Mazda 3 Transmission Problems

carrieb5 · September 2008

I have a 2008 Mazda 3. I have the same transmission as yours and mine always defaults to 1st gear when I come to a stop. If Mazda doesn't fix it I would complain. Try another dealership. Also ask them to point out in the manual where it states this is normal for the transmission to operate this way. If I remember correctly the Sales Manager at the Dealer where I bought my 3 told me it should always default back to 1st when you come to a stop when in Manual mode. I don't use my manual that frequently only when I need to pass or am on a steep grade. I would definately go to other Mazda's and have them look at the car. It's worth a try.

carrieb5 · September 2008

I have a 2008 Mazda 3 I touring VE. I love the car, and purchased it after owning a 1997 Mazda Protege for nearly 12 years that gave me no problems at all. My 3 is great , but I am concerned when I place the car in Park, it rolls forward about an inch or two. In addition to that sometimes when I put the car in reverse it is rough shifting. Sometimes it shifts so hard into reverse it sounds like I hit something. The car was purchased in May and only has 2400 miles on it? Is this normal? Does anyone else have this same problem? :confuse:

carrieb5 · September 2008

I do understand that Mazda is owned by Ford now and merged in 1992, but I think your above statements are untrue. I had a 1997 Mazda Protege and put a 140,000 miles on it and other than normal maintenance I only replaced a thermostat. In addition Mazda 3's and Miatas are still made and manufactured in Japan. I would agree with your statements above if I were dealing with a Mazda 6 or Tribute. As they are made at a Ford Plant in Michigan.

autonomous · September 2008

Mazda is owned by Ford
Not quite true, Ford owns a controlling share of Mazda, I believe its 33%.

dreamobics · September 2008

No. I use the automatic all the time and eventually it struggles through the gears.

ahightower · September 2008

Is the issue worse when parking/backing out on a hill? Do you use the parking brake? Set the parking brake before you put it in Park, and when backing out, put it in Reverse before you release the parking brake.

swhy30 · September 2008

I have had a similar problem when starting up the car. I has happened to me twice already and the car only has 10,800 miles on it. I will turn the car on and let off the clutch then the engine starts to shake and stall out. I have to repeat a few times to get the car started. I have yet to take it to a dealer yet b/c i'm sure they'll tell me they can't find anything wrong with it. But it is a bit frustrating

autonomous · September 2008

has happened to me twice already and the car only has 10,800 miles on it. I will turn the car on and let off the clutch then the engine starts to shake and stall out. I have to repeat a few times to get the car started.

Twice in 11K miles does not sound too bad to me. If you are concerned, you might want to document each time it happens with as much detailed information as you can get. For example, was the car cold or wet? Were there any squealing or other sounds coming from the engine? When it is finally running does the problem go away? Ideally, you want the mechanic to be able to reproduce the problem and if that's not possible to give enough of an idea of the symptoms of the problem to narrow down the search. You could also ask for a diagnostic test to see if it turns anything up.

ahightower · October 2008

Ditto. Not to insult your skillz, but I'm sure I stalled out more than twice in every car I've had with a manual transmission (three so far). It took me a while to get the feel for my Mazda3 which I've had for a year now. It's not bad, but it's just not as forgiving perhaps as some of the Hondas I test drove. Even still sometimes I have a little bit of a rough start and feel like a dumb teenager.

dtownbarb · October 2008

I have an 06 and over the past couple months there have been issues of totally not being able to get the car into gear. First it was reverse now recently it was 1st&2nd then even 3rd. It has been to the dealer twice with no findings or repair. I was advised if it happens again have it immediately towed to them without even tryin to get it into that gear myself so they could see what is happening.

anyone else having these issues or any ideas?? I have driven manual transmissions for many years and have never had this happen!!

bapigupta · November 2008

Was the outcome of your complaint against Mazda about the 3's clutch? I have a 2007 Mazda 3 that need a new clutch disc, throwout bearing, pressure plate, and pilot bearing. The dealer says none of this is covered under my 100,000 mille warrantee and it will cost $1168, plus taxes.

