Mazda 3 2008 Problems

Maintain the rage at your dealership, this issue is clearly a dangerous one and needs to be fixed. If the dealer is showing no signs of being interested in fixing it go direct to Mazda and demand their intervention in sorting the problem out. I would expect Mazda to fix your car without charge given that you have reported and had the dealer check it while it was under warranty.

I don't think you have a claim against Mazda at all; they rejected your claims because you hadn't followed the recommended servicing schedule and the DPF wasn't reset. They have every right to reject your claim when the filter became clogged. The sales people were not to know you would be doing some of the servicing yourself when they sold you the car, the service people had no knowledge of what you were doing, the parts people who sold you the oils and filters didn't know and couldn't be expected to know, so I don't believe you could blame anyone else for having a problem.

Our LPG industry specialist says there is no reason that the normal Mazda scheduled maintenance of your car can't be carried out by a regular dealership mechanic. The only time an accredited LPG technician is required is when the high-pressure side of the gas system is to be opened for some reason. The dealer's behaviour is strange given that they are normally quite happy to sublet the LPG work to an accredited LPG business. Your vehicle would have been fitted with an AAFRB compliance plate when the system was installed, and the very presence of that plate is confirmation that the system on your car has been approved. If you are concerned about its approval check for the plate or you could contact the AAFRB at http://  www.aafrb.com.au to seek advice.

It's obviously concerning you, so you should get it resolved. I would suspect that the dealer has driven around the block and when it hasn't happened he's declared it checked out. Dealers today aren't really equipped to investigate problems and resolve them, if it doesn't show up on their diagnostic equipment or happen all the time they're stumped. You could try an independent mechanic who specializes in Mazdas, or if you prefer to stick with your dealer sit down with him and find out what action they already taken to find the problem and then map out a plan of attack to fix it going forward.

We haven't had any other similar reports here at Cars Guide, but there is clearly a problem with your car and I would urge you to take it back to your dealer to get sorted out.

Take the hint and get an independent report from a paint specialist to support your case for compensation. Graeme Cuthbert (0422 444335) is a recognized expert in the field and might be able to help.

Road noise is a common issue on the Mazda 3 hatchback; it's not such an issue on the sedan. Changing tyres won't make a big difference; the problem is in the body, which is transmitting noise into the interior. Apply sound-deadening material to the floor and on the inside surfaces of the wheel arches. There's not much else you can do.

DESPITE the car being out of warranty, Mazda should have come to the party with at least part of the cost of repair. Covering part of the repair cost is fairly standard in the industry on failures that really shouldn't occur, such as a broken engine mount, which is a potential safety hazard and should be taken seriously by any carmaker.

IT'S certainly an option. If you bought a two or three-year-old Falcon for $15,000 and installed a gas-injection system you would have $19,000 or so invested in it, against the cost of the Corolla or Mazda. The cost of running the Falcon on gas would be a little less than the cost of running the small car so I would believe you would be in front. Think also of buying a used E-Gas Falcon, which might be an even better bet.