[V8] NAC Mazda reliaibility

Tue Jan 6 18:25:54 PST 2009

I love the older Mazda's uyg the shoe looking 323 and the Miatas. Both have 
been very reliable, from the ones I've worked on.

However, we have a fleet of Mazda 5's and Tributes, about 2004's. They are 
all junk!! The 5's (If I have that right, they are very small station 
wagons, eat front tires like crazy. I mean, to the tune of 10K per set. We 
have four of these cars. We have five Tributes, one trans just died at 54K. 
None of them have made it to their current point without rattles, one is 
very significant. Four times, they have left their drivers stranded. So, I 
can say the newest ones aren't that great, but the older ones are. Perhaps 
the newer Miata's are better, and I know the RX8's are pretty reliable. Just 
wish the "common" cars would be!

Tony
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <diemarthadie at aol.com>
To: <Armanmik at earthlink.net>; <v8 at audifans.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 5:04 PM
Subject: Re: [V8] NAC Mazda reliaibility

> &lt;knocking on wood&gt; my '91 Miata is doing just fine at 112k.? I've 
> found on the miata.net forum that they are pretty solidly reliable.? Many 
> friends with everything from 626 - Protege - Masdaspeed3 seem very happy 
> with their longevity.? I'd certainly feel fine buying one used with 
> records.? BUT - there is nothing made by Mazda that was ever competative 
> with the design, materials and features of the V8 so you can't really 
> compare them :)
>
>
>
> I made that mistake when shopping new cars coming out of a 5000 and Coupe 
> GT.? Nothing in the sub-$20k new cars seemed to be 1/2 the car or comfort 
> of those 15+ year olds (at the time) and I just couldn't pull the trigger 
> on the debt load of a new car I didn't like.? So I bought a V8.? Well, at 
> least the debt load was a lot lower ;)
>
>
>
> John
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> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Mike Arman &lt;Armanmik at earthlink.net&gt;
>
> To: v8 at audifans.com
>
> Sent: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 4:36 pm
>
> Subject: [V8] NAC Mazda reliaibility
>
>
>
>
>      Dear Bride has had two Mazdas, a 1990 323 and now a 2002 626.    She 
> bought the 90 new, drove the living you know what out of it. Needed a 
> radiator because she went   to the local Citgo station where they 
> convinced her that the radiator needed to   be reverse flushed,   and the 
> moron broke the plastic end cap on the radiator and never bothered to 
> tell her - so why is   my car overheating? I did front brakes (pads and 
> discs) twice and rear brakes   (shoes and drums) once   in 120K miles, she 
> also went through three or four half shafts and two timing   belts and a 
> muffler.    At 120K it was smoking and sounding a bit weary, so we found a 
> junkyard engine   with 45K on it and   had it installed. A month later she 
> got whacked head-on by some 16 year old   brain-dead munchkin in a 
> pickup truck who ran a light which totaled the Mazda and came damn close 
> to   killing her - this was   in 2002, and she still suffers.    So - 90 
> 323 Mazda, basically a cheap car, runs almost indefinitely with little 
> to no maintenance,   loud, rough ride, crude, but gets you there. 
> Replaced it with a 2002 Mazda 626, bought with 6K miles on it. Automatic, 
> because her left leg   wasn't working right yet (still isn't). Now shows 
> just over 100K. Front brakes   (pads and discs -   they warp) twice, rear 
> is coming soon - and the rear brakes are TINY, they look   like something 
> off a   scooter. Two timing belt/water pump/roller/tensioner jobs, three 
> or four half   shafts, an alternator,   full set of belts (serpentine, PS, 
> etc.), again, nothing particularly unusual or   disastrous.    The car is 
> NOT particularly quiet or comfortable - she asked me why my 1986 5K   Audi 
> was   significantly quieter and rode a lot better ("Dear, the Audi cost 
> $33,000 in   1986, the Mazda cost   $15,000 in 2002." She didn't like 
> that.), the driver's sun visor retainer is   broken, no one has the   part 
> or knows where it can be obtained, she's got it jammed in with cardboard 
> or   something. Seats   LOOK plush, but give me a backache in 25 miles, 
> the c
>
> ar isn't rattly, but does   have quite a bit of   engine and drive train 
> noise (4 cyl), again, it mostly goes and goes and goes,   totally 
> uninspired   and boring, and again, it gets you from A to B. 
> Admittedly, my "sample" is small, only two cars, but consistent. Mazda 
> seems to   provide cheap,   durable transportation for people who 
> basically dislike driving and cars in   general.    (Good car for a parts 
> runner for an Audi V8Q though!)    Best Regards,    Mike Arman 
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