298 of the
2,937 complaints filed about the Mazda MAZDA6
are about the body and structure —
10% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2009.
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a stop, the steering wheel was not operating properly. Several days later while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was play in the steering wheel. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from the passenger’s side wheel. The contact stated that the wheel was turning abnormally. A mechanic arrived at the residence to diagnose the vehicle and determined that the sub frame was rusted. While touching the sub frame, pieces of the sub frame fractured. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.
NHTSA complaint #11744830 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the contact attempted to swerve out the way of another vehicle as she suddenly lost control of the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact force to steer the vehicle to the left as the contact attempted to maintain control of the vehicle. The contact managed to pull over into a parking lot and called her husband for assistance. Despite the failure, the contact managed to drive the vehicle home despite the vehicle being extremely difficult to maneuver. The contact's husband managed to drive the vehicle to a local mechanic, who determined that the front subframe had failed due to excessive corrosion of the subframe. The mechanic then informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension); however, the contact was informed that her vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure where they confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle remained in the mechanic's possession and had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 115,000.
NHTSA complaint #11738066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11730786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11722303 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2011 Mazda6 A serious safety defect occurred on my vehicle and matches NHTSA Recall 19V-323 / Mazda Recall 2818I (front cross member corrosion due to insufficient coating) despite this recall not being associated with my VIN. Front cross member cracked due to rust, causing loss of steering control, wheel misalignment, and scraping from the front wheel. This is exactly the failure described in the recall (breakage of the cross member and reduced steering control, increasing the risk of a crash). My safety and the safety of others were put at risk. Although my VIN is not currently associated with the recall, all conditions of the recall apply to my vehicle: -2011 Mazda6 within the affected production range -Defect is a manufacturing issue (insufficient paint coating) -Vehicle was registered in Missouri from 2023-2025, which is a listed state The only reason this recall was not associated with my VIN is because the vehicle was not registered in Missouri at the exact time of the 2019 recall campaign. This is an administrative gap, not a safety distinction. It should not be allowed to limit a manufacturer safety defect to specific states. Vehicles move across state lines constantly. A defect that causes loss of steering control does not stop being dangerous when a car crosses a border. Registration records alone did not reflect actual vehicle use or risk. If recalls are state-limited, manufacturers and NHTSA must continue tracking registration changes and associate the recall with the VIN as soon as a vehicle becomes registered in an affected state. Rust is progressive and age-related. Since this recall began in 2019 and it is now 2026, affected vehicles are more likely to experience failure, and many are now registered in different states than they were in 2019. I am requesting that NHTSA associate Recall 19V-323 with my VIN, investigate the adequacy of state-limited recall tracking, and take action to prevent this known safety defect from causing additional crashes.
NHTSA complaint #11713263 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My rear subframe rusted thru and has holes in it. It is too dangerous to drive and mazda won't recall the rear like the front subframe knowing that a lot of people are suffering from the same issue. A subframe should last a long time. My mechanic inspected the car and feels like it's not safe to drive.
NHTSA complaint #11699875 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and crossing a bridge, the vehicle stopped unexpectedly after driving over several expansion joints. The contact stated that the vehicle had not stalled. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed that the passenger’s side front wheel was slanted into the wheel well. The contact inspected the wheel well and noticed that the control arm had sheared off at the cross member. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the steering wheel had turned slightly to the right. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension), which included the VIN. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to a dealer, where the contact was advised that the VIN was included in a recall, and the contact was advised that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the dealer had not diagnosed vehicle in a month. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact to work with the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer and dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 188,000.
NHTSA complaint #11698215 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The front and back cross members underneath my Mazda6 have completely rusted out. There are numerous complaints about Mazda's "Safety Recall 2818I Expansion" not covering the back support member and also not considering Nebraska to be a Salt Belt state despite the state, and specifically Omaha using salt to treat their roads in the winter. On [XXX], my front cross member completely failed due to rust, causing my vehicle to lose control. I've taken my car to the mechanic and they confirmed the front and back cross members are completely rusted and need replacement costing $7,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11682499 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while her mother was driving at slow speeds in a parking area, there was an abnormally loud metallic sound coming from underneath the vehicle, and moments later, the vehicle became extremely difficult to maneuver. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the rear crossmember had detached from the vehicle due to excessive corrosion of the subframe. The contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension); the VIN was previously included, but was repaired in 2019. The contact stated that the recall repair was for the front passenger’s side lower control arm. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.
