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Comments
Was hoping to find an aftermarket solution (better shocks), but no luck yet.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
And of course, the dealership you purchased your vehicle from will do everything in its power to distract you, dog and pony show you, lie to you, and then finally tell you they have no authority to help you whatsever because after all, they are only the seller and they have nothing to do with the production or warranty of the vehicle. And oh yes, about that very expensive extended warranty that is pretty much useless; always read the fine, fine, fine print before purchasing one of those. When the dealership sales person tells you that you have to decide on the spot about the extended warranty or the "special deal" will no longer be good if you wait a day or two, rip up your whole sales contract and walk out the door - this is not a dealership that will stand by their sale or you when you need them. Extended warranties are marked up at least 100-300% You will spend all of your vacation and sick time trying to get shocks and tires covered under your warranty not to mention spending all of your vacation time running back and forth to the dealership for service problems in the first year of ownership of a Mazda5. In fact, this is how they should advertise the Mazda5...as an excellent transport vehicle to travel to and from the dealership as you spend all of your vacation time and personal leave trying to resolve brand new vehicle problems!
You will be told at least 2-3 times that your problem can't be duplicated in the shop. And, while you are doing what you think is fullfilling your duty of having the vehicle to the dealership at least 3 times for the same problem, the dealership will write it up differently each time - always ask for copies of paperwork and don't leave until they put it in writing exactly why you are there in your own words. In fact, this is how they should advertise the Mazda5...as an excellent transport vehicle to travel to and from the dealership as you spend all of your vacation time and personal leave trying to resolve brand new vehicle problems! Very few extended warranties are manufacturer extended warranties. Ford has one. Even though Mazda is Ford in many senses, Mazda extended warranties are NOT Ford warranties, they are 3rd party warranties. PLEASE NOTE, when the American public starts demanding that car manufacturers offer REAL, NEW manufacturer vehicle warranties that demonstrate manufacturer faith in their own productions (50-60K mile bumper to bumper warranties not, just 100K power train warranties), cars will actualy be manufactured with better parts and better care. Why do you suppose Mazda went from a 5 year, 50K mile bumper to bumper warranty on every new car to a 3 year, 36K mile warranty in the last few years? Was it because they were making better cars? I don't think so. Continue to empower others. Continue to post on these forums, they are wonderful tools. Post your experience everywhere you can on the internet. Demand Excellence! You are paying for excellence. The idea of the Mazda5 vehicle is a great idea. It is too bad that Mazda teased the world with this vehicle. :lemon:
I'd find out what was taking the shocks out before I spent the money on the Koni's.
Larry
I haven't had tire wear issues, personally. Although we've only had the car 14k miles so far. I took it to Sears for an alignment and they only found the right rear wheel was toed out a bit out of spec.
Just to update again, I didn't go with the Konis. A bit too expensive and I was worried it would make the ride too harsh for the wife. I have ordered the Monroe Sensatrac 5607s online and should have them mid-week. I will report back the results.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Its like the brakes 33,000 and all four rotors and sets of pads - gone. I don't drive that hard - my VW's ALWAYS got at least 50,000 and that was just for the pads.
So it was out with the old and in with the new: ALL aftermarket and ALL much higher spec.
You could be chasing this shock thing forever (or replacing them every 14,000. There is a reason they are going bad.
Good luck,
Larry
Next shocker - dealer tells me they only have one in stock and they can't find any others, not in Canada, not anywhere in N.Am.! I will have to wait a couple of weeks til they can get another in, which is fine with me. I just can't believe that there is not one other shock for a Mazda5 anywhere on the continent. This makes me laugh. I should call around to other dealers, i imagine i could find another in the city where i live.
What do you think?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
So it was out with the old and in with the new: ALL aftermarket and ALL much higher spec.
