CarComplaints.com Notes: Issues with clutch failure might be giving 2010 MAZDA3 owners headaches, but the lack of support from Mazda is giving them migraines.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
53,993 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Transmission control module issues. Car was driving on the expressway and wouldn-??t shift out of second gear. Engine light and AT light came on. Had to drive slowly on the expressway and get off on the closest exit. Cars were speeding past me and I had to be careful not to get hit. Research and shop shows the 2010 Mazda 3 vehicles have lots of issue with the TCM because they get hot due to there location.
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while exiting a parking lot, the vehicle failed to accelerate as designed with the power train warning light blinking. The vehicle also started jerking. After the vehicle accelerated, the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 150,000.
The Transmission Control Module (TCM) has gone out on my car, causing it to shift to 2nd gear while doing 75mph with cars around me, and would no longer shift out of 2nd gear, or into reverse. It was an extremely dangerous situation that made me come very close to wrecking into a car, as well as the many cars behind me that had to emergency brake due to my rapid deceleration, especially without and brake lights coming on because it was engine braking. Doing a simple google search show that this is an extremely well-known problem effecting almost every Mazda 3 that used this TCM in 2010-2011. Any mechanic will tell you it's a known problem, and that it was due to where and how Mazda placed the computer, which causes it to overheat and fail without warning. I'm not sure why there has not been a recall on this issue with how prevalent it has been, and how easily recognized it is by mechanics. It is not a cheap fix, and can cause many other major issues leading up to requiring a full new transmission, if the problem did not already cause the car to wreck!
Car will stall out and restart immediately and I temporarily lose power steering when turn signal is engaged, sometimes when the wheel turns and when I disengage the e-brake. My mechanic cannot find the problem and I have read many many forums that show the same issue with the same vehicle. Happens every time I drive the car for weeks and then will disappear for a couple weeks and then come back. This happens even when I'm doing 65 on the highway!
I had my Mazda 3 for a couple of days and I'm driving down the road and all of a sudden my car jerked so bad I thought I had hit the brakes or hot something I couldn't see. But I hadn't hit the brakes nor did I hit anything. I took it to Mazda in panama city and they told me it was my transmission control module. It forgets to shift. It's located under the battery and I'm aware that this part of car engine is supposed to breath to work right. I just know it doesn't work right and every time I drove my car it's steady jerking and snatching my wheel. I can't afford to pay for something like this and I have no other vehicle to drive. I know this is an engine problem so what can be done
- Fountain, FL, USA
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For these incidents there was friends who was in my vehicle during and even witness these incidents happen while in the vehicle. On the way to work I tried to downshift on the sport mode like I usually do. But it continued to stay in 5, then all of sudden it jumped to 3 as I slow down a bit then all of sudden to 1 which made the car jerk a bit both times due to gear drop and cause the car to rev at a higher RPM. Which almost cost an accident. This is happening quite often so I had to switch to normal drive mode( D) on another occasion the ABS, traction control light would turn on after making a quick left or right turn but this happen only a few time, the only way to turn the lights off was to park somewhere safe and turn the car off and back on to remove the lights. Now it's summer time an third problem has appear, for some random reason air conditioning system is going crazy and blowing hot air instead of cold air in the crazy Texas summer heat, what's even more crazy is driver side blow extremely hot air and passenger side blow hot air but at a lower degrees. Sometime even smelling a smoky burning plastic smell. I find it extremely unsafe for a car to have problems like shifting and causing the car to lag in shifting gear properly which cause to jerk in moving traffic which can cause a accident. To add even ABS and traction control might have issues which scares me even more. Now even hot air with maybe a burning plastic smell. Car has always been check properly but these driving with these unsafe issues can cause accidents and even worst death if not check properly. Most important feature in a car is it's ability to accelerate and stop properly, without those, it becomes a dangerous object on the road.
