Mazda 3, any good?

[dobbslc]

My eldest son is after a 2014 on Mazda 3, we've seen a few and he's driven three now and they seem pretty solid cars but are there any major common problems with them?
The roof's seem very thin as a couple have had dents on them (hail?)
The one he put a hopefully refundable deposit on turns out has a load of brake and suspension fails on it's last MOT
He did this while we were away for a few days
Anyway it's the 2.0 petrol engine he wants and as far as I know they're timing chain engines made by Mazda not wet belt Ford so should be decent enough.
Any views?

 

[Dessieb2022]

I can't comment on reliability though I'd imagine they are reliable. But we have had a few in for tyres and I always take a peek underneath cars to check condition for my own interest. Mazda's are by far the rustiest cars I see. Nissan and renaults are usually rust free. That's my view lol

 

[Maker]

Why did he put a deposit down before checking the MOT history?

 

[dobbslc]

@Maker you're much closer to his age than I am so might have a better idea
I think he got excited as it's his first car after the Aygo we got for his birthday nearly 4 years ago.

 

[qwakers]

*SOLD* Mazda 2 DE (2011) - 140k miles. £1400ono - RX-8 Owners Club UK

www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk

not a 3 i know, but a friend of mine is selling his mazda 2. well looked after and in good nick. dont know if its local to you but

 

[dobbslc]

Thanks but he’s 6’2 and needs a bigger car

 

[Tinbasherdan]

I’ve got a Mazda 3 2017. Does absolutely nothing interesting but just works. Had it since new and all it’s needed is a rear spring due to the surface of the moon roads round here.

Solid cars, not an ounce of sport in them

 

[dobbslc]

Thanks Dan!
He’s not too bothered about performance really but it’ll be a lot quicker than a 1 litre Aygo!

 

[Bullet2012]

SWMBO , loves them, she has had several, her latest is a 21, 2 litre auto soft hybrid thingy.
only real trouble we have ever had was with a 1998 323f V6 that cracked the bulkhead near the pedal box. Lots of dismantling to get to the area to repair/ reinforce it. as you have stated very thin panels even back then. But mechanically was pretty good, only thing i changed over normal wear and tear stuff was both driveshafts at about 110k.
latest one is full of clever gizmos and unnecessary carp , but it all works well, lots and lots of plastic bits externally so all feels a bit flimsy to me.

She drives like a teenage boy hooligan

 

[Tangledfeet]

I had a Mazda 3 for five years, bought in (I think) 2014 - bought new. SkyActive SatNav something or other. Utterly reliable, solidly built, nice big two-litre engine that made longer journeys quite a pleasure. I think it was the last Mazda 3 to share Focus architecture? Had it five years and then had one of many midlife crises and bought a Mini Cooper.

I seem to recall that the suspension was starting to get expensive in terms of spare parts needed, MOT advisories, etc.

 

[indy4x]

My daughter has a 2012 Mazda 3 Sport. She's had it 4 yrs and it's now on 160,000 miles

I do all the servicing and repairs on it and in the time she's had it it's had the grand total of

1x front wheel bearing
1x front suspension arm
2x front drop links
2x rear top shock mounts
1x new battery (it has 2 as its got stop start)

It has recently developed a slight knock from the front, not sure what it is yet but I'll look at it once my Jeep is back together

She loves it, I've driven it quite a bit and even though I'm 6'4" I find it quite comfortable

Bodywork is good, there is the odd bit of surface rust underneath that I've treated but nothing serious

 

[keithski122]

Over my career I've worked as a mechanic at the same mazda dealership three times, not during the mazda 3 times but when they had the 323 (was even around when the mx5 was launched I'm that old!).
Mazda make great cars. I've owned two 323's the first lasted me 14 years and was secondhand when I bought it, I think the only thing I ever had go wrong on it was a seatbelt catch and an ignition module. The only bad mistakes mazda makes is when it rebrands other manufacturers car such as the ford fiesta 121.
I would certainly own another mazda if it made something that fitted my needs at a cost I could afford.
I've always said that they can be expensive for parts if they go wrong but mostly they don't go wrong.

 

[Kram]

Mine is a 2009 Mazda 6, 2L petrol, currently at 44k miles and its a good car. The engines are direct injection but I havent seen any reports of failures related to that.

The biggest annoyance is, being quite a low, small, traditionally sized car, you tend to get blinded by all the knobends in there insanely bright SUV krautboxes.

 

[dobbslc]

Wow that's a low miler!

 

[Kram]

I got it August 2023 at 28k miles for £5k, cosmetically not perfect but mechanically very good, I hope Thread here showing the few issues I had so far.

Thread 'Mazda6'

Jan 3, 2024

I have had this 2009 model for a few months. It was at 28k miles in July and Im upto 32k, so its due some servicing.

Tyres - 3 done except I have a spare on the 4th due to slow puncture.
Oil /filter
Drive belt - looks like a pain to do!
Headlights to be polished up.
Coolant looks low and I was going to top up, not sure which. The current stuff is a blue colour.

Brake discs are reportedly very pitted from sitting unused for so long. One of the brakes has started to squeak once a revolution when not applied and is getting annoying.

• Kram
• Replies: 92
• forum: Mechanics Corner

• 

 

[dobbslc]

5k ! That's cheap.
They all have 80k + on them here for that money!

 

[MoreWellie]

we bought a 2016 2.0l automatic when it was 3 years old and it is a great little car. I did lots of investigating as we were looking for any automatic as thats what my wife wanted and the 2.0l petrol came up as way more reliable than anything else and it has been economic. we have a habit of keeping cars until they are worn out and have no regrets about choosing this one

 

[Bobupndown]

I got it August 2023 at 28k miles for £5k, cosmetically not perfect but mechanically very good, I hope Thread here showing the few issues I had so far.

Thread 'Mazda6'

Jan 3, 2024

I have had this 2009 model for a few months. It was at 28k miles in July and Im upto 32k, so its due some servicing.

Tyres - 3 done except I have a spare on the 4th due to slow puncture.
Oil /filter
Drive belt - looks like a pain to do!
Headlights to be polished up.
Coolant looks low and I was going to top up, not sure which. The current stuff is a blue colour.

Brake discs are reportedly very pitted from sitting unused for so long. One of the brakes has started to squeak once a revolution when not applied and is getting annoying.

• Kram
• Replies: 92
• forum: Mechanics Corner

• 

That is the nicest colour of just about any manufacturer out there at the minute. I used to have a Diablo red Peugeot which looked stunning when polished (the colour, not necessarily the car) Not mine but it was identical.

I still think mid 90s was peak car production era. Modern enough to have all creature comforts, reliability and simplicity. I'd happily still drive a 405 or 406 today.

 

[dobbslc]

Turns out there's a 162 bhp version of the 2.0 engine!
There's a couple nice looking ones we've seen but I've told the boy to check his insurance first...

 

[sako243]

A friend has a Raptor Ranger and that's nearly 300hp from a 2l engine... Can't see that lasting long.