The metal fuel tank in my Japanese made 2014 Mazda 3 rusted, and needs to be replaced. Mazda made a plastic fuel tank that does not rust in the 2014 Mazda 3s manufactured in Mexico. Does anyone know if those Mexican plastic fuel tanks are interchangeable with the metal Japanese fuel tanks? I've never had a fuel tank rust before. Is this a common problem?

 

Myself and two others are having this issue — we’ve posted about it on another forum: https://www.mazda3revolution.com/thr...cement.245797/

 

I had the same problem with my 2014 Mazda 3. It rusted from the top of the gas tank somehow. Mazda had a recall on the Mexican made Mazda 3s that had a plastic tank because the plastic welds were defective, but the recall did not apply to the metal tanks on the Japanese Mazda 3s. I initially couldn't find any after-market tanks for the 2014 Mazda 3, although Dorman made an after market tank that was advertised for the 2015 and later Mazda 3s. This didn't make sense to me because the 2014s used the same Mazda tank as the 2015s, so after conferring with Dorman they confirmed that it should fit, and it did. Still expensive but less than the Mazda version (which wasn't easily available).

Mazda is pretty bad about supporting their customers . I'm just hoping that I don't have this problem again with the new tank. I also could never get an answer about whether the plastic tanks for the mexican made Mazda 3s would fit as a replacement for the Japanese made metal tanks. Mazda wouldn't even answer my question about fitment, and no one seemed to know the answer. In the end it was a very expensive repair for something that should not have happened.

 

Thanks for sharing this info. I was in the same situation and wasn't really dying to buy another Mazda tank with this one rusting so quickly. Never seen this happen with a tank, but I do live now in New England and park on a dirt driveway, which probably worsens exposure in the winter. Everything rusts here--while I was at my mechanic I heard about a car with holes in the bottom of its frame from rust. Anyway, I found the Dorman because of your post. What's particularly curious about Dorman promoting it as 2015-2017 is that the info sheet cross lists with the current Mazda model number for the 2014 Japanese Mazda 3, which is BHN142110E. Did Mazda stop using the plastic tank in 2015? If so, I assume Dorman doesn't bother listing the 2014 because it has two different fuel tanks, based on country of manufacture. Thanks again. Hopefully the Dorman fares better.