My Mazda3 5 door was purchased new in March 04 and now has 36K miles. Last week a low beam headlight (xenon) went out so I checked manual for bulb model. Said I couldn't replace and to take to dealer. Called service, $229 for bulb plus at least half hour to install. BUT--Thankd God for Mazda Warranty, said it was covered. After an hour wait, was told that it was relay that was bad and had to order. Took in yesterday after being told it was 3 to 4 hour job, had to remove bumper to get to relay. Luckily==got a loaner car. (POS Dodge Neon--but can't complain about free.) Picked 3 up today, relay was over $400---with labor and bulb total cost would have been just over $1,000 for a burned out headlight. Stick with the Marchal or Lucas Flamethrowers or some other 55/100 watt off road bulb, forget the xenon. If it hadn't been covered under warranty, guess I'd be driving a new MX-5 now. Any repair over a car payment means trade. Mazda warranty is the best--I've had a RX-3, B-2000 and this out of 31 new cars in the past 32 years. Never a problem with Mazda covering repairs.

 

$229 for a bulb!
thats *ucked up!!!!!![>:]

 

now thats fudgin bs (not saying that you are a liar) cuz my headlight waz out also and it took 30min. at $40 if it was not covered under warrenty.

 

tracker, your bulb was probably not xenon, but and HID instead, the bulbs on the 3i are HID which you can buy at any local parts store, XENON are usually special order bulbs, and alot more expensive, and the manual does say to take it to the dealership for it to be replaced.

 

Replaceing that Xenon bulb might have been cheaper if you had went out and bought a new one thru some company,..any company other than the Dealership...things tend to get REALLY expensive when you buy from the dealership. I got my eyes on a set of Halo lights i saw for the 3,..they look sick...makes your headlights look like the BMW's when their parknig lights are on. Their just add on Halo rings,..i'd still have my Xenon's.

Kevin