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Mazda 3 Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    edited January 2012
    A few comments:

    1) I rather doubt we're going to hear from you again as I suspect you're hear to fuss and then never to return.

    2) I rather doubt you've "read most of the 359" posts prior to yours; if you had you would have discovered that the vast majority of the folks reporting issues in this thread were talking about their automatic transmissions.

    3) While I'm on the subject of you not having read all of the posts in this thread; there is a healthy mixture of folks complaining about Automatic related issues, folks complaining about Manual related issues (many of which were about non-clutch related issues; see the post after yours), AND other folks offering advice and condolences. Said another way, I'd be surprised if there were even three or four dozen independent complaints about the clutch.

    4) Brakes at 44,000 miles? Sounds pretty normal to me regardless of the make or model of the car. Do enough city driving and the brakes will be gone at 30,000 or less; do enough long distance highway driving and the factory brakes can easily last to 100,000 miles. Said another way, you have nothing to complain about here.

    5) Did you buy your 2007 Mazda3 s new or used? If used, then you have no way of knowing how much abuse the previous owner heaped on the clutch.

    6) I taught my (then) fifteen year old son to drive a stick in my 2009 Mazda3, and he was none-too-gentle on the clutch while learning. My car is quickly approaching 55,000 miles and has no problems with the clutch at this point (although given the beating he gave my car I wouldn't blame it if it failed soon). My fifteen year old daughter is going to be learning to drive a stick in my car this summer, and what my son didn't complete (relative to destroying the clutch), my daughter probably will.
  • coakubcoakub Member Posts: 1
    i had this same exact problem in July 2011 they refused to admit there was a problem when the clutch died at 19k and only 6 months old. ended up getting it towed out of mazda to a garage and had it repaired with an aftermarket performance clutch for totaling 900 dollars(labor and parts, new clutch was only 130 dollars for whole kit...Kentucky Clutch ftw). Im currently still experiencing issues with the car from the dealership screwing something up electrically and causing shorts throughout the car. The latest issue is that my battery plum up and died out of nowhere and wont restart. They also cant fix the electrical short and Im about to Lemon Law this piece of crap vehicle and go buy a Toyota
  • nibroc4410nibroc4410 Member Posts: 4
    My wife and I have had a lot of problems with our 2012 Mazda 3 manual 6-speed transmission. We test drove the i-touring (skyactiv) model and thought that the shifting was shorter than we were used to, but very smooth. We ended up buying this model.

    After about a week of using the car we noticed that it occasionally didn't want to go into 3rd gear. It would completely block us from going into the gear. We also noticed that the shifting was very rough, especially into 3rd.

    We took it into the dealers and they said we might be driving it wrong or the gears might need to "wear in". We both have been driving manuals since 16 so we aren't driving it wrong. We waited a couple days, but when the car wouldn't shift in the middle of an intersection for my wife and she was almost rear ended we took it back to the service station.

    This was the first car of this model any of them had driven, so they didn't know what it was exactly supposed to feel like. At first they said everything was normal, but after the service manager took the car home at our insistence he told us the next day that corporate was flying in an engineer from Japan to check out the transmission. The car has less than 500 miles on it and they are replacing the transmission and the shifting cables. Obviously something wasn't right.

    Two weeks later the dealership agreed to replace the car since it must have shipped with a defect. We decided to test drive the car again to get a feel for what a new one should feel like, but we experienced the exact same problems that we had when we brought our car into the service station! The test model had 11 miles on it when we drove it the very first time and was smooth. 70 miles later the same test model felt very rough and just didn't want to shift into 3rd or 4th.

