Thinking about plunging again

[zeroaxs]

So I've already owned a Mazda5 once and had a terrible time 1) getting Mazda to stand behind a defective product and 2) dealing with said problems.

PROBLEM 1: Electrical system would randomly SHUT DOWN while driving. This was especially disconcerting while my children and I were in the car during the rain AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. The entirety of the electrical system would completely shut down for a moment and then "reboot." This was terrifying as I would even lose the power steering. This was a DEADLY defect and Mazda staunchly refused to do ANYTHING to rectify the situation. I even went so far as to call Mazda corporate, with no response whatsoever.
PROBLEM 2: After less than 2 years owning this vehicle, the seams in several of the seats started popping and the thread began to disintegrate. This is NOT NORMAL for a vehicle that young. Mazda again ignored the problem, simply ignoring my requests to have it fixed.

My question is, has anyone had problems like I had with my Mazda, or did I get the dud first-year-model that was made at 5:01pm on Friday the 13th?

Is it worth diving into again? Is this car as good as I remember wanting it to be? Or is it a horrid little econobox that will cost me more time and money than it is worth? I know this is an enthusiast forum and TRUST ME I want to be an enthusiast, but I don't know how at this point.

 

[Captain KRM P5]

sounds like a rotten experience. that said, the mazda5 has been a pretty solid vehicle for mazda. i have had one for 30,000 miles and its been a great car for me with few real flaws. interior quality is what i expect for a car of the price range honestly. going through what you went through though, it'd be hard for me to go back to the brand.

 

[Mark787B]

I'd have a hard time considering a Mazda again if I'd dealt with that degree of electrical gremlin! My experience with my 5 (with less than 200 miles on the clock) is that it is quite lightly constructed, though I wouldn't go so far as calling it flimsy. Toyota and Honda still maintain an edge with cars at this price point, perhaps Hyundai as well. My concerns focus on a creaking noise near the windshield, an established "feature" with the 5, and bizarre vibrations. I still love the package however and don't regret the purchase-- yet...

 

[Jay Gloab]

Interesting.

My '84 626 began to exhibit a similar electrical glitch when it was nearing the end of its life, aroun 1999. There seemed to be a loose connection in the ignition wiring or something, such that the engine would shut down at random moments, sometimes while cruising down the interstate, sometimes while trying to make a turn at a busy intersection. If the car was still moving, getting the engine restarted was as easy as a quick flick of the key to the Start position, but getting it going if the car was stationary was pretty tricky sometimes.

What does this have to do with your problem? Nothing. Sorry to hear about that. Maybe if you take the plunge again look for a different dealer?

 

[deepfry]

I'm not very familiar with the Mazda 5 schematics but what you've experienced was common among previous generation of some Honda vehicles. We had a 98 Accord EX V6 and the entire electrical system (including fuel injection) would shut down once in a while and the car would stall momentarily, more often during warmer temperature. Once the engine had cooled down a bit the car would start up again and might run fine for a long time. Turns out it was the master relay which caused the common issue as the contacts inside the relay module would become loose sometimes. I wonder if your 5 has a defective master relay.

 

[Davicho]

Deepfry...and thats just to name a few. I' ve worked for Honda for 10 years now at various dealerships in a parts dept.

Ignition switch failure
Transmission failure
Multiplex unit failure
ABS module failure

etc....

and that is just 98-02 Accord V6's

All manufacturers have issues, the fact that Honda has such a highly hyped reputation just mens they have a little bit of a cushion to absorb the negative aspects of their vehicles.

Lets compare apples to apples and remind ourselves that our MZ5s, althouugh awesome in almost every aspect, they are still an entry level vehicle to Mazda, so compare the likes of Civics, Sentras, Corollas, etc. to our MZ5s not Accords, Camrys, and Maximas

Just my $0.02

 

[skyhawk]

Is it worth diving into again? Is this car as good as I remember wanting it to be? Or is it a horrid little econobox that will cost me more time and money than it is worth? I know this is an enthusiast forum and TRUST ME I want to be an enthusiast, but I don't know how at this point.

I have mazda5 2006 GT. Last summer, we drove all the way to L.A. for vacation. Drove back to Vegas for a weekend, back to L.A. before driving back home. Route is along I-15. approx. 7000 km total traveled during the entire vacation.

We got back ok No breakdowns. did not need to turn off AC in the hot desert climbs. We will do it again this summer. I now have an idea on how a MAZDA5 is supposed to perform. -- i.e. no breakdowns.

If our Mada5 experiences the same problem yours did, I will have it fixed.

 

[808mz5]

Did everything just cut out or did the tree of lights start going on prior to the total shut down?

I had an alternator failure which killed the new battery and shut my 5 down... I'd take it to another mazda dealer or call the mazda service number and report the problem...

 

[coolmazda5]

Based on ny own experience: the 2008 has fixed a lot of the bugs that the 2006 has (or had): interior, exterior, engine so so far so good (see my sig to see what I own, I've had zero issues and TSBs with the 08)

did I get the dud first-year-model that was made at 5:01pm on Friday the 13th?

I would guess yes (freak). I've had my share of first year model annoying issues with my 06, but nothing deal breaking as you can see

 

[deepfry]

Deepfry...and thats just to name a few. I' ve worked for Honda for 10 years now at various dealerships in a parts dept.

Ignition switch failure
Transmission failure
Multiplex unit failure
ABS module failure

etc....

and that is just 98-02 Accord V6's

All manufacturers have issues, the fact that Honda has such a highly hyped reputation just mens they have a little bit of a cushion to absorb the negative aspects of their vehicles.

Lets compare apples to apples and remind ourselves that our MZ5s, althouugh awesome in almost every aspect, they are still an entry level vehicle to Mazda, so compare the likes of Civics, Sentras, Corollas, etc. to our MZ5s not Accords, Camrys, and Maximas

Just my $0.02

Merely trying to suggest a possible cause to help diagnose the problem ... if I sounded like I was making a comparison between the 2 brands or complaining about the quality of the Mazda 5, that wasn't my intention at all.(eekdance)

 

[Zoom5Zoom]

Sorry did not read all this thread... I have one question.

Did anyone replace the harness of you 5? Secondly was the ECM replaced?