I had previously owned three Hondas, two Civics and an Accord, all of which I drove over $125k with no problems whatsoever. The Civics were both manuals and I never had to replace the clutches.

I presume the manufacturer/dealer with tell me I don't know how to drive a stick, and that will piss me off. If that's the case, why did my starter already fail this month too (that's under warrantee)? Was I failing to turn the key properly as well?

Bapi

dtownbarb · November 2008

so far I do not have an answer---they have not isolated the problem

terry1008 · November 2008

I have CAI on my 2004 2,3 also. What I did is my CAI came with 2 pieces, I just use the one that connect to the TB. Kind of making it a short ram and the filter would be directly behind the fan. Yeah the air seem little hotter but have the advantage of air blown to the filter continuously. Only 1 thing to watch out is the filter might fall if u have a small one. I did got a bigger filter, and it is kind of holding on top of the tranny... hope this help.

jeffreyg1 · November 2008

I have a 2004 3 hatchback..had to replace the clutch @ 34,000 miles last year around oct 07..they blamed it on "not knowing how to shift" as well (not true all my previous vehicles were sticks that lasted forever...). The whole clutch seized up and got corroded not sure how that happened ended up costing me 1100 bucks.. warranty didnt cover it of course..
as for your starter i'm sure the warranty will cover that. i have not had any other issues with my car besides the clutch..except for a broken motor mount that was replaced for free...

parabola · November 2008

I have a 2004 Mazda 3 sedan 2.3L 5-speed manual. Had the terrible misfortune of being 90 miles from home (48,500 miles on the odometer) when my clutch gave out. I learned to drive stick on this car, but still, 50k? Isn't that low even by American car standards? Going to cost me $1100+. I was a pretty quick study when it came to the manual transmission, and have not been abusive to the car. Is Mazda just throwing in wimpy clutches?

jeffyscott · November 2008

Isn't that low even by American car standards?

I love it, your mazda clutch goes only 50K mi and you turn it into a way to bash the US manufacturers. I have owned 4 american cars with manuals, never replaced a clutch on any of them. These cars had 110K to 150K on them when I got rid of them.

However, the life of a clutch is very dependent on where and how you drive. Obviously a lot of stop and go traffic means more wear as does resting your left foot on the clutch pedal.

jeffreyg1 · November 2008

funny you mentioned that.. i had a chevy s-10 prior to my mazda 3.. the 5-speed on my s-10 was built like a rock and lasted close to 150,000 miles although all the plastic parts on the rest of my s-10 broke or fell off over time.. that was my only gripe on it...
I do know the 3 is still made entirely in japen i'm just surprised that they would do such a crappy job on the clutch assembly on such a hot car at the moment...having my clutch go out @ 34,000 miles is ridiculous... :mad:

bapigupta · November 2008

Mazda won't budge on my 2007 3i that just lost its clutch at 29k miles. My repair will be $1100 and I need to pick it up tomorrow, since my rental car is costing me too much to keep up this fight.

Corporate customer service has not been helpful at all, stringing me out before finalizing their rejection of my warrantee request, today, two weeks after the car was taken in for service.

I filed a report with the Better Business Bureau today (case #1364515) and will be contacting the attorney general soon.

My previous 3 cars have all been Hondas, two Civics and an Accord, the Civics both manuals. I drove all of them in excess of 125k with no transmission/clutch problems whatsoever. I haven't changed my driving habits or home address in ten years.

My Mazda is a poor imitation of a Honda. My Honda dealer, who actually helped me pick out my Mazda at the dealer next door, based on economics only, is interested in helping me get out of it now.

micks80 · December 2008

Hi Friends,
I own a 2004 Mazda3 4dr with triptronic transmission and around 150K on it. Since yesterday, I am getting a strange problem in the car. When I put the car from "parking" to "reverse", the car gives a big jolt. And an "AT" code shows up on the screen. I check the manual book and "AT" relates to transmision axle issues.

I took it to a local mechanic and he said probably the transmission needs to be rebuilt and cost would be around $2000 CAD. I already have spent around 1200 CAD this month on the car and I am broke with this new trouble.

