general problems of the 2011 Mazda MAZDA6 - part 1

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.

When I took the car into my ase mechanic shop for a normal oil change and tire rotation, they performed a general overall car inspection. They noticed that the driver side rear subframe had rusted through completely, where the coil spring is located. The passenger side was rusted, but has not yet broke through. They stated that the subframe parts should not rust through like this. They also stated that it is dangerous to drive the car in this condition. I have not notified the manufacturer as of yet, but plan to do so. There were no warning lights, but the ride did seem to be rougher than normal. The attach photos contain 2 photos of the failed driver side rear subframe and 1 photo of the good, passenger side rear subframe.

2011 Mazda6 rear subframe rot/rust, unsafe and dangerous to drive, same situation as the front subframe that is part of a recall.

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).

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while her mother was driving at slow speeds in a parking area, there was an abnormally loud metallic sound coming from underneath the vehicle, and moments later the vehicle became extremely difficult to maneuver. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the rear crossmember had detached from the vehicle due to excessive corrosion of the subframe. The contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 19v323000 (structure, suspension); the VIN was previously included, but was repaired in 2019. The contact stated that the recall repair was for the front passenger’s side lower control arm. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Front and rear subframe rust leading to gaping holes, outside of normal wear and tear.

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while reversing, the contact heard an abnormal snapping sound coming from the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped and inspected, where the contact observed a big spring pushing a bar into the ground on the rear passenger’s side. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 184,000.

The rear cross member / aka (rear subframe) p/n geg1-28-80x has completely rusted out. The car is no longer safe to drive per a pennsylvania state inspection. If driven parts of the rear suspension will drop off the car creating a hazard to other motorists and the driver of the car can lose control / mobility causing a traffic accident. Picture the entire rear suspension suddenly collapsing, that is what is going to happen. The front subframe was subject to a recall. That recall should have included the rear as it is the same material just a few feet away, subject to the same rusting issues. These subframes were not property designed to prevent rust or even withstand a little moisture, as my car has been very well maintained. When I read the online forms this is a flaw in all 2009- 2013 Mazda 6's and the sister car the Ford fusion and Mercury milan. I have opened a case with Mazda USA case #[xxx]. They are going to inspect to confirm my mechanic diagnosis. However they are currently under no obligation to repair and replace the rusted parts but they should be as this should have been replaced when the front subframe recall was performed. 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'm filing a complaint as to substandard steel being used in the rear crossmember/rear subframe. Extensive corrosion has been confirmed upon a state inspection, which requires replacement at my personal cost. The front engine cradle was replaced in 2019, per a recall notice for the same extensive corrosion problem. A safety issue that needs to be addressed by Mazda.

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while the independent mechanic was performing an oil change on the vehicle, the independent mechanic informed the contact that the rear sub frame was severely rusted with holes in the sub frame. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the rear sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 19v323000 (structure, suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

Completely rusted rear crossmember subframe.

The contact's daughter owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel inadvertently moved to the left at a 30–35-degree angle. Additionally, the rear end of the vehicle swayed while coming to a stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the crossmember was severely corroded and the front driver's side crossmember had cracked. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front sub frame, sub frame link, sway bar, sub frame nuts, and bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 19v323000 (structure, suspension); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

Rear subframe rusted and cracked in half when my daughter was on a major highway!.

My 2011 Mazda 6 rear suspension broke while my wife was driving our car on the highway. It could have killed my wife and son. The frame is rusted so bad that the lower control arm broke away from the frame, the rear wheel is barely hanging on it by one bolt on the front control arm. It is very much a safety issue and Mazda needs to take charge of the problem before someone dies in their vehicle. Our car has 106215 miles on it and we still owe alot of money on this thing.

Turning onto a road, heard a loud thud from the front passenger corner. Car steering became highly erratic. Parked the car, noticed the front passenger wheel was crooked. Took it to the nearest shop and they said the crossmember was rusted completely through and snapped, causing the control arm to lose control. Found out there is a recall for the car model and year for this exact issue, but my car wasn't covered by it, so I did not receive notification of it, but it clearly affects this VIN as well.

Noticed the left rear tire suddenly had a lot of negative camber and there were now clunking sounds while driving. Inspection showed that the rear crossmember is severely rusted with holes, cracks, and delamination. The left toe link mount is completely separated, the coil spring stoppers are detached and loose inside the springs, and the right coil spring has the top coil broken off. The front body connection of the rear crossmember is barely connected. The level of corrosion on the rest of the car is drastically less than the rear crossmember. Currently deciding whether and how to repair. (pennsylvania).

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine service, the vehicle was diagnosed with rust and corrosion of the sub-frame. The contact was informed that the sub-frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of NHTSA campaign number: 19v323000 (structure, suspension); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the ntsa hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

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.

Rear k frame is completely rusted out. You investigated the front frame rust issues on these cars which resulted in a Mazda recall. However, the rear frame with the same structure weaknesses was left out. As a result Mazda is refusing to fix or replace thousands of vehicles. Mazda forums are full of drivers with this same exact issue. If these frames start to fail while being driven I see the potential for injuries or loss of life.

When Mazda recalled the front frame they should’ve fixed the rear frame too I believe that this should have been recalled because there is the same problem all over the internet with this model. When my 16 year old daughter was going down the road @ 60mph and the rear subframe broke - bent the exhaust and then the tire rubbed the wheel well smoked like crazy and thought is was on fire & it then had blow out on the highway. Had to have it towed as putting the spare on would have done no good .

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.

