Mazda Problems

While its age could be of concern the kilometres are low, so that should give you some comfort going forward. There shouldn’t be any great concern about potential problems, ad long as it has been properly maintained, and you continue to service it as required.

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 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.

With so many different causes logged on the diagnostic check you would have to think it’s something like the ECU, but it’s a hard one to diagnose. You really need to have it happen when the mechanic is there to witness it.

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.

Intermittent problems are hard to fix because the mechanic really has nothing to go when everything is working. It could be an electrical connection, or a sensor. The only thing you can do is to persist and take it to the dealer when it happens again.

If you’d had your car serviced by the Mazda dealer you would have saved yourself the cost of the replacement alternator, and the inconvenience of trying to sort it out.

It appears to be a problem with the red. Contact Mazda on 1800 034 411.

Skipping oil changes is the worst possible thing to do, the oil will get thick and sludgy and the risk is that it will block the galleries in the engine, and in the worst case it could cause the engine to fail.