You could be chasing this shock thing forever (or replacing them every 14,000. There is a reason they are going bad.
isn't that contradictory? You feel nothing is wrong with your car, but that it is the shoddy stock brakes that are the problem. So why should something be wrong with my car other than shoddy stock shocks?
We both took the same route: replace stock with superior aftermarket parts. And we both believe this is the solution.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Very clearly there have been a LOT of suspension problems particularly in Canada. They ENTIRE suspension geometry is predicated on a dead straight body and apparently that isn't always happening. I have not read a lot about early shock failure on the lists I read.
Just offering an opinion............ hope you don't see it again.
Good luck,
Larry
I also keep thinking I have a warped rotor (explaining the vibration issue we have). I've suggested that to the dealer, but they keep blowing me off, leaving me to make these fixes myself. I'm waiting till I order new tires. Once those are balanced and installed, I'll see where I'm at.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Links per se, no............... sadly, if you go to google and type in your problem all manner of links will magically appear.......... there doesn't seem to be a "unique" problem for the Mazda 5. There are a number of lists for the 5 as well as the 3.......... I don't know if its just my searches or what but, I don't seem to see the amount of problems for the 3 that there are for the 5.
Particularly iif you are having a lot of tire wear THAT problem needs to be actually diagnosed rather than tires thrown at it - that can be a v ery expensive proposition. And with all the aftermarket parts (some not cheap) to address these defects one can get the alignment right and save the tires. And I would concur that the dealer may not be the best choice for these kinds fo problems
I will say that You tube has answers to some of these problems........
Good luck!!
Larry
Dealer was insisting it is a tire out of balance, but I've balanced them twice already. Plus, I've tried 4 combinations of wheels/tires and had the vibration with all of them. I'm thinking a warped rotor can cause a vibration even without touching the brake. So I'm considering either that or a bearing. But I'll get the new tires on there, then go get them load balanced.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Back in the day.............. when high speed balancing came along all of THOSE dealers were telling customers that that was the only way to go and that "bubble" balancing was no good........... old technology and all.
They however, failed to inform Goodyear who was still bubble balancing Indy Car tires at the race track.......... Goodyear has since long switched to speed balancing but, they were still bubble balancing at the tracks long after the dealers had switched to the high speed stuff........... ironic no?
Larry
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
My initial searches haven't found any yet.
Larry
Or, did the bushings the dealer put in via the warranty work actually hold up (he asks very very sketpcially)
I have an 06 Mazda5, with 47k KM. I moved to Vietnam in 07 and brought the car with me. Well, over the past few weeks as we drive there is now a nearly constant crunching sound from the front end. As the driver, it feels like its just infront of your feet and its not just happens with bumps.
This is not the cold bushing issue (when it was cold in Canada and you went over a bump there was a single crunch sound) - which I had replaced back in early 07.
Instead this is more constant noise and its certainly not cold here! - In Vietnam its about 30 degrees celcius each day. The problem is local Vietnam garages & mechanics either:
a) may not know what they are doing;
b) may be trying to cheat me by selling something I don't need; or
c) can't speak English so we can't effectively communicate.
Any thoughts or input as to what part(s) I might need?? Then I can try to find them and have a local garage replace/install.
Thanks,
Mat
Monroe Sensatracs in the rear and now 4 new Kumho KH25 tires.
I took the stock wheels, stripped off all the weights and cleaned them, mounted the tires, and balanced using my bubble balancer. Each only needed 1 oz of weight attached opposite the TPM sensor. So that was a good sign.
Everything so far is good. We've put on at least 1k miles and have had no vibrations or funny noises. It tracks nice and straight and is so much quieter, too. Hope it stays this way.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Do they replace with the exact same shocks? If so, what happens when they die after warranty expires (which they will). So frustrating. Would be nice if I could get them to replace with aftermarket higher end parts, and have me only pay the difference in cost for the parts.
Also, are you not supposed to replace BOTH shocks when you do one? I thought that was how things were supposed to go...
