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.
When maneuvering to or from parking when the steering wheel is turned and puts any pressure on the steering components the right front of the car makes a very loud clunking and popping and makes both steering and moving difficult. It has gotten progressively worse over the last 2 months so I did some research and found out about the possible corrosion issue of the front right subframe and recall "inspection". I will call my local dealer and schedule an appointment as it seems this car is under an open recall and was never looked at. I just bought it as a used car in mid October and mostly drive my truck all winter so it took awhile for this to surface.
I have the open and dangerous recall ( # 2818I ) still pending at this time. It was hard enough just to get the dealership, in order to inspect the car for corrosion in the concerning areas. I don't feel that the car is safe to drive at this time and prefer that no one rides with me when driving it, just for the safety of others. I'm very concerned that this fix will not come soon enough and the problem keep messing up my cars alignment. Causing all sorts of problems driving it, especially at high speeds. That's when a wheel wobble starts to happen in the affected areas of the front passenger side of the car. Please help!
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda 6. the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 18V631000 (suspension, structure). The parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Brown's fairfax Mazda (10570 fairfax boulevard, fairfax, va 22030, (703) 385-8170) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Mazda 6. the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 18V717000 (air bags) and 18V631000 (suspension, structure). The contact called sentry West Mazda at 508-281-8171 (located at 940 boston turnpike, shrewsbury, MA 01545) and was informed that the parts were not available. While driving approximately 20 mph, a loud noise was heard and the steering lost power without warning. The vehicle was towed to the same dealer where it was stated that the recall repairs needed to be performed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. Parts distribution disconnect for NHTSA campaign number: 18V717000 (air bags) and VIN tool confirms parts not available for NHTSA campaign number: 18V631000 (suspension, structure).
Mazda incomplete recall 28181; NHTSA recall 18V-631; I had my vehicle inspected as required and was told due to rust/corrosion/perforations the front cross member needs to be replaced. Informed no parts available and Mazda has given no info on when parts may be available; dealers have no info at all on timing for repairs; cannot get thru to Mazda for more info and Mazda does not even list this on their site as a recall; this is a dangerous condition and afraid to drive this car
- Penfield, NY, USA
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While applying the brakes at approximately 30mph, there was sharp jolt, and the steering wheel jerked all the way to the right. The low-traction indicator light came on and the car was not able to be safely steered. Upon visual inspection, the front right tire was turned outward, while the front left remained straight. A mechanic confirmed that the issue was caused by a fully corroded sub-frame which had cracked in half.
My son was driving the car approximately 40mph on a state route in a rural area and experienced a sudden loss of steering control and sharp pull to the right when he was trying to brake. This nearly caused him to hit a truck. When he regained control he noticed the steering wheel was not aligned while going straight and the car continued to pull to the right. When he managed to make it home we jacked it up and removed the right front tire. I noticed that the cross member on the right side was completely rusted through. This was the only noticibly large area of rust on the car. The car is now undriveable.
After exiting the highway applied th brakes and steering wheel went to 12:00 and 6:00 while the car kept going straight.apply the gas and wheei goes back to normal.hit the brakes and repeat the cycle again..took to dealership to find out rt. Front subframe is rusted thru.. car is no longer safe to drive and is parked at montrose Mazda in kent Ohio.new frame and labor is $2,000 and parts are backordered telling me others have to be having similar issues.. who orders a new frame for their car ? car was just at highway speed and then lost complere control of car.glad no one was hurt
On September 12, 2018 I took my 2010 Mazda 6I to a local Mazda dealership to get preventative maintenance done on the vehicle, replacing the drive belt. When the Mazda tech started the job, he discovered that the entire front sub-frame that holds the front end suspension, steering components, motor and transmission was rusted and rotted out with several holes and flaking metal. The tech was unable to perform the job as he stated he could not remove the sub-frame and keep it in tact. The tech reported that this created a hazardous and unsafe condition and that until repaired with a new or other-wise in-tact sub-frame the car would be unsafe to drive. Upon checking on-line I have discovered that this is quickly becoming a common problem with the Mazda 6 of this model year (2009 to 2019). The sub-frame should not be that rotted out in a 2010 vehicle with 101921 miles on it and no rust on the body.
8/11/2018while merging from route 9 onto route 95, I heard a clank coming from the bottom of my car, didn't think since driving through deep flooding from current rainstorm. Was on I-95 when steering seemed to go, veer to the right and brakes not catching. Was able to get off highway, regained control of car, went to my destination on rte 109. Drove, pumped breaks since I thought the problem was flooding & wet brakes. Left to go to next destination & steering was off, so drove very slowly (steering off & had to keep turning to the left) once again thinking weather related. Exited 95 to sprauge St. Dedham where brakes weren't working well, drove to friends in area and as I drove down hill, car lost steering and I landed up curb, brakes weren't working, put on emergency brake & finally stopped. Friends house was around the corner so rolled down hill to her house to let car dry as still thought it was from flooding. Left her house after an hour, drove two blocks and car completely lost all steering, lights on dashboard started flashing, brakes went. Called aaa and was towed to steve's service station where on Monday the car was deemed "totaled". the entire sub-carriage was covered in rust & corrosion, there were holes, pieces of metal from the car missing and major cracks all underneath and encasing the brakes and other part of car. Was told if I had gone a bit faster on 95, bottom would have fallen leading to serious accident. Note: There are numerous complaints about this with Mazda6 and Mazda has done nothing. I cannot receive financial compensation from insurance since is corrosion and not collision that caused the problems. Financial disaster. 47K miles, one owner car. Consults from mechanics said they have never seen anything like this on 8 yr old car. Appraiser said Mazda known for rust problems - gave me websites to research to assist. Please help!
