P5 Stalled FOUR Times in 1st Year of Ownership!!!

K

kasumi

Member
:
Mazda P5
hey P5-ers, i'm new to mazda forums and am asking for your help and wisdom!

i searched through previous threads about owners having their P5 stall ONCE... in which after it happens, they get their computer flashed, and everything's fine again.

here's my problem... i own an automatic stock 2003 P5, purchased brand new from a mazda dealer last june 2003, still under warranty. since then, it has stalled on me FOUR times when idling, the most recent occurance being just last week. each time i brought it into the dealer... and each time no record is stored with the computer. and of course, they can't replicate the stall.

<b>history:</b>
  • 1st time, sept 2003 -- said it was a fluke since no records stored on the computer. flashed computer.
  • 2nd time, feb 2004 -- told me the RPMs were low when idling, so they increased it. flashed computer. were complete jerks and said that "having a car stall every 6 months isn't that bad."
  • 3rd time, april 2004 -- said the EGR valve was stuck, so they replaced it. flashed computer.
  • 4th time, june 2004 -- i called mazda canada's customer service and complained. they said they would get the dealer to work with their QA specialist to determine the problem. went to the dealer... after running the diagnostics three times, they said the RPMs were down when idling... i told them they already gave me that excuse. they do some more tests, and say there's nothing they can do. flashed computer again. i call mazda canada cust service again, and they're being complete jerks and giving me the run around. still waiting for them to call back.

there has been no similarity in conditions when it happens (i.e. weather conditions, gas level, engine warm or cold)... other than it usually happens in the morning 5-15 minutes after starting my car. each time i'm able to start my car again, but it's annoying and hazardous, since i'm usually in traffic when it happens with a bunch of cars going 80km/hr.

<b>my questions:</b>

1) has anyone else experienced this?? repeated idling??
2) does anyone else have ideas about probable causes for the engine to stall? they did all the diagnostics and found nothing each time... could be a faulty computer? how can a faulty computer be proved to the dealer, so that i can get them to replace it?
3) there are no lemon laws in canada... does anyone have any suggestions about what i can get mazda canada or my dealer to do?
4) does anyone have any ideas about the chances i have to get my dealer to break my lease without penalty to me, or replace my car with a new vehicle?
5) apparently in canada, you can get a mazda district manager (DM) to come assess your car... however, the dealer told me that if i can't replicate the situation, the DM probably won't do anything. does anyone have any experience with the mazda DMs?


mazda canada sucks big time. i'm so frustrated by this whole experience... (pissed)

thanks in advance for your help.
 
dang i guess this hasn't happened to anyone else since no replies! looks like i should play the lotto with this kinda of luck!
 
Have you tried taking it to another dealer?

my mom's volvo had something similar to that. she took it to the place that bought it and they just gave her the run around.

So she got fed up and took it to another dealer. The techs there were better and were able to track it down to an intake leak which was caused by a crack in the intake. replaced it and her car is fine now.
 
Same thing with me. 1 year and it stalled 4 times. Had it flashed last week for the first time and nothing since (knocks on wood)

KB
 
kasumi said:
hey P5-ers, i'm new to mazda forums and am asking for your help and wisdom!

i searched through previous threads about owners having their P5 stall ONCE... in which after it happens, they get their computer flashed, and everything's fine again.

here's my problem... i own an automatic stock 2003 P5, purchased brand new from a mazda dealer last june 2003, still under warranty. since then, it has stalled on me FOUR times when idling, the most recent occurance being just last week. each time i brought it into the dealer... and each time no record is stored with the computer. and of course, they can't replicate the stall.

