Mazda 3 life expectancy

[jonnymopar]

I really miss my 3! A wheel from a dually that landed shinny side down caused the death of my beloved at 247k by knocking the engine and transmission off the mounts, cracking both the block and transmission damn near in half and making for one helluva misadventure!! RIP Gertrude!!

Glad you're still around to post about it! Yikes. I hope that didn't happen at highway speed.

 

[babyluv1]

Thank you. I hit it at 70mph and the tires went about 2 feet off the ground after I hit it. It was a blessing that no one was around me as I traveled from the left lane all the way to the right shoulder. The accident that was a result of the me hitting wheel was an even bigger misadventure than me actually hitting the wheel was.

 

[OMGMazda]

2011 Mazda3 i Touring, purchased in November 2010.

115,300 miles.

Maintenance:
- Oil changes, oil filters, air filters, cabin air filter
- Spark plugs at 75k
- 2nd set of replacement tires (OEMs lasted 45k, surprisingly. Michelin Premier A/S replaced at 100k.)
- 2nd set of brakes (OEMs lasted 90k), rotors turned
- Headlights replaced three times with halogens, finally went LED (should have done that sooner)
- Wipers, wiper fluid, coolant was low once at 65k so I topped it off with some FL-22. No signs of a coolant leak, and it hasn't dropped since. It is a mystery.

Repairs:
- Some @*%( rear-ended me in stop and go traffic before I had 1000 miles on the car. It wasn't TERRIBLE, but it knocked the license light bulb plastics out. I'm hoping the bump on his insurance to replace my bumper taught him to pay better attention. Jerk.
- Dealer oil change was messed up (overtightened filter?) and resulted in oil draining. Noticed when the oil light flicked on for a half second during a tight turn. Got that fixed quick, replacement oil and filter, cleaned engine bay, no cost of course. Was concerned about longevity but current shop says she's still in great shape.
- Rear caliper got locked for some reason around 20k miles. Warranty replacement of both rear brakes, calipers, and rotors.
- Driver's Seat track didn't feel secure and wobbled slightly. Replaced 3000 miles out of warranty and they wouldn't budge on covering it. Can't win them all.
- 2 motor mounts went bad. Looks like that's not uncommon. Replaced at 90k miles.

And the Big Bad Repair last year:
- Suddenly mushy brake that travels to the floor after going over a pothole. ABS control module went bad. THAT was a costly repair.


Added 11/3: And after I post this, it didn't start yesterday. Was able to get it to start by giving gas while turning the ignition, have it at the shop. Could be a fuel issue.

Added 11/5: Fuel line running 7-10 PSI low, no electrical or other issues, they think the fuel pump is dying. These last 2 years have been pretty expensive...4 new tires, ABS control unit, and now fuel pump. Again, just one person with a 2011.

 

[WheelMcCoy]

2011 Mazda3 i Touring, purchased in November 2010.

115,300 miles.

Maintenance:
- Oil changes, oil filters, air filters, cabin air filter
- Spark plugs at 75k
- 2nd set of replacement tires (OEMs lasted 45k, surprisingly. Michelin Premier A/S replaced at 100k.)
- 2nd set of brakes (OEMs lasted 90k), rotors turned
- Headlights replaced three times with halogens, finally went LED (should have done that sooner)
- Wipers, wiper fluid, coolant was low once at 65k so I topped it off with some FL-22. No signs of a coolant leak, and it hasn't dropped since. It is a mystery.

Repairs:
- Some @*%( rear-ended me in stop and go traffic before I had 1000 miles on the car. It wasn't TERRIBLE, but it knocked the license light bulb plastics out. I'm hoping the bump on his insurance to replace my bumper taught him to pay better attention. Jerk.
- Dealer oil change was messed up (overtightened filter?) and resulted in oil draining. Noticed when the oil light flicked on for a half second during a tight turn. Got that fixed quick, replacement oil and filter, cleaned engine bay, no cost of course. Was concerned about longevity but current shop says she's still in great shape.
- Rear caliper got locked for some reason around 20k miles. Warranty replacement of both rear brakes, calipers, and rotors.
- Driver's Seat track didn't feel secure and wobbled slightly. Replaced 3000 miles out of warranty and they wouldn't budge on covering it. Can't win them all.
- 2 motor mounts went bad. Looks like that's not uncommon. Replaced at 90k miles.

And the Big Bad Repair last year:
- Suddenly mushy brake that travels to the floor after going over a pothole. ABS control module went bad. THAT was a costly repair.


