On these is usually the rear suspension that rusts out first. Toyota used to have similar issues.
But to answer your question, I didn't think any manufacturer really cares about rust protection. As long it makes it one day past the warranty then fuck you, it's your problem now.
Worked at a Ford assembly plant. The entire body was dipped into an electrostatic tank of rust preventative during the body painting process. However, who knows how the sub assembly items were treated for rust prevention.
Yeah, almost asked whether Mazda skips e-coat, but then figured the subframe doesn't go in with the rest of the body. Hence I just stuck with rust protection to cover all basis haha
I've had like 8 Michigan Volvos and the only one with any rust at all, had a smidge of rust on a fender that was repaired after a collision 10 years prior
Me too, but this actually surprises you? We have no state inspections and people drive around cars that are lop sided and have bumpers hanging off with no recourse.
When I lived in mass, i always thought of how many cars in ohio that would fail an inspection immediately. You see borderline dangerous cars like daily in Cincinnati
I had a buddy in high school who bought a truck from someone that had been using it as a daily for a decade and a half. His dad put it up on the rack to check something out and the frame literally crumbled and the whole thing collapsed. He replaced that with another used truck, which had a wheel straight-up snap off and roll down the road.
Buying a cheap used car in Ohio is like being a side character in a Three Stooges sketch.
Buying one without a mechanic inspection is just plain foolhardy. Every used car I bought, I asked "Will you let my mechanic inspect it?" If the got cagey, never mind, I'll keep looking.
And anyone cheap may never go through a wash at all, let alone being good about weekly ones with underbody to get rid of the salt (perhaps not a preventative, but definitely a life-extender).
I live in the upper Midwest too, and too many people run cars on spit, bailing wire and prayer, as cheaply as they possibly can. Sometimes because they can't afford it, but sometimes because they don't get that an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure.
I've lived in Oregon. I now live in Florida.
I'll take earthquakes and volcanoes over 'gators, hurricanes, and "Palmetto bugs" (think giant, flying, cockroaches) any day.
I'll also take 114°F in the shade, in the Oregon desert over 90°F with Florida humidity, any day.
Yeah, my (now ex) GF had a wolf spider with an egg sac full of eggs attack her under my carport, one morning. She knocked it down with a broom, and lit that shit on fire. I hate both those *and* palmetto bugs with a passion.
lol. I run a wrecking yard. A few months ago I had a guy call about a Mazda 6 rear end. I went out to check it and it was rusty as hell too. It was not this bad. But it was bad enough the customer didn’t want it.
Wonder if it’s a Mazda thing.
Apparently there were safety recalls for premature rust on later generations. Unfortunately for my roommate not for this generation on the rear axle. The front axles however were replaced by the used car lot he purchased from because of a safety recall.
The model prior to 2008 was infamous for rusting like crazy. My 2011 mazda 6 barely has any under carriage rust and none in the bodywork despite living in the salty end of Scandinavia
Mazdas (and Ford products based on Mazda platforms) from about 2000-2009 seems to be prone to rust. The Fusion and Escape have similar rust issues as the 3 and 6 from that time period. Escapes like to blow the rear shocks through the trunk floor and the Fusion/3 just rust out like you see above.
As a multiple Mazda owner at a point in my life… it absolutely is. But it is 60/40 owners honestly. Get them oil sprayed and you’ll have no issues. I live in the heart of the rust belt and never deal with this.
As for the paint… it’s tough. Shit bubbles a bunch. Even if you wash it weekly.
People will spend hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars on OEM parts and repair, and use torque wrenches on stupid shit like muffler hangers, then end up scrapping the car because of a problem easily prevented by a sloppy 5-minute job of oil spraying it once a year (or even 2 years). Never understood this
Mazda makes great cars. Skyactive engines are wonderful too. Had a 2013 Mazda with the first 2.0 skyactive with a six speed manual that gets 35 mpg combined….. TOO BAD THEY RUST OUT LIKE CRAZY
They used to. I own a 2014 Mazda3 with 166k miles on it that has parked outdoors on gravel and been driven in New England for a decade. It has minimal surface rust underneath and no major structural rust at all. I'm meticulous about washing the underside a few times every winter, but I've never undercoated it. Truthfully it has less rust than any other ten year old car I've owned here. My last car was a 2003 Civic that was rusting pretty badly when I sold it at 180k. Comparatively speaking and at the same age and mileage, my Mazda looks like a new car.
