Reliability of the Mazda 3

[imported_stev]

I just test drove a Mazda 3 s sedan and I really like it. The only question I have now is reliability. I asked the sales guy if he could prove to me that they are reliable and he didn't have any hard facts for me. It's only been around since 2004 so it doesn't have an established track record like the Civic and Corolla either.

I'm hoping someone here could point to some reliability data or at least give their account on their reliability experiences. I really like the car, but if it's going to be giving me grief down the road, I may be better off with a Corolla or Civic.

 

[Adul]

i have one and driven 18,500 miles since i got it in January 07. I love the car and will drive it any day over my gf corrola S. No prblems yet, I use mobil 1 and change oil every 7500. Will be switching to amsoil next oil change.

I dont think there is a whole lot of data on it yet, but you can perhaps ask on over in the Mazda3forums.com and see if there is any general concerns. i have yet to really see anything.

 

[ognabor]

i havent had mine long enough to say... less than 10k on it... but, no problems yet.

 

[BigSmooth]

Consumer Reports pegged the '04 and '05 at a 4/5 (above average). For the '06s they have the hatchback at 5/5 and the sedan at 3/5, which doesn't make much sense but there you go. They predict "better than average" for a new one (either body style).

JD Power is less kind - for their '07 dependability study (based on the '04 model) they gave it an overall 2/5 (their lowest rating).

Both of these rating systems have their flaws, of course, so take the ratings with a grain of salt.

 

[ValValline]

My '07 bought in Feb is still perfect not counting the ding someone put in it :-(

My sister-in-laws '05 has never had a problem. Which is why the wife and I got the '07.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: BigSmooth
Consumer Reports pegged the '04 and '05 at a 4/5 (above average). For the '06s they have the hatchback at 5/5 and the sedan at 3/5, which doesn't make much sense but there you go. They predict "better than average" for a new one (either body style).

JD Power is less kind - for their '07 dependability study (based on the '04 model) they gave it an overall 2/5 (their lowest rating).

Both of these rating systems have their flaws, of course, so take the ratings with a grain of salt.

Yep, I think JD Power is about as valuable as a bag of poo with a ribbon around it. They don't study cars for the long term.

As far as general Mazda reliability is concerned, it seems to be kind of hit and miss. Anecdotally speaking (which is pretty much all we've got sans some kind of scientific method of looking at actual vehicle longevity to end-of-life for vehicles), you don't see a lot of 200k+ mile Mazdas out there on the used market, as compared to Honda/Toyota/Nissan.

I had an RX-7 (mid-90s model), and it ate me out of house and home on maintenance, but that's a rotary, so it doesn't totally apply here.

My mechanic friend (been working on cars since the '60s) says they are often a bitch to work on, and equates them to Mitsubishi as being on the 2nd tier of Japanese automakers. This was several years ago, though, and he was speaking of MX-6, 929, Millennia, RX-7, etc. Hopefully they've improved things somewhat with the 3, but I wouldn't be too confident.

Would I buy one if I intended to get something else before it had 100-125k miles? Yes (if I liked them, or thought they were a good value).

Would I buy one for the long term (125k+ miles). Not a chance.

 

[Arkaign]

Oh, btw : have you tested the all-new '08 Altima? The base model has 175HP, and gets 23/31 with the CVT automatic transmission. It's a couple of grand more than the cheaper 3s though, and I don't think the dealers are making as many deals as they are on the Mazdas.

http://www.edmunds.com/new/200...a/100874940/specs.html

 

[Riverhound777]

Just passed 32k miles today on my 06 3s touring sedan MT. Not a problem so far. I too would be interested in knowing if anyone has put over 100k on a 3. I'm sure many have.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Oh, btw : have you tested the all-new '08 Altima? The base model has 175HP, and gets 23/31 with the CVT automatic transmission. It's a couple of grand more than the cheaper 3s though, and I don't think the dealers are making as many deals as they are on the Mazdas.

http://www.edmunds.com/new/200...a/100874940/specs.html

the altima is a completely different category though.

and I just crossed 47k on my 05. has been good to me. doing it again, I probably would have went w/ a 3i to save every bit... I was too determined to get exactly what I wanted so I didn't really score much of a deal on it.

