Problems with 2008 Mazda Mazda3 STEERING

Power steering goes in and out while driving

Loss of steering, immediately fixed itself but with steering wheel light on dash. vehicle in motion. loss of ability to steer vehicle. vehicle was in motion.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda 3. while driving 5 mph, the power steering warning indicator illuminated and the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the contact stated that the vehicle exhibited the same symptoms as listed in nhtsa campaign number: 10v374000 (steering). the vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified and stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

While driving the speed goes up and down on its own the automatic transmission of my 2008 mazda 3 shifts down from the 5th to the 3rd gear. this causes the car to jerk violently and the controls to illuminate including check engine, no traction and at. my mechanic could not find a cause of this, and he serviced the transmission by changing the filter and transmission fluid but the problem persists. one mechanic said it is the speed sensor another the transmissions computer i have spend about 1,800 and i still have the same problems. it is very scary for my kids and myself while driving and i can't afford to get another car. what is the problems with mazda with my car? can someone please help?! also all the electrical stop working about two years ago, another thing is the steering wheels problems when making a turn it really time forever and it is really slow and heavy.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda 3. the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to start. after a few attempts, the vehicle started, but there was no power steering. the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence very slowly. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired in 2010 by star mazda in glendale, california for the same failure per an unknown recall issued by the manufacturer. the vehicle was not repaired this time and the dealer was not contacted again. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

Lost all power while driving and turning. abs, brake , ps , battery lights on dash illuminated, car looses steering and then the engine dies. battery discharged as per load test.alternator tests fine. happened two times after the power steering manufacturer recall was performed to remedy the same issue.

Aeveral recalls for 2008 mazda3..... however my vin isnt assosiated with any and i have all the problema. power steerings unit stripped2 or the 3 bolts holes ans fell down from cracked engine mounts slight rattling..... stationary and moving. idle is at 500-1,000 rpms very odd feeling. random body damage and entire of bottom engine rusty.... paint rusts as well. just bought the car on finance and really need some help

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda 3. while having the vehicle serviced for nhtsa campaign number: 10v374000 (steering), the dealer did not repair the vehicle as written in the recall. the recall stated that dealers would replace the power steering pump and lines free of charge. the dealer reportedly stated that they would replace the power steering reservoir and lines, and that replacing the power steering pump would be at the owner's expense. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and discrepancy. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda 3. while driving various speeds, the steering seized without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 10v374000 (steering), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 118,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda mazda3. the contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the vehicle stalled. the contact was able to restart the vehicle however, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle started to sputter. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed where it was diagnosed that the oxygen sensor was seized into the catalytic converter and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact also stated that the steering had excessive movement, while driving. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 79,352.

Steering wheel locked up on the highway as i was curving to the right. caused my car to veer off the road and ran along a rail until the i braked the car. i could not turn the steering wheel and that caused the accident. last year i had the mazda serviced which they had fixed the recall supposedly. but this is the second time that this happened. i may not be lucky the next time.

On about july 16, 2015 the power steering failed making it extremely difficulty to steer vehicle. i called mazda dealer to explain failure and asked if they would repair under recall. they said mazda would only honor recall repair once. i do not believe mazda repaired the issue. i would expect them to provide a fix that prevents this failure from reoccurring. note: on 1/27/2011 i had taken vehicle in after receiving recall notice regarding power steering. vehicle power steering was repaired by byers mazda in columbus ohio and road tested to confirm repairs.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda 3. while driving approximately 65 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 10v374000 (steering). the dealer diagnosed that the power steering pump and fluid lines failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 78,000. updated 09/09/15*lj the consumer stated the problem was resolved. the manufacturer paid for the parts and the consumer paid for the repair. updated 12/10/15*js

Tl* the contact owned a 2008 mazda 3. while driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle started to veer to the right causing the contact to crash into a fence and the mile marker. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to an impound lot. a police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda 3. while driving 60 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the contact had to apply excessive force to the steering wheel in order to turn the vehicle. the power steering warning light illuminated. the vehicle was towed to a dealer. the technician diagnosed that the power steering module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl * the contact owns a 2008 mazda3. while driving 65 mph, the steering wheel suddenly seized. the contact depressed the brake pedal, but the brakes failed to respond. the vehicle spun and crashed into a guard rail. the contact was transported to the emergency room by ambulance and was treated for bruising, whiplash, acute neck, back, shoulder, and leg traumas. the manufacturer was notified and stated that the vehicle was previously repaired according to nhtsa campaign number: 10v374000 (steering). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown.