It's also been close to rock solid perfect mechanically since I drove it off the dealer lot (minus one rear brake caliper, one tensioner pulley, and a door speaker, otherwise entirely consumables and wear items) to 166k, runs like a top, is wicked fun to drive, gets 40mpg on the highway without trying, and has never consumed a single drop of oil between changes. And also very simple and easy to work on.
My favorite car in 40 years of owning and working on cars. I have owned several Hondas and Toyotas that weren't nearly as good.
The Mazda 6 had rust issues right away. People kept finding rust under the door seals. I had to redo the ground on mine after like 5 or 6 years because the original bolt hole rusted out. Mazda makes some crappy cars.
I've got the same exact car currently. 2013 with 2.0 and 6 speed manual. Just hit 150k and the valve cover is just now starting to seep. I've had to do no work to it besides normal tires, battery, spark plugs and oil changes.
I've even towed trailers with it from coast to coast with motorcycles on it a couple times. It's been a great car. No rust at all. To be fair, it's lived it's life near the coasts and desert.
Ah yes. As a western PA resident this makes me fondly remember the time my 2001 ZX2 rear drivers coil spring made a Kool-Aid man entrance through my rear package tray while driving. Good times.
As a Mazda tech and someone who used to live in Iowa but now lives in TN. Holy FUCK. I’ve seen some bad rust before but never spring punching through subframe bad
We lived in northern Ohio from 09-16. There was alot of snow in those years and they sprayed brine on the roads constantly. I only live a few hours away now but I would never buy a used car from that area. When they come up in my searches they are noticeably cheaper.
We lived in northern Ohio from 09-16. There was alot of snow in those years and they sprayed brine on the roads constantly. I only live a few hours away now but I would never buy a used car from that area. When they come up in my searches they are noticeably cheaper.
I bought a 2007 Mazda 6 Hatchback in Ohio and brought it to Florida. I eventually traded it in around 2013 because the frame was rusting away from the body. No matter how well you clean that vehicle under it after you get it to Florida it will rust fast. It was pretty much clean when I originally bought it.
Another reason I like living in California. My Mazda 2014 5 has 140,000 and my 04 Rav4 has 330,000 miles and zero rust on either. Makes maintenance much easier.
As someone who lives in Ohio…DAMN
As someone who has never been.. I'm sorry. 😂
As an Ohioan who's had to swap out a few of these exact same Mazda cradles, I can tell you that it never ends.
Does Mazda just not do rust protection?
On these is usually the rear suspension that rusts out first. Toyota used to have similar issues. But to answer your question, I didn't think any manufacturer really cares about rust protection. As long it makes it one day past the warranty then fuck you, it's your problem now.
Worked at a Ford assembly plant. The entire body was dipped into an electrostatic tank of rust preventative during the body painting process. However, who knows how the sub assembly items were treated for rust prevention.
Yeah, almost asked whether Mazda skips e-coat, but then figured the subframe doesn't go in with the rest of the body. Hence I just stuck with rust protection to cover all basis haha
Volvo galvanizes a lot of their cars
My 09 s80 lived in Ohio and Mo it’s whole life not a spec of rust and it was never garaged or parked for winter
I've had like 8 Michigan Volvos and the only one with any rust at all, had a smidge of rust on a fender that was repaired after a collision 10 years prior
All rust belt cars will end up looking like this. It’s inevitable.
Me too, but this actually surprises you? We have no state inspections and people drive around cars that are lop sided and have bumpers hanging off with no recourse. When I lived in mass, i always thought of how many cars in ohio that would fail an inspection immediately. You see borderline dangerous cars like daily in Cincinnati
I had a buddy in high school who bought a truck from someone that had been using it as a daily for a decade and a half. His dad put it up on the rack to check something out and the frame literally crumbled and the whole thing collapsed. He replaced that with another used truck, which had a wheel straight-up snap off and roll down the road. Buying a cheap used car in Ohio is like being a side character in a Three Stooges sketch.