    We no longer have confidence in this model at all. At this point we are trying to contact Mazda corporate for a refund because the dealership wont help us. If our experience is any indication there is a serious problem with the manual transmission on the skyactiv models.
  • geeng16geeng16 Member Posts: 1
    I have noticed rpm surge in the past few days with normal driving, but all of a sudden while going uphill, and the vehicle lost the power. So I had it towed home (still under 3 year roadside assistance program and free for 1st 15 miles). This morning (01/29/12) Start the car normally and shif the gear to 1st and rear and the car does not move like yesterday.
  • jmetalpjmetalp Member Posts: 2
    I have a Mazda Speed 3 with a Manual Transmission, We purchased the care 04/2010, then in 09/2010 we had it in the shop for repair work because the car would not say in 2nd gear and sometimes wont go into 2nd gear at all and we only had 3419 Miles on the car, Then in 12/2010 we had it back in again for the same problems at this time we had 4258 miles on the car with the same problem, Then we took it in in may 2011 for a front end alignment and complained of the transmission problem again. So in 12/2011 they took the car again to fix the same problem. Our mileage is at 11,000 miles. I am wondering if anyone is having the same issues? Mazda is blaming us for the transmission issues with 2nd gear. They want us to pay to have the transmission replaced even thought the car is still under manufactures warranted. Has anyone had the same issues? If so any suggestions as to what to do? They still have our car and have had it since December.
  • caleb9caleb9 Member Posts: 5
    Yes, there are a good many reports of problems with second gear in Mazda 3s on this forum. I don't have an answer. I tried someone's suggestion to use (synthetic) Red Line gear oil. That has helped, but not solved the problem. I would think the manufacturer would have to pay to replace the transmission. Unfortunately for me, my car is out of warranty. It's a 2009 with 86,000 miles. It started at approx. 65,000 miles.
  • jmetalpjmetalp Member Posts: 2
    Thank you Caleb9, My car is 19 months old, and 11000 miles and they are Refusing to fix it after they have fixed it twice without actually fixing the problem correctly. They say its our fault the way we drive the car, The car has been driven the same way every day. Right now the dealer still has the car with the transmission out they want us to pay for a new transmission and labor work on it. They say its because :sick: of uneven tire wear when we had it to them for a front end alignment as well.
  • jehanksjehanks Member Posts: 1
    After reading alot of the posts, I guess I've been lucky. I put alot of miles on my car for work and it has served me well, but at 120K miles I experienced a knocking noise when backing up and down shifting in lower gears. I ended up having the transmission rebuilt by AAMCO due to worn out bearings. They also resurfaced the flywheel and replaced my original clutch. The difficulty shifting from 1st to 2nd became more pronounced after the rebuild and the reverse and deceleration whine is horrid now. I'm now at 143K miles and the knocking is starting again. It is much worse when backing uphill. Any ideas? I'm thinking just go for a new tranny rather than mess with rebuilding this one again.
  • caleb9caleb9 Member Posts: 5
    This definitely sounds like a warranty issue. Clark Howard has talked about situations like this. I would look on his website to see what you can find, or call or email him. I believe he has said something about contacting Mazda Corp. of America about it. In other words, go over the dealer's head.
  • mazdaman35mazdaman35 Member Posts: 1
    Hi moogoogaipan,
    I just got a Mazda 3 skyactiv manual and am experiencing the same type of thing. Every once in a while shifting into 3rd, 4th, or 5th feels rough and requires extra pressure or requires shifting to neutral and cycling the clutch.

    I really like the car, but this shifting thing is kind of annoying. Is this just something that will go away once the car is broken in a bit? Did you ever get the problem fixed???
  • nibroc4410nibroc4410 Member Posts: 4
    Update:

    We figured out looking at the contract that there was a very slim chance of us getting a refund for the car since the parts are covered on the warranty.

    They ended up fixing the original car and giving it back to us. They also gave us a pre-paid Service Plan for 5-years/75k.

    The car seems to be running and shifting "normally". The original problem where we were completely blocked from shifting into gear while moving has not happened again. Sometimes shifting still feels rough, but overall the car is working fine.