$500 on winter tires
$400 on back struts
$300 on rotors and brake pad change.

I tried to look in google, and came to this site/thread where the user posted the exact problem but nobody really gave the correct answer to the issue:
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f120721/0

I would appreciate if you guys think that this is a transmission issue and if there's any alternative like where can i get a used transmission etc???? I still drive the car to work (100kms) everyday and the mechanic said it should not cause any issue but what do you guys think as I am a bit worried driving it on the highway everyday.Though the car gives no trouble at all except that initial jolt when you start the car.

Thanks

autonomous · December 2008

2004 Mazda3 4dr with triptronic transmission and around 150K ... When I put the car from "parking" to "reverse", the car gives a big jolt. And an "AT" code shows ... I took it to a local mechanic and he said probably the transmission needs to be rebuilt and cost would be around $2000 CAD

Before forking out $2K I'd get a second opinion from a Mazda dealer. Being in Canada at this time of year, a drop in temperature may be contributing to your shift problems. My 2002 Mazda Protege5 acts differently in the cold. Try warming the car a little bit more before driving. Also, consider having the transmission fluid changed if you have not done so recently.

sankyu16 · January 2009

I had that type of problem in a chevy malibu it was an 03. It turned out to be the torque inverter. also the change in temperate never helps.

micks80 · February 2009

Thanks a lot, so how much does it cost to change a torque inverter or where to get it tested if that's causing this issue???

I searched google for "what is torque inverter", ""change torque inverter" etc but did not got any helpful links.

Thanks Again!!!

shipo · February 2009

You didn't get any hits on your google search because there is no such a thing as a "torque inverter". That said, I suspect you're looking for the term, "torque converter". Yes, no?

roadburner · February 2009

I think that his plasma conduit might need more dilithium crystals.

shipo · February 2009

micks80 · February 2009

Thanks a zillion Shipo!!!

wgm4 · February 2009

I have a 04 mazda3 with 89,000 miles on it. It just started jerking going from first to second gear, i dont know whats wrong? I need help lol! If i let it sit there and worm up it doesn't jerk that long like it stops jumping after it calms down. It stays at around 2,000 rpms when i start it. Then it will go down to 1,000 rpms then it wont jerk as bad. Then i drive it for about 5 miles and it stops jerking all together please can anybody help me?

ahightower · February 2009

I don't know anything about transmissions, but did you check the fluid level?

autonomous · February 2009

04 mazda3 with 89,000 miles on it. It just started jerking going from first to second gear ... Then i drive it for about 5 miles and it stops jerking all

Sounds like the engine which starts out cold and calms down as it warms up. I wonder if the airflow to the engine or if your ignition system is the source of the problem. You might want to consider a fuel system cleaning or getting a diagnostic.

wgm4 · February 2009

Well the check engine light came on and i got it checked out and they said i had a leak in from the gas cap so could that be something? They told me to get a new one

wgm4 · February 2009

yes i did and its all good

autonomous · March 2009

Many have found that an engine light could come on if one forgets to tighten the cap after filling up at a gas station. So, a leaky cap does not sound good. Is this related to your earlier post or is this a new problem?

p.s. not all gas caps are the same so make sure to check before you buying the new one

canadian_guy · March 2009

I have a 2005 Mazda 3, auto 4 spd, 2.3 ltr. All of a sudden this morning when I put it in reverse, I get a loud, vibrating noise. ONLY in reverse. All other gears work quiet and smoothly.
I checked underneath the car; no leads, drips, drools, and pools of fluid. There is no visible damage to anything. All fluid levels are normal and don't smell burnt, and are clear.

What could this be?