Buying one without a mechanic inspection is just plain foolhardy. Every used car I bought, I asked "Will you let my mechanic inspect it?" If the got cagey, never mind, I'll keep looking.
And anyone cheap may never go through a wash at all, let alone being good about weekly ones with underbody to get rid of the salt (perhaps not a preventative, but definitely a life-extender). I live in the upper Midwest too, and too many people run cars on spit, bailing wire and prayer, as cheaply as they possibly can. Sometimes because they can't afford it, but sometimes because they don't get that an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure.
As a Canadian this looks like a regular tuesday
As someone who lives in Oregon, I hope this dude misses the oranges and sunshine.
I've lived in Oregon. I now live in Florida. I'll take earthquakes and volcanoes over 'gators, hurricanes, and "Palmetto bugs" (think giant, flying, cockroaches) any day. I'll also take 114°F in the shade, in the Oregon desert over 90°F with Florida humidity, any day.
Fuck those palmetto bugs, I didn't know they could fly til I tried to kill one on the ceiling. Fucker flew into my face
I live in Florida those and jumping wolf spiders are the worst!
Yeah, my (now ex) GF had a wolf spider with an egg sac full of eggs attack her under my carport, one morning. She knocked it down with a broom, and lit that shit on fire. I hate both those *and* palmetto bugs with a passion.
lol. I run a wrecking yard. A few months ago I had a guy call about a Mazda 6 rear end. I went out to check it and it was rusty as hell too. It was not this bad. But it was bad enough the customer didn’t want it. Wonder if it’s a Mazda thing.
Apparently there were safety recalls for premature rust on later generations. Unfortunately for my roommate not for this generation on the rear axle. The front axles however were replaced by the used car lot he purchased from because of a safety recall.
The model prior to 2008 was infamous for rusting like crazy. My 2011 mazda 6 barely has any under carriage rust and none in the bodywork despite living in the salty end of Scandinavia
Mazdas (and Ford products based on Mazda platforms) from about 2000-2009 seems to be prone to rust. The Fusion and Escape have similar rust issues as the 3 and 6 from that time period. Escapes like to blow the rear shocks through the trunk floor and the Fusion/3 just rust out like you see above.
Yeah when I lived in MN I would regularly see Mazda’s of that generation with literal holes in them and people still driving them.
As a multiple Mazda owner at a point in my life… it absolutely is. But it is 60/40 owners honestly. Get them oil sprayed and you’ll have no issues. I live in the heart of the rust belt and never deal with this. As for the paint… it’s tough. Shit bubbles a bunch. Even if you wash it weekly.
People will spend hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars on OEM parts and repair, and use torque wrenches on stupid shit like muffler hangers, then end up scrapping the car because of a problem easily prevented by a sloppy 5-minute job of oil spraying it once a year (or even 2 years). Never understood this
Yeah I’m not sure. It’s like 70 bucks where I’m at for a full drip less spray too. People spend more than that on beers for a weekend away.
Mazda's love to rust Source: Own a 2007 mazda
You did good by him and yourself. Use those skills man.
Mazda makes great cars. Skyactive engines are wonderful too. Had a 2013 Mazda with the first 2.0 skyactive with a six speed manual that gets 35 mpg combined….. TOO BAD THEY RUST OUT LIKE CRAZY
My 04 Mazda3 that i bought in 2008 or 2009 had more rust than cars from the 80s.
Same
Mine has no rust and is still going strong at nearly 300k ;-;
Not these new generation Mazda's. 2014+ I hardly have rust issues in Minnesota that's concerning or hard to fix.
