Problems with 2010 Mazda Mazda3 POWER TRAIN

For these incidents there was friends who was in my vehicle during and even witness these incidents happen while in the vehicle. on the way to work i tried to downshift on the sport mode like i usually do. but it continued to stay in 5, then all of sudden it jumped to 3 as i slow down a bit then all of sudden to 1 which made the car jerk a bit both times due to gear drop and cause the car to rev at a higher rpm. which almost cost an accident. this is happening quite often so i had to switch to normal drive mode( d) on another occasion the abs, traction control light would turn on after making a quick left or right turn but this happen only a few time, the only way to turn the lights off was to park somewhere safe and turn the car off and back on to remove the lights. now it's summer time an third problem has appear, for some random reason air conditioning system is going crazy and blowing hot air instead of cold air in the crazy texas summer heat, what's even more crazy is driver side blow extremely hot air and passenger side blow hot air but at a lower degrees. sometime even smelling a smoky burning plastic smell. i find it extremely unsafe for a car to have problems like shifting and causing the car to lag in shifting gear properly which cause to jerk in moving traffic which can cause a accident. to add even abs and traction control might have issues which scares me even more. now even hot air with maybe a burning plastic smell. car has always been check properly but these driving with these unsafe issues can cause accidents and even worst death if not check properly. most important feature in a car is it's ability to accelerate and stop properly, without those, it becomes a dangerous object on the road.

10+ incidents of sudden unintended acceleration since aug 2018. always at freeway speed of traffic, i.e. 70-75mph. occurs when intentionally decelerating (easing off the gas pedal and initiating braking). rpms jump to 7 or 8. acceleration immediately drops and steads after tapping/applying pressure to brakes. has been taken ralph thayer dealership 3 times -- aug2018, jan2019, feb2019. each time vehicle kept for a week but unable to duplicate issue. data recorder was installed in jan2019. despite a several minute long episode on feb 22, 2019 in which the car behaved erratically (buckling and jolting) and wouldn't accelerate more than 60 mph while the rpms were high (4-5) for several minutes, this was somehow not sensed by the data recorder. my own guess is an issue with the pcm or the automatic transmission control module. have suas affected transmission? seems to be a known issue yet the dealer/mazda reaction is perfunctory at best. no commitment to resolve. e.g. because my driving was limited while the recorder was in, i requested that it be left in for 3 months. mazda refused, stating that if it happens again (and it will), they'll reinstall the recorder. that a collision hasn't happened is just luck. a serious accident caused by this vehicle is imminent since these issues adversely affect the ability to control the vehicle. i also don't relish being my own crash test dummy. there is nothing they can do beyond a series of expensive parts replacements based on their guesses? i have some video and photos per their request, but note that attempting to photograph or video the dashboard while driving is an extra bullet in what already feels like russian roulette. i've attached a summary of events provided to mazda in january and the most recent mechanic's report. $800 suggested for guess-based tcm replacement, $240 inconclusive tests, no loaner provided.

When vehicle is in park, the shift lever gets stuck and does not shift out of 'park'.

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 mazda 3. while driving approximately 40 mph, the transmission failed. the contact stated that the vehicle jerked and began to switch gears involuntarily. the contact stopped the vehicle and opened the hood latch. aaa was contacted and towed the vehicle to the contact's residence. aaa diagnosed that the motor mount may have fractured within the vehicle. jim ellis mazda atlanta (5855 peachtree blvd, atlanta, georgia 30341, (888) 814-7086) was made aware of the failure and requested that the vehicle be brought in for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the recall. the failure mileage was approximately 280,000.

After turning on the car and shifting it into drive, the car accelerated at about 20 mph without a foot on the gas.

I was driving and felt the car down shift on the highway, at light came on and some sort of traction control light came on. rpm would go crazy sometimes while this happened. when i got home and put it on park it shifted really hard tried to put it on drive and shifted hard. as well so i let it be. i heard about this happening to other mazdas as well please investigate this supposedly its a issue with the transmission control module.

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 mazda 3. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle jerked forward and an unknown warning indicator illuminated. as a result, the driver sustained whiplash that required medical attention. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Clutch needs replacement as per mazda service department. car is 6 years old and has 53000 aprox. i have read blogs about this being a common problem for certain mazdas between 2009 -2012.

