Hi Everyone, I am new to the forum and this is my first post.

I Have a 2007 Mazda3 5-door with 26,000 miles and I am experiencing some pretty significant handling problems. About 8 months ago, I hit a huge pot hole in Upstate NY and blew out my left front tire. I replaced the tire and had the wheels balanced, but something still seemed to be a bit off. About four months later, I noticed a bubble on the side wall of the new tire, which obviously needed to be replaced again. Unfortunately, at this point, this is what I am experiencing:

-The car shakes at exactly 60 mph, not before or after, just at 60.

-I feel every bump in the road like crazy, and the steering wheel turns (while I'm holding on to it) almost every time I hit a rough patch of road.

-In order for the car to drive perfectly straight, the steering wheel needs to be turned very slightly to the left. I can tell by looking at the Mazda symbol on the center of the wheel.

-If I hit rough road at higher speeds the back feels like it kicks out, which makes the car feel very unstable.

Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I do not have very much faith in the dealer where I purchased the car because I had them check it out and they told me everything looks fine...

Thanks!
-Jim

 

So at this point i would check just about everything on that side with the suspension. Hitting something that hard could have really messed some sh*t up if you know what i mean.

You could have just gotten a bad tire, happens all the time but somehow unlikely,

when you got it balanced, did you get it alinged? that could be a cause of constantly holding the wheel to the side, although the correct alingenment on our cars the wheel should be very slightly to one side or the other but not as dramatic as you make it seem.

Try crusing along on a nice flat road, not really on the gas, and let go of the wheel and see if it pulls to one side or the other. Do the same while braking, while just coasting apply the brakes, not hard, and let go of the wheel. See if it pulls to one side or the other.

I would get underneath and see if you didn't mess up your tie rods, cv shaft boot for cracking losing grease will make it really dry and unresponsive.

Most of the time when the steering wheel vibrates like that at higher speeds usually bad treads, out of align, blanced bad, tow could be off etc. I'm sure many other people could throw some tips and fixes for you.

 

You pretty much covered it from what I see.
Except maybe a bent strut or blown upper strut bearing. Both should be detected during an alignment... if the guy knows his stuff in the first place.

 

Thanks for the response, I'm worried that this is going to be a pretty costly repair. It does pull slightly to the left, but it's not that noticeable. Do you think the car is safe to drive for the time being until I can get it looked at? Also, any ideas on why it seems like the back kicks out? Is that common on the hatchbacks?

Thanks again!

 

No & No.
I would be remiss in my duties here if I confirmed that your car was safe to drive that way, especially since you state that the car now has a tendency to oversteer....
My HB under-steers, even with a heavier rear sway bar. If yourFWD, vehicles that traditionally contain loads of under-steer, Mazda3 over-steers... gets away from you, causes "surprises," and you don't know why, you need to have the suspension looked ASAP, imo. You've got a problem that may cause an accident, or death to you, or other drivers/pedestrians.

 

Agreed, no FWD car should have a back kick out like a RWD is what it sounds like what your car is doing. All your weight and your engine sit of top the the wheels the should be biting down into the ground giving you the traction, the kick back of the car accelerating should be enough to keep your back tires in traction and shouldn't kick out

 

This must be fixed. Do not drive it until it is..

You could kill yourself, <----Not so Important
You could kill someone else.. <-----More Important

 

The same thing happened to ma almost a year ago. I hit a curb and blew out a tire and bent my wheel. I replaced both and a few months later I ended up getting an entire set of new tires with an alignment. Everything as been fine, but now (30k) I am noticing the car pulls to the right, and the steering wheel vibrates as i brake. Im taking it to Mazda today to get it aligned....hopefullt this will resolve the issue. Anyone else have any experience with wheel vibrations? I'm hoping it's not already time for new brakes.

 

Wheel vibration during braking could be an issue with warped rotors.

 

... Or out of round tires. Take it from one who knows, but not in this case from the sound of it.
I just wanted to include that for posterity.