Used Mazdas: Reliable or rusty?
While owners' community has noted issues with earlier models, there are effective ways to check
If you're considering the purchase of a second-hand Mazda, you might be wondering: Are used Mazdas reliable or rusty?
Reliability usually takes a position atop the wish list of used-car shoppers and the Mazda owners' community is a lively one. Many drivers are active in motorsports, thanks to sports models such as the RX-7, RX-8, Mazdaspeed 3 and MX-5. Owner groups and forums for other models are mostly populated by knowledgeable enthusiasts happy to share stories, tips and technical wisdom gleaned from years of ownership.
So, reliable or rusty?
The answer is complex. There are two things you have to understand.
First, once a vehicle has spent a chunk of its life being operated in the real world, it's no longer the same as all of the thousands of other models just like it. Otherwise identical cars are driven, maintained and cared for differently by different people in different locales with different budgets and different takes on the importance of long-term maintenance.
So, assuming every secondcopy of a given vehicle has the same prospect of being reliable is, well, a potentially expensive mistake.
For instance: an internet list says a given car has an excellent reliability score. You are considering one, and have narrowed your search down to two units. One has been religiously maintained its entire life. The other was driven by someone who, despite the best advice of experts (and their owner's manual) skimped on maintenance and stretched oil change intervals. Which would you rather buy?
Reliability should be assessed as it relates to the particular vehicle you're considering. So, that's the first problem.
Second, the rust.
The owners' community has done a good job of documenting well-known rust problems on earlier models, mainly relating to the 2004 to 2009 Mazda 3.
This is one of those wellknown tropes that's been around for ages, like Volkswagen
coil-pack failure, Subaru head-gasket problems, and others. But were all of these early Mazda 3 models rusty?
No. In fact, the owners' community suggests these cars either rusted fast, or virtually didn't rust at all. Apparently, an improperly-applied corrosion inhibitor was to blame for an initial batch of Mazda 3s some years ago that quickly turned into sheetmetal Swiss cheese.
In more recent models, the
only rust warning I've encountered relates to a few specific underbody components, such as shock absorbers and exhaust-system parts, on a small batch of Mazda 3s from the 2014 to 2018 generation. The cause? Improperly applied corrosion inhibitors in supplier factories. Many owners were contacted to have the parts inspected and replaced under warranty.
Reddit is keeping tabs on the issue of Mazda rust, too.
Seems there's little to worry about (unless you're buying certain 10-year-old models).
There isn't really a good answer to our original question. So, check. Peel away weatherstripping gently and look beneath. Look at the lower, inner edges of every door, the hood, and the trunk lid or tailgate. Have a technician inspect the vehicle's underbody on a hoist for signs of rust or other concerns.
Find a unit that's been
undercoated regularly, keep up on the annual coatings, and you can wipe the rust concerns with confidence.
Is the used Mazda you're considering reliable? Maybe, but for added confidence, take steps to make sure.
Obtain full service records, checking against the car's maintenance schedule. Make sure the car was properly cared for throughout its life.
Shop patiently, looking for a vehicle that's had few previous
owners and is familiar to a local dealership or shop.
Finally, get whatever used car you buy inspected by a technician before you buy.
For about $200 or less, a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) can track down trouble in areas you may not even think to look, potentially saving you thousands of dollars.
And if there's a hidden rust problem under the car, this check will find that, too.