Faults:

Waterpump leaking when purchased.

Replaced timing belt and idler pulley unnecessarily.

Replaced alternator belt and power steering belt.

Replaced all rad hoses and thermostat and rad cap.

Seems to be a oil leak somewhere on the valve cover or the head gasket which runs onto the exhaust. Not too bad, but more of an annoyance. Can some one help me to learn the origins of this oil leak... Is it a common problem on this engine design. Thank you.

Also is the alternator overheating. Seems to be running hot. Comments?

General Comments:

Only have owned the car for about a month. I have done all the repairs myself which were fairly easy and straight forward. Price of parts was reasonable compared to other vehicles I have owned.

I bought the car for my girlfriend. My main concern is for reliability, and it seems to be fitting the bill so far.

ml2581@hotmail.com

Faults:

The exhaust system rusts quickly and 2 sections needed replacing within the past 2 years.

The radiator cracked at 195,000KM.

Both ball-joints needed replacing.

Clutch was completely worn at 250,000KM.

Drive mechanism is now starting to wear.

Driver's side door is falling off due to rust.

The taillights are barely holding on to the rusted trunk hatch.

General Comments:

This is quite possibly one of the longest lasting, hardest working, most dependable automobiles I have ever encountered.

The mechanical integrity will probably never be matched. Not a single thing has gone seriously wrong in the past 260,000KM.

The seats are uncomfortable for anything longer than a 2 hours drive.

The dome light works when it wants to.

The doors leak water through the seals and often wet the seats and/or occupants.

The noise level rivals that of a rock concert at highway speeds.

Although it was probably never meant to, I have easily reached speeds of 170KM/H (100MPH) and the engine is still as strong now as it was 2 years ago.

I have driven 126,000KM back and forth between Montreal and Toronto in the past 2 years and I have never had to worry about breaking down.

Fuel economy rivals that of a hybrid electric I'm sure, with 650KM on a half tank.

Comfort and ride come second to quality and durability and for that I am eternally greateful to Mazda for having built such an incredible car.

Faults:

I'd had only a few very, very tiny complaints/problems in more than 10 years...

The foam that holds apart the horn contacts went bad, and the horn thus went off all by itself, as happened to another reviewer (fixed that easily with some foam from a shipping carton!).

The design of the windows/doors/roof means that water pours inside if you have the window down a little for ventilation, or to help defog, when it's raining.

The defog system for the windshield isn't the greatest; I often have to open the window, too.

General Comments:

The things I listed above are such minor points! I've never, ever put any money into my 323 Hatchback, other than routine maintenance, and it sips gas.

I've had this car since it was new, and I love it. I'm sorry that it will one day have to go to the great car lot in the sky, and that I can't buy the same model all over again.

I'm pretty small. The car probably wouldn't be all that comfortable for a six-footer!