 Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for all the replies~! Just got one question, for those who got their spare key,does the swiss army type key bother you or is it good?
    My dad was a bit dissapointed about the key design and he said it looks and acts like a jack-knife~!LOL~!
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    bwatersbwaters Member Posts: 52
    We call them switch-blade keys!

    I asked our dealer if we could get a regular spare key because I run at a track and keep the car key tied in my shoe laces, (an old runner's trick). The Swiss Army Jack-Knife key isn't bad but the dealer said any (third) spare key would be the same type. Has anyone gotten a regular non switch-blade type spare key? Our Honda came with a Valet spare that didn't open the glove box and trunk.

    Also, the rumor in the Problems and Solutions forum is that Mazda will give us jilted 5 owners a check for $500 for our dissapointing experience. I hate to spread rumors... :shades:
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    rcinmdrcinmd Member Posts: 139
    The dealer with the 5 on the floor is Fitzgerald, in Frederick. He also has at least four others on the lot. They'll call me as soon as they are given the green light to commence test drives again. Here in Hagerstown, the local dealer has 3 or 4 5s on the lot.
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    sandiegoguysandiegoguy Member Posts: 27
    The switch blade style bothers me but I wouldn't rank it high on the list for swaying a buying decision. However I do hate the supplemental seatbelt minder alarm. The owners manual says the dealer can shut it off for us but I haven't found one willing to do it. In fact they look at me like I'm the only on that has ever asked.

    The sound is soooooo annoying. Yes I drive with my seatbelt on but there are brief occasions when I unlock it and that alarm will wake the baby right up. What do they think there is a Plutonium leak? Even when you come to a halt if it was on it just keeps going and then it gets worse.

    Sorry about the rant but mine will be disabled one way or another.
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    pir8mattpir8matt Member Posts: 45
    I love the 'switchblade' style key, they make the vehicle seem more upmarket than it is, IMO. They're similar to the Volkswagen fobs. I have heard of troubles with taking those keys on planes though, since they could potentially be used as 'weapons'. Those fantastic airport security personell, keeping us all safe

    I am in complete agreement about the seatbelt nag. My salesman said the nag could be disabled, the service manager said the dealer would not do it due to legal reasons. I really want to get it turned off. My loaner MPV doesnt have an irritating nag like that..I dont see why the 5 has to.

    If anyone knows of any online resource that describes how to kill that nag, please post a link here.
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    willz2006willz2006 Member Posts: 8
    What kind of trim and colour do u have membas~?Mine's a Platinum Silver GT ( Touring in USA)
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    bjerrybjerry Member Posts: 59
    I am in complete agreement about the seatbelt nag. My salesman said the nag could be disabled, the service manager said the dealer would not do it due to legal reasons. I really want to get it turned off. My loaner MPV doesnt have an irritating nag like that..I dont see why the 5 has to.

    If I rest my hand on the passenger seat, or even put my arm on the top of the passenger seat, the 'nag' comes on. It is ... tiresome. It really is impossible to drive for long without the seatbelt on, the nag is that annoying, which I believe is the point.
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    uillianouilliano Member Posts: 2
    I don't know why I feel I don't want it back. I just traded in a 99 jetta for the 5. The jetta was nothing but trouble. Even though this recall has not greatly affected me (I have a nice MPV loaner), I still have some nervous feelings about the 5. Maybe when I get Mazie back, my love will be rekindled. ;)
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    sandiegoguysandiegoguy Member Posts: 27
    "If I rest my hand on the passenger seat, or even put my arm on the top of the passenger seat, the 'nag' comes on. It is ... tiresome. It really is impossible to drive for long without the seatbelt on, the nag is that annoying, which I believe is the point."

    Yes, that reminds me. My little brief case placed on the passenger seat sets the darn thing off. That means you have to drive around with the passenger seat belted even though there is no passenger- just to get the thing to shut up. FYI, the Durango loaner has some sort of "reminder system" but it is a pleasant chime that comes and is not an ear shreaking beep that could wake the dead. If my baby is sleeping in the car I can no longer pop my seatbelt for a second, so I can get a lip balm out of my pocket. Ridiculous.

    Frankly, page 2-22 of the owners manual says "the belt minder can be deactivated. Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer to deactivate and restore the seatbelt minder."

