Mazda 3 life expectancy

Our 2010 3 Touring needed only a battery and a set of front brake pads in the 76,000 miles we put on before it was totaled in an accident. Our new 2014 3 Touring has 22,000 now and has never been back to the dealer for anything. I would have no problem expecting a Mazda 3 to reach 250,000 miles or beyond. They are extremely well made cars and even the corrosion resistance has improved in recent years. Zoom-zoom!
 
I have a 2005 5 door 5 speed I bought new. It's at just past 170K and it's been very reliable, few problems other than rust. Still running the original clutch! Mazda replaced the LR door under the rust warranty and I think they should have replaced others. Both quarters have significant holes, but thankfully it's still OK structurally. My daughter now drives it and I have no issues with her taking it anywhere.
 
My baby currently has around 209000+ km and the only main issues I have had on my 06 Mazda 3 were replacing the struts and shocks. Other than that and the usual rust I have been very happy with my baby. Speaking of which, what can I do about the rust on the car? I see it underneath as well but I don't know how bad it is. I'm wondering if it would be worth to get the body work done on it or to get another Mazda 3.
 
I have a 2005 Mazda 3s. I bought in in April of 2014 with 121,00 and as of April 9th 2016 I have 170,000. So far the issues I've addressed are: Sunroof, Alternator, Belts, bearing on passenger side and outer tie rod end, thermostat, brake pads and rotors. I think a lot of my repairs that needed to be done are due to the fact I put a ton of miles on every year. The car seems pretty solid and I've been told that it will probably rust out before the engine goes. Right now It sounds like it's going to fall apart over every bump I hit lol and my passenger side motor mount is bad. But I still love my 3 and I plan on buying another once this one goes.
 
2007 Mazda 3 S Sedan, 152,000, just got my brake pads and rear left shock replaced. Will need to do the 2 front shocks and 2 engine mounts soon. Love the current 3rd generation look of the hatchback but must resist.
 
I have just passed the 300,000km mark on a 2005 Mazda3. I have kept up with regular maintenance and had almost the exact experience as goldwing2000 above has stated. The engine and tranny are original and running pretty smoothly, and would say the main issue it has is Rust. Both rocker panels, all wheel wells, underbody and just about anything that has an edge to it is starting to rust away. I have seen cars 20 years older that has less rust than this mazda.
 
My baby currently has around 209000+ km and the only main issues I have had on my 06 Mazda 3 were replacing the struts and shocks. Other than that and the usual rust I have been very happy with my baby. Speaking of which, what can I do about the rust on the car? I see it underneath as well but I don't know how bad it is. I'm wondering if it would be worth to get the body work done on it or to get another Mazda 3.

As a general rule of thumb, if the repair would cost 50% or more of the value of the car, you should not have the repair done. Just get rid of the car and buy a newer one.
 
When I sold my 1989 MX6 GT in 2014 it had zero rust, anywhere. Of course, it never saw salted roads.........
 
I have just passed the 300,000km mark on a 2005 Mazda3. I have kept up with regular maintenance and had almost the exact experience as goldwing2000 above has stated. The engine and tranny are original and running pretty smoothly, and would say the main issue it has is Rust. Both rocker panels, all wheel wells, underbody and just about anything that has an edge to it is starting to rust away. I have seen cars 20 years older that has less rust than this mazda.
Great for you. I'm with 2007 at 152K and looking to catch up with you. I'm sure California emission will get me first before the rust.
 
Great for you. I'm with 2007 at 152K and looking to catch up with you. I'm sure California emission will get me first before the rust.

well at 82k my 08 got totaled (my fault) rock chips, loose screws in sunroof, loose control arm bolt horrible tires (my fault not bad on the car's side) but caused vibration, 2 minor accidents that were not my fault, egr valve, and thermostat and thats it. it was great car sad it got totaled. so much i got a 2011 grand touring 63k miles right now, we will see been good for first 2 months.
 