I also have a vibration issue, typically around 80 km's / hr (55 mp/h) when everything is cold. Is this related to the shocks? Maybe it will go away when we get the car back...
And, yes, in my opinion, both shocks should be done at the same time. Unfortunately, a warranty typically only covers what has failed.
And, yes again, they will replace with OEM and they will go bad again.
If I were you, I'd ask them if they'd be so kind as to replace BOTH with aftermarket and charge you the difference. Heck, would even be worth it to just pay for parts and they take care of the labor under warranty. Although I can't yet prove my Monroes are superior to OEM until they have been on there quite a while.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
So, in short, yes, I ordered the Monroe Sensatrac #5607 for my '09 Mazda5 and they installed without a hitch and have been working great so far.
I replaced them in my driveway with hand tools and a floor jack. Took maybe 20 minutes per side. The only reason it even took that long is because they have to be removed from under the A-arm, so I had to lower the car and reposition the jack each time so I could raise the A-arm high enough to get the shock out from underneath. With a lift, a shop shouldn't need to charge more than 30 minutes total for the job.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
I wouldn't be holding your breath for too long that Mazda/Ford has any interest in building a better vehicle.
There was a time when manufacturers of goods took some pride in building things that actually worked and lasted a long time. That just isn't in the cards for this throw away society. It's build it cheap and fast, and damn the gullible consumer... :shades:
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
You are not alone in the brakes, vibration, shocks problems.
Here is a comment I sent to Mazda re our 09 mazda 5.
We (Ruth and I) have a 2009 Mazda 5. I am writing you to let you know how disappointed I am with the vehicle quality and lack of follow up on the part of Mazda and the dealership. The vehicle is a good fit for our needs and we both like it. The continual breakdown of a vehicle less than 2 years old is disappointing. We generally buy at least one new car every 4 years and at least one car every 3 years. The failure rate on this vehicle means we are not predisposed to buy another Mazda.
Issues, problems and concerns we have;
1.The tires failed prematurely (30,000k) due to suspension problems. A 4 wheel alignment and two tires was required to address the issue. This seems to have corrected the accelerated tire wear.
2. The brakes began to pulsate at 60,000 Km. According to the dealer, neither this or the alignment are their concern. Replacement rotors were required.
3. The power steering operation is erratic. I reported this to the dealer and was told they had never heard of a problem. No action was taken by them as far as I can tell. I now understand there is a recall on the vehicle for this or a problem that sounds like the one I am experiencing. The lackadaisical response from the dealership service department on a safety related item was the primary influence in my seeking another place to have the vehicle serviced.
4. The rear shocks have failed as well as the rear suspension links. I found 29 pages of failure reports and TSBs on this problem from as far back as 2007. This is an ongoing problem. The reports indicate that the replacement parts installed by the dealers under warranty tend to fail rapidly as well. I will be repairing the vehicle with aftermarket parts that have a warranty I have confidence in.
I will forward a copy of these comments as possible. In closing, I suggest the public would be much more likely to buy your vehicles if you had a reputation of standing behind the product.
Good luck with your letter to Mazda, let us know how it works out.
I was going to look at the Ford Grand C-max but I heard it's a M5 underneath so don't know what to replace this M5 with.....SIGH!
Your point only re-affirms my last year's decision to get rid off this troublesome car!
It was such a relief to not experience those twitching fishtail motions ever again!
kakashka is what Mazda5 is, if you know what it means...was first and last Mazda for me.
Buy the new part (preferably the Ford Focus one) cut a groove inside and fill it with lithium grease. Done.
The above described technique was demonstrated by a Mazda technician up in Canada.
It took me a while but I found POWERFLEXUSA and they have ALL the bushings in polyurethane and I didn't think they were too badly priced. They are now on order and I am awaiting their arrival.
I did have to go buy a junk 12 ton press from Harbor Freight for $129.00 that hopefully will last more than this job. If the rears go as expected I will then do all of the fronts.