    I read the section to the Mazda customer service representative and told him if Mazda can't deliver on a feature in the car I either want them to buy it back "in full" or come thru with a promised feature. He placed me on hold and called technical support and told me a TSB was in the works for deactivating the supplemental "seat belt minder" and leaving only the Government mandated warning light and beep. The TSB was supposed to be out in 3 weeks. It is now 6 and still no one has it. If you haven't heard this thing yet give it a shot. You'll love it.
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    miffedmiffed Member Posts: 36
    Hey if you don't want to wait for the fix. I'll sell you mine it's a blue sport model. It has 330 miles on it with the extended warranty. it's been waxed and scotch -guarded. With the crap I've put up with this car I really hope it never comes back to my garage. Right now it is sitting outside in the dealers lot. Losing value. But one thing I can say is the gas mileage is great. Since it hasn't been driven for 30 days. Fire extinguisher is optional, but if you really want one and are serious I have one I can throw in (just in case.) You know how we Americans are with our new cars. Anyway at least this American. We work our whole life to raise our families and take care of the neccesities of life. When we purchase a new car we actually are rewarding ourselves for working that additional overtime or those Saturday's or maybe your like my wife and I. She works about 60 hours a week I work about 50. We save our money and when it's time for a new vehicle we research and test drive and price and negogiate. Is it fun? Sometimes, but most the time it's just the great experience of buying that new car and rewarding yourself for working hard. It runs good it's dependable it's OURS. We take it home and wash and wax and clean and make it shiney and pretty. We park away from everyone so nobody hits it. We drive it in bad weather it get us home safely it brings our families home safely. There's 15 inches of snow on the ground and the wind chill is 60 below zero and we turn the key and it starts. We take it on vacation because we know it won't break down We have a love affair with this object. It is ours and it is part of the family. I sent a certified letter to Mazda invoking the Lemon Law under the laws in my state. I have no love affair with Mazda the 5 or anyone who works at the dealer I purchased it from. I get more satisfaction from cutting the grass then I do with my new car. I like everyone else writing in this forum are stuck for $20,000.00 in these wonderful automobiles. I'm glad my fellow Americans and our neighborly Canadian friends are anxious with the fix. Because right now Mazda has us in a real good one. PS I just got my Zoom Zoom sticker maybe I'll wear it on my forehead when they negogiate with. me to buy it back. :lemon:
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    nola1nola1 Member Posts: 18
    Actually, I don't mind the nag. Usually I don't wear the seatbelt because I am not thinking of it. In the last 6 months, I've gotten 2 tickets for not wearing seatbelts ($25 each)

    Do you remember the cars in the 70's that would not even start if you didn't have your seatbelt on? People usually just kept them buckled behind them.

    Then they had the seatbelts that came around you automatically.