10+ incidents of sudden unintended acceleration since Aug 2018. Always at freeway speed of traffic, I.e. 70-75mph. Occurs when intentionally decelerating (easing off the gas pedal and initiating braking). Rpms jump to 7 or 8. acceleration immediately drops and steads after tapping/applying pressure to brakes. Has been taken ralph thayer dealership 3 times -- aug2018, jan2019, feb2019. Each time vehicle kept for a week but unable to duplicate issue. Data recorder was installed in jan2019. Despite a several minute long episode on Feb 22, 2019 in which the car behaved erratically (buckling and jolting) and wouldn't accelerate more than 60 mph while the rpms were high (4-5) for several minutes, this was somehow not sensed by the data recorder. My own guess is an issue with the PCM or the automatic transmission control module. Have suas affected transmission? seems to be a known issue yet the dealer/Mazda reaction is perfunctory at best. No commitment to resolve. E.g. because my driving was limited while the recorder was in, I requested that it be left in for 3 months. Mazda refused, stating that if it happens again (and it will), they'll reinstall the recorder. That a collision hasn't happened is just luck. A serious accident caused by this vehicle is imminent since these issues adversely affect the ability to control the vehicle. I also don't relish being my own crash test dummy. There is nothing they can do beyond a series of expensive parts replacements based on their guesses? I have some video and photos per their request, but note that attempting to photograph or video the dashboard while driving is an extra bullet in what already feels like russian roulette. I've attached a summary of events provided to Mazda in January and the most recent mechanic's report. $800 suggested for guess-based tcm replacement, $240 inconclusive tests, no loaner provided.
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda 3. while driving approximately 40 mph, the transmission failed. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked and began to switch gears involuntarily. The contact stopped the vehicle and opened the hood latch. Aaa was contacted and towed the vehicle to the contact's residence. Aaa diagnosed that the motor mount may have fractured within the vehicle. Jim ellis Mazda atlanta (5855 peachtree blvd, atlanta, Georgia 30341, (888) 814-7086) was made aware of the failure and requested that the vehicle be brought in for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 280,000.
I was driving and felt the car down shift on the highway, at light came on and some sort of traction control light came on. RPM would go crazy sometimes while this happened. When I got home and put it on park it shifted really hard tried to put it on drive and shifted hard. As well so I let it be. I heard about this happening to other Mazda as well please investigate this supposedly its a issue with the transmission control module.
Similar to complaints I have seen from other owners of this car, clutch unexpectedly gave out around 30,000 miles. Driver was proficient in manual transmission and incidents would suggest a clutch problem until clutch failed and car could not accelerate on highway.
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda 3. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle jerked forward and an unknown warning indicator illuminated. As a result, the driver sustained whiplash that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Steering wheel, at any speed, moves slightly from side to side causing it to be crooked. Alignments and balancing has not solved the problem. The wheel is loose in steering and increasingly scary since it is slightly crooked and can be very hard to keep the car from over steering even when driving straight on a perfectly paved road. I'm afraid the steering pump is corroding. Please investigate as newer models and Mazda in Japan had a major recall for this very issue. Please do a us recall as it's definitely a safety issue and very unpredictable especially on curvy or bumpy roads.
Clutch needs replacement as per Mazda service department. Car is 6 years old and has 53000 aprox. I have read blogs about this being a common problem for certain Mazda between 2009 -2012.
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda 3. while driving approximately 70 mph, the service transmission indicator illuminated and the vehicle suddenly failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the traction control module failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Drove 80 miles to destination on freeway using cruise control. Car accelerated above cruise setting on downhill - did not engine brake to hold speed. When pulling into destination hotel parking spot and with right foot on brake, engine revved dramatically. Applied both feet to break. Automatic transmission. Changed gears to N, R & P, but engine continued to rev. Turned engine off. Smoke generated from engine entered cabin. Did not use car until next day. Returning home next day used cruise control and exited freeway for break. Slowing down for stop light with car ahead and foot on brake when engine revved again as before. Shifted car into neutral and turned off car then back on. Drove car to dealer on way home without another incident. This dealer is where we purchased the care and all work except tires/alignment and battery occurred. They examined and inspected the car and kept it for the next 10 days logging 200 miles without a recurrence of the unintended acceleration.
I was driving down the road all the sudden my car stopped and would not engage. Apparently my clutch just randomly went out. I have to completely replace the entire thing $1000. Mazda said its a normal wear and tear at 67000 miles we should not be doing a complete replacement of the clutch. It should not just randomly go out without any warning.
Clutch gave out at 33,000 miles. That is absurd. Mazda claims its under their "wear and tear" but this is not a new problem for a lot of people. Premature clutch failure should have been a recall on Mazda 3's back in 2011.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Toledo, OH, USA