The POWERFLEXUSA website is very easy to use and you just buy the Mazda3 2004+ parts - thank God for the 3!
For anyone wanting that grandmothers Oldsmobile ride this may not be the way to go. I am hoping this will stiffin things up a bit particularly that damn fishtail over bridge expansion joints.
I'll post how it goes when I get the job done which may not be until June or July.
Larry
1) On my 5 I had all 4 coils taken out and inserted in each of them hoses. What kind of hoses? The kind which are used with water pressure machines. You buy 12 feet and insert 3 feet on each coil. The mechanic should have a machine which helps him insert the hose in tight. He needs to grease each one them so they don't corrode. What happens is the side of the tip of the coils make contact with the metal part of the vehicle and you get a crunch. It's the springs, in your case the rear ones.
2) The mazda5 also has these black tubes in the rear which are covers (2 on each side) which go over the struts, these tubes become loose and make noise also. They need to be slit and inserted into each other.
3) Another malady is the rear stabilizer bar which becomes loose and bangs against the chassis. What happens is the center nut becomes loose and the rear stabilizer bar slides out of place producing noise which drives anyone nuts. It is very noticeable when you driver over rough road patches.
4) The Mazda5 is based on the chassis of the Mazda3 hatchback it's a family Micro mini van with a more fragile suspension then the Mazda3. The clamps which secure the bushings on the 5 end round and not squarely like Mazda3's and the frontal Stabilizer bar is not as strong as the one used on the Mazda3, and yes that's incredible but true. It also produces noise so how do you resolve it? You go to a Junker and buy a frontal stabilizer bar from a Mazda3 and replace the one on the 5.
5) Shocks? K&B shocks are priced at $270.00 on ebay ( all four ). Much better shocks then what Mazda makes. Of course during the warranty period have Mazda replace them, when it's gone then use these I suggest.
On my Mazda 3 I replaced the front links and both F&R stabilizer bars with Racing Beat stabilizer bars (Official Mazda Racing Guru's) which are thicker, stronger and make the vehicle sturdier. My Mazda 3 stabilizer bars went to the Mazda5.
Well at least that's my experience, hope it helps ya some. Believe me, Honda and Toyota have problems too. I owned a Honda Fit and got rid of it, since then I still receive recalls from the fit. I own a 2002 Rav4 and I've had issues with it too (tranny, engine sludge, rack & pinion). Automakers are not making quality anymore. But hey, for the young folks with the time and desire I say sue them in a class action. Mazda 5 faults are really a dis-consideration to the consumer.
Good Luck.
Rear adjustable camber kit, what it does is straighten the rear tires and has in my opinion more uses then just make sure the Mazda5 alignment is so good tires wear evenly.
Adjustable camber kits are made with stronger thicker metal and strengthen the vehicle capacity to hold weight.
You can get a adjustable camber kit for $114.00 at ebay and depending where your at free shipping. I recommend you have it installed first by the most economical method, because if the alignment shop installs it, it would run a pretty penny. You can get a mechanic to do this for $40.00 instead of $170.00. That way you only pay $60.00 at the alignment shop instead of $230.00. Doing economically would run a total labor cost of $100.00 plus of course the already $114.00 you spent on the rear adjustable camber kit. It's your choice a total of $344.00 or $214.00. If you buy the adjustable camber kit at the alignment shop it would run up to $528.00 which is broken down as; a) adjustable camber kit $280.00 Installing 170.00 and Alignment $60.00 plus tax.
My 5 is silent, wearing tires evenly and holding weight without a problem.
Good Luck.
Damian
I will say Mazda did a fine job of making it a lot uglier!
I'd at least wait for the new Ford to come out.
Good luck!
Larry
when you own a Mazda you have to spend some time tracking down details which need to be improved. The items I listed are the real trouble shooting solutions I applied to my 2008 Mazda5.