    I'm glad to be back in my 5. For those of you who didn't get yours back, it is worth the wait.
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    whipped95whipped95 Member Posts: 46
    We are all in the same situation, however to file a lemon law claim and have it bought back is IMHO a bit extreme. The way I look at it, you could sell the 5 and buy another vehicle but the reality is you still face the possiblilty of recall. At least give Mazda the chance to resolve the issue, if then you continue to have problems then stick it to em. Maybe it was the fact of only having the car for 5 days that is more upsetting. Fortunately we had ours for over a month and loved every moment with it. We quickly realized after turning in our 5 that no other car would replace it. Maybe we're just a bit more emotionaly attached to it, hopefully you'll reconsider.
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    cmac2cmac2 Member Posts: 1
    So, mazda5 racalls my vehicle, gives me a "comparable sized" van which turns out to be a gas guzzler (they gave me a Kia rental) I take it back to trade for something better on gas, has no room though, I have to take my family away so I go switch again, getting pretty frustrated by now. Mazda 5 tells me the rental is "of no charge to the customer" . Then why the hell am I making a lease payment on a vehicle that is unavailable to me!!!??? Then dealing with the hassle of settling for a car I don't want or like!
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    miffedmiffed Member Posts: 36
    In my state the laws say if you have been without the use of the automobile for 40 days it is assumed a lemon. I'm at 30 right now. I've tried to work with my dealer it will cost me somewhere between $5,000 to $6,000 to get out of this nightmare. I was disillusioned when the rental car they gave me was a used filthy gross smelling piece. Did you know that Mazda authorized new MPV's for us? I did not know until yesterday when I talked to my salesman. I was cleaning the rest of my stuff out of this car. I called the cs area and told them about this and I used the word S#!T when describing the smell in the car... they hung up on me for cursing. Of course now after 30 days they offer me the MPV. The bottom line is my money is good anywhere I chose the Mazda 5 because I thought it was a well engineered vehicle. I don't believe that any longer. In fact my prediction for all of you Mazda 5 owners is another recall in the next year for those automatic transmission with the manual shift modes. Ladies heed my warning be careful when your driving your 5's not to hit the transmission selecter handle with your purses you just may knock it out of auto and knock it into the manual mode. Which just may rev your engines to extreme RPM's before you figure what you've done. Or be careful when your kids get dropped off for school and grab there backpacks out of the backseat while they are being taken to school. The same thing happens if it gets bumped. Hey Mazda you have another problem here are you listening? The bottom line is this also needs to be fixed I just don't think enough people have complained about this yet. I think this is the problem that started the recall in the first place not someone driving it in 1st gear 60 miles an hour. But I just wonder if Mazda and the engineers understand this? My wife figured it out in 5 days. I hope the NTSB looks into it. For all you loyal fans of the 5 my first priority is my families safety not my loyalty as a Mazda owner. I drive a Honda. Hopefully 2 Hondas. I hope Mazda makes it right with us. I have my doubts. I know if I get it back I will drive it through the winter but next spring. bye bye. As far as buying another car and it being recalled I've owned 18 new cars none of them were recalled because of fires. None of them were taken off the streets and none of them were in the shop being fixed for longer than a day. That is a far cry from 30 plus days I've already experienced. I'm glad you love yours I hope it is free from defects and you and your family members who ride in this auto are safe. :lemon:
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    whipped95whipped95 Member Posts: 46
    I thought Mazda was programming the transmission to automatically shift when using manual shift mode. If that's not the case then I obviously misread something. Do people have the same issues with the mazda 3 and 6 manual modes? I need to research that issue. What I'm trying to tell you is, S#!T happens unfortunately with brand new vehicles we sometimes find out the hard way.

    Yes even Honda has had its share of fires.
    CRV Fires
    Sure they blame improper maintenance but it sounds more like an engineering defect considering the 44+ vehicles that actually caught fire.

    Heres a comment from a Honda tech concerning the CRV.
    ">Honda CRV Fireshttp://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/honda_crv_fires.html

    Rob of Bartlesville OK (7/15/04):
    I have worked as a general automotive technician in a nearby Honda dealership. Honda designs the engine with the oil filter in a very ungodly place: between the block and the firewall. They even have special "shields" sent to the dealership, so that when an oil change is done, the technician can put that on the exhaust, because the filter is also located directly above the hottest part of the exhaust, and oil will get on the exhaust during an oil change.

    I used to cringe when I saw a new Honda SUV coming in for service because I did my job correctly, and made sure the filters were tight. But doing so means getting burns from the exhaust, which I still have scars from a year later. To fully understand its positioning, you really need to get a new honda SUV on the lift, and look at the beast from below. I don't know WHAT they were thinking when they designed it this way. It's like, here's the oil filter, now, lets make an SUV around it.
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    r2kr2k Member Posts: 25
    For those of you aggravated by the seat belt "nag", check this link to a TSB from another Mazda 5 forum site.

    Looks like the TSB has been out for almost a month.

    Perhaps you can print it out and take it to your dealer's service manager and request again that the passenger side be shut off. Also looks like there might be a way to temporarily shut it off yourself.

    http://www.mpvclub.com/tsb.php?id=174

    Hope it works.
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    qddaveqddave Member Posts: 164
    rideyourbike....very nicely said. I too am very disgusted with how people are turning their backs on Mazda because of this "horrendous recall" :cry:

    I work in the automotive industry and I've engineered a fix for a major campaign. No its not pretty, the car companies take it very seriously. All hell breaks loose and the rest of the world stops until the fix is implemented. In the case of this recall, Mazda should be put on a pedestal for recalling all the vehicels and putting a stop ship/sale on a new model, just weeks after launch. That's a big hit to the credibility of a vehicle. But they did it right. They could have waited until the fix was ready and at the dealers so owners could just drive in, wait an hour and off they go. But what would have the response been then? "You mean Mazda let us drive a potential fire hazard for a month and a half?" Everyone and their mothers would have been screaming bloody murder. Just be patient, it'll all be over in a few days and you'll have your hard earned Mazda5 back, just the way you bought it.