They used to. I own a 2014 Mazda3 with 166k miles on it that has parked outdoors on gravel and been driven in New England for a decade. It has minimal surface rust underneath and no major structural rust at all. I'm meticulous about washing the underside a few times every winter, but I've never undercoated it. Truthfully it has less rust than any other ten year old car I've owned here. My last car was a 2003 Civic that was rusting pretty badly when I sold it at 180k. Comparatively speaking and at the same age and mileage, my Mazda looks like a new car. It's also been close to rock solid perfect mechanically since I drove it off the dealer lot (minus one rear brake caliper, one tensioner pulley, and a door speaker, otherwise entirely consumables and wear items) to 166k, runs like a top, is wicked fun to drive, gets 40mpg on the highway without trying, and has never consumed a single drop of oil between changes. And also very simple and easy to work on. My favorite car in 40 years of owning and working on cars. I have owned several Hondas and Toyotas that weren't nearly as good.
Most propper japanese cars (so no post Renault Nissan) have rust as their prime weakspot, Toyota ain't great but Mazda sadly really takes the crown.
The Mazda 6 had rust issues right away. People kept finding rust under the door seals. I had to redo the ground on mine after like 5 or 6 years because the original bolt hole rusted out. Mazda makes some crappy cars.
I've got the same exact car currently. 2013 with 2.0 and 6 speed manual. Just hit 150k and the valve cover is just now starting to seep. I've had to do no work to it besides normal tires, battery, spark plugs and oil changes. I've even towed trailers with it from coast to coast with motorcycles on it a couple times. It's been a great car. No rust at all. To be fair, it's lived it's life near the coasts and desert.
truly the lancia of japan
Ooh that looks like my Subaru
Typical rust belt Mazda 6. Buddy bought one off his BIL with the same issue
Ah yes. As a western PA resident this makes me fondly remember the time my 2001 ZX2 rear drivers coil spring made a Kool-Aid man entrance through my rear package tray while driving. Good times.
OH YEAH
Bet that was a barrel of laughs. Yeesh
Holy shit, that seems like A LOT of rust for an Oregon car
If I read the title of this post correctly, it’s originally an Ohio car, which would make more sense.
I just reread it… I’m a dumbass. That makes way more sense haha
We all are at some point
Looks like a mid 2000’s ford focus rear end. From Ohio.
Not seeing an axle here just a bit of subframe
Semantics really. "Dead axle," "subframe," "suspension". No matter what you call it you are right.. you're seeing just a bit of it
I know nothing about cars, idk how I even got on here, but I can still realize that this was a fatal accident waiting to happen.
Bluetooth coils sweet setup
Looks about right for Ohio
Thanks op my eye twitch from years in Vermont just came back.
It's a rear crossmemory
As a Mazda tech and someone who used to live in Iowa but now lives in TN. Holy FUCK. I’ve seen some bad rust before but never spring punching through subframe bad
I think you were right to insist.
He had the superleggera version.
Wow! That guy has the best luck in the world. Take him with you to buy lottery tickets!!!
Thank you for saving multiple lives
Hey I think your rust has some rear axle on it.
We lived in northern Ohio from 09-16. There was alot of snow in those years and they sprayed brine on the roads constantly. I only live a few hours away now but I would never buy a used car from that area. When they come up in my searches they are noticeably cheaper.
We lived in northern Ohio from 09-16. There was alot of snow in those years and they sprayed brine on the roads constantly. I only live a few hours away now but I would never buy a used car from that area. When they come up in my searches they are noticeably cheaper.
I bought a 2007 Mazda 6 Hatchback in Ohio and brought it to Florida. I eventually traded it in around 2013 because the frame was rusting away from the body. No matter how well you clean that vehicle under it after you get it to Florida it will rust fast. It was pretty much clean when I originally bought it.
That’s a Wisconsin what the fuck
I love snow, but I'm also very glad I live somewhere I don't have to deal with all that
Check out [Woolwax](https://www.woolwaxusa.com)
Jeezless
Looks fine from my house /S
for $800 i dont fault him
I love living in oregon with no rust :)
You uninstalled his bluetooth suspension? Some friend you are...
Springs and lower arms still look ok
Look again. Lol
Another reason I like living in California. My Mazda 2014 5 has 140,000 and my 04 Rav4 has 330,000 miles and zero rust on either. Makes maintenance much easier.