WE BOUGHT THIS CAR ON FEBRUARY 19, 2011 WITH AROUND 26,000 MILES ON IT. ON JANUARY 30, 2012 (AROUND 36,000 MILES) THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER. WE TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED AND IT CAME BACK THAT THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS BAD. WE HAD THAT REPLACED, BUT IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND THAT MECHANIC TOLD US WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A MAZDA DEALER AND THAT IF IT WAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE POWERTRAIN, IT SHOULD STILL BE UNDER WARRANTY. WE WERE HAPPY TO HEAR THAT INDEED IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT MAZDA MOST LIKELY WOULD COVER ALL COSTS. A DAY LATER THE DEALERSHIP CALLED TO TELL US THAT MAZDA NEEDED TO SEE PROOF OF MAINTENANCE ON THE OIL CHANGES, AS THERE WAS A "SLUDGE BUILDUP." WE HAD THE OIL CHANGED AS REQUIRED, BUT WERE TOLD THAT MAZDA MAY NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY AFTER ALL...SEEMS IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU DID EVERYTHING RIGHT OR NOT, MAZDA SEEMS TO BE DENYING THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. WE ARE STILL WAITING TO HEAR IF THIS WILL BE COVERED, AND HAVE BEEN DOING LOTS OF RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE. WE WANTED TO GET A START ON THIS ISSUE IF IT ENDS UP BEING THE NIGHTMARE THAT OTHER OWNERS ARE DESCRIBING. THERE SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR ENGINEERING FLAW AND WE ARE AFRAID OF LOSING EVERYTHING DUE TO THE EXTREME REPAIR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM. NOT TO MENTION RECURRING ISSUES THAT SEEM TO ARISE AFTER THE REPAIRS ARE MADE! MAZDA NEEDS TO STOP THE DENIAL AND RESOLVE THIS ISSUE ASAP! HOPEFULLY YOU CAN PLEASE HELP SOME HARD WORKING PEOPLE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THESE COSTS! THANKS FOR YOUR TIME... *TR
2008
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR CLOSE TO HOME AND I WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 30 MPH. I HEARD A FEW TAPS AND THEN TURNED OFF THE HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING. AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY, THE NOISE RESUMED AND A BURNING ELECTRICAL SMELL STARTED AND ACTUALLY THE SMELL REMAINED THE ENTIRE NIGHT. I HAD IT TOWED THE NEXT DAY TO MY LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR PLACE AND AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS THE CLUTCH BURNED UP IN THE COMPRESSOR AND THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, RUSSEL, IN BALTIMORE AND ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN THESE PROBLEMS AND I WAS TOLD NO. I HAVE SINCE READ MANY STORIES THAT ARE ABOUT THE SAME. *TR