Body problems of the 2011 Mazda MAZDA6

Front subframe has corroded and broke. There is a recall on the subframe that was repaired by dealership in 2019, but this repair did not fix the issue since it has now rusted through and broke. The repair was faulty.

Car developed a known recall issue problem, recall 2818i. Even though nebraska was not listed as a "salt state", it's obvious that nebraska has similar conditions to iowa. Attempts to contact Mazda USA corporate would not even fix the issue, citing cars age and other factors even though the damage is very specific to this particular recall.

2011 Mazda6 a serious safety defect occurred on my vehicle and matches NHTSA recall 19v-323 / Mazda recall 2818i (front cross member corrosion due to insufficient coating) despite this recall not being associated with my VIN. Front cross member cracked due to rust, causing loss of steering control, wheel misalignment, and scraping from the front wheel. This is exactly the failure described in the recall (breakage of the cross member and reduced steering control, increasing the risk of a crash). My safety and the safety of others were put at risk. Although my VIN is not currently associated with the recall, all conditions of the recall apply to my vehicle: -2011 Mazda6 within the affected production range -defect is a manufacturing issue (insufficient paint coating) -vehicle was registered in missouri from 2023-2025, which is a listed state the only reason this recall was not associated with my VIN is because the vehicle was not registered in missouri at the exact time of the 2019 recall campaign. This is an administrative gap, not a safety distinction. It should not be allowed to limit a manufacturer safety defect to specific states. Vehicles move across state lines constantly. A defect that causes loss of steering control does not stop being dangerous when a car crosses a border. Registration records alone did not reflect actual vehicle use or risk. If recalls are state-limited, manufacturers and NHTSA must continue tracking registration changes and associate the recall with the VIN as soon as a vehicle becomes registered in an affected state. Rust is progressive and age-related. Since this recall began in 2019 and it is now 2026, affected vehicles are more likely to experience failure, and many are now registered in different states than they were in 2019. I am requesting that NHTSA associate recall 19v-323 with my VIN, investigate the adequacy of state-limited recall tracking, and take action to prevent this known safety defect from causing additional crashes.

The front and back cross members underneath my Mazda6 have completely rusted out. There are numerous complaints about Mazda's "safety recall 2818i expansion" not covering the back support member and also not considering nebraska to be a salt belt state despite the state, and specifically omaha using salt to treat their roads in the winter. On [xxx], my front cross member completely failed due to rust, causing my vehicle to lose control. I've taken my car to the mechanic and they confirmed the front and back cross members are completely rusted and need replacement costing $7,000. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

After getting the recall information about the front crossmember rusting out due to corrosion, I decided to check the rear crossmember on my car. Wow, the rear crossmember is so much worse than the front one and I’ve read hundreds of similar stories about the exact same thing happening to other Mazda 6 sedans around these model years (2009-2013). The rear crossmember on my car, which supports the entire rear suspension is completely rusted thru in several spots and the lower end links aren’t even attached anymore because the brackets literally fell off and so now both back tires are leaning in at the top. It is very noticeable! very unsafe to drive! I decided to park this car until a solution is reached with Mazda or the NHTSA on how to deal with this. I don’t know why the front crossmember was recalled but not the rear? there’s only 2 things that are rusted on my car, period…the front & rear crossmembers!.

I purchased a used vehicle in nh from a private seller "as is", repaired tires and brakes, passed MA state inspection and dropped the car off to address the recall, which I had researched via a VIN number search. The dealership informed me that the body had corroded beyond repair, and they cannot perform the required repair for the recall. While the dealership has been helpful, this looks like a major underlying manufacturing flaw for a vehicle at 115k built in 2011.

The rear cross member/subframe is completely rusted in two and the rear lower forward control arm is detached from cross member/subframe on both sides. There is currently an active recall for the front cross member due to accelerated corrosion from road salt but I’m not aware of any inclusion of the rear frame or suspension components tied in with this recall. It definitely needs added to it as this is very dangerous, possibly even more so than the front. Rest of the actual car body is fine, except for a little bit of surface rust. Please add this to the current corrosion recall! car is registered in wv and is available for inspection anytime and I will be attaching pictures and I also have a video but it won’t let me post it on here.

Corrosion on the rear subframe as a result of salt on roadways used to clear snow.

Rear cross subframe is very rotten and my mechanic told me not safe to drive car. Mazda had recall on front but not on rear. Is made of same material I look at line and a lot of people have same problem I hope you can help us with this problem thank you and I hope you can investigate this major issue.