    Soon after starting when it is very cold it doesn't want to shift and the stick sometimes gets stuck in gear (1st and 2nd), but after it warms up this never happens. We've also had it not want to go into 1st while stopped on an incline/decline. If we take our foot off the brake and let it drift an inch or two and try again it goes into gear.

    On an unrelated note, we had a 4 inch nail puncture the rear tire the other day and had to get that fixed. Maybe we are just very unlucky.
  • dattomcat89dattomcat89 Member Posts: 5
    edited March 2012
    My fiance's brother enjoys his 2010 Mazda3, so I was considering getting a 2012 Skyactiv with manual trans, but after all the things I've been reading in this thread, I'm not so sure. Is anybody else having trouble with the new Skyactiv manual?

    I'm not interested in having to change the gear oil or adopt an abnormal shifting style to be able to use the car, because I didn't have to do either of those things with my old '97 5-speed Protege (which was the most reliable/resilient car I've ever owned), so I certainly shouldn't have to with a car that's brand new.

    A lot of what I'm reading here and even in press-releases reminds me of what GM did with their trucks during the end of the 90's, prematurely releasing new technology to the public and letting their paying customers discover and deal with the resulting problems. My family had a '98 Silverado which was so trouble-prone because of this that GM permanently lost our business. I'm shocked that Mazda would do something similar.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    edited March 2012
    I was considering getting a 2012 Skyactiv with manual trans, but after all the things I've been reading in this thread, I'm not so sure. Is anybody else having trouble with the new Skyactiv manual?
    Actually most of this thread does not deal with the Skyactiv which is brand new for 2012. Like you, though, I was concerned ... in my case because it is new. Many reliable manufacturers, including Toyota and Honda, have had problems rolling out new models. Since Mazda has a lot "riding" on the Skyactiv technology, I expect they have done a lot of testing before incorporating it in the Mazda3, and now the CX5.

    TIP: Put off your purchase until later this year / next year to see what comes out in the wash.
  • dattomcat89dattomcat89 Member Posts: 5
    edited March 2012
    I didn't say I read all the posts in this thread and that they all had to do with the Skyactiv MT; I was basing my conclusion on all the posts I DID read (meaning I only read posts that had to do with Skyactiv MT).

    And thanks for the tip. I was already planning on just holding off on the purchase because I wanted to see how quickly Mazda fixes these problems (both on their new cars and ones that have already been sold) and how they respond to what I'd assume is a growing number of unsatisfied customers (especially nibroc4410, if he ever posts again).

    All of this worries me greatly because I was dead-set on buying the next generation MX-5/Miata (I can barely fit in the current one, and I've heard that the next one may have slightly more room) as soon as it's released, and I don't want to end up quickly regretting my purchase or having to wait to buy it because of something like this.
  • vkamnyevvkamnyev Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2012
    Hello,

    I actually ordered my Skyactiv with 6 speed manual from factory. Just got it a few days ago (it was manufactured on February 3, 2012). When I first got it, I had a hard time sliding the shifter into gears. I really didn't think much of it because I thought that may be it is just breaking in and the gear channels just need to smooth out. Now I have 200 miles on it and I am noticing that the shifting is starting to smooth out. I will keep my eye on it and will make another post in a few weeks.
    Thank you.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    edited March 2012
    this worries me greatly because I was dead-set on buying the next generation MX-5/Miata ... I don't want to end up quickly regretting my purchase or having to wait to buy it

    Understood. Reading a thread on Mazda transmission problems is bound to create some worries.