history:
  • 1st time, sept 2003 -- said it was a fluke since no records stored on the computer. flashed computer.
  • 2nd time, feb 2004 -- told me the RPMs were low when idling, so they increased it. flashed computer. were complete jerks and said that "having a car stall every 6 months isn't that bad."
  • 3rd time, april 2004 -- said the EGR valve was stuck, so they replaced it. flashed computer.
  • 4th time, june 2004 -- i called mazda canada's customer service and complained. they said they would get the dealer to work with their QA specialist to determine the problem. went to the dealer... after running the diagnostics three times, they said the RPMs were down when idling... i told them they already gave me that excuse. they do some more tests, and say there's nothing they can do. flashed computer again. i call mazda canada cust service again, and they're being complete jerks and giving me the run around. still waiting for them to call back.
there has been no similarity in conditions when it happens (i.e. weather conditions, gas level, engine warm or cold)... other than it usually happens in the morning 5-15 minutes after starting my car. each time i'm able to start my car again, but it's annoying and hazardous, since i'm usually in traffic when it happens with a bunch of cars going 80km/hr.

my questions:

1) has anyone else experienced this?? repeated idling??
2) does anyone else have ideas about probable causes for the engine to stall? they did all the diagnostics and found nothing each time... could be a faulty computer? how can a faulty computer be proved to the dealer, so that i can get them to replace it?
3) there are no lemon laws in canada... does anyone have any suggestions about what i can get mazda canada or my dealer to do?
4) does anyone have any ideas about the chances i have to get my dealer to break my lease without penalty to me, or replace my car with a new vehicle?
5) apparently in canada, you can get a mazda district manager (DM) to come assess your car... however, the dealer told me that if i can't replicate the situation, the DM probably won't do anything. does anyone have any experience with the mazda DMs?


mazda canada sucks big time. i'm so frustrated by this whole experience... (pissed)

thanks in advance for your help.
Click to expand...
Yeah, Mine stalled 2-3 times and mine too is a 2003.5 and 1 year ownership. The last time I took it in they cleaned our the EGR and reflashed and it has been fine since. What they said about the EGR is that is was getting stuck open. Perhaps they had/have a bad inventory of EGR valves? But also it was never a constant thing, so it may be fixed it may not be. I havn't thought about it since I did get it fixed though.

What I ask for ANY of you is to get copies of the remarks they make when they "fix" things. It shows everything they did and in my case who they called. SO now I have a paper trail. I have it somewhere and if you need I can dig it up and scan it. I could prolly even post it here.
 
Last edited:
kasumi said:
1) has anyone else experienced this?? repeated idling??
Click to expand...
Strangley enough, my car actually HAS idled repeatedly. Almost every time I turn it on, in fact!

Hee hee, had to do it.

Call Wayne Brady up and get him to go choke some bitches at Mazda for you. I hope everything works out for ya.
 
I had the problem b4, I found out 2 things that caused it 1st time it was a dirty air filter. 2nd time it was my altenator. I have friends that are mechanics and they checked it out for me b4 i even went to mazda to hear there bulls*** stories.
 
Is there one of those in the USA we need a CAMVAP....s*** i've had the worest service from Mazda.
 
kasumi said:
lease without penalty to me, or replace my car with a new vehicle?
5) apparently in canada, you can get a mazda district manager (DM) to come assess your car... however, the dealer told me that if i can't replicate the situation, the DM probably won't do anything. does anyone have any experience with the mazda DMs?


mazda canada sucks big time. i'm so frustrated by this whole experience... (pissed)

thanks in advance for your help.
Click to expand...

I've never had THAT specific problem but, one I can tell you, it's that I've had ALOT of problems with Mazda Canada. They are the worst! I have a thread somewhere about paint problems and how I fought day and night with them for 6 months before I won my case ( paint came off - car rusting everywhere - were trying to blame it on me ). And when I say I fought with them day and night, I did. I did not let more than two days between each call.

