I've been doing some research on the '09 Mazda 3, S Sport Trim (5Spd) and it fits the bill pretty well. Small, sporty, decent MPG, can fit a bike in the back, good price etc. Well the last couple of days I have been digging into it a bit more, reading all the road tests, checking out a bunch of Mazda forums and there seem to be some issues with it.

Air bag sensor recall
Power steering pump recall
Engine mounts
Brakes/suspension clunking noise
CEL on randomly
Driver's window AUTO down
A/C not very cold
Glove box latch
Clock not very accurate
Rattles in center console, doors

I'm not really worried about any of them. The big ones are recalls, the rattles and creaks I can live with and everything in between I can deal with myself. However, is this the tip of the iceberg of things to come in the future? Are these problems fairly common on these cars or am I looking into this too much? I guess some of these could be attributed to a new model being introduced and just working out the bugs. Do the later models (2009) have a better fit and finish?

A few more questions,

How does the car handle in the snow? I imagine the OEM tires would have to be replaced...

Is the 2.3L an interference engine?

Is the car fairly easy to work on? From the pictures the 2.3L looks pretty cramped (the turbo in MazdaSpeed even worse), but haven't had a chance to see it in person yet.

Those of you who have a 2004-2009 Mazda 3 with high mileage, how does the car hold up? Any other problems that those I stumbled on?

Basically I'm looking for a reliable car that will last and a solid drivetrain is a must. Planning on getting one with 20K or so and keeping until 150-180K miles (10years) , I'll keep everything stock, no mods. I do all the maintenance on my cars, but I'd rather not have to deal with a head gaskets, leaking piston rings, etc down the road. Should I keep looking?

Also looking at the 2007 Subaru Impreza Wagon (MAYBE (big maybe) WRX, but not STi) so if you owned both I'd really appreciate some feedback.

Thanks
Dragos

 

Hmmm, not sure why you're worried about the recalls, they're always fixed on Mazda's dime.

As for a few of the other items, the CELs are typically caused by folks who've altered the intake of their car, so I wouldn't exactly call that an issue. Why do you care if the 2.3 (or even the 2.0) liter engine is an "inteference" engine? After all, these engines don't have a timing belt so it isn't an issue.

Handling in the snow is just about as good as it gets for a FWD econo car, errr, that is assuming you lose the crappy OEM tires.

Over all the Mazda 3 seems to be pretty robust and I can easily see one lasting to the 200,000 mile point.

 

I have a 2008 with approx. 84.5k miles on it, so it's seen a good share of mileage in a very short amount on time, so I'll chime in however I can.

I've been doing some research on the '09 Mazda 3, S Sport Trim (5Spd) and it fits the bill pretty well. Small, sporty, decent MPG, can fit a bike in the back, good price etc. Well the last couple of days I have been digging into it a bit more, reading all the road tests, checking out a bunch of Mazda forums and there seem to be some issues with it.

I'll give my experience and my opinion:

Air bag sensor recall - Haven't heard about this, never notified about it. Had a minor accident in the car but it only sustained drivetrain damage and no body impact so there was no airbag deployment. No lights on.
Power steering pump recall - Big recall everyone has been informed on. A good share of folks on the board have given their experience of their pump going out on them, however Mazda is in the process of fixing this free of charge. In the mean time, until the fix applies, if the pump were to go out, just gotta turn the car off for a few minutes and you'll be fine. Also, it is usually an issue at slow speed in parking lots, and not particularly when driving at speed. I personally have not had my power steering pump go out on me yet. It's also been said on here to avoid "locking" the steering wheel at each direction. My dealer doesn't have the parts in yet but I'm in no rush to deal with it personally.
Engine mounts - Runs smooth on my end. Haven't heard about this issue myself.
Brakes/suspension clunking noise - Never heard about that, never had an issue.
CEL on randomly - Never had that issue
Driver's window AUTO down - No input: I have manual windows.
A/C not very cold - Very true. According to my dealer, this was fixed in the 2nd gen Mazda3 models. Supposedly the system in the 1st was "too efficient" and was not able to cool as well, or something. My A/C worked good until it went out about 10k miles ago. There was a wire somewhere under the dash that got burnt or something, I'm not sure. Basically when I pushed the A/C button to turn on the compressor, it was a no go. After fixing, the A/C got hot again. I lost a lot of refrigerant pressure. Don't know how. I don't have any leaks either, so I have no idea how to explain why that happened. I recharged the system with some refrigerant from Auto Zone and it's been freezing cold since.
Glove box latch - No issues
Clock not very accurate - I changed my stereo out very shortly after I bought the car, so no input.
Rattles in center console, doors - No issues

How does the car handle in the snow? I imagine the OEM tires would have to be replaced... - Sorry I live in Texas. The only time I ever drove my car in snow was last year during a freak snow storm... something that never happens. However the roads were pretty devoid of snow and mainly just along the side of the freeway, so I still have no input. Sorry.

Is the 2.3L an interference engine? - Don't have a clue

Is the car fairly easy to work on? From the pictures the 2.3L looks pretty cramped (the turbo in MazdaSpeed even worse), but haven't had a chance to see it in person yet. - I haven't had to work on mine, so no clue, but I've had the hood open enough to know that, like a lot of FWD cars, the engine bay is cramped. I'll put it this way: I had no problem swapping out the serpentine belt on my old Mustang. I won't touch my Mazda3 lol.


Those of you who have a 2004-2009 Mazda 3 with high mileage, how does the car hold up? Any other problems that those I stumbled on?
- My car runs and drives the same as it did new. I love it.

Basically I'm looking for a reliable car that will last and a solid drivetrain is a must. Planning on getting one with 20K or so and keeping until 150-180K miles (10years) , I'll keep everything stock, no mods. I do all the maintenance on my cars, but I'd rather not have to deal with a head gaskets, leaking piston rings, etc down the road. Should I keep looking? - Doesn't sound like anything you would ever have to fuss with. I have the 2.0L engine and it's been a fantastic engine. Regular oil changes with Mobil 1 fully synthetic 5w20, Mobil 1 oil filter. Mileage has always been great. Been out of state twice, and driven many long trips within Texas in the heat. The car is a frickin' champ.

 

It might be too early to tell how well a Mazda 3 can last. However, I think Mazda as a brand is actually pretty decent in realibility. Looking at Mazda pass realiability record, I believe Mazda compact cars (323, Protege, now 3) and Miata seems to be the most realiable one of all the Mazda. I am a previous owner of a 99 Mazda Protege and drove it up to 150K miles. It has been pretty much 100% problem free until it hit around 130K miles when little things here and there start showing up (nothing major that is expensive to fix). I finally got rid of it at 150K miles cuz i don't feel like spending the money to fix a dying IAC motor and failing timing belt (which I never replace once the whole time I owned this car btw), plus I had my eye one the 2010 Mazda 3. It is more like I gave it to my brother-in-law that loves to mess around inside a car compartments. By the time I got rid of my 99 Protege at 150K miles, I can tell you the engine and transmission is still solidly sound and runs great. Hope this may help ease your mind a little in terms of Mazda realiability. One thing that is bad about Mazda though, what is under the hood is always very cramp/tight and difficult to work with on your own. If you are the kind of guy that loves to work on your own car, you won't like it cuz is frustrating and pain in the *** as least for me. Seems like Mazda like to discourage people from going into the engine compartment to modify stuff or even touches them.

 

Thanks for all the replies, they are all appreciated.


I knew about it had a timing chain (very cool), but was just curious about it being an interference engine.


Yeah, I really don't mind working on them and I'm somewhat used to the cramped spaces. Managed to change a clutch and timing belt on a 2000 Prelude and the thing drove after wards! Just trying to see what I'm getting myself into next.


I'll see if I can test drive one in the coming weeks.



Dragos

 

I have an 05 3s 4 door automatic with 110K miles. I am the original owner, and the car still feels somewhat new. I do have some door rattles that occur only when i raise the volume of the stereo. I have a bad passenger-side engine mount. I believe they changed the mounts in either 06 or 07. I haven't had one problem with my power steering or CEL (knock on wood). I had my auto down fixed a few months after i purchased the car, and i haven't had a problem since. No problems with my airbags, brakes, or glove box. My clock does fall behind by a minute or two, and the A/C could be better but is sufficient for me. I live in NY, and I keep the windows down even if it's 95 degrees out. I only use it to defog or if it's raining and i have no other option. I don't like the loss of horsepower.

I love my car, and she has treated me well. I ride her rough, but she doesn't mind too much. She hasn't given me any problems. As long as I give her an oil change and maintain her fluids, she'll be fine. I use Restore Engine Restorer, and i always notice an improvement after use. You put it in after every oil change and it helps keep the engine clean. I also use fuel system cleaners.

 

06 auto (mistake) with 105k mi, also original owner, problems ive had is the starter, splash shield bolts rusting away and missing pop clips, a/c replaced (clutch seized), battery replaced twice. Things i replaced serp belt (didnt need to), maf (my own fault).

As much crap ive put my car through its still holding strong, and for what you intend to do with it, its going to last a while (assuming the techs did a good PDI). There is a little trick to make the a/c a little colder but its a little iffy (been awhile since i seen the how-to) and yes its an interference engine. Ive done extensive research and was trained on this engine and i can safely say that its good for 200k, some of these cars are known to have annoying electrical problems though and if anything as far as major failures go the head would be the first to go.

 

Thanks people, certainly a lot of knowledge here!!

The Tire Pressure Monitoring System, how long does the battery in those last? Can you change out just the battery or do you have to get a new senso all together? Would be the first car with a TPMS.

As far as the passenger side engine mount. Is there a new and improved mount out there or do you just replace it with the same part that broke in the first place and wait for it to happen again?

The clutch, I asume its hydraulic?

Dragos

 

1) The air bag sensor recall was for '04's. Mine was done years ago. No worries (that we know of) with the newer ones.
2) The power steering pump recall is a concern, but the problem seems to occur most when it has been overtaxed, as in repeated lock-to-lock situations... and Mazda has acknowledged the problem and will "fix" it for you free of charge. So not really an issue.
3) Engine mounts, especially the RS upper. Yes, had mine replaced once already, several years ago now. So far so good. The problem seems to be that they are fluid filled and once compromised the fluid will leak out. It does not actually break and will not cause the engine to fall out.
4) A/C is not very cold. I knew this going in, when I bought mine in '04. I have heard that there had been improvements made and haven't read any "complaint" posts about it in years. Again, I think this mostly affects the early cars, like mine. Though I'm sure it is still not the strongest system out there, if I can live w/mine in 100*+ summer weather (be it an annoyance at times,) I think most other people could too.
5) Never had a problem w/my driver's side auto down system.
6) Glove box latch? Not with mine and it's been through many, MANY cycles by now.
7) My clock loses about 2 mins every 6-8 months. I can live with that too. It's easy to adjust the time. Again, I have an '04, the first model year here and only the second model year in the world.
8) The 2.0 & 2.3L MZR engines both use a timing chain which will last the life of the car/engine, not a belt, so interference/non-interference should not be an issue.
9) After 60k miles on mine (low mileage) I can not report many squeaks or rattles. The car is pretty tight for an econo car.
10) Snow: No, I don't think these are the best snow cars, and certainly not with the OE "all-season" RS-A BadYears on it. BUT, if that is a concern, there are several things you could do to improve it. Among them, but not limited to are: 4 winter tires on 16" wheels, the smallest that will fit an "S" model car; A proper 4-wheel alignment, and by that I mean to replace the rear upper control arms w/aftermarket "adjustable" ones to dial out some of the negative camber that is built in from the factory; Set the stability/traction/ABS control switch to "on" and leave it there; Lay off the throttle pedal and give yourself as much braking room as possible. This last one is critical in ANY vehicle, whether RWD, FWD or 4WD. Also, avoid cell phone use and other distractions while driving.
11) CEL's: Read shipo's post.

 

The Tire Pressure Monitoring System, how long does the battery in those last? Can you change out just the battery or do you have to get a new senso all together? Would be the first car with a TPMS.

I believe the sensor is sealed so the battery is not replaceable.

The clutch, I asume its hydraulic?

Yes. As a matter of fact the brake fluid doubles as clutch fluid and only one reservoir services both brakes and the clutch.