    Check the latest Consumer Reports issue for its Reliability charts to see how key components (including transmissions) of various models rate in terms of long term reliability. Based on CR and as far as I have heard, the Miata/MX5 is a stellar vehicle with one of the best transmissions around and is not a risky choice.

    p.s. I know what you mean about how snug the Miata is.
  • dark_tempdark_temp Member Posts: 1
    Well I have the same car and my 1st and 2nd gears are a little sticky in the cold too. (sounds like the honda si tranny problems they were having too but much worse than mazda's :) ) I do know that the first gear has a safety that if you are moving at a certain speeds (i think even as low as 5-15 you cant shift into first so you dont jerk your gears to hard. This because the torque ratios in first and second are much greater than like 5th or 6th (some sorta of safety mechanism kind of like you cant throw it into reverse at all unless you are not moving....good luck on your car
  • nibroc4410nibroc4410 Member Posts: 4
    Hi everyone,

    Just wanted to give another update. We are up to 4500 miles on our car now and everything has been good since we had the transmission replaced. It still sticks in first and second gear when we start it up in under 40 degree weather, but if you give it 3 minutes to warm up that doesn't happen.

    I wouldn't tell people to not buy the car, because if you aren't unlucky like we were you will just have a fun car with good mileage. But as a warning if you are very unlucky and something isn't right keep bothering them until everything is fixed. They might deny anything is wrong for a while, but you aren't imagining it so keep fighting.
  • dattomcat89dattomcat89 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the update. If you could continue to keep us filled in, that would be appreciated. By the way, did you ever get a copy of the diagnosis from the Japanese engineer, or was that need-to-know only?
  • dattomcat89dattomcat89 Member Posts: 5
    I'd have to wait a while for Consumer Reports to get enough data to accurately report on the reliability, as it is the next generation I'd be buying. And yes, I would hope and certainly expect the next MX-5/Miata to continue its predecessors' history of stellar reliability, seeing as how Mazda wouldn't want to screw up a car that can arguably be called an automotive icon (although, judging from rumors of small turbocharged engines and no more glove-boxes, they certainly seem to be considering doing that!). But then again they were really trumpeting this Skyactiv technology as a gamer-changer that would come to define [and, reading about their financial woes as of late, possibly end up saving] Mazda, and obviously, from what we've all learned here, it hasn't had the smoothest start.
  • nibroc4410nibroc4410 Member Posts: 4
    No, we never saw that. They just told us that they couldn't figure out what was wrong for a long time and "something wasn't right". Very vague.
  • dattomcat89dattomcat89 Member Posts: 5
    Have you tried turning to the Lemon Law in your state?
  • brooksbymombrooksbymom Member Posts: 1
    My car has had trouble too!! I have a mazda 3 2006 and it has not given me any trouble until about a year ago. It started slipping into the AT mode and out of 4th gear. AAMCO has replaced the 4th gear solenoid twice and had it 4 times in the shop. I am taking it to the dealership to have them look at it. I dont know what to think!! If I was you I wuold take it to another Transmission place. :sick:
  • onnajeanonnajean Member Posts: 1
    I am really bummed after reading these posts. On Saturday, my Mazda 3 (not skyactiv), did not want to go in gear. I couldn't get it to go into 1st, 5th or 6th. Sunday it drove fine. I wanted to search and see if others had experienced these problems...and, well here it is. It is a 2012 bought brand new in March with about 11,500 miles (drive a lot for work). I'm taking this to the dealer right away, and I am in hopes that I don't receive a hard time or run around about nothing being wrong, because there is definitely something wrong.
  • broz1broz1 Member Posts: 1
    it's really funny to see everything that's beeing written on the Mazda 3 sky active 2012 concerning transmission problems.
    I work at a mazda Dealership at the service dept. and it's funny how we have NO COMPLAINTS whatsoever on what you are reporting and lord knows we sold a lot of these.
    I further checked at MAZDA CANADA and USA at the technical dept......
    GUEST WHAT ? NO PROBLEMS AT LARGE !
    what am saying, sure, some problems can occur BUT do not relate these AT LARGE.
    My wife has one and as of all our customers, SHE'S very satisfied.....
    Sorry to burst your bubble , but when a product is good, it's good.
  • dokiesdokies Member Posts: 1
    Like you my friend,i dont want to give bad impression to the new skyactiv engine and transmission.I have mazda 3 2012 skyactiv, i have only more than 5,000 kms. on it.Recently i'm experiencing some problems on my manual transmission.There were times that if i change gear from 4th to 3rd and from 5th to 4th(down shifting) its speeding up by itself and i heard a big sound on the engine!Sometimes it happen also on upshifting(from 3rd to 4th).I have been driving a manual car since i was 16 years old and this is the first time I experienced this kind of problems.Have'nt you encountered this kind of complaint on your service dept.?
  • holidaeholidae Member Posts: 1
    I have an 06 mazda3s automatic and the transmission stopped working mid drive on 295 in new jersey.. just sort of downshifted and wouldn't go back up past 2nd gear. Bought it new in 06 has 113k on it. Mazda tells me it will be almost 4,000 to get a rebuilt transmission but I should just probably buy a new car.
    I am very unimpressed.
    I drive a lot.
    I've owned 6 cars: Two volkswagens, one nissan, one chevy, one mazda.
    My chevy currently still runs with 162k mileage.
    This is the first time I've had a car with a transmission failure.
    Will not purchase another mazda.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    06 mazda3s automatic and the transmission stopped working mid drive on 295 in new jersey.. just sort of downshifted and wouldn't go back up past 2nd gear

