Loss of steering due to passenger side rusted sub frame

- Mason, OH, USA

I usually get my girlfriends oil changed on her 09 Mazda 6 4 cyl at a local shop but decided to do the oil change myself. Upon inspection while waiting for the oil to drain I noticed a significant amount of rust corrosion on the right rear where the subframe attaches. It's sad because we have only had the car a year and a half and before we bought it it was actually really clean underneath. I honestly don't see this 2009 Mazda passing inspection again and would like to know if Mazda will help out. Do we keep driving this car and risking our and everyone else's life's " photo is just the bottom. Top side of cross member is much worse. Please help!!?"

- Livermore, ME, USA

Brought vehicle in to a mechanic to replace right-side inner/outer tie rods due to knocking sound when turning the steering wheel all the way to one side. Mechanic got it on a lift and showed me the tie rods weren't the problem, it was the fact that the front subframe was so rotted that the tie rods weren't attached to it anymore, they were just free floating. Mechanic said the vehicle was unsafe to drive and the subframe needed to be replace asap. After removing the rotted subframe, it was obvious to see that the large amount of rust that had formed was due to the poor design of the A/C waste water port. It's just a plastic opening sticking out of the firewall, so all the waste water is dripping/pouring down from the opening and ends up sitting on the subframe and causing rust. There is also an intentional hole in the subframe right below the waste water port, so the water also gets into the frame and travels down its length to spread out all the rust and corrosion. I had to buy some hose clamps and a plastic elbow and some vinyl tubing to direct the waste water down below my brand new subframe so that I don't end up rusting it out as well.

- Exeter, RI, USA

Front subframe and engine support rusted out to the point that it was cracked and broken had to be replaced before it resulted in catastrophe loss of control. I had to replace this part @ $2500 just to keep car drive able. I've since sold car after frame was replaced with new oem part.

- Scarborough, ME, USA

Currently my car is stationary, unsafe to drive, in a repair shop. The front subframe on the right side is completely rotten to the core. All parts attached (suspension, wheel, etc.) to the frame are falling off. The rotten part is chipping away. My car was making a clanking, banging noise (I believed the muffler or something was loose) so I towed it to the repair shop. When I returned to the repair shop, the manager said she had bad news, lord and behold, she tells and shows me the frame. I could have passed out. If I would have known this car had this problem, I would have never purchased it. To make it worst is the cost to repair the vehicle. My car is not repaired, Mazda does not have a recall on this vehicle issue which is not safe, and Mazda does not what to help with the expense. NHTSA, this is very common problem with Mazda 6 2009 models; a lot of customers have identified this problem and it is unsafe to drive the vehicle. Please do something about this immediately. The current repair shop cannot fix the frame so I must have my vehicle towed to a collision shop. I am not very happy and I am not driving my car. I will go back and take pictures of the frame and send it to you.

- Clawson, MI, USA

Rusted subframe mechanic's inspection at 100,000 miles revealed severe rusting of subframe. This is a safety concern because if it breaks it would allow the engine and transmission to fall out of place. I have ordered a replacement part but it is unavailable until July. In the meantime, it feels as though I am driving a time bomb. I am filing this complaint because it seems abnormal for a structural component to rot out so quickly and because it seems to be a common problem for this make and model.

- Lansing, MI, USA

The subframe of my 2009 Mazda6 completely rotted out from the inside and the vehicle broke down during normal use. On Wednesday, May 2nd, a Mazda dealership replaced my rotors, pads, and noticed the car was pulling to one side so they corrected the alignment. During this time they identified a normal level of rust on the subframe but was not concerned by any other signs of failure. Less than 10 miles after leaving the dealership the subframe cracked, my front passenger wheel cv axil disconnected and the car was inoperable. Thankfully I was going only 35 mph, down a straight, paved city road, and not on the highway. I fear that at higher speeds the car would have gone off road or worse for when the subframe broke the car jerked heavily to the right then completely stopped. I believe the dealership provided quality service and due to the type of physical failure of rotting from the inside the danger it posed to myself and my family in the car was hidden. The dealership informs me that there is a backorder (400ish) for the part and that parts may not be available for several weeks. Searching online there seems to be many similar cases reported with models around this timeframe. Due to the type of failure, number of similar cases, age of the car, type of use, I am shocked that there is not a recall.

- Ann Arbor, MI, USA

I was driving to a medical appt on local roads when I noticed a thumping sound from the front left, as if the tire were going flat. I stopped and inspected the tire and found no problems, so I continued on to the appt less than a mile away. Leaving the appt I felt the car suddenly pulling sharply to the right, and the dsc-off light came on. Turning right caused a loud squeaking noise. I drove immediately to a Mazda dealership that was fortunately only a mile or so away. They examined the car and found that it is unsafe to drive due to severe rusting of the front subframe (right side). They said that if I had hit a pothole the right front tire may have broken off, endangering my life and the lives of others. The dealership was unable to locate a used subframe, and new subframes are on backorder until June - leaving me to find alternate means of transportation for at least a month. Living in a northern climate I expect cars to rust, but a 9 year old car with only 70,000 miles should not have deteriorated to such a level this quickly.

- Albany, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Mazda 6. while the vehicle was being diagnosed for a cyclical noise in the engine, the contact was informed by lannan Mazda (720 rogers St, lowell, MA 01852, (978) 454-9300) that there was severe rust and separation of the subframe in the engine compartment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 132,000. The VIN was not available.

