Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 22 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY ROAD DOING 35-40MPH IN 4TH GEAR. I LET OFF THE GAS WHILE IN 4TH AND COASTED TO ABOUT 20MPH THEN SHIFTED TO N AND STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I TRIED TO SHIFT TO 1ST AN THE SHIFTER WENT HALF WAY IN BETWEEN R AND 1ST, SO I SHIFTED BACK TO N AND TRIED 1ST AGAIN. THEN THE WHOLE SHIFTER BROKE OFF AND WAS JUST LAYING THERE. NOW MY CAR IS STUCK IN 3RD GEAR.
MANUAL SHIFT LEVER CAME DETACHED WHILE DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. CAR STUCK IN 4TH GEAR. I WAS UP SHIFTING WHEN IT HAPPENED.
WHILE SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR AT LOW SPEED, THE SHIFTER FOR MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION BROKE OFF IN MY HAND. AFTER COASTING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND REMOVING THE CONSOLE, I DISCOVERED IT SNAPPED IN HALF AT THE LOCATION OF THE RETENTION PIN.
AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN I PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. AFTER MAKING THE TURN AND GOING TO PUT THE CAR BACK IN GEAR THE SHIFTER BREAKS AT THE POINT WHERE THE PIN GOES IN ABOVE THE BALL. I DO NOT TRACK MY CAR NOR SHIFT HARD EVER. *TR
THE SHIFT LEVER COMPLETE BROKE OFF AND NO LONGER HAD ANY AFFECT ON ENGAGING ANY OF THE GEARS. I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND IT BROKE WHEN I TRIED TO ENGAGE 1ST GEAR OUT OF NEUTRAL. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO FEEL FOR THE SHIFT CABLE MECHANISM THROUGH THE LEATHER SHIFTER BOOT AND ENGAGE 3RD GEAR. LIMPED HOME IN 3RD. *TR
I HAVE A 2008 MAZDASPEED 3 WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON 9/9/2014, THE STEEL ROD THAT THE SHIFTER KNOB IS ATTACHED TO SHEARED OFF SUDDENLY WHILE I WAS SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND. THIS LEFT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND I HAD NO POWER SINCE I COULDN'T SHIFT INTO GEAR. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE I WAS TRAVELING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. LUCKILY, I AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT AND COASTED TO A STOP. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED HOME. THE STEEL SHAFT SEPARATED COMPLETELY IN TWO WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE BREAK OCCURRED RIGHT WHERE THE SHAFT HAS A HOLE DRILLED THROUGH IT FOR THE METAL PIN THAT LOCKS IT INTO THE LOWER PART OF THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY. I HAVE SAVED THE BROKEN PART AND I ALSO TOOK PHOTOS OF IT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS PART, WHICH IS CRITICAL TO THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THERE ARE OTHER REPORTS OF SIMILAR SHIFTER FAILURES FOR THIS YEAR/MODEL CAR ON INTERNET FORUMS. I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO A MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE VIA MAZDA'S CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE HOTLINE ON 9/9. I EMAILED THEM A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM AND SENT PHOTOS OF THE PART. I ALSO SHOWED THE PART TO MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP, LEE JOHNSON MAZDA IN KIRKLAND, WA AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE PART SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED IN THIS FASHION. I HAVE MADE REPEATED FOLLOW UP CALLS TO THE MAZDA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE HOTLINE AND ON 9/26 THEY HAVE INFORMED ME THAT MAZDA WILL NOT INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE AND IS NOT INTERESTED IN EXAMINING THE FAILED PART. THE CASE FILE NUMBER THEY GAVE ME IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