NHTSA complaint #11681707 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The front and rear crossmembers have significant rust. The front has holes and chunks of metal missing due to rust corrosion. The rear has flaking and is deeply pockmarked with rust. These are structural components. Failure can lead to a crash.
NHTSA complaint #11658728 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud clanking sound coming from the rear end on the passenger's side. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the rear end of the vehicle was severely corroded. The contact reached out to a mobile independent mechanic, and it was determined that the underbody of the vehicle was severely damaged and could not be repaired or replaced. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
NHTSA complaint #11658432 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My sunroof exploded while I was driving on the 405 S freeway. It can be inspected at any time as I haven’t had it repaired or inspected by anyone yet. It happened while I was driving at least 65 mph in the fast lane. It sounded like a gunshot and startled me greatly. Glass flew everywhere and I believe hit cars around me as I heard multiple vehicles honk. This was a very scary and dangerous experience. There were no warnings and I’ve never had any issues with my sunroof. Nothing fell on my vehicle or impacted the glass. Thankfully no one was hurt but this is extremely concerning.
NHTSA complaint #11651544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently veered to the left. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle became difficult to steer. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine cradle had failed and was severely rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.
NHTSA complaint #11649768 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine service, the vehicle was diagnosed with rust and corrosion of the sub-frame. The contact was informed that the sub-frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11627207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2009 Mazda 6 Rear subframe and springs are deemed unsafe due to extreme rusting and corrosion. The vehicle is registered and has been registered in both NY and PA (salt states), however was regularly washed and garage maintained. Vehicle will no longer pass inspection due to this issue and Mazda indicates no recall for the rear at this time and is ignoring that this is a highly prevalent issue. Mazda recalled and acknowledged this issue on these makes/models related to the front; however refuses to acknowledge and repair/recall the issue extending to the rear. The vehicle is in otherwise good shape, and the extreme rusting to the subframe/springs is not consistent with normal wear and tear. This is an extremely prevalent issue arising to these vehicles being ignored by Mazda. Mechanics are indicating the issue is extremely deteriorated and not safe, but that the vehicle is in otherwise good shape and the issue is consistent with faulty parts.
NHTSA complaint #11616055 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After getting the recall information about the front crossmember rusting out due to corrosion, I decided to check the rear crossmember on my car. WOW, the rear crossmember is SO much worse than the front one and I’ve read hundreds of similar stories about the exact same thing happening to other Mazda 6 sedans around these model years (2009-2013). The rear crossmember on my car, which supports the entire rear suspension is completely rusted thru in several spots and the lower end links aren’t even attached anymore because the brackets literally fell off and so now both back tires are leaning in at the top. It is very noticeable! Very unsafe to drive! I decided to park this car until a solution is reached with Mazda or the NHTSA on how to deal with this. I don’t know why the front crossmember was recalled but not the rear? There’s only 2 things that are rusted on my car, period…the front & rear crossmembers!
NHTSA complaint #11605695 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel began to shake violently, with the low tire pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to inspect the vehicle and discovered that the front passenger’s side tire had detached from the vehicle. The contact's father was called to the scene and the spare tire was placed on the vehicle. The contact then drove to an independent mechanic where both the front driver’s and front passenger’s side tires were replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed; and the diagnostic test determined that the cross member had corroded and caused the tire failure. The contact was then notified that the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension) and that the warranty on the vehicle had expired. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and was not repaired. The failure mileage was 204,000.
NHTSA complaint #11605371 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while the independent mechanic was performing an oil change on the vehicle, the independent mechanic informed the contact that the rear subframe was severely rusted with holes in the subframe. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the rear subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.
NHTSA complaint #11605184 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2013 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that the vehicle had been repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V631000 (Suspension, Structure) where a coating was sprayed on the passenger side lower control arm and the area was drained. After receiving the recall repair, the contact became aware that the vehicle was pulling to the right and the steering wheel was tilted to the left. The front passenger’s side tire was slightly turned inward. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the front cross member on the passenger’s side was rusted, causing several fractures. After inspecting the damaged area, the mechanic confirmed that it was the area that was repaired under recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 67,000.
NHTSA complaint #11601441 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.