2005 Mazda Mazda3 Electrical System Problems

Randomly, the parking lights, tail lights, and climate control lighting will fail. This has happened to me multiple times over a number of years. Striking the right side of the center console will generally result in functionality being restored. Sometimes, simply turning the lights off and then on again results in the failure as well. My assumption, based on online forums where others have had the same issues, is that the Passenger Junction Box (PJB) is faulty. Striking the center console send vibrations to the PJB, resulting in it (usually) to start working again. While I do not regularly drive the vehicle at night, my concern is that without working tail lights, I could be involved in an accident OR be ticketed for my lights not working. Others online have had the same issues, and I believe it may be an issue in multiple vehicle models and model years.

THIS IS AN UPDATE TO THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT AS THE SAME ISSUE, THE AIRBAG LIGHT BEING ON, HAS ALREADY BEEN RECALLED IN CERTAIN VIN#S AND APPARENTLY NEEDS EXPANDING. PLEASE REFERENCE MAZDA RECALL #2504K OR NHTSA RECALL # 04V559. MY AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON AND STAYS ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IT STAYS ON WHEN PARKED OR DRIVING, IT IS ON AT ALL TIMES THE VEHICLE IS ON AND IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY EVENT.

THE RED AIRBAG SIGN ON THE DASHBOARD, AT FIRST WOULD COME ON AND OFF SPORADICALLY, BUT NOW IT'S ON EVERYTIME I OPERATE THE VEHICLE, INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL EITHER NOT DEPLOY OR DEPLOY INCORRECTLY. I'VE DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE WITH MANY OTHER MAZDA 3 OWNERS AND IT IS A WELL KNOWN AND PREVALENT ISSUE. IT IS NOT RELATED TO ANY EVENT, OTHER THAN NORMAL DRIVING AND OPERATION.

I DRIVE A 2005 MAZDA MAZDA3 SP23I, FOUR-DOOR SEDAN. A FEW MONTHS AGO, WHILE PARKED IN THE STREET, MY SON HAD RECLINED THE PASSENGER SEAT ALL THE WAY BACK AND WHEN I ASKED HIM TO RETURN IT INTO THE UPRIGHT POSITION, A RED WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON MY DASHBOARD. THE WARNING LIGHT HAS NEVER GONE OFF SINCE AND I AM FEARFUL THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE COMPUTER SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

THE ADAPTER IN THE HEADLAMP IS FAULTY. THE CAR REQUIRES THE H7 LOW BEAM BULB, BUT THERE IS A PLASTIC ADAPTER IN THE HOUSING UNIT THAT MELTS PERIODICALLY. I HAVE TO KEEP BUYING REPLACEMENTS ABOUT ONCE A YEAR AND HAVE TO CHANGE THE BULB ABOUT 4 TIMES A YEAR. I ALWAYS SMELL BURNING PLASTIC WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND WORRY THAT A FIRE COULD START (THE ADAPTER HAS BURN/MELTED SPOTS ON IT WHEN REMOVED). IT ALSO CORRODES EXTREMELY FAST CAUSING THE BULBS TO BURN OUT EXTREMELY QUICKLY. I'VE OWNED THE CAR SINCE 2008 AND IT'S BEEN DOING IT SINCE ABOUT 2010. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, ALL OF THE WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE RADIO. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE HAD ALSO OCCURRED AFTER THE LIGHTING WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS WHEN THICK SMOKE STARTED BILLOWING OUT OF MY AIR CONDITIONING VENTS AND THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL WELL. SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I DIDN'T WANT TO RISK DRIVING IT TO THE NEAREST MAZDA DEALER IS 6.5 MILES AWAY, I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE. HE DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR COMPRESSOR SEIZED AND BEGAN MELTING TWO DRIVE BELTS. HE HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPRESSOR, 2 BELTS, REFRIGERANT, FUSE AND DRYER S (?) FOR A TOTAL ABOUT $850. NOW I AM READING OTHERS' COMPLAINTS AND SEE THAT SOMEONE WAS REIMBURSED BY MAZDA FOR THIS, AND THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER MAZDA 3 OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED IF I'D BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY. ALSO, THE SMOKE SMELLED QUITE ACRID; WAS LIKELY BREATHING IN TOXIC SUBSTANCES. IT SEEMS LIKE MAZDA SHOULD BE RECALLING THIS. I AM CONTACTING THEM TO REQUEST THAT THEY REIMBURSE MY COSTS, EVEN THOUGH I WAS UNABLE TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AT A DEALER. *TR

I OWN A 2005 MAZDA 3 . THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS ALL LIT UP (CRUISE CONTROL, ENGINE, OIL, ETC, ETC. BROUGHT CAR TO MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS SENSOR. PAID 225.00 FOR REPAIR. TWO WEEKS LATER SAME ISSUE. BROUGHT CAR BACK TO SAME DEALERSHIP, KEPT CAR FOR A FEW DAYS TO DIAGNOSE. CLAIM TO HAVE COME UP WITH A NEW CODE FOR FIX WHICH WAS FOR AN ADJUSTMENT COST. COST TO BE REPAIRED WAS 970.00. SHOULD THIS BE THE CASE WITH SUCH A NEW MODEL ONLY BEING 4 YEARS OLD? STILL NOT SURE THIS WILL TAKE CARE OF ISSUE, SINCE THE FIRST TIME IT WAS BROUGHT IN THE SENSOR WAS TOLD TO BE THE PROBLEM. CAN THIS BE REIMBURSED BY THE MANUFACTURER? PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP. THANK YOU! *TR

AS I WAS READING IN YOUR MOST RECENT REPORT, MY SON HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL UNIT WITH THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD. HE TOOK THE CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A SENSOR. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED. BROUGHT BACK THE CAR TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE DASH CLUSTER. PRIOR TO TAKING THE CAR IN THIS HAPPENED ON AND OFF FOR A FEW MONTHS. IS THIS REIMBURSABLE BY THE MANUFACTURER? *TR

RECALL WAS FILED TO THE DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION IN JAPAN AS OF NOV. 30TH 2007 FOR THE FOLLOWING REASON. THE TUBE MATERIAL USED IN ELECTRICAL WIRING OF MOTOR IS INAPPROPRIATE. THE TUBE LOSES IT'S INTENSITY OVER THE TIME AND IT COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRING BADLY ENOUGH TO STOP THE MOTOR. THUS, THE MOTOR WILL NOT RESTART. PLEASE INVESTIGATE WHY IT HAS NOT YET FILED IN THE U.S. I HAVE HAD VERY PROBLEM BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT TAKE ME SERIOUSLY SINCE IT IS NOT SHOWN IN THEIR SYSTEM IN THE U.S. YET. I FOUND THIS RECALL NOTICE ON MAZDA JAPAN(JAPANESE ONLY) WEBSITE AND ALSO IN MANY NEWSPAPER WEBS. HOWEVER, NOBODY SEEMS TO BE NOTIFIED IN THE U.S. *TR

MY 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE BEGAN TO VIBRATE UNCONTROLLABLY, SKIPS AND MAKING LOUD POPPING NOISES. THE CAR THAN SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY IN TRAFFIC. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THE COMPUTER WAS COMPLETELY BURNED UP. THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND SO THEY FIXED IT AT NO COST TO ME WHICH WAS 2,000 DOLLARS. HOWEVER, I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR BUYING NEW KEYS WHICH COST 600 DOLLARS. MY CAR IS CURRENT IN THE SHOP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COILS TWICE. IT HAS BEEN LESS THAN A YEAR. *TR