- Chelmsford, MA, USA

While driving at highway speed (55-65mph) the steering wheel began progressively rotating counter-clockwise with the vehicle remaining straight. The dynamic stability control turned off as if the vehicle was out of control and the vehicle acted as if it were on icy/slick surfaces no longer providing support to the driver. The braking system began to struggle nearly causing an accident on the off ramp of the expressway causing a fishtail with the ABS attempting to engage. At this point the steering wheel was registering straight' with the steering wheel turned approximately 30 degrees left. Somehow at speeds less than 15 mph the vehicle was driven to the local Mazda dealership where it has a service history for an emergency service inspection. A test drive with a service representative supported the owner's complaints of a severe safety concern with right turns causing a significant 'grinding'/metallic dragging sound as if the vehicle's right under-side was contacting the ground. After inspecting the vehicle in the lift the mechanic determined there was front passenger frame metal corrosion which was breaking off in chunks. The dealership voiced awareness of another 2009 Mazda6 with similar miles (approximately 15,000 fewer) having nearly the same issue last fall/winter. The vehicle in this report has approximately 189,000 primarily highway miles and is otherwise in excellent condition for its year/make/model. The aforementioned frame failure should never happen and is believed to be a manufacturer defect which should not be the responsibility of the owner. Fortunately in this case there was not an automobile accident/collision, injury, or death though this could have easily happened. I do believe there is an extremely serious problem here and needs to be investigated as human lives are at stake.

- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA

I have been taking my 2009 Mazda 6 (60,000 miles) to the dealer for regular maintenance since I bought the car. It gets taken to the dealer twice a year for regular oil changes and tire rotations. On the most recent oil change and tire rotation, they said that the front crossmember engine cradle had severe corrosion and rusted through. If the repair is not done and the when, not if, the part fails the engine may fall out of the car and the front tires will fail to steer. This is a major safety liability! a crucial component to support the most important part of the car should not rust and fail on a car that has less than 7,000 miles driven per year.

- Brecksville, OH, USA

Engine cradle broke, causing the steering to lock up. I was driving approximatly 45 mph straight on a rural state route, I braked slightly to slow down then the car just locked up and slid off the road. Had it towed and found that the engine cradle was broken. After doing some research I found this to be a problem with this year and model.

- Geneva, OH, USA

Passenger side dashboard has become sticky/melting

- Concord, NC, USA

The vehicle is 8 years old, has 133000 miles, has had 1 owner, and has always been housed in a garage. Despite this, the front sub-frame assembly is rusted and rotting and needs to be replaced. I originally brought the vehicle in to get the right inner/outer tie rods and tie rod boot replaced, but once on a lift a mechanic identified the pervasive rust. The mechanic showed me that the rust/rot was so bad that the mount point for the tie rod assembly no longer attaches to the sub-frame.

- Exeter, RI, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Mazda 6. while driving approximately 30 mph, the steering wheel had to be turned all the way to the left in order to maintain a straight line. The contact pulled the vehicle over in a parking lot and heard a screeching sound when the brakes were applied. The steering wheel went all the way to the right. The contact called an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the subframe was rotted out and the front passenger side sway bar link needed to be replaced. The dealer, Mazda of bedford in bedford, Ohio, was contacted by phone and advised the contact to bring in the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: 1-836240644. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

- Mayfield Heights, OH, USA

I went for an oil change and found out that the frame that holds the engine in place was completely rotted out and that my engine could fall out at any given time. Also, because of the rot, the rod that should be attached to the steering was not attached because the bolts had nothing to adhere to. This could have resulted in me driving with my daughter and losing my steering and possibly getting in a fatal accident. The car is in the shop as it is not able to be driven per my mechanic for safety reasons as well as failing inspection fro this. Please contact me as soon as possible as I do not have any transportation and I work full time. I can be reached at [xxx]. or my mechanic at hometowne auto, [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- North Easton, MA, USA

Symptoms: Alignment of the car was not correct, steering wheel not centered, when breaking tire grip was limited. Rain exaggerated the symptoms, car would slide easy and was difficult to stop(tires are in excellent condition). Right front wheel camber significantly out. Visual inspection of the tire indicated camber was not correct. Investigation into potential wear items was completed searching for the possibilities of worn lower ball joint, shock tower connections and steering related components. All items appeared normal. Further investigation to connections of the lower control arm revealed significant corrosion and separation of welded steel on the engine cradle(also known as front sub frame/front cross member/front K-frame) corrosion weakened the crossmember sufficiently to allow normal everyday driving to bend the crossmember and created the out of alignment and camber issue. Continuing to drive in this state could have resulted in the lower control arm breaking the crossmember completely and likely at a time when significant breaking would be required. With the wheel out of alignment acceleration/breaking and steering are all affected due to the limited traction from misalignment. Wet weather driving control is also significantly impaired.

- Alden, NY, USA

The front engine cradle/subframe, lower control arms is rusted/corroded to the point that I was advised car would not pass inspection and that if parts failed, engine would fall under car and I could loose all steering/brakes. Per request from Mazda car was taken to dealer who confirmed extent of corrosion. This corrosion did not happen in an instant after warranty but started and continued to worsen during warranty period. Only saw this when non-dealer was putting new tires on car and noted extent of corrosion.

- Scarborough, ME, USA

Dashboard is melting; very sticky to the touch even while in the garage.

- Georgetown, TX, USA

Horn has activated randomly for years now, the first instance occurring on or about July, 2013. I have brought the car into the dealership many times for this. Each time they said the door latch was faulty and setting it off. I have had 3 door latches replaced with the most recent being done on 5/2015. In August 2016, the horn started activating randomly again. The dealership said that they found "codes" on the 3 door latches that were already replaced! clearly there is a defect somewhere with the door locks or its electrical components. This poses a severe safety hazard as a child can open the door lock and fall out when the vehicle is moving if the lock is not working.

- Sarasota, FL, USA