Added 11/3: And after I post this, it didn't start yesterday. Was able to get it to start by giving gas while turning the ignition, have it at the shop. Could be a fuel issue.

Added 11/5: Fuel line running 7-10 PSI low, no electrical or other issues, they think the fuel pump is dying. These last 2 years have been pretty expensive...4 new tires, ABS control unit, and now fuel pump. Again, just one person with a 2011.

Thank you for such a detailed post! I purchased my 2010 Mazda3 iTouring 5 speed back in September 2010. It has 70k miles, and so far, I haven't had any major problems. We do have some similarities:

1. My driver's seat was a little loose and was firmed up with a recall (seat lifter links braced). The dealership took care of it, no charge.
2. OEM brake pads still on!
3. On second set of halogen headlights (you probably do more night driving). BTW, I don't think our headlamp housing reflector was designed for LED bulbs, and you may be blinding oncoming drivers.
4. Around 65k miles, had to top off coolant with FL-22 as well.

I do my own oil changes. Regarding your oil leak, I suspect the dealer put the new oil filter on without removing the old oil filter rubber gasket. That would cause a poor seal and result in oil leaking.

 

[smartgroup]

2007 Mazda3 S Touring just passed 175K. Looking forward to skip the next 2019+ generation.
Replaced Transmission Control Module at 171K
Replaced Bottom rear engine mount, Top right engine mount, left/right shocks at 152K
Replaced rear left suspension at 150K

 

[OMGMazda]

Thank you for such a detailed post! I purchased my 2010 Mazda3 iTouring 5 speed back in September 2010. It has 70k miles, and so far, I haven't had any major problems. We do have some similarities:

1. My driver's seat was a little loose and was firmed up with a recall (seat lifter links braced). The dealership took care of it, no charge.
2. OEM brake pads still on!
3. On second set of halogen headlights (you probably do more night driving). BTW, I don't think our headlamp housing reflector was designed for LED bulbs, and you may be blinding oncoming drivers.
4. Around 65k miles, had to top off coolant with FL-22 as well.

I do my own oil changes. Regarding your oil leak, I suspect the dealer put the new oil filter on without removing the old oil filter rubber gasket. That would cause a poor seal and result in oil leaking.

Regarding the LEDs, people in this thread (https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123860852-2008-Mazda-3-LED-Headlight-Bulb-Advice) didn't seem to have issues, and as far as I can tell I seem to be OK. I got the SEALIGHT drop-in replacements, and my experience was that it appeared just as limited in height as was shown in Post #3 on that thread. I haven't gotten flashed yet - so far so good.

I will say, the LED high beams are HOLY CRAP police spotlights so I will rarely use them.

I had the seat issues before the recall, don't know if there's any way to get reimbursed at this point. I still need to get the recall done, actually, now that you mention it.

 

[10Break]

We got our daughter a 2007 sedan, 2.0, with 176,000 on it and it isn't eating oil as bad as some stories I've seen. I've changed transmission fluid and the pan because it was rusted but everything else in the engine is bone dry. Also replaced the 3 mounts, rotors, pads, break fluid, belts, rear shocks and mounts, and tomorrow I'm doing the struts. Out of necessity, had to replace a shift solenoid, 5 year old battery, and hood release cable but all in all, this is a good little and easy to work on car.

 

[goldwing2000]

Update on my OG 2004 3S Hatch:
I bought it new in February 2004, had 320,000 miles on it in September 2017 and it was still my daily driver. Lots of little things wrong with it (TNS relay, fuel tank leak, e-brake non-functional, body rusting out) but the engine still looked brand new on the inside and ran like a top. Even still has the original clutch.

Unfortunately, in September 2017 I hit an armadillo at 60mph and it took out the whole front end. Bumper, grille, AC condenser and radiator... shattered. So it's been sitting in my back yard ever since. A year ago I opened the door to move it and found that the entire interior was covered in green mold (water leak from the hatch). So now I'm torn between finishing the repairs (already have the parts) and making a Gambler car out of it or just scrapping it. Feels weird to get rid of it since it was my first (and probably last) brand new car ever. She definitely doesn't owe me anything.

 

[salguod]

My 2005 Hatch, bought new in Feb of 2006, looks similar to yours, with the addition of some wrinkles in the nose thanks to my daughter. It's pushing 220K and is consuming oil at an alarming rate (~200 miles to the quart). My daughter is driving it now and oil is cheaper than a new car, so she keeps filling it. It still runs and drives OK, it just looks terrible and has a drinking problem.