Hey folks, I have an '06 with 102k miles...bought it at 38k with two badly/unevenly worn rear tires...went thru another two sets of tires, all the while fighting with Mazda, who claimed that even though I had 3 different sets of tires from three different manufacturers, that the uneven tire wear was the TIRE'S fault...I was so upset with Mazda, I can't tell you.

Anyway, I gave up with Mazda, but found a solution (which may have been mentioned already, pardon me if it has):

A really good alignment/suspension/brake shop in Albuquerque, Chet's Wheel Alignment, suggested I buy an aftermarket component marketed for Mazda 3's (same suspension to a large extent)...it makes the "toe" adjustable...from the factory, "toe" is NOT adjustable on a 5...the mechanic "stood up" the tires a bit, which in theory would make handling suffer (I never noticed and I drive semi-aggressively), and the tire wear problem is SOLVED.

I've put 30k miles on the car since the fix, and tire wear is normal.

I've just checked thru all my records, and can't find the receipt for the adjustable-toe gizmo, but the pair was about $500 installed.

Talk to any reputable shop, and they should know exactly the part I'm talking about.

 

I've got a 2008 Sport 2.0 Diesel (UK Model)

Front tyre blew at 23000 miles (but both front tyres were so badly worn we are lucky they lasted that long)

New tyres have only seen light usage but are already wearing badly on the inside again at the front after only 6500 miles.

I've been told that I have to pay for a full wheel geometry test at £80+VAT to confirm that I've not knocked the allignment out. (I really hope this shows we're within tolerance)

After that I've been told that we'd have to be contacting the tyre manufacturers.

After that there's apparently nothing to be done...

I said - surely the manufacturer is at fault
Response - verbal shrug of shoulders

 

Sounds a bit like defeatism, but I had to get rid of the Mazda after a blow out on the m6 and the complete lack of intrest from dealers and Mazda uk, who must have the worst customer services of all of the japanese manufactuers.
We lost about £2000 but set against what could happen well there was no choice. got a BMW 5 now with runflats, just remember to tell your friends and family that Mazda don't care.
good luck.
Dave.

 

My 2007 Mazda5 needed new tires after 24,000 miles. I did this:
1) Bought 2 adjustable rear camber arms. (SPC brand, good reputation, around $100 each)
2) I was able to install the passenger side by myself, I had the dealer install the driver side (muffler bracket in the way, I tried, you do need 2 people)
3) I bought 4 Continental Conti Extreme Contact DWS. I live in Michigan and these had good reviews with other Mazda5 owners on handling in the snow.
4) Had a front and rear end alignment, (fill the gas tank up, so it sits heavy while they do this).

After reading all of the horror stories, I thought that I will spend the money up front and fix the "Rear tire eating issue" before I bought the new tires. As a side note, on the non-adjustable rear camber arms, you can see the wear on the bushings and the bolt was also a little worn, this would contribute to the camber moving out of specification.

Thanks for all the good information.

 

I have a 2010 Mazda5 with 26k miles on it and both rear tires are worn and are cupping due to the negative camber on the tires. When I went into Jim Ellis Mazda of Marietta I got the standard round of questions;
Heavy loads? Nope
Tire Pressure? Checked always 34PSI
Rotated? Never
Alignment? Never
It does not matter since the negative camber from the factory contributes to the irregular wear on the tire. Rotating the tire just shares the worn condition with the front tires.


It sucks that the customer has to re-engineer the vehicle with aftermarket parts when the manufacturer has an obligation since it is under warranty to fix it.

Update 7-20-11
Allen Fissette the Jim Ellis Service Manager briefed me on the problem today and advised me that the camber and toe on the rear wheels is within Mazda Specs. They claim that my only problem is that the tires are not balanced, and if I would have balanced them the cupping only on the inside tread would not have happened. I asked the mechanic if this happened to his car after 30K and within the 36K or 36 month warranty would he be ticked. He declined to answer. A Mazda representative will evaluate it tomorrow and tell me what they plan to do with it.
We will see. When Allen called me last week after I wrote a letter, he stated that he was glad that I advised them of this problem when he contacted Mazda they did have a new adjustable upper arm available. He stated to me on the phone that he would order a new adjustable rear arm from Mazda and replace the tires. Funny how the story is starting to change.

Update 7-21-11
Guess what? I got to take the car home, as is, without a charge.

I am ordering the adjustable upper rear arm and I will consider doing it myself but Mazda will not install it. The Mazda Rep said that the tires are that way because I did not rotate or balance them. Funny, reasons for cupping on a tire indicate faults with the shocks, ball joints and other structural components.

I gave them the option of getting Mazda engineering to write a letter stating that the installation of the adjustable upper rear arm, when purchased and installed at an authorized Mazda Service dealer would not void the warranty. This would give them the option to make money off of the part and installation. I guess this would also constitute acceptance of a fault and would then open them up to a Technical Service Bulletin and recall on their dime. Best just to tell the customer that it is their fault for now, it's much cheaper. I will not buy another Mazda again. If Jim Ellis and Mazda would have taken care of my new car, which is still under the so called bumper to bumper warranty, I would have bought my next car there. I guess that is a loss of income.

Update: 7-25-11
Ordered a new set of my favorite tires Yokohama Avid Touring from TireRack.com 119.00 a piece and 25 bucks for shipping. Went to Wally World to have them installed and I have to admit that I did not notice that the front left, "Drivers Side" was also worn, not cupped, on the inside edge in a more narrow band than the rear tires. So the only tire that was worn evenly was the right front passenger tire. Walmart refused to install the worn tire on the rear and I wanted the best and new tires on the front so I took the car home after they installed the new tires on the rear and rotated them in at the house myself. I need a lower floor jack for the front of this car if I intend to keep working on it.

Update 9-2-11
Got the new Upper Rear Arms installed today with 0 degrees of camber and it cost me 120.00 for 2 hours of shop labor at Cherokee Tire in Canton GA. They were very helpful, however I wish I could say the same for Mazda and Jim Ellis of Marietta who just left me to fend for myself on a car that was still under warranty. (bumper to bumper, whatever?)



These are the old nonadjustable upper rear arms that were removed. Do you think Mazda would give me any money back for them?

 

Dude, @Madmotojoe - awesome thorough post.

I have really been debating going through all of this. I know the problem, and have already put two whole sets of tires on my 06 Mazda 5 (~75k). I suppose if I could order these parts myself and then have a guy put them on, it wouldn't be so bad.

It is understandable that the camber is engineered for weight, but totally frustrating and inexcusable that the factory parts cannot be adjusted to de-compensate if you don't weigh your vehicle down. Moronic design.

What arms did you get @Madmotojoe? Where did you get them from?
Thanks.

 

Im in the same situation as everyone else who owns a mazda 5. Before i get new tires, does purchasing and installing adjustable rear arms fix the problem. I heard from numerous people that it will solve the tire issure.

 

This is where I got the adjustable rear arms. Seemed like the best price.
www.speedyracer.com
Items - 1 Ford Focus, Mazda 3/5 Adjustable Rear Camber Kit @ $99.99 = $99.99

 

I got these on 12/15/11 and had them installed the next day at a tuner garage near my house. Problem solved.

 

I am seeing unusual wear on my front tires on the inside. I see people talking about a way to fix this on the rear tires. Is there anything that can be done for the front tires?