During virginia state vehicle safety inspection in January 2023, the inspector noted a problem with severe rust in the rear cross-member (part 28-800a). The rear cross-member is severely rusted and crumbling at fastening and stress points. The driver side (left side) of the cross-member that secures the top of the (left) coil spring is so deteriorated that the left stopper (28-111b) became unattached from the top of the mount and is freely floating inside the coil spring, causing visible damage to the coil spring when the stopper (made of steel with rubber on bottom) and the coil spring come in contact. The same problem is occuring on the passenger side (right) of the rear crossmember as the upper mount is severely rusted and crumbling. If the cross-member mounts collapse or the coil springs break while the vehicle is moving, the driver would have extreme difficulty maintaining safe control of the vehicle.

I heard that the Mazda 6 was recalled for a front end suspension issue with rust. My Mazda 6 had a problem with rust on the rear crossmember. It rusted out and came apart. I noticed the car was leaning to one side,had it checked out and the crossmember was rusted and broke. I am in the process of buying another car. Mechanic told me not to drive it very far. If the car was recalled because of rust on front suspension of car it probably has same issue on back suspension.

The front sub frame was recalled due to severe rot and corrosion. It was replaced at the dealers cost. The issue is the rear subframe has the exact same, if not worse rot and corrosion. I called the dealer and no recall is issued. Thousands of people are having the same issue.

October 11, 2022 I hit a steep curb while pulling into a gas station before heading to work, which caused alignment issues. I originally thought it was just about that time for an alignment so I drove my car to tire discounters. Shawn the manager there called me and told me pretty much the sub frame on my car was rusted so bad that he doesn’t even know how I made it to their facility, and pretty much it would cost more to fix than the car is worth, so I should think about trading it in or I would have to look elsewhere for someone to fix the sub frame. After google search about this particular part, my store manager found a recall for the Mazda subframes claiming the listed states fail to put a coating on the subframe to protect the car from rusting. The car originated from michigan which was one of the states listed on the recall list, so I called nelson Mazda in murfreesboro, TN and they had informed me that this particular part was already fixed in 2019 but judging by the picture shawn from tire discounters sent me. No one actually fixed anything, so someone falsely lied on documentation so jeremiah from Mazda agreed to take a look at it and he agreed that this sub frame was not “properly” done and had to wait a couple days to get approved in order to redo the recalled part. Well due to sub frame rusting caused additional problems like replace the front uppers control arm, the struts, the front control arm, and the tie rod end needs to be replaced as well. I specifically asked jeremiah if the sub frame was done correctly the first time would these additional problems exist and without any extra explaination he said “no. ”, but he informed me Mazda is only taking care of the subframe at no cost, and an alignment. The alignment would prove useless without catering to the other maintenance that needs attention as well, and I do feel since the recall wasn’t not done properly I should not be responsible for additional costs as well.

I was driving my Mazda today and while I was pulling into a parking lot I hit a pothole and my rear frame broke and now the car is sitting on one side almost touching the back right tire, when Mazda recalled the front frame they should’ve fixed the rear frame too I believe that this should have been recalled because there is the same problem all over the internet with this model.

The rear subframe is badly rotting out and broken in I right rear side. There is a large hole in the subframe next to the spring . The garage said it is not safe to drive. Same issue with the front frame and it was replaced under recall.

Vehicle was brought in for recall 2818i in January 2020. Still noticed a rough ride afterwards and believed issue to be with the rear suspension. Local independent auto repair shop inspected suspension and said all was well. Brought in for regular check up at Mazda dealer in September 2021. Mechanic took video to show the amount of rust on the rear subframe. Condition is beyond repair without replacement and is hazardous to drive. This should have been addressed with the front subframe recall. Definitely needs to be addressed by Mazda now.

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.

Rear cross member is totally rusted out�just like the front cross member was that had a recall. Was driving and the right rear wheel totally collapsed under the car while driving at 60 mph. Could have caused an accident. Rear cross member broke in pieces.

Mazda has recalled and replaced front sub-frames for corrosion related issues. Mazda has not recalled rear sub-frames which have the same corrosion related issues from improper steel quality or fault manufacturing of the steel components. Upon inspection of rear sub-frame, multiple holes in the rear sub-frame were observed, including multiple holes at the passenger side rear spring mount which significantly compromises the structural integrity. I am now afraid to drive the car at high speeds in fear of catastrophic failure and a crash. Mazda dealership has stated it is not under warranty or recall and will cost me approximately $4,000. 00 to replace the entire rear-subframe. This is not a maintenance item in my opinion on a less than 10 year old vehicle I bought new, and is a defect from the manufacturer similar to the front sub-frames. Upon investigation on the internet, numerous Mazda6 owners who had front sub-frames replaced also have same issue.

The rear subframe is badly rotting out. There is a large hole in the subframe next to the spring where it us about to break through. The garage said it us not safe to drive. Same issue with the front frame and it was replaced under recall. Now the car been sitting in the garage for a couple of months and no parts available. The manufacturer offers no help.

Tl the contact owns a 2011 Mazda 6. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19v323000 (structure, suspension); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Eich Mazda (1933 w division st, st cloud, mn 56301, (320) 251-1737) 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. Parts distribution disconnect.

I was driving 40 mph and all of the sudden I heard a loud nice and my car was going to the right while my steering wheel was straight, in order to drive straight I had to turn my steering wheel to the left. While I made turns I would here loud noises. Also my traction light turned on and the breaks were not working well which made me slide and caused the tires to spin when accelerating and that's when I pulled over to a safe spot and called a tow truck. I took my car to the car shop and they told me the whole sub frame was rusted and needed to be replaced.