that's a detached axle.. ugh no good!

yep looks like the trans bolt backed out like all the other people (see the list here)


Again, PLEASE take the 5 minutes report it to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Saftey Administration) to help us all out. Be sure to properly document everything and include your VIN number in the process so Mazda will put out a technical service bulletin and fix the issue for all of us speed3 owners.

I hope they come out with some kind of fix soon...it def. makes me uneasy when I'm driving mine...

The fix is simple! Dealers should be aware of this problem now. Any early model Speed 3 (like November-December 2006) should have this investigated by a dealer.

The replacement part is a longer, stronger bolt with a washer that actually fixes the problem. Its a simple fix, but it does work, and works correctly.

At my work, an odd coincidence came up while I was leaving for the day. I work at SRS/Identifix, and a guy in a Mazda shirt walked over to my car and commented on it being nice, and what not. He asked if I put a CAI on it yet, and I told him I just took a dremel to the airbox, and hacked it the best I could, and that it made a big difference. He then asked if I like it. I said, absolutely! Except for my engine falling out and all! He asked how it happened, and immediately said he's heard all about it, and that the fix for it should permanently solve any problem. He then said he was part of the design team for the Mazdaspeed 3, and he was one of the people who tuned it for NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) testing, to make sure it worked well in North America's streets. So, this guy helped design our car! He also said that if I ever take the hood off, and go drive, that I'd absolutely SHIT if I saw how much the engine moves in the bay, to avoid transmitting vibes to the chassis. Then he asked about the traction, and I told him point blank that I wish it were AWD, and that I'm tired of making short work of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear with tire spin (at least here in slippery Vegas roads). He said it was originally planned to be, but the added weight and complexity just made it impractical, and the Speed6 pretty much takes care of AWD. It would have weighed almost exactly what a Speed6 weighs if it were AWD. He did say that the transmission has a PTO (Power Take Off) point that could theoretically add AWD right to it, with the right parts and technical work. He also told me that the engine was severely de-tuned for both traction reasons and survivability, but that the engine would take a LOT more horsepower without really any problem at all. Then he grinned and bid me goodbye.

The whole drive home I wished I'd have sat down with him and asked him everything I could about the car. Oh well!

shoulda bought the MS6...weight or not those shits are fast. Same engine, same potential, only one of them has traction and rear legroom.:pfanndina

^^ I would hope the 3 also has rear legroom as I know anyone over 6'6" that sits in my car always sits in the back because it has enough legroom and has a lot more headroom (stupid moonroof intruding into headroom up front

yeah...tall passengers seem to like sitting in the back right seat (there no leg room behind me at all) because they get more knee room b/c the dash isn't there.

For me I was planning on the 6 but two things got in the way...

1. Money
2. I could only find Red.

you didn't look hard enough then! I only had silvers, blacks and reds near me when I bought mine but I had my dealer go get this car from the next state over. Don't settle....thats the biggest mistake I've made in buying cars is settling for what's right there, right now. Then you're stuck paying for a car you don't really like as much.

I REALLY like the MS3 but I'd never buy one just based on the lack of AWD. I drove a friends modified SRT4 and it was GREAT on the interstate but worthless on the street or autox. I'm not having that.

Okay guys - Now that Im scared as shit, is ther anyway I can go to the dealership and swap out my bolts before anything bad happens?

See this thread:

https://www.mazda3club.com/mazda3-mazdaspeed3-98/mazdaspeed-3-recall-issued-45509/

good call. IMO, they took far too long. But hey, at least its done.