The sound you describe we experienced them when we installed the wrong type of tire. You need to get a soft car like tire, Toyo's or Rotalla (Korean) class A not AA. It soften's the ride and is nice and quiet.
Mazda5 are the best choice for someone who doesn't want a big Mini Van, it takes a little spending to keep on track.
At a cost of nearly $800, including an alignment, I put on a set of Goodyear
Eagle RS-A tires and, 25,000 miles later, having made sure my tire shop checked them from time to time for uneven wear, I have had no recurrence of the problem and have not had to make any suspension modifications (though have put on new shock absorbers and struts recently - acceptable at this kinds of mileage.)
We continue to be very pleased with the car but I do think that it is built down to a price and there is noticeably more body flex than when it was new - if you ride with your fingers straddling the front and sliding door the two move quite perceptibly in relation to each other.
Bottom line - I am not confident that it is going to continue trouble-free past the 60,000-mile mark and am thinking of changing it,something I never anticipated when I bought it - I kept my last three vehicles on average eight years each.
I am sure there are people who can do this by themselves but a second pair of hands is quite useful.
The Powerflex listings of course are for the 3. The rear trailing arm bushings fit and aren't much of a hassle. The bushing sidewall on the, I believe it was the outer bushing, isn't very thick so its a close call to press it out. The Trailing control Arm/lower bushings also fit and aren't a hasle.
We are just using the press and the ol deep well impact sockets for "dies".
The listed sway bar bushing for the 3 at 25 and 25.5 won't fit. My bars are measuring 23MM in the front and 20 in the rear. It appears that Energy Suspension has those part numbers and I will know for sure tomorrow.
I'd hate to hear what the dealerships get for this work!
Larry
2008: 5: Manual
On the front: Dropping the A-arm on the drivers side is not a particularly big deal. Replacing the front bushing is also not a particularly big deal however, it took more boogie from the press. The rear bushing wasn't available so I didn't do anything with it and after looking at don't plan too any time soon.
The front sway bar bushing aren't going to be done either because the bolts on the drivers side are very difficult to get out - I don't believe those bushing are causing me a problem and we didn't need the hassle today.
The A-arm on the passenger side however, is a totally different matter. The front bolt comes out and hits the power steering pump (just love Japanese design - or lack of same) before it clears the hole. We finally got it out and modified so it would fit back in.
Front Koni's go on tomorrow. Since we have had this apart before to install the lowered springs this isn't excpected to be a big deal.
The Energy Suspension sway bar bushing did fit on the rears however, they are a bit bigger so if you are looking for the exact stock look - keep looking.
Larry
Things had been pretty good (no noise) for awhile and then with the very hot weather, it started again - creaking, cruching over bumps or anthills. Annoying....
I sent your "fix" to my mechanic to see if he can get this together for me.
I may send it to another mechanic who runs his own small repair shop and he may be more willing - although he told me to get a toyota.
If you have anyother news about the permancy of this fix, I'll certain willing to listen.
PS I'd like to thank my dealership service manager and general manager for stepping up to the plate and arranging for the Mazda rep to check out my vehicle and not leaving me in the lurch.
Good luck though!
Larry
Sorry to hear that the saga continues and likely will forever. Once they have your money that's pretty much it.
I too met with the Western service manager but it was totally an unsatisfactory meeting. Never did anything at all.
Haven't had much issues since end of warranty fix to the bushings except that now in really hot weather it creaks and bounces. Going in to a private mechanic to see what he suggests. The TSB for boring out the bushng centre and filling with grease wasn't an option the mechanic wanted to take, so maybe I need to look for the fellow from Winnipeg who helped the Protege 3 people out with the same issues with their bushing (Mazda car).
All cars have some issues but I don't think Mazda will ever have the same loyalty as others enjoy.
Give me my Subaru cope back which cost me in total $2500 in all the 15 years I had it.
Hmmm ... :shades: