Hi All,
Just purchased a new 2011 Mazda3 2.5 HB Sport S last week and after driving it from the Dealership to my home I discovered a problem that has plagued the car for the past week.

Whenever I drive over 55MPH on the highway I get a vibrating affect in the cabin mainly from the foot well both sides and the transmission tunnel. (I purchased the car with 42 miles on the clock).

I emailed the dealer once I got home and got in touch with the local dealer whom test drove it at lower speeds stating there was no problems at all however as a goodwill gesture they balanced all the wheels but after I took it on the highway again the problem still occurred and I'm clueless what it could be. We drove to NYC this weekend and the constant cabin vibration gets tiring and its not pleasant whatsoever!

Please can someone give me some advice...

Thanks,
AJ

 

i wouldnt anything other than demand that your car be fixed. If you show signs of "you trust them" they will bend u over so quick your wallet would burst into flames from the friction

 

Other than dropping below 55 is there anything that makes the vibration stop? Basically the options are: balance, wheels (i.e. bent wheel), alignment, warped brake rotors, axles/etc., motor mount. Ask the service manager to ride along with you to demonstrate what the car is doing. If possible get them to do back to back test drives with another to compare between them.

 

Hi there,
Well yesterday I went to an independent mechanic who test drove the car themselves. He stated that all the wheels are round, balanced and aligned however the vibration does exist at 55mph+, he described the vibration as annoying for long distance driving but not intrusive. The guy thinks its by design and due to the low profile tires although I'm still not convinced, he did say that that the only thing that could be changed is the tires. Anyway yesterday the dealer I bought the car from got in touch and offered me a loaner while they fix the car.. I do hope this car isnt a lemon! anyway if they dont fix the problem I'll have to either accept that as a real characteristic of the car and not drive long distances or trade it in for something else.

 

While not terribly common (any more), a slipped belt inside one of the tires can cause such a shimmy. Given Mazda's history for using tires which rank one step above garbage I wouldn't be at all surprised if you simply rotated the tires and experienced a difference in how the shimmy manifests itself.

 

its just such a shame to have to go through this and be told that this is a normal characteristic by someone. I think we all make mistakes but i hope this dealer will swap the wheels out and hopefully that will resolve every thing.

 

Hi,
Well I got the original dealer to rotate the tires and re-balance them to discover that the problem still exists but the vibration isnt felt through the steering wheel. The issue still manifests itself through the cabin and seats still uncomfortable!

 

The odds of you having a faulty tire have just grown substantially. Have your dealer try a different set of rubber.

 

A different set of tires is a potential solution. The practice of installing low profile tires on new cars to enhance their "sporty" looks give rise to vibration and noise problems if there is even the slightest defect in them. All the normal balancing practices will not solve this.

virg

 

I realize this is a Mazda 3 string, but having a similar issue with my 2008 Mazda 5 (60,000 miles). Mine is at 60-65 MPH. It is noticeable at speeds, but worse when accelerating. I recently purchased as a used car and have not had an opportunity to bring it in yet. I suspect the tries for most of it as they are pretty load as well, but probably some worn suspension parts on mine as well (hopefully not on the newer ones yet...).