I've been debating selling it, but more for financial reasons because I want a 2nd gen miata to autocross. I keep flip flopping the idea, though I'm pretty sure I'm keeping my 3 till it falls apart. Altho, at the rate I'm going, I'm going to hit 100k a few years earlier than I had anticipated

 

[desy]

Pretty much all cars are reliable today
If you like buy it and don't think twice

 

[imported_Truenofan]

i'll say its good for at least 150k if you don't work it hard, my dad had a 323 from 85 and it was easily getting 280k miles on it, my car has 170k on it and both cars the engines were/are strong, the body was in near perfect condition on the 323, and my 7 has no rust whatsoever, so its really up to how you perform upkeep on the vehicle. going by how they used to build cars, i'd say the 3 is good for at least a good 150k on it before any major maintenance, I'd look at the FSM for the intervals of maintenance on it as well.

edit: spelling and, i knew someone that had one of the first mazdaspeed 3(turbo i think) i think it was, i was talking with em untill i shipped off and he never had a problem with it as far as i know.

 

[imported_stev]

Thanks for the input everyone.

The JD Power ratings are among the worst of any car, which has made me a little apprehensive. Then, I looked at their "explanation" of the ratings, which explained no details on their sampling methods and what questions were asked. Also, I bet they simply ask what the customer would rate the car and not why. If someone thinks their Mazda 3 rates poorly because its off-roading capability is lacking, then that's a really dumb reason.

If I decide to get the 3, the biggest hurdle is going to be finding an i Touring model at a reasonable price. They seem so damn rare around here that I will probably be unable to negotiate much.

 

[Kaieye]

I wouldn't believe JD Power and their associates too much. Mazda is selling a lot of cars lately...

 

[Aimster]

they have transmission problems.

I say 48k

 

[imported_stev]

Originally posted by: Aimster
they have transmission problems.

I say 48k

Are you saying you think they have transmission problems around 50k or do you know of a specific vehicle having problems at 48k? Manual or automatic? Please elaborate, if you can.

 

[alimoalem]

our '97 mazda protege has 205k miles on it i think. it's in the low 200's for sure. everything about it is manual (transmission, windows, locks, radio...no knobs or anything fancy on the radio ....but yea so that limits some things that could go wrong cause there's less electrical...). it's been through its share of misery. we bought it salvaged title at 50k miles in '99 i think. people have crashed into us while we've had it. it has 92hp but i make sure every one of them proves itself.

basically what i'm saying is our mazda shows mazdas can go 200k+ miles, even if they aren't babied.

 

[imported_stev]

Originally posted by: alimoalem
our '97 mazda protege has 205k miles on it i think. it's in the low 200's for sure. everything about it is manual (transmission, windows, locks, radio...no knobs or anything fancy on the radio ....but yea so that limits some things that could go wrong cause there's less electrical...). it's been through its share of misery. we bought it salvaged title at 50k miles in '99 i think. people have crashed into us while we've had it. it has 92hp but i make sure every one of them proves itself.

basically what i'm saying is our mazda shows mazdas can go 200k+ miles, even if they aren't babied.

Wow, that car has been through a lot. Thanks for sharing.

 

[theeedude]

What elements of the car do you have concerns about? Engine is a proven powerplant that is also on the Fusion, which is rated way higher than I4 Camry for predicted reliability by CR.
Transmission seems OK. I have the manual. I am not big fan of the soft engine mounts, but that is a minor issue. Suspension and steering are golden. CR rates 2006+ Mazda3 very highly.
But even if it was slightly less reliable than a Corolla, I'd still buy it any day of the week and twice on sunday. The fact that Mazda3 is also reliable is just icing on the cake for me.

