Tired of my MS3! Thinking of selling it!

[discharmingman]

I purchased my MS3 back in late 06, back when they were flying off car lots before they even touched the ground from the delivery truck.

My car worked perfectly during the warranty period and now that the warranty is over with, I've had two issues already.

The first time, I went in for an oil change at the dealer and they informed me that my boots were broken so I went ahead and had that replaced, however, it turned out to be a $1000 job because they had to replace the axle and then the axle was stuck to the hub and so they had to replace that too and in the end my car stayed at the dealer for the weekend and was ready for me on Monday. This was January, 2010. THIS YEAR!

Now about a two months ago, my VVT Actuator starts making that noise. From what I've read, it's a pin that's loose and needs to be replaced. Well, that's gonna be another $1000 to fix and I simply can't afford that. My CEL recently went on and I found out that there's a cylinder misfire. I tried clearing the code and the CEL turned off once, but then it came back on and hasn't gone away.

It just seems that this budget car isn't all that worth it. Sure, I get to drive a cool turbo car that looks better than any hatchback out there, but gee, what's up with all these expensive repairs that come only after your warranty expires?

I have called Mazda Customer Assistance and they say that they'll call me back after they contact my dealer to see if there's something they can assist me with, since there is a TSB for the VVT actuator. They have not returned my call and when I called back to check, they said they'd call me back again and they haven't.

I'd rather sell my speed and drive my 1950 Deluxe.

 

[binz]

Sorry to hear about your trouble; hopefully Mazda will call you back and give you some good news. If you've serviced the car loyally at the dealership there usually is some goodwill consideration that they can make because you have been a good customer.

It's too bad that these problems occured just after the warranty expired but that tends to be the trend with most vehicles these days; often times the extended warranty they offer is a worthwhile investment because it usually gets used and pays itself off.

With direct injection, variable valve timing, and all the other technology that is in the MS3 it makes sense that major repairs would be expensive because of the complexity, but that still doesn't change the fact that the situation sucks. I hope Mazda is able to help you.

Good luck.

 

[horNNEE]

well im sure by the time i have 70+k miles on my car i will be tired of it too hahaha. hell im only at 15k miles and i think about trading it in every once and awhile just for something with more power.. and not to mention power to the rear wheels =)

 

[araw at bituin]

Dang, we have nearly identical mods, I purchased mine the same month as you, and we have the same mileage. I guess you're just unlucky One of my boots is ****** though too.

 

[Remspeed3]

Those repair cost are ridiculous, If I have to spend a grand on anything all at once.. its bye bye for this ride. Can't blame you for wanting to get rid of it, hell you might as well be driven a BMW if your going to fork out cash for repairs like that.

 

[kvndoom]

I purchased my MS3 back in late 06, back when they were flying off car lots before they even touched the ground from the delivery truck.

There's your first mistake. You never, ever, ever buy a first model year car.

what's up with all these expensive repairs that come only after your warranty expires?

71K miles (as of 3.20.10)

(boom01)WTF kind of warranty did you get??? Honestly, I think getting around 70,000 miles out of a first-run car before having any problems is pretty damn good. I mean if you were looking for 200,000 trouble free miles you should have gotten a Civic or Camry or something else that doesn't have a turbo strapped to it.

 

[StealthWyvern]

There's your first mistake. You never, ever, ever buy a first model year car.


(boom01)WTF kind of warranty did you get??? Honestly, I think getting around 70,000 miles out of a first-run car before having any problems is pretty damn good. I mean if you were looking for 200,000 trouble free miles you should have gotten a Civic or Camry or something else that doesn't have a turbo strapped to it.

I take it you never owned one or had family that have owned one of those cars before..... EVERY car has its issues including honduhs and yotas... my mom is on her 3rd trans on her camry since new with less then 100k on it. And thats not getting into her previous heap of a yota.

However i agree with the first year remarks of a production car statements.

 

[horNNEE]

my dads 1986 mazda 626 had over 300k miles with no serious problems. it was still running strong when he gave it away to a charity. and thats the reason when i was looking for a new car he really wanted me to get the speed3.. oh and hes a mechanic so that could be a reason all his cars last so long.

 

[discharmingman]

Those repair cost are ridiculous, If I have to spend a grand on anything all at once.. its bye bye for this ride. Can't blame you for wanting to get rid of it, hell you might as well be driven a BMW if your going to fork out cash for repairs like that.

Believe me, I've been looking into BMW's and even the Subaru WRX.

I would understand if the issues I've been having were $100-300 solutions, but over $800 each time is insane! I used to drive a 91 VW Cabriolet that I purchased in 1998 and that car lasted me 10 years with one problem per year. I was still in school and I took it to a certified mechanic once a year for repairs, but I was happy because the repairs were under $400.