Steering wheel, at any speed, moves slightly from side to side causing it to be crooked. alignments and balancing has not solved the problem. the wheel is loose in steering and increasingly scary since it is slightly crooked and can be very hard to keep the car from over steering even when driving straight on a perfectly paved road. i'm afraid the steering pump is corroding. please investigate as newer models and mazda in japan had a major recall for this very issue. please do a us recall as it's definitely a safety issue and very unpredictable especially on curvy or bumpy roads. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 mazda 3. while driving approximately 70 mph, the service transmission indicator illuminated and the vehicle suddenly failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the traction control module failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 110,000.

Drove 80 miles to destination on freeway using cruise control. car accelerated above cruise setting on downhill - did not engine brake to hold speed. when pulling into destination hotel parking spot and with right foot on brake, engine revved dramatically. applied both feet to break. automatic transmission. changed gears to n, r & p, but engine continued to rev. turned engine off. smoke generated from engine entered cabin. did not use car until next day. returning home next day used cruise control and exited freeway for break. slowing down for stop light with car ahead and foot on brake when engine revved again as before. shifted car into neutral and turned off car then back on. drove car to dealer on way home without another incident. this dealer is where we purchased the care and all work except tires/alignment and battery occurred. they examined and inspected the car and kept it for the next 10 days logging 200 miles without a recurrence of the unintended acceleration. *tr

I was driving down the road all the sudden my car stopped and would not engage. apparently my clutch just randomly went out. i have to completely replace the entire thing $1000. mazda said its a normal wear and tear at 67000 miles we should not be doing a complete replacement of the clutch. it should not just randomly go out without any warning. *tr

Clutch failure while driving resulting in difficulty steering and loss of control of the vehicle. as the care had a low mileage and is new you are not expecting this kind of problem. need to investigate why these clutches are failing, specifically in the 2010 model. *tr

2010 mazda 3. consumer writes in regards to vehicle tires, softness of the brake and resurfacing rotors. *smd the consumer stated a visual inspection revealed the transmission fluid needed to be replaced, the tires were wearing unevenly, and the vehicle pulled to the left. also, the battery was replaced.

Was driving on highway and rpm started to rev up, couldn't switch gears and clutch gave out from underneath me. luckily was able to roll off the highway when i noticed the problem. of course one problem leads to another battery then died at the shop, had to replace as well, this comes not even a month after the rotors for brakes hit the fan. this has got to be one of the most problematic cars i have seen. a clutch dying less then 3 years is very strange and has happened to others as well with this model. *tr

Have had a situation occur about a dozen times since i purchased new in july 2010 with 93 miles - now at ~35500 miles. when coming to a stop on a cold engine that has only been running about 2-3 minutes, clutch pushed in to shift out of gear and brakes applied engine will rev to ~2500 rpm and it will stay there for about 3-4 seconds. first few times it happened i figured i hit the gas as well as the brake, after that i began to check my foot position on occurrence and my foot was nowhere near the accelerator. this has not caused any problems with a car accelerating on its own as it typically occurs as i am pushing the clutch in to come to a stop. only happens when the engine is still cold (generally the first stop of the day) and is very random when it occurs. have not brought to attention of dealership as there are no common factors to be able to reproduce the problem. upon notice of other complaints for this issue i wanted to add my own experience. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 mazda mazda3. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the driver noticed a burning odor in the vehicle. additionally, the contact heard a clicking sound when driving at slow speeds. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the clutch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

Clutch gave out at 33,000 miles. that is absurd. mazda claims its under their "wear and tear" but this is not a new problem for a lot of people. premature clutch failure should have been a recall on mazda 3's back in 2011. *tr

Clutches are supposed to be bullet proof. being one of the main parts of the car and necessary to it's basic function, clutches should be included in the 5 year/60,000 miles warranty. but they're not. the clutch on the 2010 mazda3 is only covered for 7500 miles. that's suspicious in and of itself. so here's my story, my clutch gave out after 50,000 miles. no warning or anything. the mechanic i took it to said in the 32 years he's been fixing clutches, he's never seen anything so horrific. he had to have metal fabricators come in and make parts because some of the surrounding equipment was so warped. mazda claims no responsibility for their faulty product. i've read stories online where people report their clutch blowing out at 14,000 miles. edmunds.com, a leader in car resources rates the clutch problem on this specific car at a 9.7/10. it's a faulty part in a car and mazda will not even consider it to be an actual thing. it's not right at all. *tr

I brought my car into an authorized mazda dealer for an oil change and mentioned that i noticed a slight slipping in the clutch. i was later informed by the dealer that even though i had just 33,000 highway miles, the entire clutch assembly needed to be replaced. even though i was still within the warranty period, they told me that it would not be covered. i complained to mazda customer care and got no where. the most frustrating part is that after the dealer completed the repair, they told me that the clutch showed no signs of abuse and that in their professional opinion, this was a premature failure of the clutch. even with this information, mazda itself still would not cover the repair. *tr

At around 24,000 miles i experienced a partial clutch failure (couldn't shift out of gear) that went away after pumping the clutch petal. i asked the dealership about this and was told not to worry about it, and that it was probably due to clutch freezing up in the cold. at around 30,000 miles the car started shaking whenever i engaged/disengaged the clutch. in order to get the clutch to engage at all i had to let off the clutch petal much slower than usual. i took the car to the original dealership it was purchased at and was told the friction disc was worn out, and that this was a wear and tear item and therefore not under warranty. in addition, they said that the pilot bearing had failed. after getting these items replaced a loud creaking noise occurs whenever engaging/disengaging the clutch or accelerator pedals. the issue is still not resolved. *tr

The vehicle broke the clutch. *tr

The clutch on my manual transmission 2010 mazda3 suddenly stopped operating properly. it grinds gears and does not change gears when i shift. i drove the vehicle in to a mazda dealer on saturday, with a week left on my warranty. on monday, they called to tell me that their technician could not even drive my car as there was no clutch pad! i wondered how i could drive the car to them, but once it was in their possession, it was suddenly undriveable. i am now being forced to pay $1100 to replace the clutch, because they say my warranty does not cover normal wear and tear. i asked how a completely disintegrated clutch pad is "normal wear and tear" on a vehicle which has only been driven 16k miles! this could have been dangerous had it failed completely while driving! i filed a claim with the better business bureau. i also called the mazda corporate office for assistance, where i was told i could simply voice a complaint. "tom" refused to allow me to speak with a supervisor or anyone higher than himself (he was just a call-center employee). he offered to call the dealership and ask them to provide me with a discount. when i spoke to the dealer today, they said tom did call them, but never asked for any discounts! all he did was explain that mazda has not recalled the clutch, so my warranty would not cover the necessary replacement. mazda sold me a sub-par vehicle, and now they lied about their way of handling the error. i looked online and have found several complaints on the same vehicle claiming the exact same problems on a low-mileage clutch. this clearly is a manufacturing defect, not driver error. it should be recalled as the problem is so common in this exact make and model with such low miles. $1100 later and i get a new shoddy clutch which i will have to replace in another 16k miles. disappointed and will never own another mazda again if this is not resolved. *tr

Similar to complaints i have seen from other owners of this car, clutch unexpectedly gave out around 30,000 miles. driver was proficient in manual transmission and incidents would suggest a clutch problem until clutch failed and car could not accelerate on highway.

I have had my 2010 mazda 3s since june of 2010 when i bought it new. i drive to and from work every day. i have 26,000 miles on it, 75% of which are highway miles. i was driving to work last week, and noticed something with the car felt off. every day of the week it got worse and worse, so i finally brought it to my mechanic who told me, as i suspected, that the clutch was slipping and nearing the end of its life. i have yet to replace the brake pads on this car, and to get told that the clutch is gone before i even replace normal maintenance items is just flat out unacceptable. i have had two previous cars with manual transmissions, and never replaced a clutch, even when they had close to 100,000 miles on them. my mechanic suggested before i do anything, to look on forums and see if anyone else has been having similar problems with premature clutch wear. i have spent my whole weekend on mazda and edmunds forums reading about countless people with my model year, 2010, who have had clutches go before 35,000 miles. this is not a one-off case, and it is certainly not a "wear and tear" issue as the dealership says it is. that's their blanket cover-their-[xxx]statement because they know they put out a poor product and don't want to deal with the costs incurred with replacing them. i have no faith anymore in my local dealership, or mazda as a brand at this point. with the significant number of similar issues to mine, the fact that they are still unwilling to admit that they chose an inferior supplier to cut costs for one of the most crucial parts of the car, that isn't covered under warranty, is just piss poor business practice. i don't know what writing this will do, if anything, but i decided that i am done being [xxx] around by the dealer and hopefully this is followed by other mazda owners who share the distaste for their product and service as i do. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).*tr

At less than 24,000 miles, my clutch has begun to slip terribly and creates a terrible burning smell. i know there are hundreds of other mazda owners who have also had to replace their clutches before they've had to replace brake pads. this is a drain on consumers, and a safety issue to boot. *tr

I purchased a 2010 mazda 3 as a demo on july 30, 2011 with 4100 miles on it. i now have 8500 miles on it and the clutch has failed. after taking it to the local mazda dealership, i was told it was a normal wear produce and it had been abused so i had to pay for the repair. when i bought the car it had a high release in the clutch pedal but i figured it was normal for the car. since early november, the "intake manifold runner" has been extremely sensitive to the point that i cannot maintain speed up a slight incline without the engine revving up. i was told when i took the car to the dealership this was due to a clutch failure. i don't believe it is acceptable for a clutch to go out after just 8500 miles of driving. my previous vehicle went over 100,000 miles of my same driving and manual transmission without any clutch issues. i am not happy with mazda, mazda parts, and mazda's customer assistance on this issue. *tr

Clutch failed at 19.5k miles. ive only had her since november, and with the way i drive theres no way in hell the clutch should go out this soon... now as to explain as to what happened, i was driving on the highway when my engine started reving a bit oddly when i barely pressed on the gas pedal. it went from the normal 2900 rpm in 6th gear at about 65 mph and shot up to 3500 way to quickly then dropped back to 2900 and slowly rose how it shouldve to get me to 70mph...it continued doing this when i got off the highway for about 15 minutes, growing steadily worse until i was unable to get into any gear at all. there was never a smell of clutch inside the car the entire time, no odd noises, no grinding, and the clutch was about half as stiff as it normally was. so i called dealer, they towed my car(course it took forever because they sent the truck to the wrong location haha). it took 2 days before they even got to glance at the car to see what needed to be done(not take apart mind u, just looked), and said the clutch was "smoked" no other specifics but wanted me to authorize them for 525 worth of labor plus parts -_-. so now im stuck fighting them to repair this under warranty(i know theres usually not a warranty unless manufacturers defect..but this is definitely defective). information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *tt

Clutch malfunction says it's not defective which is it because the car only has 19,000 miles. *tr

I have a 2010 mazda 3 spor with 41,000 miles and the clutch totally went. clutch , flywheel had to be replaced for $1800 dollars. mazda refused to admit any defect. *tr

I purchased my 2010 mazda 3 in august 2009. in december 2010, i was driving home from work and stopped at a red light. when the light turned green, i engaged the clutch and i felt a pop under my foot and the clutch became stuck. when it finally came back up it vibrated and jerked itself before going back to starting position. i put the car in first gear and attempted to accelerate. the car accelerated but the vehicle did not move. to see if the clutch was catching, i put the car in first gear and took my foot off the clutch without giving it gas. the car did not turn off as it normally would if i did not give it gas while in first gear. the clutch failed without warning at 20,100 miles. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and i was advised that the entire clutch needed to be replaced and i might have to replace the flywheel. i was advised the clutch was considered a wear item and could not be replaced under warranty. however, due to the sudden and premature nature of the failure, i am speaking with mazda in an attempt to have the vehicle fixed under warranty. *tr

At 5000 miles clutch started to make squeaking sound and vibration when engaging. *tr

Many times but sporadically over the last two years my mazda 3, when coming to a stop and foot firmly on the brake will have a sudden surge in rpm between 1200-2500 rpm and try to accelerate. seems to happen most often first thing in the morning more often. because i am constantly ready there has been no crash, though the time rpms reached 2500 i had difficulty stopping the car, on a freeway on ramp where sudden deceleration was needed. i have found that one pump of the break alleviates the problem if there is room to do so. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 mazda mazda3. while driving approximately 60 mph, the contact engaged the clutch and felt an unusual pop under her foot. she stated that the vehicle exhibited an abnormal increase in engine rpms as if she were attempting to drive while in neutral. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the dealer advised her that the entire clutch would need replacing. the vehicle was repaired. she then contacted the manufacturer and was advised that the clutch was not under warranty and would provide no further assistance. the vehicle was not under recall. the failure mileage was 33,000 and the current mileage was 35,000.

2011 mazda speed3. new off the lot and clutch fails in 30 miles...same day! after "repair", clutch again fails next day, ~120 miles. 2 clutch failures in 2 days of use, ~150 miles. failed while driving. dealer/mazda claim "wear" item...our fault! fighting via lemon law and mechantability. *tr