 

[Aimster]

Originally posted by: alimoalem
our '97 mazda protege has 205k miles on it i think. it's in the low 200's for sure. everything about it is manual (transmission, windows, locks, radio...no knobs or anything fancy on the radio ....but yea so that limits some things that could go wrong cause there's less electrical...). it's been through its share of misery. we bought it salvaged title at 50k miles in '99 i think. people have crashed into us while we've had it. it has 92hp but i make sure every one of them proves itself.

basically what i'm saying is our mazda shows mazdas can go 200k+ miles, even if they aren't babied.

Isnt the 97 mazda protege a toyota?

Blah I think it's not. It always looked like a corolla to me.
I can vouch for that car being reliable as well. Ex girlfriend had one and doesn't do anything to it and it still runs.

 

[Aimster]

Originally posted by: stev

Originally posted by: Aimster
they have transmission problems.

I say 48k

Are you saying you think they have transmission problems around 50k or do you know of a specific vehicle having problems at 48k? Manual or automatic? Please elaborate, if you can.

There have been numerous automatic transmission failures for the mazda 3.
In fact I believe someone on this forum had a transmission failure at around 30k.

manual I haven't heard of any failures.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: stev

Originally posted by: Aimster
they have transmission problems.

I say 48k

Are you saying you think they have transmission problems around 50k or do you know of a specific vehicle having problems at 48k? Manual or automatic? Please elaborate, if you can.

There have been numerous automatic transmission failures for the mazda 3.
In fact I believe someone on this forum had a transmission failure at around 30k.

manual I haven't heard of any failures.

5 Spd FTW

 

[imported_stev]

Originally posted by: senseamp
What elements of the car do you have concerns about? Engine is a proven powerplant that is also on the Fusion, which is rated way higher than I4 Camry for predicted reliability by CR.
Transmission seems OK. I have the manual. I am not big fan of the soft engine mounts, but that is a minor issue. Suspension and steering are golden. CR rates 2006+ Mazda3 very highly.
But even if it was slightly less reliable than a Corolla, I'd still buy it any day of the week and twice on sunday. The fact that Mazda3 is also reliable is just icing on the cake for me.

I just have general reliability concerns. Sadly, I do not know enough about cars to have reliability concerns about specific components. I just can't sink this kind of cash into a vehicle and have a decent chance of experiencing a major mechanical problem 70,000 miles later. Slightly less reliable than a Corolla would be fine with me for the extra pep and personality.

Originally posted by: Arkaign
5 Spd FTW

Yeah, manual for me all the way.


I got a post-test-drive email from the Mazda dealer and just for fun I asked if he could explain the 2/5 JD Power overall quality rating. I'm not expecting a straight answer, but you never know.

I'm feeling better about things. I know there are no certainties in reliability of a car I buy, even if it's brand new. I'm just trying to do this carefully, especially as I first-time car buyer. I'm sure you guys can relate.

 

[BMdoobieW]

I have a 2005 Mazda3s sedan. I've put 21,000+ miles on it since March 2005 and have had ZERO problems. Oh, well, the passenger door seems a bit loose (when you open it the arm thing seems loose and makes some creaking noise - I think some nut or bolt just needs to be tightened).

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: stev

Originally posted by: Aimster
they have transmission problems.

I say 48k

Are you saying you think they have transmission problems around 50k or do you know of a specific vehicle having problems at 48k? Manual or automatic? Please elaborate, if you can.

There have been numerous automatic transmission failures for the mazda 3.
In fact I believe someone on this forum had a transmission failure at around 30k.

manual I haven't heard of any failures.

Hmmm...maybe I should trade it in after i pay the car off (I'm not to impressed with the auto in the 3).

 

[evident]

this is the main reason i'm buying an 07 accord coupe over the mazda3. I simply can not take a chance on the long term reliability