1987 Mazda 323 Reviews

Had to replace water pump.

Bought this car brand-new in 1987 and got over 300,000 miles on it. It was still running when I gave it to a friend in 2003.

The engine on this car just won't die.

I had the oil changed religiously every 3,000 miles.

I never replaced a spark plug until >200k miles. I did NOTHING special to maintain this car.

This car paid for itself many times over. I'm sold!

When I purchased it for a real bargain @ $200, it needed a clutch and CV joints. I drove it until the winter of 2000 like that, and then put the clutch and axles and I haven't had a problem with that since.

The fuel tank has begun to leak.

It has begun to use some oil.

The car still starts easy no matter the temp, and runs as good as anything I've ever owned. The body is beginning to rust out, but I still wouldn't be afraid to drive it long distances. It's still my daily driver.

Transmission finally died in the cars final hours. It was weak for about 50,000K, but kept on running.

Speedometer cable went at about 350000K.

Rear springs both broke, and rear struts wore out twice in the time I had the car.

Brake master cylinder went at 275000K.

The usual things that should go in a car with this much mileage on it.

This car was a logging road machine. Very stable on pavement and equally good in snow and on gravel. I took it places that some trucks couldn't and wouldn't go.

Super reliable car.

Car lacks in braking power. Even with all brand new braking system.

Rear suspension didn't last long for me, but I had a big sub box in the trunk.

The car was awesome. Got up to 200km/h on the highway, and then went 4X4ing in over 2 feet of snow up the mountain that same day.

Liked it so much that I bought another one after the transmission went on the first one.

Absolutely nothing serious has gone wrong with the car. There is some rust on the rear wheel arches, which has started to spread to one of the sills, but all electrics are still working perfectly well, and the engine appears to be mechanically sound even for this relatively high mileage.

There are some small oil leaks at the gaskets, but I have only put in 1 litre since purchase.

Had to replace the petrol cap with a vented one as vacuum was building up in the tank causing fuel supply problems.

The back hatch door rattles a bit, and the lock has broken, but still operates from the lever inside. The rams holding the hatch have leaked however, and need replacing to keep the hatch fully open.

Good little beginners car with PAS, rear window heater and some nice touches such as adjustable lumbar support, map lights, ignition and keyhole illumination.

Not fast enough to get into trouble with, especially fully loaded, but starts every time.

Overall economical to run with fairly low petrol/oil consumption.

Rear-ended by an old guy in an SUV, and wrote it off.

Steering tended to pull to the left a lot.

Front left constant velocity joint was clicking when I first bought the car, then it stopped, but before I got rid of the car it started to shimmy really bad at speeds over 100km/h. It was either that or a warped rotor, I suspect.

Started with little coaxing in -30C weather.

Hot air within 5 minutes of starting the car. Very nice in the winter.

Never left me stranded.

Fast acceleration from a standing start.

Threw a hitch on it and was able to pull a SeaDoo in and out of the water, as well as a small aluminum boat with motor, and a utility trailer.