Car suddenly veered right on the highway and scraped both fenders and the mirror against a cement barricade. Steering has been unpredictable. While elevated on jack stands with both front wheels hanging, crouched facing the right passenger side tire, the tire can be gripped with the left hand on the rear facing tread and right hand on the front facing tire tread, then moved in and out with large amounts of play, wobble, and clunking noises. There is also a large amount of noise and clunking coming from the area where the streering " linkage" ( term?) connects to the hydraulic rack when the front of the car is on jackstands and the steering wheel is moved to both extremities. The hydraulic steering rack appears to flex left and right when the car is on the ground in the normal driving position and the steering wheel is moved to both extremities. The left drivers side wheel bearing is in need of replacement. While assessing that is when the extreme rusting of the front subframe was noticed, along with a huge rust hole on the right passenger side as described by others. Very close to the attachment of the lower A-arm of the same side. Car was purchased new from dealership with 1500 miles by an in household family member and has had all/nearly all of its scheduled dealership maintenance at the place or purchase up untill the beginning/middle 2017. Afterwhich I recieved the vehicle. This was all noticed on or aprox July 1st 2018 and the car hasnt been driven since.

- Lake Milton, OH, USA

This car was bought used. After suspension inspection I found out that the front subframe is extremely rusty and immediate replacement is necessary. According to the body condition there were no any incidents which may affected the subframe condition. Further driving with this is dangerous.

- Norwalk, CT, USA

Went to take my car to the mechanics today for a loud humming noise. Come to find out my front cross member is rotted out. This seams to be a common problem. The ac leaks right on the suspension. Can't wait to see what this is going to cost.

- Wakefield, MA, USA

This past week, while driving my vehicle to and from work on a public roadway, the steering wheel was off-center and the vehicle started to shift to the side of the road while vehicle was in motion while driving straight. I took it to an auto repair shop and they told me the sub frame is completely split in half and all corroded. The vehicle is undriveable right now. It's going to be very expensive to repair.

- Clay, NY, USA

Subframe rust the front passenger subframe is severely rusted to the point that tmy local Mazda dealer (alden Mazda in fairhaven, MA) didnt want to perform routine maintenance due to their concerns over this very serious safety issue. They told me that the car is unsafe to drive at this point. I drive approximately 150 to 200 miles on most days and I'm very concerned for my safety. I purchased the car on February of 2018 with only 68,000 miles on it. As of July 30th 2018 it's at approximately 79,000 miles.

- E Falmouth, MA, USA

My complaint is regarding excessive rust/corrosion of the subframe of my vehicle that was recently discovered during a routine oil change. I am at just under 113,000 miles, and the car is otherwise in great condition. I expected a good five more years of use, but now, due to the dangerous circumstances, I am in search of a new car. I purchased my Mazda new in March of 2009, and other than routine maintenance there have been no major issues. The passenger side wheel bearings were replaced just over a year ago, and the car still had a noise coming from that area immediately following. We were told at that time that it must be something loose in the wheel. The noises seemed to worsen and multiply recently. At times the car would seem to feel a wobble (best word I can think of) at higher speeds. Luckily this was noticed before something tragic happened. Now I am left with an inoperable car that I will need to pay an estimated $1,600 minimum to repair with a wait time of at least three months. The shop to which I take my car said they have seen this before in Mazda and some Honda. They suspect it could be an A/C draining flaw. I live in northeast Ohio, but there is no other rust on the car. I am glad I did a search and did not just accept this as normal. However, I am wondering how many others out there have, and have not placed a complaint.

- Westlake, OH, USA

Bought 2009 Mazda 6 brand new. Car has 140,000 miles well maintained. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid a collision with a truck pulling a trailer. The truck was at a stop sign facing West, I had right of way driving North, truck driver pulled out in front of me turning left to go South. My speed aprox.40mph to dead stop.. my vehicle never left the road or no impact with other vehicle. As I started to drive straight, I had to keep my steering 20-30 degrees to left because my car pulled hard to the right. I pulled over to check for flat tire. That was not the issue. I was able to turn around and proceed to a Mazda dealer aprox 2 miles South. I left the car there for Mazda to inspect. The service advisor called me and told me the front sub frame had split/cracked due to rust corrosion--"thats northeast Ohio for you". repair estimate $2000-$2500. Repairs are not done. Dealership has allowed to leave the vehicle in the parking lot for a short time. My car can not be driven. The dealership offered to work with me to "purchase another vehicle ".