    Oh and BTW, I was at my dealer in Grand Rapids yesterday and they just received a 5 that was labelled as "ready to sell". So the fix is imminent.
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    vinnyfastvinnyfast Member Posts: 33
    NO WAY!!!!.... I have a bad feeling about this, and I'm ALWAYS RIGHT!! I haven't received a second letter yet, but if it details that they will do something to the tranny, I'm taking the car from the dealer. I don't need another headache. I already wrote a letter to Mazda demanding my warranty be extended! I will get a petition if I have to. This has been the worse new car buying experience ever!! I've gone thru 3 BAD rentals already. :mad:
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    miffedmiffed Member Posts: 36
    Thanks I'm glad this is America and we have the freedoms to express ourselves. If you love Mazda so much buy mine. if you don't like to hear legitimate complaints don't read them. But if you want a fire extinguisher I'll sell you one cheap. By the way how do you know what the fix is. Do you work for Mazda? Since you know so much about cars and what they are going to do maybe you should work for Mazda. With all the yelling in your wonderful email maybe they should bolt the heat shield on your head. By the way go ride your bike it probably won't start on fire hate to tell you I do work on cars the computer has to be connected to a cable but if my memory serves me correctly at the end of the cable is a senor which if it didn't exist before one will have to be made to fit. I hope they put an extra sensor hole in. Otherwise, they will probably have to fix the transmission case. What new things would you like to know about your Mazda 5? that it is a :lemon:? I did make noise at the dealer and at Mazda inc they did not offer me a different loaner. They told me to be happy that I got a loaner. So my advice to you is don't speak until you know all the facts. I'm very happy you love your Mazda 5 I hope you drive it for hundreds of thousands of miles. I know you think they are so wonderful why don't you own 2. Oh, I'm sorry they are not available to be sold now because the pose a fire hazard. :sick:
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    miffedmiffed Member Posts: 36
    Do you work for Mazda? If you work for some other car company and you are an engineer but you didn't buy what you design that is scary. If you are an engineer for Mazda and your defending them you have major loyalty to the Mazda Corporation. I commend you. If you designed the 5 and are in this major fix you are correct the new vehicle takes a big hit with customer satisfaction and the public's confidence. That is why we write in this forum. Some of us lost our confidence in the 5 and Mazda. It's not personal it's business! You love Mazda that's cool. I don't. You don't care if your vehicle sits for 40 days. I do. You didn't pay for mine I did. If you do not like what people say don't listen. If you like Mazda so much by another one. Buy mine :lemon:
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    nola1nola1 Member Posts: 18
    Miffed,

    If you want the car you paid for back, you can have it. Just go to the dealer and tell them you want it back. I did, and now have over 6,000 miles on it.

    The car is very safe, as long as you use it the way it was supposed to be used. I commend Mazda for going the extra mile. I also have a Honda CRV, they didn't let us know about their recall until they had the fix at dealers.
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    whipped95whipped95 Member Posts: 46
    Now now people just leave him alone, he's obviously a Honda fanboy :P.
    At this point miffed you should go post your complaints in the Mazda sucks forum because now you're becoming a bit annoying with the whole "Since you know so much about cars and what they are going to do maybe you should work for Mazda. With all the yelling in your wonderful email maybe they should bolt the heat shield on your head. " comment.

    Anyhow I'll be happy to get my 5 back tomorrow :), and oh yea do you still have that fire extinguisher for sale?
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    sandiegoguysandiegoguy Member Posts: 27
    Thanks, that's useful. But I also want to drivers side turned off. Again the owners manual says it's possible and doesn't distinguish driver vs passenger sides.

