Mazda BT-50 Problems

You shouldn’t be using Park as a brake, that’s not what it is intended for, and could damage the transmission. If you want to stop the vehicle change down through the ratios manually and apply the brakes. The problem is unlikely to be the wiring harness, it sounds like it’s deeper within the transmission. Have your dealer check it, or take it to an automatic transmission specialist.

It won’t be a gearbox fault, and it won’t be air in the fuel. It’s happening on first starts, so look for something that’s amiss with it during the cold start phase. It’s probably not getting the required enrichment. Check the engine sensors.

It’s unclear from the information you have given us just what the problem is, but I can make a guess that the belt is not tightening around you when you put it on. Whatever the problem take it to your Mazda dealer and have it checked, it could be a fault with the retractor; it could be a problem with the webbing.

You should be running a 5W-40 oil.

There was a recall in November 2017 to fix a problem with a gearshift cable retaining clip that could cause the cable to come in contact and be damaged by the prop shaft. The result was that you couldn’t change gears and could lose drive.

It’s certainly something that should be fixed under warranty, but it’s not something that would normally be the subject of a recall. Recalls are for issues of safety where there is a risk to life and limb.

It’s hard to believe there was no warning before the engine blew. The engine would not instantly overheat the moment the coolant was dumped and there would have been some signal to indicate all was not well. If Mazda are refusing to talk to you, you could take it to VCAT and make a claim.

While Australian-delivery Mazda BT 50 pick-ups are built in Rayong, Thailand, the platform is also made in South Africa for other markets.

Mazda has confirmed the current BT-50 generation will not be replaced until after 2020, though it has recently received a minor facelift update.