WHILE SHIFTING FROM 2ND GEAR TO 3RD GEAR, SHIFTER LEVER SHEARED, AND DETACHED, AT THE RETAINING PIN. *TR
STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT, I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT IN TO FIRST GEAR. WHILE SHIFTING, THE TRANSMISSION SELECT LEVER SHEERED AT THE INSERTION POINT TO THE TRANSMISSION AT THE RETENTION PIN. I WAS LEFT WITH A STICK SHIFT THAT WAS COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM THE CAR AND IMMOBILE. *TR
DEFECTIVE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION MOUNT. DRIVING HOME AT 45MPH I SUDDENLY FELT A HUGE THUNK AND THEN METAL POUNDING AGAINST METAL AS THE CAR ROLLED. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE OF A 2 LANE ROAD AND WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL TO PULL TO THE SIDE SAFELY ALL I COULD HEAR WAS A TERRIBLE THUMPING NOISE AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. I HAD TO STOP IN THE LEFT HAND TURN LANE BLOCKING A BUSY INTERSECTION. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED HOME I COULD FINALLY POP THE HOOD TO LOOK AT THE DAMAGE. THE #4 (DRIVER SIDE) ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION MOUNT HAD COMPLETELY FAILED, BREAKING THE REAR ENGINE MOUNT (#1) AND SEVERELY DAMAGING THE #3 (PASSENGER SIDE) ENGINE MOUNT. THE ONLY THING KEEPING THE ENGINE FROM FALLING TO THE GROUND WAS THE SEVERELY DAMAGED #3 MOUNT AND THE REST OF THE ENGINE HAD LANDED ON THE CHASSIS! PICTURE OF BROKEN ENGINE/TRANSMISSION MOUNT - HTTP://I.IMGUR.COM/MWTNUBD.JPG EXPLANATION OF REPAIRS AT MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP: "CUSTOMER STATES MOTOR MOUNT IS BROKEN, ENGINE HAS SHIFTED. CHECK AND ADVISE. TOW IN. VERIFIED CUSTOMER CONCERN, FOUND TRANSMISSION MOUNT HAS FAILED CAUSING ENGINE TO DROP AND BREAK LEFT AXLE. ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO ENGINE MOUNTS #3 AND #1. REPLACED LEFT FRONT AXLE. TRANSMISSION MOTOR MOUNT #3, AND #1. TEST DROVE VEHICLE, REPAIR VERIFIED" MAZDA HAS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE FOR ALL MAZDASPEED3S MANUFACTURED JUNE 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007. MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2007, 4 MONTHS AFTER THE RECALL EXPIRED... NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V295000. MAZDA RECALL NUMBER: 4607F. $1500 AND 2 WEEKS LATER I HAVE MY CAR BACK. I CALLED MAZDA USA AND FILED A COMPLAINT AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD DO NOTHING TO HELP. MAZDA KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE DEFECTIVE ENGINE MOUNTS IN MAZDASPEED3 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AFTER THEIR RECALL EXPIRED. THERE ARE MANY ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE WEB AND IN THE NHTSA DATABASE YET MAZDA HAS DONE NOTHING. MAZDA COMPLAINT NUMBER: 149448083. *TR
SHIFTED FROM 1ST TO SECOND GEAR, SHIFTER SNAPPED IN HALF. TOLD BE DEALER THAT REPLACEMENT SHIFTER IS ON "GALACTIC BACK ORDER." *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA, MAZDASPEED3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE, THE GEAR LEVER BECAME FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO A SAFE LOCATION WHERE A TEMPORARY REPAIR WAS PERFORMED BY THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART WAS ORDERED FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
