Tag Archives: 3

2010 and up Mazda 3 climate control knobs

No matter how great a car is, as enthusiasts we are always looking for a way to make our rides better and unique. After some thinking I came up with three classification of modifications one can perform on their cars.

The first classification are modifications we perform that may look good, but make the car worse (eg lowering your Mazda 3 without swapping out struts). The second classification, may look awful, but do offer some sort of sensible function (eg universal floor mats, mud flaps). Continue reading

Mazda3 (Axela) Sport 20S-SKYACTIV

The Mazda Axela, known as the Mazda3 in other markets, also made an appearance in Tokyo in January, sporting unique aero parts and custom BBS wheels.  Parts that have been modified on the Axela Sport 20S-SKYACTIV include the front air dam, side skirts, rear bumper, and roof spoiler. The interior is also unique to the show car, with a black leather upholstery and piano black-finished center console and instrument cluster hood. Continue reading

The Mazda 3 rust saga continues

I have written in previous posts about having your rust repaired under Mazda Canada extended rust coverage. Including what is covered and what is not covered by their coverage (just click on the category “corrosion warranty” for a list of posts).

My car was taken in by QEW Mazda and sent to their authorized collision center in Oakville, Ontario. After 2 weeks without a car (despite being told it would take 5 days to perform the repairs) and no rental provided by Mazda Canada I had my car returned without a properly fastened rear bumper and rust returning in the B-Pillar within 30 days of my car being returned to me.

I called the dealership about the rear bumper and the retiming rust and was told that I would have to wait until they had warranty labels issued to them by Mazda Canada.

This all took place in January 2011, today is July 23, 2011 and I have yet to hear back from QEW Mazda as to having the appropriate repairs performed on my car.

I will be sending an email to QEW Mazda asking for an explanation and will share the results of that.

Have you had any problems with rust repair with your Mazda 3?

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Where to find rust on your Mazda3 that may be covered by warranty.

Can you spot the bubbling paint on the top of the seam? Click to enlarge.

1. Rear Fenders

One of the first areas to check is where the end of the rear bumper meets the rear quarter panel at the rear wheel opening.  Its at this point where rust begins to form as bubbling paint.

Continue reading

PART 2: Mazda Canada Quietly Pulls Back on Warranty Coverage

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how Mazda Canada was quietly reducing the dollar amount it would pay for repairing corrosion on vehicles at qualified for their Corrosion Warranty Protection which was extended from 5 years unlimited kilometers to 6 years unlimited kilometers. It was initially reported to me that the amount would drop from $1500 down to $500 after November 5, 2010 by the service department of the Mazda dealership I originally purchased my car from. I won’t name the dealership, but i will say that it’s named after the Province I live in, whose capital is Toronto.

After several unanswered and unreturned calls to this dealership to have my car dropped off I became frustrated and contacted another dealership (QEW Mazda in Oakville), to look into get these repairs done. I stopped in unannounced and was treated well by its service department. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the service advisor had been to this site looking for a couple of carpet kits for the pair of 2010 Mazda3’s he and his wife drive.

I was then enlightened that the information I had received about Mazda Canada reducing the dollar amount of money it was covering was incorrect. That the likely story is that the dealership had performed some questionable warranty claims and that Mazda Canada was tightening their reigns.

To make a long story short, I was instructed by the friendly service advisor at QEW Mazda to drive over to an affiliated body shop to have pictures taken and paperwork processed for the claim to be sent to Mazda Canada. One week later I got the call that the warranty claim was approved.

In the next couple of weeks my 2005 Mazda 3 will be taken in for its repairs which should take about 5 days. The kicker is that Mazda Canada doesn’t provide for a rental car.

I’m going to put out another blog post with the areas on your car to look for rust in the next couple of days.