On September 12, 2018 I took my 2010 Mazda 6I to a local Mazda dealership to get preventative maintenance done on the vehicle, replacing the drive belt. When the Mazda tech started the job, he discovered that the entire front sub-frame that holds the front end suspension, steering components, motor and transmission was rusted and rotted out with several holes and flaking metal. The tech was unable to perform the job as he stated he could not remove the sub-frame and keep it in tact. The tech reported that this created a hazardous and unsafe condition and that until repaired with a new or other-wise in-tact sub-frame the car would be unsafe to drive. Upon checking on-line I have discovered that this is quickly becoming a common problem with the Mazda 6 of this model year (2009 to 2019). The sub-frame should not be that rotted out in a 2010 vehicle with 101921 miles on it and no rust on the body.

- Endicott, NY, USA

8/11/2018while merging from route 9 onto route 95, I heard a clank coming from the bottom of my car, didn't think since driving through deep flooding from current rainstorm. Was on I-95 when steering seemed to go, veer to the right and brakes not catching. Was able to get off highway, regained control of car, went to my destination on rte 109. Drove, pumped breaks since I thought the problem was flooding & wet brakes. Left to go to next destination & steering was off, so drove very slowly (steering off & had to keep turning to the left) once again thinking weather related. Exited 95 to sprauge St. Dedham where brakes weren't working well, drove to friends in area and as I drove down hill, car lost steering and I landed up curb, brakes weren't working, put on emergency brake & finally stopped. Friends house was around the corner so rolled down hill to her house to let car dry as still thought it was from flooding. Left her house after an hour, drove two blocks and car completely lost all steering, lights on dashboard started flashing, brakes went. Called aaa and was towed to steve's service station where on Monday the car was deemed "totaled". the entire sub-carriage was covered in rust & corrosion, there were holes, pieces of metal from the car missing and major cracks all underneath and encasing the brakes and other part of car. Was told if I had gone a bit faster on 95, bottom would have fallen leading to serious accident. Note: There are numerous complaints about this with Mazda6 and Mazda has done nothing. I cannot receive financial compensation from insurance since is corrosion and not collision that caused the problems. Financial disaster. 47K miles, one owner car. Consults from mechanics said they have never seen anything like this on 8 yr old car. Appraiser said Mazda known for rust problems - gave me websites to research to assist. Please help!

- Newton, MA, USA

I began having problems with the steering, especially when turning at intersections, it made some bang/bump noises, and felt like the front wheels weren't turning unless I really cranked the steering wheel. I took it to the dealer for an evaluation, and they promptly pulled it off the road, telling me it was unsafe to drive. Turns out the front subframe on the passenger side had rusted out so badly that it was almost split into two pieces, and I could literally poke holes through the rusted areas, affecting the operation of both the steering and suspension. If the subframe had indeed split, according to the mechanic, the steering would've failed and I could've lost the right front wheel.

- Liverpool, NY, USA

I was driving home from work, when I noticed that my steering was not working right. Every time I hit a bump in the road it became hard to control. To stay straight, my steering wheel had to be turn almost completely left. I figured I was just badly out of alignment. I took it to the shop to get my alignment done, and they told me the sub frame was rotted out. The car is only 8 years old and well maintained. He was not able to explain why it was rotted out, but the rest of the underneath looked good.

- Shelocta, PA, USA

While driving on town roads and around a traffic circle a loud noise was heard from the right hand side of the vehicle. I attempted to pull into a nearby gas station but the vehicle would not steer to the left enough to enter the parking lot. I managed to pull into another lot a short distance down the street on the right hand side. I inspected the under side of the vehicle and discovered the front sub-frame had rusted through to the point of failure. This failure allowed the complete front left wheel/suspension assembly to move about freely under the car.

- Hanover, NH, USA

Heard a knock while driving (as though hitting pothole). Next day steering column felt loose, breaks seemed worn and sound on sharp turns. Later that day while driving in city, went over a normal dip in the road and heard a crack/louder knock. Wheel turned to the left, even though driving straight. When applying brakes, wheel now turned to the right. Pulled aside and ran over curb as brakes were not as effective. Initial diagnosis: Brakes and bearings need repair (although these were replaced less than 5 months ago). Next diagnosis: Subframe psg. Side completely rotted and cracked. Will take a month to repair [rental provided]. note- the past 6 months I've had other issues including: Electrical (fuse for radio/locks/int lights keeps breaking; after 1.5 hour diagnostic cause still unknown. Chose to replace fuse as needed- weekly to monthly); 3 tires have gone (even though 2 were fairly new; needed alignment); brakes and bearings twice. Could be regular wear and tear or could be related.

- Peterborough, NY, USA

Front subframe corrosion. We were fortunate in that we noticed the car pulling to the right, slowed down, heard a "pop" and lost control of steering but we were going slow pulled over and towed to garage. The part has a 3 week delivery time and the price has recently doubled from $600 to $1,200 in the few daysour mechanic called to get. This seemsto be a serious safety issue but no recall.

- Boston, MA, USA

I was on a city street travelling around 35 mph. While approaching a stop light and applying the brakes the car suddenly started pulling to the right and almost pulled the entire vehicle into a ditch. The vehicle came to a stop at the edge of the grass. I pulled the vehicle over further to avoid traffic and noticed the right tire was now touching the wheel well. After having the vehicle towed the mechanic informed me that there was extensive corrosion underneath the vehicle which had led to the failure.

- Covington, KY, USA

Noticed a knocking noise developing in front passenger side. Took the car to a local garage to have it checked out and to get new tires and alignment. I was notified that the sub-frame was rotted out and the car was no longer safe to drive. Contacted Mazda for new sub-frame and was notified that the part has been on back order for 6 months and they had no idea when they would be available. Now I am stuck with an 8 year old car that is unsafe to drive with no hope for repair.

- Huntsburg, OH, USA

When performing an oil change I noticed that the subframe / engine cradle on the passenger side near the right suspension was severely rusted. The subframe is no longer structurally sound and I have parked the vehicle until a repair is completed. The vehicle is no longer safe to be on the road. The severe corrosion appears to be isolated to the right side with the rest of the subframe showing surface corrosion normally seen in an area that uses road salt such as Minnesota. I believe that the cause of this failure is the air conditioning evaporator drain dripping on the subframe. As you can see in the attached pictures there is no drain hose used to divert the water from the evaporator around the frame and overboard. This moisture mixed with the road salt created a dangerous amount of corrosion on a key structural component. I am glad I noticed this before an accident occurred

- Stillwater, MN, USA

This vehicle does not track straight, even on a level road. At highway speeds (above 50 mph) it has a decided pull to the left, regardless of the lateral slope of the road. Constant clockwise pressure on the steering wheel is necessary in order to keep vehicle from drifting in a leftward direction. If driver attention is diverted for only an instant the vehicle is likely to partially intrude into the lane to the left, which on an undivided highway could be an oncoming traffic lane (hence the safety issue). I called this to the attention of my Mazda dealer's service department at least twice within the first year after purchase (January 2010). Their answer was no answer--they could not find anything wrong mechanically and there were no bulletins from Mazda on the subject. They verified the alignment and rotated the tires left to right, but neither of these solved the problem. Nearly five years later the problem still exists and seems even more pronounced than it was originally. A recent check with the dealer indicated that there is still nothing from Mazda. Possibly it is a defect that applies only to my car and not in general to that model, but I have no way of determining that at this point.

- Stamford, CT, USA