After 900 miles -- the round-trip mileage to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (sheesh, I just said it again) -- I've become intimate with the 6's seats, which left both the wife and I with some serious road ass.
The 6's harder-than-average seats are good for short trips as they keep me from sinking in too much and offer reasonable lateral support. They're also highly adjustable. But after 900 miles their firmness was just too much for my relatively unpadded underside. Maybe it's just me.
Here's something that isn't me, though. In an effort to eliminate hot spots and find the optimal seating postion, I was fiddling with this lumbar knob when I heard a pop from the back of the seat. And then, as you might imagine, the knob became purely decorative, offering as much control over lumbar support as the volume knob on the dashboard.
What's more, the red stripe on the nav screen is still there -- three months after we made the initial dealer visit to resolve this issue. Mazda of Orange refuses to return our calls despite telling us last month that the screen was on back order. We'll try another dealer after one more phone call.
Josh Jacquot, Senior road test editor
carguy622 says:
08:44 PM, 07/ 6/09
Very disappointing experience with the dealer...I'd be livid at this point.
mikeolan says:
09:31 PM, 07/ 6/09
Krap E Kar
Krap E Dealer
penboy says:
09:32 PM, 07/ 6/09
The '06 6 had the same lumbar knob (excluding the Mazdaspeed), and my father's car had the exact same issue. It's a very quick fix at a half-decent dealership.
Ford and Mazda of Orange, by the way, isn't close to half-decent, at least on the Mazda part/service side of it. I had the same issue trying to order a part there. I gave up after three weeks, though. If you guys are driving all the way in to Orange County as it is, try Tustin Mazda.
mercedesfan says:
09:55 PM, 07/ 6/09
That is very disappointing. My friend has a first generation Mazda6 s and has had not a single issue with it, and he is hardly easy on his cars. I hope these are just first-year teething issues and not a sign that Mazda has started slipping in terms of quality. Mazda is one of the few Japanese brands that I actually like.
zoomzoom22 says:
10:10 PM, 07/ 6/09
I too have had no problems with my first gen Mazda 6 - no engine trouble, interior issues, etc. I'm also hoping that this is just first-year teething issues. Having sat in a 2010 Mazda3 yesterday, I can say confidently that their quality is not slipping. That car looks/feels like it could cost twice as much as it does.
blobster says:
10:34 PM, 07/ 6/09
ZoomZoom22 - wish my 2003 6 experience were different, at least initially. I've posted about my problems before. Since that first year, it's been a pretty reliable car though.
I don't have the same lumbar knob, as it's the joystick with pump action that most cars have. It's worked fine for 6 years.
blobster says:
10:36 PM, 07/ 6/09
But zoomzoom22, how can you really tell that "their quality is not slipping" by just sitting in the thing? I sat in the new 6 and thought the interior was the best part of the car, and yet we see some issues with the nav screen and lumbar knob. Hey, it's a new darn car! My only beef is with new cars that come apart, that's all!
johnnyr3 says:
03:25 AM, 07/ 7/09
I'm really disappointed with all the problems this Mazda is having. If your going to go the bread 'n butter Camcord route the car really should be near flawless. Otherwise you're going to have a car that is boring AND has problems.
The first generation wasn't problem free, but it drove really well and was interesting. So you could forgive it. This new one, though sounds like a lose lose when you consider the competition.
2006vr6 says:
06:07 AM, 07/ 7/09
Really nice to have a Passat with power lumbar that is a power adjustable up/down, in/out & dials in with memory button. Ever notice a slightly difference seating position when driving home? How about adjusting your rear view mirror slightly? Passat also has komfort & sport seats. I have one 08 w/ komfort and one 06 w/ sport. Both have great seating positions and was a main factor in purchasing due to lower spine probs.
zoomzoom22 says:
01:21 PM, 07/ 7/09
blobster, I guess I meant initial quality. Hopefully this new 3 will be as reliable as the old one.
adamb1 says:
06:30 AM, 07/13/09
I have 3,500 miles on '09 Mazda 6 s GT. No quality defects to date.
jpdisarro says:
12:27 PM, 07/13/09
My 04 Mazda 6 has been nearly flawless for the past five years. Hopefully, the 09's problems are only first year bugs and not indicative of declining quality.