2003 Mazda Mazda6 Fuel System Problems

The contact owns a 2003 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously repaired for the same failure under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 03V531000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000.

WAS AT A STOP SIGN TO MAKE A LEFT TURN HALF WAY THRU THE CAR STALLED AND ALL LIGHTS CAME ON, VEHICLE BEHIND ME ALMOST RAN INTO US. BARELY GOT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD HAD TO TURN CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON BUT VEHICLE WOULD DRIVE, AFTER ABOUT 5 STARTS THE LIGHT CAME OFF HAD THE CAR CHECKED, WAS TOLD IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY. ONE WEEK LATER SAME THING WET TO PULL ONTO A BUSY STREET AND CAR STALLED ALMOST CAUSING ANOTHER WRECK, TRIED TO DRIVE IT HOME AND STOPPED AT THE GROCERY STORE, WHEN I WENT TO PULL IN THE CAR STALLED AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, BLOCKING ON COMING TRAFFIC. CALLED MAZDA TO SEE HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO BE FIXED, THE LADY TOLD ME THAT IF IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY IT WOULD BE FREE BUT THAT EXPIRED IN 2011. I HAVE SEEN MANY OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, MAZDA HAS ADMITTED TO IT BEING A PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT RECALLED IT. WE HAVE TWO KIDS AND THANK GOD NOTHING SERIOUS HAS HAPPENED WITH US IN THE CAR. THIS PROBLEM COULD VERY EASILY CAUSE INJURY OR DEATHS TO ANY DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. *TR

CAR ENGINE STOPPING WHILE RUNNING AND A NO START. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WARNINGS OVER A LONG TIME. ONE REPAIR BY MAZDA ON THE GAS CAP REPAIR, BUT I HAVE ALSO UNCOVERED A RECALL ON LEAKING SEALS AT THE TANK ON 2003 MODELS, 03V-531. SERVICE LIGHT AGAIN CAME ON FROM 10/18/10 -10/30/10. WHILE OUT OF TOWN THE CAR SAT AIRPORT PARKING ON MY RETURN IT STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING AT A LIGHT 11/22/10, BUT ALL LIGHTS AND RADIO STATIONS WERE ACTIVE, SO NO BATTERY PROBLEM. AFTER ADJUSTING THE FILLER GAS CAP SEVERAL TIMES I FOUND IT WASN'T CLOSING AND COULD BE PULLED RIGHT OFF. WE HAVE MADE SURE THE CAP IS ON TIGHTLY EACH TIME AND SINCE CANCELLED THE DEALER APPOINTMENT FOR A $100 INSPECTION, NO LIGHT SINCE. 2/9/11 AFTER DRIVING 35 MILES THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART, AAA CAME OUT AND NO BATTERY TROUBLE, BUT A 30 MILE TOWING WAS REQUIRED TO MY HOME. THE VEHICLE SITS IN A GARAGE AVG TEMP OF 35-45F. THE NEXT MORNING AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND USING BOTH KEYS IT RESTARTED AND WE TOOK IT INTO A DEALER. @2 DAYS LATER THEY FIND A "SERVICE BULLETIN" 901-009/07) FROM 2007. POSSIBLE @ -30C (ZEROF) THE NO START OR CRANK DUE TO MOISTURE WITHIN THE MAIN RELAY AND/OR FUEL PUMP RELAY. THAT NIGHT 25-30F IN NOV NO WAY CLOSE. ON 02/12/11 WHILE DRIVING ON IS77 THE CAR QUITE RUNNING AGAIN, 911 CALLED AS I MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNDER HEAVY FAST MOVING TRAFFIC. THIS WEEK ON 2/22 WHILE IN THE GARAGE HESITANT TO TURN OVER AGAIN BUT DID START ON THE 3RD TRY, VEHICLE TEMP READING WAS 47F. SO NOW FOR 2 NEW PARTS FOR 2003-2005 MODELS AND $450+ REPAIRS CAN BE MADE. THE PARTS ARE IN AND PER THE BULLETIN LOOKS MORE LIKE A BY-PASS OPTION THAN REPLACING A DEFECTIVE OEM PART. CUTTING OUT WHILE DRIVING IS VERY SERIOUS, AS MUCH SO AS ACCELERATION ON A TOYOTA. SINCE MY COMPANY IS TIED TO THE TIRE/WHEEL & AUTO MFG AND WE CONDUCT 1/2 DOT TIRE TEST FOR THE USA, I'M PRETTY SURE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT ON DEFECTS. *TR

