1988 Mazda 323 SE review from North America
"Quick and Fun 4 door, Lots of problems"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Cylinder Head was warped and the radiator hose burst when I got it, my uncle gave the car to me.
Window regulator broke, replaced it, and the window sometimes still jams up in its tracks and is really annoying.
Went out of alignment and the front struts went out.
The car got the dreaded "crank nose" problem that the 1.6 is famous for, so the crank pully wobbles and the keyway is wearing itself away and retarding the timing, causing the car to be slower and slower. Its unfixable and will soon render the car inoperable.
Dash rattles like CRAZY!
Rear defroster stopped working.
The choke sorta valve is broken or something so it takes forever to start when its warm.
Hard to get into reverse and likes to grind into reverse a lot.
Smokes like crazy in the mornings from the valve seals.
Back seat has worn and ripped, the locks have all seized up and I had to replace them.
General comments?
The car is fun and good looking, somewhat comfortable, but its constant problems and expensive parts make it undesirable. I'm looking to get rid of it before the crank takes a dump.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1988 |
| Year of manufacture | 1988 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6 SOHC Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 156202 miles |
| Most recent distance | 157298 miles |
| Previous car | Pontiac Grand Prix |
| Date of Entry | 14th July, 2006 |