Faults:

Lots of mechanical things like suspension wear and tear, but the biggest expense was the brakes - had to renew discs and pads all round, however two rear calipers also seized at the same time costing me a fortune at one MOT.

I kept the car serviced on time and changed the belts, engine was generally reliable. Surprisingly, local Mazda dealer was actually reasonably priced for servicing and some repairs, I usually use local independents.

Paint-work wise this car was a major let down, so many rust spots. Happened at only 8 years old as well (I have had cars at 10 + years old with no rust) a little research shows this early rusting is common for Mazda it would seem. It is what eventually killed it off at its final MOT with me last year, with bad framework rust causing a failure, was just un-economical to weld.

Interior held up well against family use and wear and tear, air con did stop working, but this is typical of any car at a good age and mileage.

General Comments:

A very nicely styled car, this Mazda 6 2002 - 2007 model was very sharp looking I thought. Even better than the following models. Inside was nice as well, loved the look of the car in blue with alloy wheels.

1.8 petrol is the engine to have - high 30's MPG is not great by today's standards (you can get 40 MPG on a nice day cruising at a steady 60 mph), but I knew someone with a diesel one of these and had lots of problems (DPF, injectors, and so on), apparently it should be avoided. 1.8 has a nice turn of speed and I bet the 2.0 petrol is slightly better.

TS model is mid range but has plenty of electric equipment. Sound system was excellent. Interior is very comfortable, seats are nice, dash layout is good, and visibility is OK.

I can only recommend it if you find a low mileage looked after petrol car with no rust, otherwise avoid this generation of Mazda 6, this is not a durable car. Generally it was OK, but the amount of early rusting really ruined this car for me. I scrapped it at 14 years old with 120K on it, not bad but still a little under par by my standards (most cars I have had go to 15 years old + with over 150K before I scrap them).

Faults:

Rust, rust and rust.

Injectors.

Rough idle.

Dual mass flywheel suspected on its way out.

Diesel particulate filter (DPF) light always on.

Brakes corroded.

Suspension.

Major rust cosmetically.

Subframe corroded.

Did I mention general rust? I think you get the idea...

General Comments:

Well, at first sight I got a good deal on this Mazda 6 when it was only 4 years old. Low mileage, looked sharp in metallic silver and had nice alloy wheels. TS spec is mid level and had lots of electric equipment and cruise control.

The 2.0 turbo diesel pulls strong with over 140 BHP. Also did a solid 45-50 MPG if you took it easy. To drive the handling was sharp and the ride was smooth.

So what's wrong with it? I looked after it, serviced it on time and drove carefully. Washed correctly as well. And having owned many cars going back to the 1970's, for a modern car this was terrible. Think rust and other major problems are a thing of the past? Think again. Also look at all the other above problems I had - I heard modern diesels were bad, but not as bad as this. Had a petrol Ford Mondeo previous to this car, from the 1990s, and even a Mazda 626 way back in the day. They were better cars in every way.

I'm quite a fan of Mazda, but not anymore. A friend of mine (who loves Mazda) has an RX7 sports car from the 90's and has rebuilt its Wankel rotary engine says even he was put off by my experience of buying a more practical Mazda for everyday use, as he was considering a "good" condition Mazda 6 at the time. In his own words "I don't mind dealing with engines, but not major rust!" At 10 years old and just over 100K I scrapped it. Advisory after advisory; at the least few MOT's about major rust made me decide it was not worth keeping. But I have had 80s and 90s cars last 15 years or more. I have never seen a car age so badly since the 1960's or 70's. The Mazda 6 from 2002 - 2008 is one to avoid. I've heard the newer models are holding up a bit better, but just the other day I saw a 2014 Mazda 3 with cosmetic rust! Shocking at only 5 years old.