MY CAR HAS HAD 4 RECALLS. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2006 NOT KNOWING THAT PARTS HAD BEEN RECALLED 3 TIMES. I RECENTLY FIXED A PROBLEM IN MY CAR THAT I FEEL MAKE HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH RECALL #3 , THE FUEL SENDER UNIT. *TR

2003 MAZDA 6 RECALL 1403L, CAMPAIGN # 03V531000, ON MY VEHICLE SUPPOSEDLY WAS REPAIRED IN BATON ROUGE AT DIAMOND MAZDA IN 2004, BUT CAR IS LEAKING IN THE SAME AREA THAT WAS A PROBLEM TO BEGIN WITH NOW. SO THE WORKMANSHIP WHERE THEY REPAIR THE SEAL IS NOT VERY GOOD. FOUR YEARS LATER I BUY THE CAR AND IT IS POOR GAS ON THE TOP OF MY GAS TANK OUT OF THE SEAL AROUND THE FUEL PUMP WHICH JUST HAPPENS TO BE RIGHT UNDER WHERE MY CHILD SITS. SO I'VE BEEN IN A TIME BOMB JUST WAITING TO GO OFF. NO ONE CAN GIVE ME PROOF OR PAPER WORK OF WHERE THIS RECALL HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. NOW SUPPOSE THAT IT DID BLOW UP AND KILL OR INJURE MYSELF AND MY 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. WOULDN'T MAZDA BE AT FAULT FOR NOT PROPERLY REPAIRING THE VEHICLE? *TR

AFTER HAVING MY 2003 MAZDA 6 FOR NO MORE THAN A WEEK, I NOTICED MY AIR CONDITIONER WAS NOT BLOWING OUT COLD AIR. ALSO, THE AIR CONDITIONER LIGHT SHUT OFF ON ANY SETTING HIGHER THAN "1". I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO MY DEALER FOR SERVICE. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER A NEW SWITCHBOARD FOR MY DASH. I WAITED A WEEK FOR THE PART TO COME IN. I WAS TOLD THE PART MAY OR MAY NOT BE IN WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK. I BECAME FRUSTRATED AND PICKED UP MY CAR AND ASKED THE DEALER TO CALL ME WHEN THE PART CAME IN. I WAITED FOR ALMOST 2 MONTHS THEN RECEIVED A LETTER IN THE MAIL STATING MY PART HAD ARRIVED. AS I AM PART OF THE WORKING CLASS, I DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO RESPOND BACK TO THE LETTER. I RECEIVED ANOTHER LETTER STATING THAT IF I DID NOT MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE PART INSTALLED WITHIN 10 DAYS, THE DEALER WAS REQUIRED TO SEND THE PART BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER. I MADE MY APPOINTMENT. I WAS GIVEN YET ANOTHER RENTAL CAR. AFTER REPLACING THE PART I WAITED SO LONG TO COME IN, I WAS INFORMED THAT PART DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER PART TO ARRIVE. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THERE WERE 3 RECALLS THAT CONSUMERS HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF YET THAT THE DEALER WAS GOING TO MAKE AN INSPECTION OF MY VEHICLE TO ENSURE THE RECALLS WERE FIXED. NOW, RIGHT BEFORE THE NEW YEARS HOLIDAYS, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALER THAT THEY HAVE TO ORDER A NEW GAS TANK FOR MY VEHICLE AND THE PART WILL BE ORDERED AND SHOULD ARRIVE "WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS". I HAVE BEEN PROMISED MY VEHICLE NEXT WEEK. I AM NOT HOLDING MY BREATHE. *AK

SMALL QUANTITY OF GASOLINE COLLECTED IN A CAVITY ON THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK IN 2003 MAZDA 6. *MR WHILE PREPARING THE VEHICLE FOR A 40 MPH OFFSET FRONTAL CRASH TEST, THE ENGINEERS AND TECHNICIANS FOUND A SMALL AMOUNT OF GASOLINE COLLECTED ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK AND ADJACENT TO THE SCREW IN THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. THEY WERE UNSURE IF THE LEAKED GASOLINE WAS PRESENT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED OR DUE TO ONE OF THE TWO 5 MPH IMPACTS THAT WERE CONDUCTED. *SCC *JB