    Which engine does your car have? Is it the 2.3L?

    Regarding the downshifting, did the car do this automatically or were you shifting the gears?

    While the car was being serviced in the past did you or your mechanic note anything about the transmission? In other words, did this problem come out of the blue or do you have some earlier evidence of a problem with the transmission?

    Mazda tells me it will be almost 4,000 to get a rebuilt transmission
    Did MazdaUSA or the Mazda dealership tell you this?
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    New to the forum. Have been searching for this issue for a while elsewhere as well.

    I am experiencing (and have been since purchasing a 2012 Mazada3 skyactiv 6MT in May) engine surging while downshifting. The rpms increase like crazy sometimes up to ~4500 rpm and the car seems to really pull forward quickly and forcefully rather than slow down. Mostly happens from 3rd to 2nd or 4th to 3rd. It is completely sporadic and cannot be replicated at will.

    Anyone else? I have been working with the dealership but without much luck as I appear to be the only one who has presented this issue to them.
  • caleb9caleb9 Member Posts: 5
    If the dealer won't help, go above their head by complaining to Mazda Corp of America.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    engine surging while downshifting. The rpms increase ... up to ~4500 rpm and the car seems to really pull forward quickly and forcefully rather than slow down. Mostly happens from 3rd to 2nd or 4th to 3rd. It is completely sporadic and cannot be replicated at will

    Interesting. A few questions below which you likely have already discussed with the dealer. Since it's difficult to replicate, you'll need to detail the incidents and / or do some diagnostics. The other alternative is to leave the car with the dealership for a time (week?) to see if they can hit upon an incident during that time.

    What is the frequency of these incidents?
    Example: At least once a month / week. Also, what is the duration of the problem (example: happens for a couple of shifts then corrects itself).

    Any other patterns that you can identify?
    Examples: have these incidents happened after short / long drives, during very warm days / cool nights, after lots of stop and go, while climbing an incline / descending a hill.

    Have you made any modifications to the vehicle, esp. the engine bay?
    Example: added new air intake

    Have you asked the dealer to check the Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) for this model?
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    I am detailing everything and contact the service manager after each incident. The car was also left with them for a week for them to drive. They didn't seem to notice anything unusual. They thought they may have felt something, but couldn't me sure. I assured them that there is no thinking about it, you know when it happens.

    Frequency also varies. Initially it was several times a week, then once a week, once every other week, once in a couple months, then just recently 3 times in 8 days. It may be dependent on the amount I drive. I don't drive a lot, however this past week or so I have done more driving than usual.

    When it happens, it is always when the clutch is let out and as it happens instinct is to jump the brake. This stops it completely. That's it. It happens again when it wants to.

