You guys have been lucky compared to me. Here's part of a letter I sent to Mazda Canada.

"My complaint has to do with the rear brakes as well as with the service advice given me by Bank Street Mazda. I have had the vehicle serviced in accordance with the warranty requirements and exclusively at the Bank Street Mazda facility. At 25,000 kilometres and again at 53,000 kilometres, I have had to have the rear brake pads and rotors replaced, at significant cost to me. Counting the originals, I am now on my third set of rear pads and rotors while still having about 50% wear left on the original front pads. There is obviously something wrong with my vehicle and perhaps this model line. I have reported my problem to Transport Canada.

In the first instance, Bank Street Mazda acknowledged the rapid wear and posited that the vehicle might have come with faulty rear brake pads. When the pads were again gone at 53,000 kilometres, Bank Street Mazda confirmed that neither the parking brake nor the calipers were dragging and suggested that we had been driving the car around with the parking brake on. I told them (and am now telling you) that this is a ludicrous suggestion. When the parking brake is engaged, the car will not move. There is no possibility of driving the car this way. I also confirmed that the bright red light in the middle of the tachometer gauge turns on even before the parking brake is engaged in its lightest setting.

Placing the blame on the owner is very convenient for the dealer. In both instances, at the regular servicing prior to the brake problem, Bank Street Mazda reported that the brakes were fine (i.e., good to at least the next scheduled service). Well, they were wrong. In both cases, the rear pads failed before the next scheduled service and destroyed the rotors. Bank Street Mazda only partially compensated me in the first occurrence but refused to do so this second time."

No reply yet.

Greg

 

Mazda 3 i here...funny i was just outside on me smoke brake and i was thinking to myself...wow my rear wheels need cleaning....there BLACK! It's true there is alot of brake dust on the back tires in comparison to the front.
Weird!

 

Possible help for all of that brake dust and pad wear. Have replaced several and serviced a bunch more and noticed that every car, when I removed the caliper slide pins there is absolutely no lubricating compound in there. Doubt that it was an oversite from factory as all of the 3's are like this in front and rear. Maybe Mazda did not feel it was necessary?? Who knows, I only work here. I always apply some synthetic grease that I have found to be an excellent product for this purpose (DO NOT USE petroleum based grease or rubber boots will swell up and cause worse problems).Was never able to track progress of adding this lubrication to calipers untill my service writer bought an 06 5-door and started asking me about the brake dust always being worse in the back. So I applied this grease to front and rear caliper slide pin boots and he has since reported that after almost 1000 miles the brake dust in the rear is much better. Similar amount to what would collect in the front. Might want to give it a try anyway. Too early to tell if it will reduce pad wear but less dust should mean less wear. Here is link to the grease that works so well. Should be available from most parts stores.
Almost forgot. You will need a 7 mm allen head wrench or socket to get the slide pins out.
http://www.crcindustries.com/auto/co...x?PN=05351&S=N

 

i have an even amount of brake dust on the front and back and it takes a long while for it to build up and i drive everywhere main roads and highways i have a about 8079 miles (oops need oil change) on my car and i bought it last year November.

 

I own mazda 3s, 2006, I have got the same problem on the back, ok, the other day i have talked to a friend of mine and from the top of his head, in specifications front brakes are bigger than rear, he said that because of this fact the front which should wear out quicker don't because their are little bigger and require less power to than the rear, if you all probably hear of Big Break Kits, well, look at your rotors and you will see that the rear a some what smaller, and of course, like somone said, mazda uses different rear brake pads, semi-metalic, and the front are ceramic, I personally have never experienced ceramic pads, heard theu can warp your rotors but will never learn untill i get one. Plus, in the future, i am looking forward on installing Cross Driller and SLotted rotors, with a better quality brake pads, and Will use synthetic lubrican as suggested here for better results to keep the dust off. If anyone will find any true suggestions, i will be happy to go for it.