In the past month the radio, lights, the cluster, all shut down and restart as driving. last night as driving on telegraph rd, 45 mph, the power steering suddenly stopped working, i could not control the car, and another vehicle behind me almost hit me, as i was switching in neutral, and back in drive. all of the sudden regain control and was able to turn right into a parking lot. i remember having this issue back in jan. of 2011, and there was a recall for it, that i have had fixed. the pattern is that i bought the vehicle in 2008, 3 years later - in 2011 the recall took care of the defective part, and now, 3 years after the replacement the same issue arise. this is very dangerous, can cause accidents, as is happens as driving unexpectedly. *tr

This is not directly related to the power steering pump recall issue. the recall work has been performed on this vehicle by the dealer. i am writing to complain about a bigger issue regarding "design negligence" by mazda as it relates to the placement of the power steering pump on this 2008-3. you see, the pump (an itegral part of the steering and vehicle safety control system) is mounted outside the car's frame, just forward of the passenger front tire. it is basically just behind the passenger headlight/foglight/bumper/quarter panel assembly. this location makes it very susceptible to damage in even minor accidents, rendering the vehicle uncontrollable and unsafe in the very instant where control and maneuverability may keep others from being injured or killed. what brought this to my attention was when a deer recently ran into this very location and rendered the vehicle uncontrollable and therefore undrivable. my daughter (who sustained a concussion) was driving the car at the time and was very shocked and surprised that even though the car was technically drivable (minus quarter panel, leadlight/foglight and part of the bumper cover) she could not physically steer the car. in addition, the officer writing up the accident report tried to maneuver the car off of the road to a safer location and was also unable to physically steer the car. there was nothing obstructing the turning of the wheel in either direction. i would hate to think what might have happened if this accident occurred at a higher speed and on a busier roadway or highway. this type of public health safety and welfare issue needs to be investigated and prosecuted. car manufacturers need to be made to locate critical safety, handling, and manueverability components/equipment in places afforded some reasonable measure of protection and survivability in minor traffic accidents. *tr

My steering is tight unavailable to drive. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda mazda3. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number: 10v374000 (steering:electric power assist system) and was repaired. after the recall repair while driving approximately 5 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the power steering warning light also illuminated on the instrument panel. in addition, the interior and exterior lighting failed. the failure recurred intermittently while driving at various speeds. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 82,000.

At approximately 55 miles an hour the in-tire pressure monitoring system's rim attaching nut corroded off of the valve stem on the tire. tire pressure dropped immediately and had to stop and pull off the road. the valve stem fell into the tire once pulled over and inspected. all 4 tires all corroded evenly and need to have the stems and nuts replaced. i've opted for a rubber valve stem whilst submitting complaints. i still have not had the 3 other tires fixed. replacement non-aluminum tpms are 35-50 a piece + installation. 1. cheap nuts that crack and fall off tire stems. 2. aluminum stems that corrode completely removing the threads. 3. high speed crash hazard. *tr

While driving approx 75 mph on a highway, my power steering suddenly failed, and simultaneously my brakes failed (felt like they locked up, as they became extremely difficult to push pedal). i had to shift suddenly in to neutral in order to reduce my speed and pull safely to the shoulder. this same incident also occurred on 8/10/2012. *tr

Sudden loss of power steering while traveling at moderate speed. upon sudden loss of power steering the car pulled heavily to the right causing me to nearly hit a large tree on this very narrow road. *tr

I started the car, put it in reverse and began backing out. as the car began to move the steering felt sluggish like the power steering was not working. the condition lasted a few seconds then cleared up. that happened twice more as i was backing out. whenever the steering became sluggish some of the warning lights turned on (low tire, abs, brake, oil, etc). they turned off whenever the steering returned to normal. the condition seemed to clear itself so i put the car in drive and went a few hundred feet. the sluggish steering and flashing warning lights began again. i stopped the car, left the engine running and checked the tires, power steering belt, and power steering fluid level. all were ok. at this point i shut off the engine and removed the key. the speedometer and tachometer needles oscillated wildly from end to end for several seconds. the warning lights were also on. after waiting for the instrumentation to settle to the normal off state, i inserted the key and attempted to start the vehicle. there was no electrical power whatever, like the battery had been removed. i removed the key waited 15 seconds and attempted to start the engine again. that time the car started as expected. i drove the car slowly for a few minutes and there was no recurrence of the problem. the car has been driven several hundred miles since then with no recurrence of the steering issue or flashing warning lights.

Vehicle was traveling in left lane on interstate and suddenly turned into concrete divider. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda mazda3. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact experienced a loss of electronic power steering assist and as a result, crashed into a curb. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostics where the technicians advised the contact of nhtsa campaign id number: 10v374000 (steering:electric power assist system), which the vehicle was included. the technician agreed to repair the vehicle under the recall but would not cover the repairs for the damage to the wheel due to the crash. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 25,000.

I was driving my 2008 mazda 3 on i-75 on 3/22/2011 when i suddenly lost the power steering and the car became impossible to steer. i continued drifting to the right uncontrollably, struck a road sign, and ultimately ended up in a ditch. this all occurred 12 days after i took the car to the mazda dealership to replace the recalled power steering pump. i don't understand how this can happen only 12 days after the power steering pump and pump line were replaced. i wonder if the pump had indeed been replaced or if a new pump was installed correctly. or maybe the new pump is just as defective as the old pump!!! it will cost $8,000-$10,000 to repair the damage and i am now responsible for the $1,000 insurance deductible. the only good news is that the side impact and head airbags were deployed and that i was not injured badly. i feel that mazda should be held responsible and should be ashamed of how they have handled this recall. i have read many of the complaints on this site and others and there is no question in my mind that this accident was caused by the failure of the power steering system. *tr

2008 mazda 3. consumer writes in regards to recall on vehicle for the power steering. consumer states he has tried to obtain repair but has been unsuccessful*tgw the consumer stated both dealers informed him they would have to order the part, but he never heard back from one dealer and it took over a month for the other dealer to contact him. *jb

My car was included in a mazda recall of the power steering system. since the repair was completed my steering has performed in an erratic, unpredictable and sometimes dangerous manner. in three trips to the dealer the car performed normally and because no fault codes were generated, no repairs were performed. however this does not negate the fact that the steering is failing and that my safety is being compromised.

I have a 2008 mazda 3 with power steering issues. i did get the recall repair fixed in oct 2010 but the same issue occurred again this week (jan 19th 2011). i took the vehicle to the dealership and they tell me that it is the electrical part of the recalled pump and not part of the recall. they refused to repair it or show me other cases like this that where taken care of but not mine. i have reviewed close to 1000 complaints and issues where mazda paid for a loaner car and made car payments until this issue was fixed. i am not wiling to pay $920 for an issue that should be covered 100% by the dealer with this recall. this is very dangerous and i am willing to go to the next step to make sure justice is taken care of before a death happens (more deaths) from the lack of responsibility of mazda. *tr

I was advised of a recall for a potential power steering (#6010h) in september of 2010. unless you already had the symptoms, they advised to do nothing until a second notice was sent, as parts were in short supply. it would seem 4+ months would be more than adequate time to secure the parts. i drive on windy 2 lane mountainous roads every workday; failure of power steering assist on these roads could be deadly. why is it taking mazda so long to correct this problem?

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda mazda3. the contact was driving approximately 60 mph when the steering wheel became abnormally stiff causing the contact limited ability to steer the vehicle. the contact was unable to maneuver the vehicle and was involved in a crash. a police report was available. the contact was not injured. the vehicle was towed to the contacts residence and was not diagnosed for the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages was 33,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda mazda3. the contact was driving approximately 32 mph when she attempted to avoid an animal. the contact steered to the left but the vehicle instead violently veered to the left causing her to crash into an embankment. the vehicle proceeded to roll over once crashing and the air bags did not deploy. the contact sustained head injuries as a result. a police report was available. the vehicle was destroyed. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

Power steering failed on 2008 mazda 3 causing a crash. mazda has acknowledged the problem on the vehicle in it's letter to mazda 3 owners but stated it had no parts to repair the defect. while still waiting for an official recall notice from mazda, the power steering on our car failed on a busy city street causing the driver loose control of the vehicle which resulted in a crash. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda, mazda3. while the contact was driving approximately 25-30 mph in the process of making a left turn, an unexpected loss of power steering occurred without warning. the vehicle was driven to the residence cautiously with excessive force applied to the steering wheel. the vehicle was in the process of being taken to a dealer for diagnosis. a recall notification was received the same day of the power steering failure. the recall was associated with nhtsa campaign id number 10v374000 (steering: electric power assist system). the contact stated the experienced failure could have been avoided if the recall notification was not mailed in different phases as specified in the recall due to the lack of parts. there was significant concern of a safety hazard. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda mazda3. the vehicle was included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 10v374000 (steering:electric power assist system). the contact was told by the dealer that the parts necessary to complete the remedy were on short supply. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact also stated that the parts had been on short supply for approximately five months, prevented the vehicle from being repaired. the failure and current mileage was unavailable.

On 9/15/10 my daughter was driving her '08 mazda3 in nj on int. 78 when her power steering failed and she lost the ability to steer the car.. the car had to be towed 40 mi. to our mechanic where the mechanic discovered and informed us of the recall. she has not been notified by mazda of this significant threat to her safety. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda mazda3. the contact received a recall notice associated with nhtsa campaign id number 10v374000 (steering:electric power assist system). an authorized dealer was notified and the contact was informed that they were waiting on the necessary parts to arrive before performing the repair. approximately one year later, the contact was still being informed that the parts were not available. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was unavailable.

