2005 Mazda 3 GT from North America - Comments

4000km: Oxygen sensor

10000km: Wheel bearing

11000km: Trunk latch

20000km: First motor blew

23000km: Another trunk latch

33000km: Second motor blew

42000km: Another trunk latch

55000km: Third motor blew

60000km: Muffler leak at weld

63000km: Dealer weld didn't hold

70000km: Steering wheel peeling

It's enough!!!

And another motor at 96000km.

well if you buy an extended warranty it's not so bad, but at 11500$ a motor, it can be an expensive adventure...

Wow, you must treat your car badly.

I am the owner of this LEMON, and I have worked at a MAZDA dealer for years as a parts advisor. I am no kid who amuses himself at beating his car. All oil changes were done at 4000km intervals (since the first motor blew instead at 5000km.) Motor malfunctions are a known problem at Mazda. Every six months or so, they come out with a new version of the motor...BECAUSE THEY ARE KNOW TO BLOW. We, at a medium-sized dealer always kept one in stock, and had to replace one every week or two. Whether you drive this car hard or softly, these engines burn oil at a rate of 1 litre per 2500 km (which Mazda considers normal, but I don't).

I had no idea. Thanks for the report. I have not owned a Mazda since 1976 and it was a piston model. Never had more problems with any other vehicle so never went back.

It's interesting though how this is the ONLY reviewer having such troubles. The positive feedback on this model is overwhelming.

This review seemed comical to me. You've blown four motors in 60,000 miles?! I'm sorry, but I just have a hard time believing this reviewer. After everything, then the reviewer comes back to say that he/she works at a Mazda dealership and basically that Mazda makes bad motors and vehicles. Who do you work for?

I must admit that your review sounds funny! I am quite sure that you work for Ford or Saturn :D.

Nope my friends...i did work for Mazda...Volvo now... try to do 500 000 km with a Mazda, yeah right!!!... buy a Volvo.

Ford owns or part owns Mazda and Volvo, so I doubt he works for Ford.

As for the guy who had the blown motors YES this is true I have blown one after 5,000 miles and now at 15,000 another one bites the dirt. Mazda replaced the first one and now they are saying there was no oil in the motor, well I checked it before I had it towed and there was oil in the car. The transmission went out at 9,009 miles.. I have complained to Mazda and the car is still at the dealship. I would like to find someone else to complain to and maybe get it fixed. Or does anyone know of a law firm that is in some type of law suit to help us get this fixed? Please HELP.

Have a problem with the transmission at 40000Km it was replaced and then 5000k and 6 months later transmission and differential went. Had to go to a second dealer to get the problem diagnosed as for the first dealer who did the original repair kept saying that all was normal.

I don't want to nitpick but you are using mileage terms of km, and then you use dollar signs. To me, that's saying this person isn't from America because of the fact we are using miles and not km.

Another thing odd about this review is that it's of a Mazda 3 GT, which doesn't exist. The options for this year were, I believe, the Mazda 3 s or Mazda 3 i. If he worked for a Mazda dealership I have a feeling he would have known this as I briefly sold Dodges and wouldn't go calling an SRT or an RT a GT. What I can't figure out is why this guy hates Mazda so much to make a fake post.

Canadians use dollar signs and kilometers. Please respect and acknowledge our often-forgotten neighbors to the north :)

There is actually a GT model, here in Canada anyways... I don't know about the U.S. It's the one with the clear tail light cover, even though it doesn't have a GT badge.

However, I do think the original poster is exaggerating slightly. Or it could be possible that they got the lemon of the batch.

Just because Ford (EUROPE), Mazda, and Volvo share the C1 platform (very solid and reliable), does NOT mean that this person doesn't "work for Ford". The dealerships could give a crap about who shares what parts, who benefits from the sales of the Mazda, etc. Dealerships care about selling WHAT THEY OWN. A Ford dealership would love it if people hated the Mazda, Volvo, etc and came over to buy from them. NOW, I am not saying that the reviewer works for Ford, but you aren't proving anything by saying that Mazda shares some parts with Ford Europe and Volvo.

I'd be curious to see what the original reviewer thinks of the Volvo S40, C30, C70, and V50, since he NOW works at Volvo (and not before, right ;) ). All of these vehicles share the same C1 platform with the Mazda 3 and the European Focus (platform includes the front- and rear-subframes, suspension, steering, braking, safety, and electrical components).

I would say that you have a lemon... but what was it, 4 motors in 96000km? This must be BS, or you are really freaking hard on your car, or you are just reeeeeealy unlucky.

All cars have their problems, but I go with probabilities when I'm putting my hard-earned money into a car. Judging by ALL the reviews of the Mazda 3, it seems highly probable that I will end up with a solid vehicle if I were to purchase a 3. I consider myself a Toyota guy; my wife's Mazda 3 has been nothing short of perfect.

Don't believe me, believe the reviews :)