Hey there;
My '06 just started doing the exact same thing! Put it in reverse and it starts this vibration, but only in reverse. Did you get an answer or resolve the issue? I have called one dealership and they did not have an answer for me, I will call mine tomorrow when they get in for the day. If you could give me some ideas as to what you have tried it may save me some trouble, that would be nice.
Thanks.

jwaller86 · March 2009

I bought a Mazda3 in May 2005. The car is great and had no issues until March 2008. When I was driving in automatic one day, the car would tend to shift from 4th to 3th gear automatically with the AT and engine light come on. Once this happen it is locked into 3rd gear until you come to a complete stop. Once I am at a complete stop it will return to lst gear and the AT light turns off while the engine light remains on. This will happen infrequently. Therefore, I brought into the dealership and they told me the transmission need to be flush. At the time, my car had 45,000 miles on it and they told me i should do it every 30,000 miles. I had the transmission flush and the car work perfectly until November 2008 with the same issue. I brought the car to the dealership again. They called headquarters about the issue. They told me the speed sensor was messing up and they reprogram it. It took about 2 hours and a half to complete the job. About three weeks later the same problem. I did not go back to the dealership until February 2009 for a regular oil change. I explained to them from my diagnosis the transmission tends to shift down when I am accelerating than get off the gas than accelerating again. My theory to them was the computer is thinking i am going full pedal when i just tap the accelerate slightly. The only time the car really should shift down when you are going full throttle. So, they looked at it and they found the sensor wire was going bad which relate to the speed sensor. However, I asked the dealership why did the mechanics found this problem earlier when I brought it in November. They explained the bumps on the road might have cause the car to frequently cause this problem and wouldn't have seen the wire. I didn't really buy into that explanation. To get to my point, the replacement for the wire cause around $90.00 plus labor. Just after a couple of days, the same problem. However, I notice it tends to do it on a bumpy road or inclining up on the road. Also, when I am going up the gears I feel or hear something popping or vibrating like something is force it to pop out of gear. Like I can actually feel the car popping out of gear.

I know this is a lengthy forum. If anybody has this similar issue, please share and give me advise. I really don't think Mazda is telling me the truth about my car.

wgm4 · March 2009

yea its the same problem.I got a new gas cap from the mazda place and it still comes on and then it will go off then it will come on. It comes back on when im at a red light or something

SophiaRose · May 2009

I JUST RECENTLY STARTED GETTING A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END. THE WEIRD THING IS IT FEELS LIKE AND SOUNDS LIKE IT'S HAPPENING IN ABOUT 3 DIFFERENT SPOTS. IT HAPPENS IRREGULARLY SO IT'S HARD TO PIN POINT WHAT IT COULD BE. I HAD A FRIEND WHO IS A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND HE HAD NO CLUE. ANY IDEAS? ANYONE EXPREINCE SOMETHING SIMILAR?

roadburner · May 2009

First, turn off your caps lock. Yelling is rude. I'd suspect the knock is either a bad anti-roll bar link or a bad strut. In my case I had a knock and it was the strut.

surfersparadox · May 2009

I recently had a noise in my 05 mazda 3 that sounded like a hole in the exhaust. I took it to a local mechanic who said nothing was wrong but he heard the noise. I took it to mazda who said my engine mounts were broken and so was my axel. I got both fixed and the noise still persisted. I took it to a body shop who said my air filter had fallen in and when they fixed it the noise stopped. However, it started again and a mechanic family member says he felt a rough transmission. Is it that or something else? does anyone have a similar experience or know what it is?

mmmmmazda · May 2009

Good day, I have a 2004 2.3 automatic hatchback with 80 000 km's (50 000 miles). I've had it since 65 000 kms (40 000 miles). I feel a vibration in the car when the transmission is in drive with my foot on the bake and completely stopped (like at a red light). The vibration is felt throughout the whole car and varies in strength. It gets worse when the RPM's gets lower. It almost feels like it is getting worse with time. I also hear a loud click coming from under the front of the car about 70% of the time when I put it into reverse in the morning. Sometimes the click happens right when I put it into reverse gear and sometimes when I push the gas in reverse. I'm suspecting a transmission problem. I don't really know if it is switching gears as smoothly as it should also. I wish I could drive another one to compare. I had a mechanic recommend changing the spark plugs because he thought the car idled pretty low but he didn't even take it for a test drive. I changed the plugs but the problem persisted. I would like to believe this could be an easy fix but I fear the worst. Wondering if I should sell before it becomes to noticeable, ha ha ha. Anyone got any ideas? The air filter is clean, the oil changed every 5, new spark plugs, all the fluids are good. :confuse:

Thanks for your time

autonomous · May 2009

I feel a vibration in the car when the transmission is in drive with my foot on the bake and completely stopped (like at a red light). The vibration is felt throughout the whole car and varies in strength. It gets worse when the RPM's gets lower.