I was in a crash where my front end was easily damaged and passenger air bags not deployed.

The right side of the engine cradle rotted away, causing the right lower control arm to break away and loosing control of the vehicle. I was only going approx. 15 mph on a side street and applying the brakes when this accorded. The vehicle only have approx. 85k miles on it.

Recently while driving down a straight road about 35 mph my steering started to fail in order to keep the car going straight the wheel has to be turned to the left and held in place. The indicator lights came on that my brake assist system is off/failing. The car slightly jerks to the right when trying to stay going straight. There was noise coming from under the car when turning and going in reverse. Upon inspection for the body shop the subframe is prematurely rotting and that is why I lost proper steering along why the other issues occurred too. The car is inoperable and the subframe is not holding as it should.

I am writing this letter because I recently learned about a safety issue with my car during a routine oil change on Thursday, July 19, 2018. I was made aware by the mechanic that the subframe on my 2011 Mazda6 is covered in rust and should be replaced. Upon trusted inspections from two different auto shops, the result is the same: I need a new subframe because it is extremely dangerous if it broke away. I bought my car new in 2011, so I am shocked that a major structural component of my car is now compromised, putting my safety at risk. The subframe is on nationwide back order, which tells me (and both mechanics echoed each other) that this is a much bigger problem. My daily commute to my job has me driving on the interstate, at 70 mph, at a total of approximately 80 miles per day. I no longer feel safe when driving my car. I did some online research and discovered Mazda had over 20 reports from owners who say rust in their 2009-2010 Mazda 6s has caused, or nearly caused, a steering failure. This extended even further into other model models for subframe rot deemed dangerous. In 2016, Mazda had to recall 190,000 cx-7s for a similar issue wherein corrosion was causing suspension failure. Days later, 2. 2 million Mazdas were recalled worldwide. I called Mazda's customer service, but they declined to help me because �I didn't continue my relationship with Mazda", after my warranty was up. However, while under warranty, I only took my car to Mazda for service because I knew I had to due to the warranty, despite their complete incompetence. During the time my car was under warranty and was serviced at Mazda, they installed my driver's windshield wiper backwards. It popped off the next day during a downpour. Two times they didn't close my hood fully (once left oil cap on top of my engine). For these reasons, I sought out a more reliable mechanic after warranty.

Currently, I have been waiting for a replacement dashboard for the last two years. The right side of my dash board is melted. Apparently it is a factory defect in my model car. Two years ago the dealership took pictures, sent in the claim, and I started waiting. Since then I have received at least two letters to update me to the fact that the part still is not available. So I continue to drive around with a melted dash board, which by the way is a sticky mess. Now, as if to add insult to injury, I have received a notice that my passenger air bag inflator needs to be replaced. Yet again, the part is unavailable and I will someday receive notification when the part is available. Even more outrageous is that the letter says, "until this repair is performed, do not allow passengers to ride in the front passenger seat. It has been months and still no letter concerning the part being corrected.

The dash of my car is melting - a known problem in the Mazda 2011, as well as other makes and models, that is exacerbated by the heat. I leave in south central texas, where we see a lot of heat. I called our Mazda dealership to ask what could be done about it. They said to just wait until Mazda issues a recall. In addition, they said they have had these parts on order since December and still haven't gotten them in. A recall needs to be issued and repairs need to be made. The dash becomes sticky and shiny, which in turn reflects light up on to the windshield. Visibility is then cut drastically trying to see through the reflection from the dash.

Takata recall - 2011 Mazda 6 I was the passenger in a collision in November 2015 where the 2011 Mazda 6 was t-boned on the driver's side by another vehicle (Ford fusion), which made the Mazda 6 spin several times, hop a curb, and deploy the airbags. As the passenger (front seat) I suffered injuries caused by the takata airbags and required going to the hospital following the collision. Injuries included at least three fractured/broken ribs and major bruising on my right knee. Injuries took over 6 months to heal, taking heavy doses of pain killers just to manage the pain. Lingering effects from this collision can still be felt 7 months later. The driver did not sustain major injuries aside from scrapes and a few bruises. Police reports determined that the driver of the Ford fusion was responsible for the collision and was charged with careless/reckless driving. That driver failed to stop/yield in their turning lane before driving straight into the Mazda 6. The Mazda 6 was declared totaled by insurance. The Mazda 6 was added to the takata airbag recall in may 2016, approximately 6 months after the accident had occurred.