- Akron, OH, USA

I was driving and making a turn when a loud clunking noise occurred and I lost stability of the car. In order to make it to the dealership (which was within a mile), I had to turn the wheel to the left and drive 10mph to maintain stability. Over the 2 days previous to the event I heard occasional clunking noises while driving. The mechanic found significant rust that had gone through the subframe on the front passenger side, rendering it undriveable. They informed me that this was a common problem they had been seeing and that the part is backordered months. The rest of the undercarriage was mostly rust free except for the subframe.

- Stevensville, MI, USA

Engine cradle/crossmember is severely deteriorated on the passenger side. Excessive rust and holes in the structure. My concern is a safety issue in driving the car and having it stay together.

- Milford, PA, USA

Update to NHTSA id number: 11074904 on 7/8/18, the front crossmember engine cradle failed, which has resulted in the catastrophic failure of being able to steer the car. The car is now unsafe to operate and drive whatsoever. I have been waiting 4.5 months for the manufacturer to provide the replacement oem part which I had scheduled the repair in the beginning of March 2018. The manufacturer has refused to sell the part to the mechanic, and the dealer said the price of the oem part has now doubled. This price gouging and inability to allow me to freely choose who to perform maintenance on my car is unacceptable and may result in the pursuit of legal action.

- Brecksville, OH, USA

While driving car the front passenger wheel moved sideways; it was discovered after being towed that the sub frame (or engine cradle) was rusted and broken in a few places; Mazda claims that they have no problem with rusted frames but have had them for this model on back order for 6 months; it cost $1100 to replace the frame and 6 weeks to get a used one.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

I have been having something making noise in the rear end of the vehicle since Feb. I had people check it during oil change and said everything looked fine. On 06/21/2018 while getting a tire fixed I had this company check the noise. They discovered that the rear drivers side subframe had rusted away and becoming a safety hazard. So this is about a $1300 fix not counting new parts that will connect to the subframe. The subframe is on backorder for the next 3 to 4 weeks. So just hoping car will stay together until then. Also Mazda only has to subframes in stock within the us and doesn't sound like willing to ship here. The front subframe does have rust but not putting it on a lift until rear subframe is here as I think the lift is stressing the read subframe.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

We were driving my 2009 Mazda 6 on 4/25/2018 - which I purchased new in Sept., 2009 from berkshire Mazda in pittsfield, MA, 01201. The car suddenly veered dangerously to the right at about 50 mph on NY rt 22 (the road had rough pavement) in canaan, NY, went off the road, barely missing two trees. It had to be towed from the scene. If this sub-frame had broken apart 5 minutes later I would have been on I-90 next to semi trucks. Two people in the car could easily have been killed, endangering other motorists as well. There is no rust-through on the body of the car. It has been regularly serviced. It has about 85,000 miles. I called Mazda they said there's no recall for sub-frame rust/deterioration. This is the fourth Mazda our family has purchased. I have seen numerous other online complaints and descriptions of the 2009 Mazda 6 losing directional stability because the front sub-frame had collapsed due to premature rust disintegration. I also see that this particular model: 2009 Mazda 6 was recalled in australia for this exact problem. NHTSA needs to have this recall enacted to protect american lives as well.

- Hillsdale, NY, USA

Loss of steering due to passenger side rusted sub frame

- Mason, OH, USA

Front subframe and engine support rusted out to the point that it was cracked and broken had to be replaced before it resulted in catastrophe loss of control. I had to replace this part @ $2500 just to keep car drive able. I've since sold car after frame was replaced with new oem part.

- Scarborough, ME, USA

2009 Mazda Mazda6. 121000 miles. 9.5 years old. Driver side of front subframe rusted through and cracked. First noticed that the steering wheel was turned 1/4 left of where it should be when the vehicle was moving straight. Had mechanic assess. Paid $90 for alignment. Drove vehicle again. Backed out of driveway and heard pop. Steering felt much looser. Difficult to control vehicle. When depressing the brake quickly in traffic, the vehicle pulled strongly to one side. Wheel would not center. Vehicle would no longer maintain consistent steering. Had driven and checked at mechanic. Diagnosed rusted and cracked subframe. Mechanic found used subframe from Maryland. Quoted $2000 minimum for repair. Could be more if bolts were rusted holding frame in or repair required work from top side. All other systems on vehicle in excellent shape (no issues) with electrical, engine, etc. Had hoped to get 3 more years out of vehicle. New York state conditions are conducive to rust, but this failure is serious, could have led to a serious accident, and seems premature.