    Patterns haven't really been identified. It has happened going up a hill a few times, the length of the drive does not appear to matter, nor does the outside temperature.

    No modifications to the vehicle have been made.

    Mazda Canada has been contacted by the dealer and most recently by myself.

    I haven't asked the dealership to check the TSB.

    I have read a few more posts about it in another forum. Everyone seems to say the same thing about how it happens and what happens.

    Perhaps the power control module according to the dealership. They are very interested in the positioning of the AC/HVAC controls. Whether the AC is on or off, fan on or off, positioning of the air, recirc or fresh intake, etc.

    Frustrating and concerning.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Well done. You sound like you have the situation well in hand. H

    I don't drive a lot
    How many miles/km on the car?

    Mazda Canada has been contacted by the dealer and most recently by myself.
    Good. I would ask about any TSB. Also, let them know that you are concerned that the problem be resolved soon ... A concern down the road is driving with this problem in a Canadian winter.
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    edited September 2012
    There are just under 3900 km on the car. I have been driving it since 06-02-12.

    It happened again yesterday, in a parking lot this time. I have noticed the last week and a half or so, I have driven more often due to certain circumstances and it appears to be happening more often again.

    The dealer and Mazda Canada are well aware that I consider this a huge safety concern, especially since winter and icy and snowy roads are unfortunately just around the corner. I will be SOL if I am relying on gearing down to slow down on slippery roads and have to jump the brake because this happens :(

    Fortunately for me, unfortunately for Mazda, I work in the quality field and not willing to let this go unresolved.

    On a positive note, the dealer is expecting to have a diagnostic tool (from Mazda Canada) that will be installed on my car early this week. That way,when it does happen, the tool will record all the information about what the car is doing at that moment. I really hope this tells them more than the static diagnostic testing that has already been done, which has been NOTHING.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    the dealer is expecting to have a diagnostic tool (from Mazda Canada) that will be installed on my car early this week
    Interesting. Keep reporting on this!
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    The dealership has the data recorder (diagnostic tool), but it has a faulty cable. DOH!

    Also spoke with a service manager from another dealership and they indicated there were no TSB on the vehicle and my dealership appears to be following Mazda protocol - unfortunately for me as it is soooooo time consuming. My service manager has been great, it is just the whole waiting game that is driving me nuts (pun intended).
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    edited September 2012
    spoke with a service manager from another dealership and they indicated there were no TSB on the vehicle

    You can also check online for similar complaints/problems from other drivers. There is a US government site called SaferCar.gov. It has a Search Complaints feature that allows one to find issues with a particular vehicle. Here is the summary of one complaint by a 2012 Mazda3 owner which sounds eerily similar to your case: :surprise:

    "THE CAR SOMETIMES SURGES DURING DOWNSHIFTING. I WILL BE DRIVING IN MODERATE TRAFFIC IN THIRD GEAR. THE TRAFFIC SLOWS, AND I LET IN THE CLUTCH AND APPLY THE BRAKE. WHEN THE TRAFFIC STARTS TO PICK UP AGAIN, I AM GOING TOO SLOW FOR THIRD, SO I SHIFT INTO SECOND AND LET THE CLUTCH OUT. MY RIGHT FOOT IS JUST RESTING LIGHTLY ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IDLING FAST, BUT AS SOON AS THE CLUTCH IS ENGAGED, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY ROARS AND THE CAR LEAPS FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NOT PRESSED THE GAS AT ALL. I LET IN THE CLUTCH AGAIN TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. WHEN I LET IT OUT AGAIN, IT WORKS NORMALLY. THIS HAPPENS ONCE, TWICE, OR NOT AT ALL IN A 40-MILE ROUND TRIP OUT OF TOWN AND BACK. IT ALSO HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WHEN I MAKE A LEFT TURN WITHOUT STOPPING, BUT WHERE I NEED TO SLOW AND DOWNSHIFT. I COAST INTO THE TURN WITH THE CLUTCH PEDAL IN, SHIFT DOWN, AND ATTEMPT TO LET THE CLUTCH OUT WHEN COMING OUT OF THE TURN. I WOULD EXPECT THE CAR TO SLOW WHEN I SHIFT DOWN UNLESS I AM PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, BUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN ME IS GIVING IT GAS. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN, AND IT NEVER HAPPENS TWICE IN A ROW. I HAVE MADE IT HAPPEN ON PURPOSE, BUT I THINK THAT WAS PURE LUCK. IT HAPPENS WHEN DOWNSHIFTING INTO ANY GEAR, BUT BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY TRAFFIC IN OUR AREA, IT ENDS UP USUALLY BEING THIRD TO SECOND. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME WHEN DOWNSHIFTING INTO THIRD OR FOURTH ALSO."

    p.s. Searching for TSBs for 2012 Mazda3 vehicles found nothing on the site :)
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    This sounds so familiar.

    I can not believe the part about the left turns. That is when I notice it the most as well. Too bad I was laughed at when I mentioned this to the sales manager at the dealership!

    I need to look at this more closely.

    Thank you so much.
  • boiglenoightboiglenoight Member Posts: 1
    I have this same problem. Purchased this car about 3 weeks ago and noticed it right away. I thought at first that I was just rusty having driven an automatic for the previous 3 years. It's happened at least once a day since. The car randomly surges forward with the least amount of gas when shifting up or down into 3rd gear. Can occur at any time really, whether car is hot or cold as far as I can tell. Not to be dramatic about it, but if you're driving in busy traffic and not prepared for this when it happens, you could easily rear-end someone.

    Contacted my salesman, will see what he can do for me.
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    The more people that report this, the better. I see no drama in concern for a potential accident.

    I agree with the potential accident issue. This has been discussed with my dealership as well. I made it very clear that I wanted to know who was liable if such an event did occur. I was told the manufacturer was, not the retailer.
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    Here is a link to another forum I have been following with people having similar issues

    http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/2010-mazda-3-engine-performance/11419-skyacti- v-downshifting-surging.html
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    Another complaint recently posted via safercar.gov

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED AGAINST A CEMENT POLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO FURTHER INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
  • kgroth13kgroth13 Member Posts: 1
    I was wondering if anyone else had this problem. I was going around 40mph in 4th gear and i hit the clutch to go into neutral. The clutch felt normal, and then clicked down farther, which was weird. I went around the corner and tried to put it in 2nd. I wouldn't go down until i almost had to force it. It felt like it was grinding so i pulled over. I put it back in neutral and turned the car off. The clutch pedal was stuck to the floor so i had to pull it back up with my hand. When i turned it back on, it wouldn't go into any gear at all. The car is only 2 months old and only has 2500 miles on it. They are trying to tell me i'm misdriving it. They took it for a test drive and nothing happen, it was fine. Today it happened again and i had to have it toed back to Mazda. They are now saying that the clutch is burnt up and that its all my fault and are trying to charge me $1400 because its not covered by the warranty. Has anyone else experienced this?!?! PLEASE HELP!!!
  • mickrockmickrock Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2012
    Hey there,
    I have exactly the same issue as you (2012 Mazda 3 with Skyactiv). surging of accelerator when gearing down from 4th to 3rd and same going up. I also have issues with the transmission not wanting to go into gear, mostly from 3rd to 4th, sometimes 4th to 5th and sometimes 6th. Same issue gearing down. Sticky. Always intermittent, never a consistent issue. Dealership told us to drive car for 1500 kms to see if issue goes away. It has not. Going back to dealer next week and will get you an update.
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    Can't wait for the update.

    I should have a data recorder in my car in a couple weeks so I can tell it to record what the car was just doing when the issue occurs. Can't wait to see what comes of that.

    So frustrating.
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    Below are two web addresses where someone can formally complain about this acceleration issue. Bringing this issue to the individual dealers attention is also imperative.