WAS STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED, I WENT TO PUT THE CAR IN FIRST GEAR AND THE STICK SHIFT LEVER BROKE IN HALF. DISASSEMBLING THE SHIFTER CONSOLE FOR EXAMINATION, IT APPEARS THAT THE SHAFT HAS BROKEN CLEANLY IN HALF AT THE POINT WHERE IT IS DRILLED FOR THE REVERSE LOCKOUT PIN. *TR
AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, I HEARD A LOUD POP AND THEN A FLOPPING NOISE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND NOTICED THERE WAS OIL LEAKING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND WHITE SMOKE. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DESTROYED. AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REMOVED, THE REPAIR TECHNICIAN SHOWED ME THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH WAS LITERALLY BREAKING IN PIECES. HE SAID THAT I WOULD ALSO NEED A NEW CLUTCH ASSEMBLY AND FLYWHEEL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I DO NOT ABUSE THE CAR AND MAINTAIN IT WELL. I WASN'T EVEN SHIFTING GEARS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. JUST DRIVING ALONG IN 6TH GEAR. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS HAPPENED LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED (OF COURSE) AND MAZDA WOULD NOT HELP COVER ANY COSTS FOR THE REPAIRS. *TR
COMING UP TOWARDS A STOP SIGN ON PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL LIKE ALWAYS HIT BRAKES STOP AT THE STOP SIGH THEN ATTEMPT TO SHIFT TO 1ST AND THE SHIFTER JUST FALLS OUT. LUCKY FOR ME I WAS 2 STOP SIGNS FROM MY HOUSE SO I WAS ABLE TO PUT TAKE THE SHIFT BOOT OUT AND GET THE CAR INTO 2ND AND MAKE IT HOME. *TR
WHILE SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR MY SHIFT STALK FELL OFF IN MY HANDS. I HAD TO TURN MY EMERGENCY BLINKERS ON AND PULL OVER WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SHIFT GEARS. I WAS ABLE TO REACH BELOW THE SHIFT BOOT AND FEEL THE SHIFTING BASE MECHANISM TO MOVE THE CAR BACK IN TO GEAR ONCE OFF OF THE ROAD. I AM CURRENTLY UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR AS THE SHIFT CONTROL WILL NOT STAY IN PLACE. *TR
THE SHIFT LEVER BROKE OFF DURING A SHIFT WHILE DRIVING, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT GEARS AFTER THIS OCCURRED. THE FAULT SEEMS TO LIE IN THE DESIGN. THERE IS A HOLE IN THE LEVER TO ACCOMMODATE A PIN WHICH PREVENTS ACCIDENTAL SHIFTING IN REVERSE. HOWEVER THE HOLE IN THE LEVER IS A WEAK POINT AND IT IS EASY TO SEE HOW THE LEVER SHEARED OFF AT THAT POINT. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER DRIVERS VIA ONLINE MESSAGE BOARDS. CURRENTLY THERE IS NO RECALL. THIS FAILURE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. HOWEVER, THIS COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN A COLLISION. *TR
I GOT INTO MY CAR AND WENT TO PUT IT INTO REVERSE AND IT STUCK ALITTLE. USUALLY, I CAN MOVE IT SLIGHTLY AND IT WILL GO INTO GEAR BUT THIS TIME IT JUST SNAPPED AND FELL OVER INTO MY LAP. *TR
BROKEN SHIFT LEVER. COMING OFF OF FREEWAY, DOWNSHIFT TO THIRD AND IT SNAPPED. SHIFT LEVER BROKE AT A KNOWN STRESS POINT IN THE DESIGN. RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LEVER WHERE THE REVERSE LOCKOUT PIN IS LOCATED. THE MANUFACTURER IS CLAIMING THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. WHILE I DID HAVE IT REPLACED UNDER THE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY, OTHERS WHO ARE OUT OF THE STANDARD WARRANTY ARE BEING DENIED REPLACEMENTS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE STILL COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AS THIS IS A KNOWN FLAW AND COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS IN THE FUTURE. HAVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFTER BREAK OFF IN YOUR HAND WHILE DRIVING IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND DEMANDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. NOW, SEEING THAT YOU CAN'T OPERATE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE SHIFT LEVER, THAT SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY IT AS POWERTRAIN. LET'S BE LOGICAL HERE. *TR