It seems that when this car needs repairs, they aren't minor issues.

Dang, we have nearly identical mods, I purchased mine the same month as you, and we have the same mileage. I guess you're just unlucky One of my boots is ****** though too.

I remember back when I had my car the first year and I discovered this forum and would read about other speed3 drivers who were having lots of issues with their speeds and I thought they were unlucky. I happen to believe my car was one of the non-faulty vehicles.

I think we're gonna begin to hear about all these expensive repairs that need to be made in the coming year. The car has only been out 3 years and most peoples warranties are nearing the end. Just wait and see.

 

[mrcardio79]

Honda S2000

That’s probably what I’ll be driving once my car hits the 60k mark. It seems as though the MS3 will go down in history as one of the most unreliable vehicles in modern history. It’s like every time I turn around I hear about engines blowing, motor mounts, axles breaking, etc.

Personally, I’ve already gone through a totally rebuilt transmission; 2 rear engine motor mounts; 2 passenger side motor mounts; a driver side mount / bracket; driver side axle and last but not least a right rear shock. Sadly, I’m beginning to think this car is a flaming pile of garbage and I’m only at ~ 48k miles.

But yeah, you can pick up a nice lightly used S2K with 10-15k on the clock for around 20k easy and that car has a terrific track record. The only downside is that if you’re much bigger than the average Chinaman you probably won’t feel comfortable in one.

 

[bradboyd80]

It seems as though the MS3 will go down in history as one of the most unreliable vehicles in modern history.

That is a false statement sir!

Two words: Mazdaspeed...............Protege. LOL

I have modded my MS3 way more than the MSP I had prior to it; and have had zero issues (except for recent issues with the forge bpv). Owned the MSP almost a year, had a BPV and CBE as my only true mods, and had problem after problem after problem; cracked mani, burnt alternator, timing belt broke, coils burnt out, replaced battery (twice), replaced all 4 motor mounts because they were shot, and the list goes on.

 

[Fenrir]

Sounds like the dealer is ripping you the **** off to me. VVT Actuator is a $250 part and sits on top of the motor. Not entirely sure why they're charging you $1000 to replace it.

That aside, having a reasonably high PSI turbocharged 4 cylinder car that's lasted for over 70k miles without having any major issues is nothing to scoff at. All cars have maintenance costs, regardless of the type of car. Parts go bad and need to be replaced, it's how it works. If a few replacement parts causes you to want to get rid of the car, you might as well just not buy another one.

 

[willrockwell]

Honda S2000

Thats probably what Ill be driving once my car hits the 60k mark. .

I test drove a 2000 at a used car lot, threw it into a corner that my MS3 would have no trouble with....and it spun.

 

[Jasnall]

Whats the point of this post? So sell it if you're tired of it, are you looking for advice from us?
You have aftermarket springs, a harder motor mount, and 70'000 miles is a normal time for stuff to start wearing out on a budget high-performance turbo'd car imo. The dealer is always a rip off anyway, like someone said that part is like $250.

Its like my dads Yukon has 20' rims and at 70k miles the power steering gear or something is making noise...i wonder why....

I think mods like bigger rims, suspension, harder mounts are going to cause more overall wear and tear over time.

Sell it, drive your 1950 Deluxe that sounds reliable.

 

[lavoiespeed3]

vvt actuator is a 350$ dealer job.. if you don't know mecanic.. buy another car

 

[R-X-R]

blame FoMoCo

 

[60181]

my dads 1986 mazda 626 had over 300k miles with no serious problems. it was still running strong when he gave it away to a charity. and thats the reason when i was looking for a new car he really wanted me to get the speed3.. oh and hes a mechanic so that could be a reason all his cars last so long.

I know two people that had 626's each with over 150,000 miles on them with very little if any repairs outside normal stuff. My old boss who now has a nice Nissan SUV swears everyday getting rid of his Mazda was a mistake.

 

[horNNEE]

I know two people that had 626's each with over 150,000 miles on them with very little if any repairs outside normal stuff. My old boss who now has a nice Nissan SUV swears everyday getting rid of his Mazda was a mistake.

i wish i could have appreciated the 626 when we had it. i was still young and wasnt into cars when he gave it away. it was a 5spd too. haha

 

[4-timer]

I test drove a 2000 at a used car lot, threw it into a corner that my MS3 would have no trouble with....and it spun.

That's one of the reasons I sold my S2K and got my MS3 - the Honda could be a scary ride at its threshold...

 

[92gsxr7501029]

Sell it. I regret buying mine everyday.