Looking to buy a new family hauler but I wanted to see if there is anything to look out for when buying.

Do they have the rust issues like the 3 does in the early years.

Is there a better year to buy, if so for what reason.

We are looking for a standard but would take an auto for the right price but are the auto's decent.

How are the to maintain, anything expensive parts to look out for or scheduled maintenance points that could result in a high bill.

Do they have a timing belt and when should be replaced. The ones we have been looking at are all around 100kms.

Thanks in advance

 

they don't have a timing belt, they have a timing chain so no need to replace.

I have an auto and I love it - after 4 cars with sticks, its nice not to shift gears all the time.

I'll let others chime in on the other questions since I've only had mine a month or so.

 

Thanks for the info.

Anyone know about the rust issues?

 

we have an 08 model and love it! we have the auto and no complaints, the power steering is on recall so check to see if that has been done, I believe the 06 and 07 models have an issue with rear tire alignment that Mazda put out a fix for so check to see if that has been done as well. you may hear some squeaking from the rear, it is a common complaint, the bushings get dry. that's all I know for now, welcome to the Mazda family, hope you enjoy the 5!!!

 

I live in Canada, cold, snowy, lots of salt on the roads - in other words, generally miserable conditions for a car. I have yet to see a rusting 5 on the road and there are lots of them. Our friends had a 3 - around an 04 or 05 and they had problems with rust.

 

well, I live in Oklahoma, when it snows or is icy they do put down salt but I wash it down as soon as possible.I haven't noticed or heard of a rust problem, but I'm in a much less severe climate

 

Welcome to the Mazda family if you have purchased your Mazda 5 by now.

If not, then here are a few small things that may help you.

The 2008 Mazda 5 has a 5 speed Automatic which makes a HUGE difference. This is compared to the 2006 and 2007 model.

The Mazda 3 has had a recall for 2004 -2009 power steering units and this should be the same for the Mazda 5 if that recall hasn't been sent out yet. I am not sure about the Mazda 5 recall though.

The timing chain will remove a replacement of the timing belt and the rest of the vehicle is pretty easy to maintain. Every two years you may spend some to keep your Mazda 5 working the way it should. Obviously oil changes and tire rotations throughout the year are a must to get the most out of your Mazda 5.

If you go new, then the 2012 will be a ball to drive. It has upgraded the engine and transmission to the one used in the 2010-2011 Mazda 3. Not sure about the benefit yet, since it just came out.

Hope this helps you with your decision.

 

Hello there I am a brand new(used) Mazda 5 owner. I have had my 2007 model with 171,000 kms on it for only a few weeks. I just wanted to add a note to the people asking about the Mazda 5 having any rust issues.I live in Ontario Canada and we have winters that result in the use of salt on the roads all winter usually after most snow or ice storms .When I researched the car to purchase many of them had decent pictures to view,so I was able to check for rust etc and most private sales would mention if there was an issue.I did have the common rear wheel well body joint rust,the place where the rear panel contacts the fender section .Mine was just starting and was surface only, and I was able to fix it myself,maybe not as good as a professional but it will definitely keep it good over the winter until I can repair it better if necessary in the spring etc.I noticed several for sale with this nothing major but starting. This was on 2007 and older models and did not see anything on the newer models. I have the base or sport model with the 5 speed and the only thing im not liking is the skipping CD player which seems to be a common thing with them, other than that I am looking forward to some fun times with the car.

 

I own a 2007 Madza 5 Grand Touring and am the original owner. Have about 120K miles on it. No rust. Most everything can be done by a DIYer. I even replaced the front struts and rear shocks myself. As well as the brakes. Had the thermostat go out but replaced that myself. I would go with a later model just to have the 5 speed automatic. Makes the vehicle more lively and better on gas than the 4 speed automatic on mine.

 

Hi All I have read a few other reviews out of this forum and many say they are not the best winter car, I have just put snows on, ,is it because it's so low and packs up underneath? Also how do you feel about the fuel mileage on these mine is the 07 with 5 speed manual.?