    Does anyone know whether the 2006 cars sold in the USA have to have this belt minder by law? If not, it has to go. :cry:
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    pir8mattpir8matt Member Posts: 45
    Im thinking maybe I will use some of the goodwill that the dealers are trying to put forth because of the recall to get them to go ahead and disable the nag on my drivers side. I know they dont want to do it for liability reasons, but I really hate that nag. Yes, I believe you should wear your seatbelt, but sometimes I take short trips to the 7-11 or whatever, and I dont feel like putting the blamed seatbelt on. That nag is not federally mandated, as far as I know. The manual says it can be turned off. If Mazda USA says it can be shut off, then there must be a dealer somewhere that will do it.
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    sandiegoguysandiegoguy Member Posts: 27
    That seems like a good starting plan. I always use my seatbelt when it will help. But there are times when I take it off for a minute or two at the most and don't need Mazda yelling at me the whole time. Sometimes I am just driving to a different parking spot and I happen to exceed 12 mph for a second. Well once that thing is on you have to clip in the belt to shut it up. You can come to a dead stop and put it in park. No change. It'll just get faster. You can try lifting your but off the seat. No change, it'll just keep hounding ya.

    Seems like the same engineers that couldn't "think of everything" and forgot to put an upshift into the autotranny while in manual mode, forgot to give a "brain" to the belt minder.

    The dealerships have zero liability regarding disabling the belt minder. The car still has the seatbelt warning system and will show a light on the dash the whole time the belt is undone- or at least it should. Perhaps there is another oversight and they are afraid to expose it. Oh Oh :surprise: It's not like they are disabling the whole system, but they do act that way.

    I recommend all potential buyers expose themselves to the minder on a test drive. Then demand as part of the purchase it be disabled or buy a Subaru.

    Mazda should ship the car with the seatbelt minder disabled and ask if you want it enabled. I've seen posts elsewhere responding "Just where your belt". I think they miss the point. My goal is not to expose myself to risk. I want to take responsibility for myself. I don't need a nag. :mad:

    Also. My car has no front license plate holder. No holes, no nothing. What do you guys have? :confuse:
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    perfectofcperfectofc Member Posts: 155
    I hope someone from Mazda Corporate is reading these boards and noting the customers' concern for the future of their vehicles.
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    bjerrybjerry Member Posts: 59
    Thank you so much for this link. As always, I appreciate the wealth of information people share on this forum.
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    frgjbfrgjb Member Posts: 10
    Have there been any reports from Europe or anywhere else for that matter regarding driving the 5 in the winter? My only concern with the 5 are those low profile tires that don't seem to be made for winter driving. I'm not thrilled with the idea of having to buy snow tires and having to store the offseason tires. Any word?.
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    sschribersschriber Member Posts: 89
    Personally, I think Mazda would be smart to put out a model with a little less zoom-zoom and a lot more utility and sensibility. Start by shrinking those tires for better gas mileage and winter driving capability. Offer what's already available in Europe - roof rails and a diesel engine are examples of flexibility that would be welcome here but the corporate geniuses at Mazda and Ford seem to have their own idea of what the North American driver should have....
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    ffunffun Member Posts: 29
    Can someone explain to me the theory behind why the low profile 17" tires would not be as good in winter as any other all season tire. :confuse: Also, what does it have to do with gas mileage? It would seem to me that the more rubber on the road the better your winter traction would be and conversely the worse your gas mileage would be. I don't understand why both would be worse.
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    bypasskidbypasskid Member Posts: 57
    my concern with the 17" tires is that they are very very expensive to replace, and INHO unnecessary. Also, ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!
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    frank4carsfrank4cars Member Posts: 98
    Typically, a wider tire rides on top of the snow (the reason people wear snow shoes is to spread their weight over a bigger area so they don't sink in as much) and a narrower one digs through. So the 17 inch tires aren't inherently going to be worse, it's that they may be wider than tires fitted to 15 or 16 inch rims. But there is also the tread pattern to consider. Low-profile performance tires have minimal channeling or grooves to disperse rain and snow and get packed with snow more easily, creating a slick type tire that doesn't offer very good traction. Less performance-oriented 15 or 16 inch tires (all-season or M+S) will have larger channels to help disperse the snow better.
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    dapontdapont Member Posts: 21
    205/50VR17
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    dapontdapont Member Posts: 21
    Tire replacement for the 205/50VR17 size found on the Mazda5 can be nearly $200 but also as low as $60 with $100 a reasonable price for the highly-rated Avon. Check out Tire Rack for comparisons: http://www.tirerack.com/index.jsp?source=S13674x009-branded&code=yes&keyword=tire+rack&
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    chacobleuchacobleu Member Posts: 228
    Here are the problems with your requests:

