1983 Mazda 323 Reviews - Page 2 of 2

Gearshift was sloppy, had new bushes installed.

Oil Pressure Switch on motor leaked, had a new one installed for $25.

Air Con condenser leaked where it joined compressor hose, needed repairs twice, still leaks a bit when A/C is on.

Heater core leaked into engine bay firewall (seems a problem with old Mazda's) bypassed heater for the moment.

This car is a work hack and has not let me down, it's not the best performance-wise, but makes up for that in fuel economy.

The ride is soft and it doesn't handle too well, but the body/interior is in perfect condition as I got it off a guy who always garaged/serviced it.

If it keeps up it's great reliability I will hold onto it.

The rear suspension needed doing when I got the car. This caused my back left hand wheel bearing to be replaced more often until it was fixed.

Interior has now shrunk, leaving big rip-like openings at all joins.

Transmission is now playing up not holding onto gears.

Over all this car has been an excellent first car.

Things that have gone wrong with it have been general wear and tear problems that haven't cost much to fix.

Very efficient on the petrol.

Not great at accelerating and has a serious lack of power, but is to be expected in such a cheap, small, and automatic car.

Carburetor replaced at 110,000kms. Aerial mount broke off while washing. Fuel hose came off at 110,000 although very easily fixed.

This car is a great first car. It is cheap to buy and uses very little fuel. The suspension is very soft with a fair amount of body roll around corners. Acceleration is poor, but does not worry me. The front seats are a bit too high for myself (I am 185cms) and cannot be lowered by very much. Rear seats have very little leg room.

Clutch replaced @ 80,000 miles, otherwise nothing more than normal wear and tear, (exhaust, wheel bearing, etc)

Good solid car, V economical. The only real problem is that I feel too young to drive this car, it feels far more suited to an older driver with a Trilby hat on. Lacks acceleration.

Head gasket (twice in 12 months).

O/S driveshaft dried out (split gaiter).

Oil pump gauze blockage.

Mild bottom end rumble.

Sunroof jammed open.

Very thirsty < 25mpg, however my driving style/poor state of tune is mostly to blame.

Overall a good runner considering the abuse it has had.

A poorly maintained example, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy one that has been looked after.