The predecessor to the Mazda3, the Protege, had similar symptoms due to a dirty EGR valve. You may want to check it out.

jonathan7787 · June 2009

Hi peeps,

Dont laugh at me because i know NOTHING about cars but any advice would be great. My mazda 3 seems to be at a higher RPM than it should be at times. For example going down the freeway @ 110km/h its usually doing about 3500RPM. seems a bit high to me however it could be normal? just used to a different car that does not seem to sit at such a high RPM in 5th gear. theres probably nothing wong other than my lack of car knowledge LOL! but hey you never learn without asking even the stupid questions. any words of reassurance would be great.

shipo · June 2009

Assuming that you have a manual transmission...

Yes, 3,500 RPMs does sound a bit high. As a point of reference, my 2009 Mazda3 i 5-Speed (manual) turns about 3,050 RPMs at 112 KPH.

Best regards,
Shipo

smadike · June 2009

hi everybody,i'm new in the forum,sorry for my english.
I've the same probleme with my typotronic mazda3 2004 (107000km)the reverse gives a big jolt and the "AT"code shows up on the screen.
have you resolved the probleme? how to go about fixing this...?
thanks

autonomous · June 2009

reverse gives a big jolt and the "AT"code shows up on the screen

Sounds like you need to take the car for a checkup at your local garage.

p.s. Mazda does not have a tiptronic, that's VW. Did you mean automatic transmission (AT)?

yoshi99 · June 2009

I have same issue started about the same time as micks80. Took to mechanic hooked up to computer but no error codes. Waited until light came on again still no error code. Now light goes on while driving, car rides rough only when AT light on.

FYI, 2004 Mazda 3 Hatchback does have an alternate tiptronic shift

yoshi99 · June 2009

I have same year 2004 Mazda3 Hatchback with about 97,000 miles. Same problem started about 3 weeks ago. Now light comes on & goes off randomly. Had my mechanic check but no error codes. Waited for AT light to show and drove directly to him again with AT light on still no error code. Any resolution to your problem yet?

smadike · June 2009

for this probleme yes...it was an eletric probleme,error code dtc p0745 pression controle solenoide malfuntion.but i have another probleme 2 weeks later with my 3gears which doesn,t shift,i have to rebuilt the transmission.go to www.mazdaclub.net/mz3ws

mazbad · July 2009

I am having an overheating problem with my 09 Mazda 3, 5 door transmission. It will not shift to 5th gear when it is hot or outside temp is 106 F. I have been told by Mazda customer relations that this is normal and I should pull over and let it cool down. They call it a fail safe measure that the transmission has in it. There is no code for this problem so they are saying that it is normal. Is anyone experiencing this problem or can you tell me what my next step should be?

yoshi99 · July 2009

FYI: Took car into dealership for "AT" dashboard light. Discussed all info received from this Forum after diagnostic test run. Required NEW TRANSMISSION, luckily I was still under my extended warranty with 2,600 miles to spare. For once it paid to buy it. Waiting to get car back.

igozoomzoom · July 2009

That sounds like a load of bullcrap! The inside of a manual transmission is designed to withstand much higher temps than 106F. I've owned nine vehicles over the last 19 years, all with manual transmissions and have never experienced any heat-related problems.

The idea of it NOT shifting into 5th as a fail-safe is illogical! Driving in 4th at highway speeds will put a lot more strain on the engine (running at higher rpm). I have a 2006 Mazda3 2.3L/5-speed manual and live in Atlanta. It gets close to 100F often during late summer and I've never had anything like this happen.

In addition to talking to others on this forum, I'd also suggest Mazda3Forums.com. There are a lot of helpful folks on that site including some Mazda service techs.

Mazda 3 Transmission Problems

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