- Churchville, NY, USA

The subframe of my 2009 Mazda6 completely rotted out from the inside and the vehicle broke down during normal use. On Wednesday, May 2nd, a Mazda dealership replaced my rotors, pads, and noticed the car was pulling to one side so they corrected the alignment. During this time they identified a normal level of rust on the subframe but was not concerned by any other signs of failure. Less than 10 miles after leaving the dealership the subframe cracked, my front passenger wheel cv axil disconnected and the car was inoperable. Thankfully I was going only 35 mph, down a straight, paved city road, and not on the highway. I fear that at higher speeds the car would have gone off road or worse for when the subframe broke the car jerked heavily to the right then completely stopped. I believe the dealership provided quality service and due to the type of physical failure of rotting from the inside the danger it posed to myself and my family in the car was hidden. The dealership informs me that there is a backorder (400ish) for the part and that parts may not be available for several weeks. Searching online there seems to be many similar cases reported with models around this timeframe. Due to the type of failure, number of similar cases, age of the car, type of use, I am shocked that there is not a recall.

- Ann Arbor, MI, USA

In September 2017 while driving on a city street at approximately 30 mph there was a sudden and significant loss of steering control following a loud knock originating from the front end of the vehicle. Upon inspection the front crossmember/sub-frame was completely corroded to the point of breaking. The steering rack became totally separated from its mounts on the passenger side resulting in the steering loss. The failure occurred at 85,583 miles. Since the failure I have attempted to get this fixed. However, even after trying to get a replacement sub-frame from 4 different dealerships, I have been unable to get one for the last 7 months. They are back ordered and every time the date comes around, the date is pushed back further again, again, and again. I have reached out to Mazda's North american customer service (service request number 1-1245266941) and in the last month have gotten no more than we'll look into when a replacement will be available. In researching this problem, it is apparent that this is far from an isolated incident as many others with this model car report failures of this exact nature. The employees of the local Mazda parts departments are well aware of the complaints as well and have stated to me they are surprised that Mazda has not initiated a recall or tsb regarding this issue. These failures have the potential to create a significant risk of injury and it is my belief that Mazda is not treating this situation with the seriousness and promptness that it warrants. It is my understanding that this same part is was installed on not only the 2009 models, but all model years through 2013. If there is not corrective action taken, it is reasonable to expect this problem to persist for years to come as the other later models age.

- Lyndhurst, OH, USA

Front sub frame is completely rusted out to the point of braking and immediately not safe to drive, rest of the undercarriage is completely clean of rust. Mazda Corp. Has denied claim to repair the damage under warranty. Please advise.

- Twinsburg, OH, USA

While driving at highway speed (55-65mph) the steering wheel began progressively rotating counter-clockwise with the vehicle remaining straight. The dynamic stability control turned off as if the vehicle was out of control and the vehicle acted as if it were on icy/slick surfaces no longer providing support to the driver. The braking system began to struggle nearly causing an accident on the off ramp of the expressway causing a fishtail with the ABS attempting to engage. At this point the steering wheel was registering straight' with the steering wheel turned approximately 30 degrees left. Somehow at speeds less than 15 mph the vehicle was driven to the local Mazda dealership where it has a service history for an emergency service inspection. A test drive with a service representative supported the owner's complaints of a severe safety concern with right turns causing a significant 'grinding'/metallic dragging sound as if the vehicle's right under-side was contacting the ground. After inspecting the vehicle in the lift the mechanic determined there was front passenger frame metal corrosion which was breaking off in chunks. The dealership voiced awareness of another 2009 Mazda6 with similar miles (approximately 15,000 fewer) having nearly the same issue last fall/winter. The vehicle in this report has approximately 189,000 primarily highway miles and is otherwise in excellent condition for its year/make/model. The aforementioned frame failure should never happen and is believed to be a manufacturer defect which should not be the responsibility of the owner. Fortunately in this case there was not an automobile accident/collision, injury, or death though this could have easily happened. I do believe there is an extremely serious problem here and needs to be investigated as human lives are at stake.

- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA