52.1% of complaints about the 2007 Mazda MAZDASPEED3 came in its first year of service — a higher share than 100% of the 268 2007 model-years on record. That points to problems present from new rather than wear. The most-reported system is power train (17 complaints), typically at 10 mo or about 11,700 miles.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE NO. 4 LEFT SIDE ENGINE MOUNT BOLT MAY LOOSEN IF A SUDDEN RAPID ACCELERATION IS REPEATEDLY PERFORMED.
IF THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUOUSLY DRIVEN UNDER SUCH CONDITION, THE NO. 4 ENGINE MOUNT BOLT MAY LOOSEN AND PULL OUT OR BREAK, ALLOWING THE TRANSMISSION TO BE OUT OF POSITION. IN EXTREME CASES, THE DRIVE SHAFT MAY BECOME DETACHED. IF THIS OCCURS THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE POWER AND WILL COME TO A STOP, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL ACCESSORY ALL WEATHER FLOOR MATS, THERE IS INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE FLOOR MAT AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
IN THIS SITUATION IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MIGHT GET STUCK BEHIND THE FLOOR MAT, WHICH MAY PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM PROPERLY DECELERATING WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS RELEASED INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
2007 MAZDASPEED 3 : TRANSMISSION MOUNT BECAME LOOSE AND CAUSED MIS-SHIFTS, LOUD CLUNKING NOISES AND STABILITY DEGRADATION. ASKED DEALER TO TIGHTEN BOLT BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET THEM TOO. ON PERSONAL INSPECTION BOLT WAS LOOSE AND TRANSMISSION WAS FREE TO MOVE AROUND. AFTER TORQUING BOLT TO SPEC ALL PREVIOUS MENTIONED SYMPTOMS WENT AWAY. *JB
I WAS ROLLING IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC AND WENT TO SECOND GEAR DOING MAYBE 15 MPH AND HEARD A CLUCK. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS REFLECTORS ON THE ROAD AS THAT WAS WHAT IT SEEMED LIKE. I MADE A TURN , AND AS THE THUNK PERSISTED, I IMMEDIATLY STOPPED AND POPPED THE HOOD AND OBSERVED THE MOTOR FELL FORWARD IN THE THE RADIATIOR. IT WAS DUE TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE TRANSMISSION MOUNT THAT CAME LOOSE.*AK
SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR WAS ROUGH SOMETIMES. I CHECKED THE TORQUE ON BOLT OF DRIVER'S SIDE ENGINE MOUNT AND IT WAS LOOSE. IT TURNED UNDER 30 FEET-LB. BOLT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 70-80 FEET-LB FROM THE FACTORY. AFTER BOLT WAS TIGHTENED TO SPEC SHIFTING BECAME A LOT SMOOTHER. I WAS CONVINCED THAT IF BOLT WAS NOT TIGHTENED FAILURE OF DRIVER' S-SIDE ENGINE MOUNT BOLT WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY RESULTED IN A COUPLE THOUSAND MORE MILES. VEHICLE ONLY HAD 3000 MILES ON IT -ENGINE WOULD HAVE DROPPED OVER LEFT SIDE DRIVESHAFT, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. REFER TO INVESTIGATION PE07015 . *AK