    Tires: needed to stand out as zoom zoom otherwise buy the new Chevy HHR or PT Cruiser; though nothing stopping them from making them available

    Roof Rails: are available in the US as an accessory, though I don't know if Europe has real roof rails, like the ones on the MPV (fixed rails with adjustable rack bars)

    Diesel: We have crappy diesel fuel (too much sulfur) that causes damage to the new common-rail diesels available in Europe; besides, even with the better new and improved diesel fuel, we just passed new more stringent emission rules that would fail those newer diesels
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    chacobleuchacobleu Member Posts: 228
    Eventually, by your reasoning, you will no longer own/lease a vehicle. GM, Toyota, Ford, Audi, Honda, Acura, Nissan, Mazda, Lexus, Chrysler, Mercedes, BMW, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Jaguar, Infiniti, and VW (just to name a few) have all had their share of public relation nightmares, from engine sludge to engine fires to faulty transmissions.

    IMO - Your situation hardly compares to some of the other well known problems of yesteryear. People can say all they want about first year production models, but when a vehicle catches on fire while parked with the ignition in the 'off' position in a garage attached to a house, no one will care what year it was made. Mazda took the corrective action availble under the circumstances. Not everyone is satisfied with that decision, but at least they literally have roof under their head.

    If by chance you find a mfg. that doesn't dissapoint, please share with the rest of us.
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    perfectofcperfectofc Member Posts: 155
    "Roof Rails: are available in the US as an accessory, though I don't know if Europe has real roof rails, like the ones on the MPV (fixed rails with adjustable rack bars) "

    Roof rack is available in the US as an accessory.

    Europe and everywhere else in the world has real Roof Rails, like the ones on the MPV.
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    dabatmandabatman Member Posts: 25
    TireRack has what I think is a good deal on Blizzak Revo 1 (They're TOP rated snow tire ..) Tires/wheels/covers all mounted free for $630...

    The recommend doing a minus 1... I agree... 17" snows are harder to find, more expensive and would be a very ruff ride... my wife would be travelling thru the Pocono's in NE PA... 100+ of snow/year is common... and traversing up 1500-1700 feet of elevation each day... so I think it would give us a great deal of peace of mind


    Item Description Estimated Availability
    Explain Qty. Price Each Item Total

    16" Style 15 (set of 4)
    for 2006 Mazda 5 Touring
    In Stock 012345678 $30.00 $30.00
    16X6.5 New Steel Wheel Black Painted
    for 2006 Mazda 5 Touring
    Necessary wheel installation hardware included at no additional charge.
    In Stock 012345678 $46.00 $184.00
    205/55QR16 Bridgestone Blizzak Revo 1 Blackwall
    for 2006 Mazda 5 Touring
    In Stock 012345678 $104.00 $416.00
    These tires and wheels will be mounted and balanced at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE.

    Total: $630.00
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    scratchmarcscratchmarc Member Posts: 19
    I suppose a low-tech way to avoid the seatbelt noise would be to make separate buckle out of thick plastic (like an old compact disc). Just trace the outline, cut it out and you're good to go.
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    whitewaterpearwhitewaterpear Member Posts: 1
    Got my letter today..... warranty is extended, we will get a re start date of Dec 1 2005 - Dec 1 2009 or at 50k miles. (No re start on mileage.)

    Also, a $500 check will be sent to the registered owner 4-6 weeks after re-delivery of vehicle. Can be spent anyway you feel, no restrictions.

    I never turned my car in, however my tentative"plan" is to wait till December after feedback from others who have had the work done. If the majority is unhappy with post re calibration performance Mazda can keep their $500

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    dabatmandabatman Member Posts: 25
    http://www.mazda.co.uk/know/movies_download.asp?id=8746

    Whenever someone tells me I'm buying a mini-van... I send them to this site... if only to confuse the situation....
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