There are 10 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2011 Mazda Mazda6in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Front Subframe has corroded and broke. There is a recall on the subframe that was repaired by dealership in 2019, but this repair did not fix the issue since it has now rusted through and broke. The repair was faulty.
Car developed a known recall issue problem, Recall 2818I. Even though Nebraska was not listed as a "salt state", it's obvious that Nebraska has similar conditions to Iowa. Attempts to contact Mazda USA corporate would not even fix the issue, citing cars age and other factors even though the damage is very specific to this particular recall.
Corrosion on the rear subframe as a result of salt on roadways used to clear snow
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA MAZDA6. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE FAILED THE STATE INSPECTION DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER NORTH PENN MAZDA (181 BETHLEHEM PIKE, COLMAR, PA 18915, (267)956-1160) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE UNDERBODY TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V323000 (STRUCTURE, SUSPENSION) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 88,259.
THE VEHICLE STARTED TO PRODUCE TIRE SCREECHING UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND APPEARED TO BE OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT. WITHIN A FEW MILES, IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, AND THEN THE DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL OFF AND TRACTION LOSS LIGHTS CAME ON. UPON INSPECTION AT AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP, THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF THE FRAME HAD SEVERELY RUSTED. I WAS ADVISED THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE WAS NO OTHER RUST OR DAMAGE ON THE VEHICLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA 6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO MAZDA MALL OF GEORGIA (3546 GA-20, BUFORD, GA 30519, (678) 394-3085) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW FRAME NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,914.
FRONT SUSPENSION SUBFRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED DISABLING THE VEHICLE AND MAKING IT UNSAFE FOR OPERATION. COMPLETE SUBFRAME WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF RUST AND CORROSION BEFORE VEHICLE CAN BE OPERATIONAL AGAIN.
I AM WRITING THIS LETTER BECAUSE I RECENTLY LEARNED ABOUT A SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY CAR DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE ON THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018. I WAS MADE AWARE BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE SUBFRAME ON MY 2011 MAZDA6 IS COVERED IN RUST AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. UPON TRUSTED INSPECTIONS FROM TWO DIFFERENT AUTO SHOPS, THE RESULT IS THE SAME: I NEED A NEW SUBFRAME BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF IT BROKE AWAY. I BOUGHT MY CAR NEW IN 2011, SO I AM SHOCKED THAT A MAJOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENT OF MY CAR IS NOW COMPROMISED, PUTTING MY SAFETY AT RISK. THE SUBFRAME IS ON NATIONWIDE BACK ORDER, WHICH TELLS ME (AND BOTH MECHANICS ECHOED EACH OTHER) THAT THIS IS A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM. MY DAILY COMMUTE TO MY JOB HAS ME DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, AT 70 MPH, AT A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 80 MILES PER DAY. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE WHEN DRIVING MY CAR. I DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED MAZDA HAD OVER 20 REPORTS FROM OWNERS WHO SAY RUST IN THEIR 2009-2010 MAZDA 6S HAS CAUSED, OR NEARLY CAUSED, A STEERING FAILURE. THIS EXTENDED EVEN FURTHER INTO OTHER MODEL MODELS FOR SUBFRAME ROT DEEMED DANGEROUS. IN 2016, MAZDA HAD TO RECALL 190,000 CX-7S FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE WHEREIN CORROSION WAS CAUSING SUSPENSION FAILURE. DAYS LATER, 2.2 MILLION MAZDAS WERE RECALLED WORLDWIDE. I CALLED MAZDA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT THEY DECLINED TO HELP ME BECAUSE 'I DIDN'T CONTINUE MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MAZDA", AFTER MY WARRANTY WAS UP. HOWEVER, WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, I ONLY TOOK MY CAR TO MAZDA FOR SERVICE BECAUSE I KNEW I HAD TO DUE TO THE WARRANTY, DESPITE THEIR COMPLETE INCOMPETENCE. DURING THE TIME MY CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS SERVICED AT MAZDA, THEY INSTALLED MY DRIVER'S WINDSHIELD WIPER BACKWARDS. IT POPPED OFF THE NEXT DAY DURING A DOWNPOUR. TWO TIMES THEY DIDN'T CLOSE MY HOOD FULLY (ONCE LEFT OIL CAP ON TOP OF MY ENGINE). FOR THESE REASONS, I SOUGHT OUT A MORE RELIABLE MECHANIC AFTER WARRANTY.
THE DASH OF MY CAR IS MELTING - A KNOWN PROBLEM IN THE MAZDA 2011, AS WELL AS OTHER MAKES AND MODELS, THAT IS EXACERBATED BY THE HEAT. I LEAVE IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS, WHERE WE SEE A LOT OF HEAT. I CALLED OUR MAZDA DEALERSHIP TO ASK WHAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. THEY SAID TO JUST WAIT UNTIL MAZDA ISSUES A RECALL. IN ADDITION, THEY SAID THEY HAVE HAD THESE PARTS ON ORDER SINCE DECEMBER AND STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THEM IN. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED AND REPAIRS NEED TO BE MADE. THE DASH BECOMES STICKY AND SHINY, WHICH IN TURN REFLECTS LIGHT UP ON TO THE WINDSHIELD. VISIBILITY IS THEN CUT DRASTICALLY TRYING TO SEE THROUGH THE REFLECTION FROM THE DASH.
SUNGLASS HOLDER ABOVE REAR VIEW MIRROR POPS OUT WHILE DRIVING OBSTRUCTING THE DRIVERS USE OF REAR VIEW MIRROR. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026