    One is SaferCar.gov the other is Transport Canada. The more people that voice their complaint about this issue, the more likely something will get done about it.

    https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/index.xhtml

    https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/PCDB-BDPP/fc-cp.aspx?lang=eng

    Thanks.
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    Had another incident yesterday afternoon. This time though I had the data recorder and was able to mark the data for Mazda Canada Inc. to review. Apparently, the recorder is constantly recording and I just had to "mark" the data (i.e. tapped the brake X amount of times, note the time and date and then turn the car off for at least 30 seconds when it was safe to do so, to give the engineers a starting point).

    The car is now back at the dealers until it is repaired, replaced or bought back. I refuse to drive it as I do not feel safe driving it after the near miss I had yesterday (almost rear ended the car in front of me).

    The transmission appears suspect, but nothing is concrete until the data has been reviewed. I feel so relieved that the data is recorded and not having to drive that car. It is sad as the car is barely 4 months old with less than 4700 KM.

    :lemon:
  • dbydby Member Posts: 3
    edited October 2012
    Squiggly 1 - I am having the exact same issues as you, and have been since I purchased my 2012 Mazda 3 GS-SKY 6MT in September. Mine is almost at 2000 KM now, and I have a service appt. booked in a week or so. However, when I talked on the phone to the service dept. they had never heard of the issue, and have never heard of being able to get a data recorder for a car.

    Since you reference Mazda Canada, I am assuming that this data recorder you had installed on your car happened somewhere in Canada / is available in Canada? That was the first thing that the service department asked me, and I wasn't sure at the time. If you did obtain this in Canada, that will help me make a push for the data recorder as I am sure they will not be able to replicate the issue and will only waste my time.

    Like you, this is a worry-some issue as the unpredictable and intermittent nature of the acceleration can get you into some pretty bad situations, and likely worse situations now that the possibility of snow falling is likely. To give you some extra information on my cars issues (in case it helps for anyone out there), my car will randomly accelerate when little or no gas is given during a downshift (generally into 3rd or second), and as well it tends to happen on turns (though not always). I have had the RPM jump anywhere between a few hundred and 1000 (which would put the total RPM up near 4500 or so), which provides a considerable "surprise" acceleration.

    I would appreciate hearing about the results of your recent trip to the dealer with your recorded data when you hear back from them! I hope this issue gets solved for you.
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    As soon as I can get some information I will be sure to let you know. Sorry to hear you are having the same problems.

    Yes, I live in Canada and Mazda Canada Inc. has several of these recorders that are sent to dealerships as required.

    There are complaints through NHTSA and can be viewed at safercar.gov. Specific complaint numbers (ODI #s) are: 10477984, 10477070 & 10469613
  • squiggly1squiggly1 Member Posts: 22
    Still nothing concrete from the dealership. :mad:

    The data has been analyzed and IMHO is quite surprising (a bit of sarcasm there)...
    -The data showed rpms of 3100 not the actual 4000. In my model, 4000 is ~center on the tachometer so it is pretty easy to glance down and see the needle standing on end
    -The data also indicated that the transmission never engaged 2nd gear, rather stayed in neutral. Hmmmmmm, the gear shift was in the 2nd gear position where I was sitting. This concerns me.

    Then I was asked whether or not I have troubles shifting into gear. From time to time I experience what i will call hesitation shifting into gear, but nothing drastic. I also believe it is usually shifting from 2nd into 3rd.

    The engineers had the dealership look for any trouble codes again and check for air leaks at or near the manifold. I do not know the outcome of that, nor see how that would prevent the transmission from engaging 2nd gear.The dealership also has to send additional files of data from the car to the engineers. Not sure why, they did a similar thing initially.

    The last response I received this afternoon is that they are still working on a diagnosis and it is a long process communicating the data.

    I will update when I have more information. Not much to go on at the moment.
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