225 of the
2,937 complaints filed about the Mazda MAZDA6
are about the suspension —
8% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2009.
Got error message that said "Forward Smart City Brake Support Malfunction" slso fot "smart brake malfunction" while driving. The ac stopped, the car speedometer kept going from 50 to zero. The car died and couldn't open doors, windows. Lost steering while driving. We were able to get off road and restart and fine for 2 weeks. While at still light tonight, the car turned off. Windows were up, couldn't open door, emergency blinkers would not come on. This is very dangerous.
NHTSA complaint #11753644 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rear cross member broke due to corrosion breaking off lateral arm from driver side of cross member, I may add the front crossmember was repaired due to recall for extreme corrosion not too long ago, as I research this problem I uncover many owners of this vehicle having the same issue in the northeast,even with much lower mileage.mazda should be held accountable.$3,926.62 for part alone on Mazda parts.com
NHTSA complaint #11750964 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I recently had my front subframe replaced as part of your recall, however, the rear subframe and all components attached are suffering from the exact same rust and potential component failure as the front. I was replacing my brakes today and noticed that the entire structure is on the verge of complete failure. The right rear suspension already makes unusual noises when going over even small bumps and I imagine if I were to hit a large pothole that would probably be the end of this car. I imagine all similar Mazda 6s in the Midwest suffer from the exact same degradation and it is a major safety concern. There are places where there's chunks of subframe missing because it has rusted completely through and just disintegrated.
NHTSA complaint #11746080 — 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.
The rear subframe rusted out and my control arm broke off! This is extremely serious and because there is no recall I’m going to have to buy an another vehicle. Please issue a recall. I’ve read forms about this and many others have had the same issue with the rear subframe corroding and rotting out.
NHTSA complaint #11734456 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I looked up recalls on my vehicle and it states that The 2011 Mazda6 is part of a recall (NHTSA 19V-323, Mazda 2818I) covering 2011-2013 models for front cross member (subframe) corrosion due to insufficient rust protection . In salt-belt states, this corrosion can cause the lower control arm to detach, reducing steering control and increasing crash risk. Key Details regarding the 2011 Mazda6 Subframe Recall: Scope: The recall affects specific 2011-2013 Mazda6 vehicles (and 2009-2010 models in a previous, related recall). Location Restrictions: Vehicles must have been originally sold in, or currently/previously registered in, 23 "salt belt" states (including CT, NY, MI, MN, OH, etc.). The Issue: The front cross member may experience severe corrosion, causing structural failure of the passenger-side lower control arm mounting point. Symptoms: Drivers may notice a change in steering alignment or a broken cross member. Remedy: Dealers will inspect the cross member and replace it if necessary. Action Required: Owners should contact their local Mazda dealership to check their VIN for open recalls. The recall was officially announced in May 2019 and is an expansion of a 2018 action.
NHTSA complaint #11715942 — 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.
The rear subframe and suspension parts are rusted so bad that the car is not safe to drive. Looked up recalls and found out the front subframe had a recall and was taken care of before I bought the car. Also found recall for my model of car that were registered in state that use salt on there roads which is one of the state i live in. Was told my Mazda corporation the only certain 2012 mazda vehicle's vehicle's were covered for rusting issues with the rear . If the front of the car is recalled and the same problem happens with the rear of the car shouldn't it be covered for something? I have an appointment coming up on the 21 of January which is ridiculous that I have to wait 3 weeks to have it looked at. . Thank you for your time. The only reason I found the problem with the car was a stick got stuck in the rusted out parts and when I took it out a bunch of rust fell on the ground.
NHTSA complaint #11710529 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When I took the car into my ASE mechanic shop for a normal oil change and tire rotation, they performed a general overall car inspection. They noticed that the Driver Side Rear Subframe had rusted through completely, where the coil spring is located. The passenger side was rusted, but has not yet broke through. They stated that the subframe parts should not rust through like this. They also stated that it is dangerous to drive the car in this condition. I have not notified the manufacturer as of yet, but plan to do so. There were no warning lights, but the ride did seem to be rougher than normal. The attach photos contain 2 photos of the failed driver side rear subframe and 1 photo of the good, passenger side rear subframe.
NHTSA complaint #11700788 — 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.
Component or System that Failed: The front subframe on my 2009 Mazda 6i Touring is completely rusted through. There are holes in the frame and large flakes of rusted metal breaking off. The car is available for inspection if needed. Safety Risk: This is a serious safety concern because if the subframe fails, I could lose steering or suspension control while driving. That would put me and other drivers at immediate risk of an accident. Reproduction / Confirmation: An independent mechanic confirmed the problem and told me the car is unsafe to drive in its current condition. Inspection: The vehicle had the original Mazda subframe corrosion recall performed years ago, but now the same exact problem has come back. The car has not yet been re-inspected by Mazda, but the severity of the rust is obvious. Warning Lamps / Symptoms: There were no warning lights or messages before this happened. The issue was only noticed when the rust and holes became visible on the underside of the car during a recent inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11683036 — 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.
Hello, My name is [XXX] . I took our Mazda 6 in for wheel balance and alignment and was informed of very serious rust issues in the rear suspension. I was pretty shocked at what they showed me. I worked at Raben Tire for 10 years and I've never seen anything like this. I have two retired mechanic friends look at it, and they (along with the mechanic from firestone) said they cannot even fathom how this level of rust is possible (80+% of the miles on this vehicle are highway). One of my retired mechanic friends started looking into it and said he'd noticed the 09 Mazda recalls for suspension rust. We all thought that made sense given how immensely abnormal this rusting is. The recall list sent to me says "front" suspension. I'm not sure why the front is listed and not the rear, but this, to all of us, is very clearly faulty (the rusting is INCREDIBLY abnormal) and we believe should be considered as part of the suspension rust recall (there are no rusting issues anywhere else). Ive provided pictures. This is incredibly unsafe. The rear suspension could collapse at any moment while driving and cause casualties. Thank you for your time, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11680053 — 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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud clicking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the rear of the vehicle was bouncing, and the clicking sound was extremely loud. The contact stopped and parked the vehicle. The contact was fearful of driving the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that an independent mobile mechanic visited the residence and inspected the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed with severe corrosion of the suspension. The contact was informed that the corrosion was irreparable. In addition, the contact was informed that the rear passenger’s side suspension was fractured due to severe corrosion. The dealer that sold the vehicle was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact stated that the vehicle had been parked since the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11656508 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The rear Suspension Frame has failed due to corrosion. The right rear tire has worn severely from the premature failure of that part on the right side. I feel it was a defect in Engineering by Mazda. My email: [XXX] Mobile: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11652399 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The rear frame has failed due to corrosion on the right side. The rear passenger tire is canted in on the topside worn severely worn. This was noted when I drove home from my job. This is a critical part of the vehicle and should've never failed. I'm hopeful to hear from the NHTSB for a repair to be done properly by Mazda;
NHTSA complaint #11650252 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V451000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #11650328 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.