I began having problems with the steering, especially when turning at intersections, it made some bang/bump noises, and felt like the front wheels weren't turning unless I really cranked the steering wheel. I took it to the dealer for an evaluation, and they promptly pulled it off the road, telling me it was unsafe to drive. Turns out the front subframe on the passenger side had rusted out so badly that it was almost split into two pieces, and I could literally poke holes through the rusted areas, affecting the operation of both the steering and suspension. If the subframe had indeed split, according to the mechanic, the steering would've failed and I could've lost the right front wheel.
I was driving home from work, when I noticed that my steering was not working right. Every time I hit a bump in the road it became hard to control. To stay straight, my steering wheel had to be turn almost completely left. I figured I was just badly out of alignment. I took it to the shop to get my alignment done, and they told me the sub frame was rotted out. The car is only 8 years old and well maintained. He was not able to explain why it was rotted out, but the rest of the underneath looked good.
While driving on town roads and around a traffic circle a loud noise was heard from the right hand side of the vehicle. I attempted to pull into a nearby gas station but the vehicle would not steer to the left enough to enter the parking lot. I managed to pull into another lot a short distance down the street on the right hand side. I inspected the under side of the vehicle and discovered the front sub-frame had rusted through to the point of failure. This failure allowed the complete front left wheel/suspension assembly to move about freely under the car.
Heard a knock while driving (as though hitting pothole). Next day steering column felt loose, breaks seemed worn and sound on sharp turns. Later that day while driving in city, went over a normal dip in the road and heard a crack/louder knock. Wheel turned to the left, even though driving straight. When applying brakes, wheel now turned to the right. Pulled aside and ran over curb as brakes were not as effective. Initial diagnosis: Brakes and bearings need repair (although these were replaced less than 5 months ago). Next diagnosis: Subframe psg. Side completely rotted and cracked. Will take a month to repair [rental provided]. note- the past 6 months I've had other issues including: Electrical (fuse for radio/locks/int lights keeps breaking; after 1.5 hour diagnostic cause still unknown. Chose to replace fuse as needed- weekly to monthly); 3 tires have gone (even though 2 were fairly new; needed alignment); brakes and bearings twice. Could be regular wear and tear or could be related.
Front subframe corrosion. We were fortunate in that we noticed the car pulling to the right, slowed down, heard a "pop" and lost control of steering but we were going slow pulled over and towed to garage. The part has a 3 week delivery time and the price has recently doubled from $600 to $1,200 in the few daysour mechanic called to get. This seemsto be a serious safety issue but no recall.
I was on a city street travelling around 35 mph. While approaching a stop light and applying the brakes the car suddenly started pulling to the right and almost pulled the entire vehicle into a ditch. The vehicle came to a stop at the edge of the grass. I pulled the vehicle over further to avoid traffic and noticed the right tire was now touching the wheel well. After having the vehicle towed the mechanic informed me that there was extensive corrosion underneath the vehicle which had led to the failure.
Noticed a knocking noise developing in front passenger side. Took the car to a local garage to have it checked out and to get new tires and alignment. I was notified that the sub-frame was rotted out and the car was no longer safe to drive. Contacted Mazda for new sub-frame and was notified that the part has been on back order for 6 months and they had no idea when they would be available. Now I am stuck with an 8 year old car that is unsafe to drive with no hope for repair.
When performing an oil change I noticed that the subframe / engine cradle on the passenger side near the right suspension was severely rusted. The subframe is no longer structurally sound and I have parked the vehicle until a repair is completed. The vehicle is no longer safe to be on the road. The severe corrosion appears to be isolated to the right side with the rest of the subframe showing surface corrosion normally seen in an area that uses road salt such as Minnesota. I believe that the cause of this failure is the air conditioning evaporator drain dripping on the subframe. As you can see in the attached pictures there is no drain hose used to divert the water from the evaporator around the frame and overboard. This moisture mixed with the road salt created a dangerous amount of corrosion on a key structural component. I am glad I noticed this before an accident occurred
This vehicle does not track straight, even on a level road. At highway speeds (above 50 mph) it has a decided pull to the left, regardless of the lateral slope of the road. Constant clockwise pressure on the steering wheel is necessary in order to keep vehicle from drifting in a leftward direction. If driver attention is diverted for only an instant the vehicle is likely to partially intrude into the lane to the left, which on an undivided highway could be an oncoming traffic lane (hence the safety issue). I called this to the attention of my Mazda dealer's service department at least twice within the first year after purchase (January 2010). Their answer was no answer--they could not find anything wrong mechanically and there were no bulletins from Mazda on the subject. They verified the alignment and rotated the tires left to right, but neither of these solved the problem. Nearly five years later the problem still exists and seems even more pronounced than it was originally. A recent check with the dealer indicated that there is still nothing from Mazda. Possibly it is a defect that applies only to my car and not in general to that model, but I have no way of determining that at this point.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Meadville, PA, USA