My daughter was about to pull out from a parking space in a shopping center when she noticed the steering wheel would not turn for her. i looked at the dash and a light with a steering-wheel and explanation point was showing. i told her to put the car in park, shut it off and then start it up again. she did and the warning light was still was there and no power-steering. she tried this a couple of times. it was then i called my husband and explained the situation. he called the dealer who told us to bring it right in. after a couple of minutes with it off and switching places, i started it and it was still not working. i had to drive it several miles with no power to the steering-wheel. wow! talk about taking a step back in time. my daughter could see me struggle to turn the steering-wheel. when i pulled in the driveway the power came back on out of the blue! this is a vehicle i now no longer trust for safety especially at high speeds. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda mazda3. the contact stated while driving 50 mph, the power steering failed without warning causing the contact to crash into a guard rail. the air bags deployed. the contact sustained injuries to the back, neck and right arm and was transported to the hospital via ambulance. a police report was available. the contact was able to locate a recall for the failure (nhtsa campaign id number: 10v374000-steering: electric power assist system) yet the recall was not scheduled to begin until september 15, 2010. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 18,000.

I have a 2008 mazda 3. i bought it in 2009 and immediately started having problems with the steering. i heard a loud pop and the steering light came on. the steering wheel was hard to turn so i turned the car off and then turned it back on but the light was still on ,so i turned the car off and on several times until the light went off ,then i drove it to the dealership and told them the problem . they told me that mazda does that from time to time to just turn the car off and back on again.i have been having this problem since i bought this car. august 17,2010 was the worst it happen five times while i parked with the engine running waiting on my girls to get out of school. this is very frustrating and something to be done before an accident occurs. *tr

Power steering light on dash came on then loss of power steering leading to heavy steering. according to owners manual, we were advised to turn off the engine, then back on. even then, the light came on again and i lost power steering again, leading to very heavy steering. after those two incidents the power steering seems to be working ok. there is plenty of power steering fluid in the reservoir. i called mazda dealership and explained the issue in detail and was told there is no problem, especially because the light is now off and normal steering resumed - he advised there is no need to bring in the car. this is a safety hazard, especially for someone like my wife who lacks upper body strength. the effort required to turn the wheel without power steering is a lot, even for a man like me. slow speed steering is almost impossible without power steering. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 mazda 3. the contact stated that after receiving two recall notices in regards to nhtsa campaign id number 10v374000(steering:electric power assist system). since august of last year she tried to contact the dealer and schedule an appointment, but they continued to advise her that the parts were unavailable. the vehicle was not repaired nor had the manufacturer been contacted. the failure mileage was unknown. updated 06/01/11*lj updated 06/13/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda mazda3. the contact was driving 30 mph and applying the brakes to attempt a u-turn when the power steering warning light illuminated and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to steer. he shut off the engine and when restarting, the power steering was operating as normal. the following day, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer replaced the power steering pump and steering lines under the contacts warranty. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 26,583.

2008 mazda 3 approx 28k miles. after a few minutes of slow moving traffic on a hot day - power steering failed, with warning light on. looking into this problem on this vehicle - this is a wide spread problem of mazda vehicles of steering failures in hotter operating conditions. this information is easily seen with a simple internet search. we have an appointment to look into this - but it was funny that there was no acknowledging of a known problem during the initial call. *tr

I had just bought my 2008 mazda 3 and as i was getting ready to leave the dealership with it, when i went to back out of the parking space the car had no power steering when not 1 hour before i took it for a test drive and it was fine. the power steering light was on. when i took it down the road to the service center they stated that this is common for this vehicle when the weather gets hot. it was about 95 degrees that day. the power steering pump was replaced. i told the service manager that i was lucky this didn't happen while i was driving or something serious may have happened. he agreed. *tr

After i was in lengthy traffic jam entering bwi for departure on thursday august 5th, i pulled to the curb to let out passenger. on restarting my 2008 mazda 3i, i noticed it was much harder to turn steering wheel--i thought i had a flat tire. then i noticed the yellow steering wheel indicator on the dash. i could turn the wheel, but it took much more effort than normal. my wife checked owners manual and mazda's suggestion is to restart the car. ultimately i did so and the power steering resumed - with no indicator light glowing. since then i drove the car 300+ miles without another incident. *tr

The power steering on my 2008 mazda 3 suddenly gave out on me while i was stopped in traffic and the power steering fault indicator light came on. re-started the engine and it was fine after that. this is a huge safety issue while merging through traffic. *tr

Mazda 3 power steering. w/o any warning my power steering went out on pulling onto a busy highway w/ my 2 yr old son in the car. pulled over turned my car off then back on and the power steering was fine. i checked power steering fluid and it was full. i have not contacted the dealership yet because i was researching to see if anyone else ran into this problem w/ their mazda 3. *tr

Left my car running in drive, when i came back out 10 minutes later the power steering did not work. *tr