I WENT TO SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR FROM A STOP (AT A RED LIGHT,) AND MY SHIFTER FELL OFF IN MY HAND. UPON DISASSEMBLING THE CENTER CONSOLE AT THE LIGHT, I FOUND THAT THE CAST-ALUMINUM SHIFTER ARM HAD BROKEN AT THE INSERTION POINT FOR THE RETENTION PIN. NOT ONLY AM I NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE, BUT IT HAPPENED TO ANOTHER PERSON TODAY (WHOM I'M FORWARDING TO THIS SITE.) MAZDA SAID IT'S NOT UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY AND BECAUSE I HAVE AN AFTERMARKET TRANSMISSION MOUNT AND A COLD-AIR INTAKE, THEY WON'T MAKE A GOODWILL ADJUSTMENT (IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT NEITHER OF THOSE THINGS WOULD BREAK IT....) THEY HAVE NO CONCERN OVER THE CLEAR SAFETY ISSUE, REFUSE TO DISCUSS OTHER INCIDENTS AND SPOKE TO ME AS IF THIS IS THE FIRST CAR I'VE OWNED AND MY TIME WOULD BE BETTER SPENT COLORING ON THE BUS. *TR
2008 MAZDA 3. CONSUMER STATES PERSISTENT CLUNKING NOISE FROM THE SUSPENSION AND TWO OF ENGINE MOUNTS ARE COMING LOOSE *TGW THE DEALER DETERMINED THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE REAR SHOCKS AND REPLACED THEM. THE NOISE, HOWEVER PERSISTED. THE CONSUMER DECIDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THEY DETERMINED THAT BOTH FRONT AXLES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE CV BOOT. THE CONSUMER THEN WENT BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE STRUTS MOUNTS, REAR SWAY BAR LINKS, BUSHINGS AND CLAMS ALL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB
MY COMPLAINT IS REGARDING MY 2008 MAZDASPEED3 WHICH HAS SMOKED FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED AT RED LIGHTS. THIS IS CONSISTENT AND MAKES BREATHING DIFFICULT WHILE WAITING AT STOP LIGHTS SINCE THE SMOKE GETS INTO THE CABIN DURING MOST BRIEF STOPS. THE ISSUE IS DOCUMENTED UNDER MAZDA TSB 0100410 JAN 10. THE ISSUE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE FACTORY WARRANTY; HOWEVER IT HAS NOT BEEN FIXED SINCE THE DEALER CLAIMS THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE SINCE IT WAS SMOKING AT THE DEALERSHIP AS I DROVE AWAY FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. *TR
A MOTOR MOUNT BROKE ON MY 2008 MAZDASPEED3 CAUSING THE NEED FOR REPLACEMENT ON THE FOLLOWING PARTS: TRANSMISSION TWO MOTOR MOUNTS BYPASS VALVE VEHICLE WIRING HARNESS DRIVERS SIDE AXLE MY DEALERSHIP TOOK PICTURES AND SENT THEM TO MAZDA. MAZDA SAYS THE VEHICLE WAS OVER DRIVEN AND THIS IS WHY THE MOUNT FAILED. THEY WILL NOT WARRANTY THE DAMAGES AND REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN THREE MONTHS OLD. THE DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE THAT WAS ABNORMAL. THERE WAS AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS LOOKED AT. THE MOTOR MOUNT FAILED BEFORE THIS APPOINTMENT. THIS COULD BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. I DON'T FEEL THAT PICTURES CAN DETERMINE THAT IT WAS NOT A DEFECT. ALSO, PEOPLE DROVE THE CAR BEFORE I DID AND THAT COULD CAUSE THE BELIEF OF BEING OVER DRIVEN. TEST DRIVES WITH CUSTOMERS WOULD BE WHAT I'M REFERRING TO. ALSO, WE DON'T KNOW HOW HARD THE SALES PEOPLE DROVE THE CAR EITHER. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE. SOME OF THOSE WERE WARRANTED. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Data on this page last refreshed .