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Thread: Wish to purchase Mazda 3 MPS - Fears about engine failure issues - opinions please

  1. Default Wish to purchase Mazda 3 MPS - Fears about engine failure issues - opinions please

    Hi All,

    I am looking to purchase a Mazda 3 MPS 06/07 model.

    Looking to buy privately (not dealer) as alot cheaper, and have found a couple of examples which I like and appear to be in great shape with minimal K's

    I had heard about the the engine mount problems, both examples have had the factory recall etc, also heard about turbo seal problems..

    But a mate recently advised that apparently there are loads of engine failures (bent rods/cracked) on these cars, which was confirmed reading the forums at mazdaspeedforums.org

    This now has me a little concerned, and kind of taken the excitement out of purchasing one.

    I wouldnt be looking to modify the car, but still wish to get an opinion from the Australian scene.

    Cheer in advance.
    Last edited by cargle; 17-01-2011 at 03:58 PM.

  2. #2
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    I haven't heard of too many engine failures. Some MPS's are running the stock turbo with the stock mount with no issues. Changing the mount can make a difference but I wouldn't say its a major issue using the stock mount. As far as turbo, not all have had the white smoke problem. I'll admit the typical seals on the MPS are nothing flash. I've had the water pump replaced due to leaking seals. See what other folks suggest to "loads of engine failures on these cars"

  3. #3
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    Mines '06 3MPS and it's had the water pump replaced and just today i had the faulty CD player replaced under warranty

    And of course the recall on the engine mount was done

    And i know everyone is going to add that its only done 26,000k's so i beat them to it

  4. #4
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    LOADS of engine failures is wrong. Some, maybe. Every type of engine in the world has had failures.
    Nothing wrong with the 2.3L turbo engine, period.

  5. #5
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    I think there has been less than 10 people on these forums with either a 6mps or gen 1 3mps with stock engines that have had piston/rod problems... so I think you'll find its probably less than 2-3% of cars it has happened to... plenty of guys have racked up 100,000+ km with only minor issues

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    06 3MPS 112000klm still going strong!

  7. #7
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    As all have said above I wouldn't be concerned. If there were inherent issues with the 2.3lt turbo, Mazda wouldn't continue to use it pretty much unchanged in the Gen II


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  8. Default

    Thanks guys/girls.

    My R34 had been written off recently *not my fault :-), so was looking at either WRX or MPS for something newer and also different, but have never really like the WRX for some reason.. Also looked at the XR5 Turbo, but no cruise control and footrest really ruined it for me..

    So have really liked the MPS, the Thread dedicated the engine failures on the US website, was some scary reading, but as you have all mentioned, it does seem to minimal and mostly associated with modified engines...

    Will have a further think, but you have helped put mind at ease. Cheers.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by cargle View Post
    Thanks guys/girls.

    My R34 had been written off recently
    Hey hey, you've come from the same car as me
    Owner of the Mutant Gen I.

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    In my opinion it's massively overstated as an issue.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nexus View Post
    In my opinion it's massively overstated as an issue.
    i think it's a bit like toyota with cruise control, ferarri 458's and burning up, XR5's and CV joints.... yeah it happens, but it becomes the real "headline" issue for a make/model
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  12. #12
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    It also depends what you do (how you modify the vehicle) and how you drive it. I've read and came to the conclusion a lot of the US guys in their Mazdaspeed's are either, crazy, stupid or have way too much cash on their hands = blown up motor...see below on example vehicle (dodge neon). If you drive smart and don't plant your foot at low RPM, engage in burnouts, over-rev etc. You will be a happy Aussie owner like 95% of us on here. All cars have issues even BMW experienced a recall of late.

    - Wicked burnout, smoke EVERYWHERE!!!!

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  13. #13

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    cargle I was in the same boat as you are now few months back, the car was initially going to be for my GF but I ended up with the car. I did a fair bit of research and we optioned out to find one which has had the recall already done on it and also with a few higher kms since that would mean the car would have already been driven for some time and most problems would have been fixed.

    I picked it up with 71,000kms on the clock and has now done 85,000kms without a single problem.

    it has never smoked up on start up or anything funny even though I tend to give it a fair bit of a hard time!

    IMO replacing the engine mount and installing some solid shifter bushes would have to be the first improvements over factory, I've launched mine hard off the lights and you can really start to feel like the engine mount is made out of sponge.

    This car seems to have been made to be as fast as it is but also a very comfortable and nice car to drive, hence the soft-ish suspension and mushy gear shifter feel, all in all it's an awesome car and I'm sure if you find one which has had most or any of the problems fixed you should be pretty much trouble free!
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  14. #14
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    As for the engine issues you have to look at the whole picture.
    How many MPS have been made world wide?
    How many with blown engines?
    Most likely a very small percentage

    That's the problem with forums, you only hear about peoples problems.
    I would imagine a thread titled "post here if your engine hasn't blown up" would be an awfully long one

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by bd581 View Post
    I would imagine a thread titled "post here if your engine hasn't blown up" would be an awfully long one
    If I am correct, all members who have posted on here have not had their rods VTA (engine not blown up)

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  16. Default

    Cheers everyone, I am now back on target for an MPS. :-)

    Having another look at an MPS this week, it appears to be in very good nick, although checked the oil last time and it was just above low on dipstick.
    Its done around 50,500 Kms and said it was last serviced around the 42/43 mark if I recall correctly. The car is mainly garaged, and had been sitting there for the last week of so

    Didnt see any signs of oil leak, although very hard with all the plastic covers underneath, and it does not appear to blow any crap out the exhaust.. Im hoping it was just under-filled at his last service, any concerns here do you think?, its hard to be certain, without it being topped up and left to run for a few thousand Km's.

    Anyway, cheers again, hope to join as an owner soon.

  17. #17

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    was the car on level ground when you checked it???

  18. #18
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    Wouldn't worry too much about the dipstick level, its perfectly normal to use a bit of oil over the space of 7000 ks (thanks to bore squirter's etc,) I was once told the high and low on a dipstick typically equates to about 700ml of oil, these engines take 5.7 to fill, so theres plenty left in the sump.

    As far as blown engines, I only know of a handful in Aus that have gone, most of which had a common element, dont take msf as gospel, some of the "OMG it was completely stock" posts have a lot of deleted and hidden information (ahh mod powers), fully bolted engines, stupidly high boost, crazy lean afr's and oil with the consistency of water will do that for you. I have even read of guys using leaf blowers to blow oil through all their stock engine parts, before refitting them to their cars to claim engine warranty.

    The turbo seal issue, wasn't so much the quality of the seal, it was the machining of the housing, and its a lottery, it is usually highlighted with mods, and loads of cars that have been left stock wouldn't know the difference.
    If you are going to mod, just be sensible about it.
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  19. Default

    Yeah car was on level ground when checked. The Oil was also fairly dark, which I have heard is due to the Mazdas running quite rich?

  20. #20

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    when i first got my car serviced at Mazda (i picked up the car 2nd hand which was previously serviced by mazda) they said to do an intermittent 5000k service cause the engine oil was pretty black. Think its just the nature of turbo engines, they burn the oil pretty quick

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