general problems of the 2008 Mazda MAZDA3

Drivers side lower control arm failed at the lower ball joint mounting hole, allowing the ball joint to separate from the arm. All vehicle steering and control was lost due to the failure. This failure: 1. Has extreme danger for traffic fatalities. 2. Suggests substandard materials, design, or manufacturing. Control arm manufacturer: dlz sold partsgoing vendor: amazon. Com.

Vibration at 55-63 mph. Tires wearing on inside in diagonal pattern on front. Worn completely to the core. Third set of tires.

Tl- the contact owns a 2008 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front driver side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact mentioned that after inspecting the vehicle, he discovered that the front driver side upper cross member was fractured. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was was 40,000. Ss.

Engine mounts failed. Noticed vibration in the cabin when the car was in drive. There was no noticed vibration when the car was idling. When the engine was in drive, with the hood popped, the engine was noticeably pitching forward and returning to it's default position when the gas was released. I checked recalls and there were none shown, but there were many complaints about this on the internet. Local mechanic also stated that this is a known.

Rear camber on left wheel is off -2. 7. Local shop says that this is too much and needs to be replaced by installing an adjustable arm since the stock parts have no adjustment. Local shop says there are no signs of any impact such as a hard hit on something or curb strike. Mazda dealerships say 99. 9 percent of the time this is because of a curb strike and it would not be covered under warranty. I became frustrated and suspicous after reading many similar complaints online. I also had to replace stock tires after 19k miles despite checking tire pressure, rotating them, etc. I thought then maybe it was due to poor quality tires but now suspect it is Mazda's negative camber issue.

After each tire rotation, ~every 10,000 miles, tire noise becomes progressively worse. At 47,000 miles, mechanic states that tires are worn unevenly, due to alignment issues.

Since I have purchased my vehicle I have to get the alignment done as often as I get the oil change done. When you are going over 45 mph the steering wheel shakes like you are driving a 4 x 4. There is also a horrible roaring once you get to 45 mph. The roaring and shaking goes away right after I have my car aligned, but, after a couple of weeks it starts coming back. I have changed the type of tires that I put on my car thinking it may help, but, it does not seem to be any different with the different type of tires I have put on my car.

The contact owns a 2008 Mazda3 sedan. He noticed that the tires were wearing faster than normal. The dealer stated that the negative camber caused the tires to wear and that they are aware of the defect; however, they cannot correct the defect. The manufacturer stated they will not offer any assistance. The current and the failure mileages were 27,514. Updated 09/23/09. Updated 09/23/09.