2009 Mazda 3i Touring Value Edition
Metrolpolitan Gray
ONE OWNER
Car looks and runs like new.
143k miles. Regular documented maintenance by Burdick Mazda. New front end, Monroe front struts, control arms, wheel bearings etc. New brakes in front and rear. Fun to drive, auxiliary audio input. Black Premium cloth seats. Two sets of wheels. 17 inch OEM summer wheels and 15 inch winter Sport Edition rims with Blizzak tires. Winter wheels are on the car now. Seperate Mazda Winter rubber floor mats. Goes great in the snow.
 
if the proper 5w30 oil is used, I imagine the engine can last a fairly long time. they are not as reliable as a toyota or honda, but well built nonetheless.
 
if the proper 5w30 oil is used, I imagine the engine can last a fairly long time. they are not as reliable as a toyota or honda, but well built nonetheless.

not as reliable as a honda or toyota? what the hell are you talking about, i have had 2 and neither had any major mechanical issues. all they ever needed was routine upkeep, and as with any car this has to be done very regularly (fluids, tires, alignments etc) i would venture to say they are better then many hondas and just as good as most toyotas. had a friend with a bought new 2011 civic and it had paint fade, clearcoat peel wore out the suspension under 50k miles, interior had very noticeable wear and fade after only a few years, and it burned oil. only major issues my 2 had was both needed rear and passenger motor mounts (known issue and easy to remedy) and the newer 2011 one needed a headlight assembly due to a failed hid ballast seal that was 6 years old when it failed. had a celica that was a POS it had evap and egr system problems that would not go away o2 sensors failed 3x in a year had to get it illegally inspected 2x before i got rid of it. it only had 130k miles when this happened. my 08 3 had 85k when i wrecked and totaled it, my 2011 currently has 78k and running nice and strong. i had an 03 protege 5 that was fantastic as well 176k when it got hit and totaled and it had just come off of FACTORY struts and tie rods and control arms all changed at 160k miles. only real issue it ever had was coils would fail regularly (bout every 10k miles) but they where cheap ($25 ea had 2) and lifetime warranty at vatozone so i kept 2 in the car and when one failed i just took 3 minutes changed it and warrantied it for another to have as a spare. had a nissan sentra with 300k miles still going strong when i sold it to a neighbor drove it to 500k doing a business from home driving alot sold it still running, its alot in how you maintain it along with build quality toyota makes good cars, but so does mazda nissan and honda and i always look at all these brands when car shopping
 
I believe Mazda is one of the few car companies is which every single model is recommended by Consumer Reports. In their April 2015 annual auto issue, they ranked Mazda #2 among 28 car companies. Toyota was #3, Honda was #8, and Nissan was #18.
 
Having own(ed) multiple Toyotas and Hondas both nearing 300,000 miles each on the odometer before selling them I can say with personal experience that they're both very reliable and do last a long time. Having said that and with over 32,000 miles on my Mazda 3 so far I have no doubt that it will see the same kind of mileage by the time I decide to sell it. So far my M3 (2.5L MT) has been rock solid and I love driving it.
 
I've had more problems out of my 06 v6 mazda 6 than I've had out of the 3. My 05 3 HB was a rental car that I bought in 06 w/30k miles and it now has/222k miles. Extending the wires that go to the MAF sensor, replacing the catalytic converter (which was done 2 weeks ago. The MAF sensor wires had broken inside the sheathing and caused it to run rich which in turn messed up the cat), replacing the nut that holds the fuel pump to the fuel tank and replacing the ac compressor are the only major things that had to be done outside of regular wear/tear items (tires, spark plugs, struts, etc...). It has never left me stranded, it's paid for and I actually like the car so much that I'm thinking of either upgrading or replacing everything so I can keep driving it for another 3-5 years.
 
Last year I bought used Mazda3 for my son and the car is good as new.
My first Mazda was 323f so I guess it is some sort of tradition. Small Mazdas are passion.

Rust is your main enemy, as many members pointed out.
 
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Have a 2014 3 with 2.0 Skyactive engine bought new, so the 13:1 compression was initially a question in terms of longevity. I commute 70 miles to work and have since bought, for 4.5 years. Have 176K miles on it and never even a warning light (knock on wood). Oil chg every 7.5K, complete trans maintenance at 125K, radiator flush and fill at 160k. Plan to change spark plugs out at 185K. Getting ready to put 4th set of tires on it, and other than brake pads when worn out no other expenses as yet. Serpentine belt looks like new, no gaulding cracks etc. Plan on buying a new 6 Grand Touring with the 2.5T engine this coming spring and my college-age son wants this car. I am sold on Mazda.
 
190k+ on my 2007, no major issues, and no plans on getting rid of it. Only minor issue I had with it was a failed evap purge solenoid a few years back causing hard starts. 50 bucks, 5 minutes to change it, and I haven't had any problems since. I'll probably give her a 200k-mile go-through in the spring (belts, plugs, coolant flush, etc).
 
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!!
 
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