It began with me calling the dealer, then dealing with the sales manager...to me making a surprise visit IN the GM's office, to me complaining to Mazda Canada....then a "District Manager" inspecting my car.......I'm telling you, I've been through it all. Good luck! If you need any "convincing" tips, let me know.
 
i've had my EGR replaced under warranty. it wasn't stalling me out, but it was giving me really rough idle. i would keep complaining until something's done about it. there's no point to stop complaining when you've already complained so much.
 
thanks for the feedback... so here's what's happened to date.

my p5 stalled AGAIN for the FIFTH TIME. i was too tired and fed up to have it towed to the dealer so i restarted the engine, drove home, then called the dealer the next morning. told me the same crap that they won't find anything wrong with the engine, cuz most likely, no record stored with the compu again.

i got a friend to talk to one of his friends that works at another mazda location... to get their opinion and find out the inside scoop on whether or not i could break my lease w/o penalty. turns out that mazda dealership has encountered this problem before!! (mazda canada, do a recall if you know about it!!!!) i brought it, they ran the diagnostics, and again couldn't find a record. what they did find was a problem with the main relay switch... so they changed it. hoping this will be the final answer!!!

maple_leaf, would like to know your "convincing tips".
 
My 1st stall happened this week

My 2003 P5 stalled for the first time this week, I have had it just over a year and I have almost 40,000 miles on my P5. I was slowing down to make a turn and my engine just died. Ended up in the grass. It started right back up again. I hate like hell to take it to my local dealer which means taking time off of work again...and having them tell me they can't find anything wrong and then charging me for the rental car because they can't find anything wrong...I will take all of your information with me when I go to the (chair) dealer..

Thanks guys!
 
bazooka joe said:
possible bad egr valve, happend to me.
Click to expand...

maybe, but wasn't so in my case... they switched the EGR the third time it happened... said that they thought "it was a bit sticky"... but still stalled again within two months after they switched it.

the other main excuse they've thrown my way is that my rev rate is down during idling... which i've had tweaked twice already!
 
Sometimes I think people shouldn't own cars. Mazda MAY have a bad batch of EGR valves, and that explains why it is stalling. They cleaned mine out and I have it on paper, and it has been fine ever since. Mine never showed up on the compueter, nor did it throw a code. they also raised the idle from 700 to 750, and reflashed the ECU.

Why you all are walking into the dealers and NOT telling them about what you heard and what others have experienced is beyond me. Quit giving up. Tell them you know for a fact that others have had problems with it, what it took to fix others, and to make calls if they need to. I told you all I also have the writing what they did to fix my car. I could scan it and post it if anyone requested it.

This is severley frustrating to read.
 
Mazda P5 driver said:
Sometimes I think people shouldn't own cars. Mazda MAY have a bad batch of EGR valves, and that explains why it is stalling. They cleaned mine out and I have it on paper, and it has been fine ever since. Mine never showed up on the compueter, nor did it throw a code. they also raised the idle from 700 to 750, and reflashed the ECU.

Why you all are walking into the dealers and NOT telling them about what you heard and what others have experienced is beyond me. Quit giving up. Tell them you know for a fact that others have had problems with it, what it took to fix others, and to make calls if they need to. I told you all I also have the writing what they did to fix my car. I could scan it and post it if anyone requested it.

This is severley frustrating to read.
Click to expand...

that's great in your case that you got it fixed... i took in the info about EGR valve, flashing computer, etc. etc... but it still didn't work. and i definitely have a paper trail. it helps to call into mazda HQ as well and speak to their customer service reps, so that they have you in their system, and record each call.

it's more frustrating to have to go through this then for you to read this! but i'm going to keep being in mazda's face until they recompensate for all the trouble i've gone through in trying to fix their defective product
 
kasumi said:
that's great in your case that you got it fixed... i took in the info about EGR valve, flashing computer, etc. etc... but it still didn't work. and i definitely have a paper trail. it helps to call into mazda HQ as well and speak to their customer service reps, so that they have you in their system, and record each call.

it's more frustrating to have to go through this then for you to read this! but i'm going to keep being in mazda's face until they recompensate for all the trouble i've gone through in trying to fix their defective product
Click to expand...
Did they clean the egr or did they replace it?
 
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