All the rust on my 2006 Mazda 3

"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland) 05/09/2020 at 11:44 • Filed to: Mazda 3, rust bucket

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First off:

Overall I’m rather impressed that my attempts to wash the car frequently in the winter months and a little rust removal in the summer has resulted in this minimal  level of deterioration. I love this car, by far the most reliable and economical car I’ve ever owned.

Drivers side rear tail light.

Drivers side rear fender:

Drivers side door edges:

But you know what really grinds my gears is this disintegration of window weather stripping.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 11:49

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Tinworm. Ew.

duurtlang > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 11:51

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No but seriously, although this is bad for such a relatively recent car, it is not nearly as bad as I had expected. Looks manageable.

jimz > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 11:54

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Wacko > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 11:56

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Rust is how you know it’s a genuine Mazda.

Former Protege5 owner

Nothing > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 11:56

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I had the same weatherstripping issue on my RX8. I bought new and swapped them on after it bugged me long enough.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > duurtlang 05/09/2020 at 12:04

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mazdas of this era are the worst for rust, but a Tacoma of a similar age in my area would no longer gave bumpers and wheel wells, so it’s doing better than expected.

Roadkilled > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 12:04

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I have a 2016 Mazda 6. The only rust so far is where the hit-and-run BMW sideswiped me. Fixing it is  one of those COVID quarantine projects I’ve been meaning to get to.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > jimz 05/09/2020 at 12:04

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This is nightmare material.

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 12:20

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That’s impressive. My 2006 3 already had rust starting in the fender, bottom of doors and edge above the bumper by 2009. I’m sure it’s dead by now. It was a wonderful car otherwise. Beautiful red hatch. Brought my son home from the hospital in that car. 

dogisbadob > jimz 05/09/2020 at 12:22

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That car was supposedly only three years old at the time :/

dogisbadob > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 12:23

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That’s it? Are you in California or something? :p

jimz > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 13:21

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TBF my BiL had a 2008 3 sedan up until a couple of years ago and I don’t recall it having any rust issues even here in MI.  One of the rear coil springs did break, though. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > dogisbadob 05/09/2020 at 13:31

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Nope!

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Roadkilled 05/09/2020 at 13:31

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Ouch.

MM54 > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 14:22

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This generation of Mazdas literally stopped existing in Ohio several years ago.

dogisbadob > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 14:45

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oh wow!

Do they use salt in Montana? And of course, still not as humid as the east coast :(

MorrisGray > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 14:53

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I have a 2006 Mazda3 sedan 5sp manual that I bought new and the only rust I have is on a wiper arm. The headlights are so dim my wife calls them flashlights! It has been a great car and if I could get another one just like it but New, I would buy it again. It is really fun to drive and I get 30-33mpg no matter how I drive. I do have the deteriorating window trim and the little water vents in the doors don't drain very well.

Under_Score > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 14:56

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Now THIS is rust.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/809445711/overview?aff=share_other

Skif6996 > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 15:00

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That’s what the doors look like on my 07. However my quarter panels are a lot worse and the pinch weld seam is basically gone. 140,000 miles and it runs perfectly. The body isn’t going to last much longer though.

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 15:22

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Wow that’s the cleanest 1st gen 3 I’ve seen in ages. Despite trying to keep it clean  My 2006 started bubbling a little on the hatch. In 2010.

gntutara55 > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 17:56

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My Mazda 3 is in pretty good shape, the rust is pretty spotty and there are a couple of spots that are extremely rusted. The only problem I have is that since the front bumper is plastic, I hit a parking lot curb, shattered it, and now the only think holding it together is zip ties, duct tape, and some dang good luck 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > dogisbadob 05/09/2020 at 18:22

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They don’t use Straight  salt but they do use a brine solution that is magnesium chloride and sodium chloride that is quite corrosive on your car.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Nothing 05/09/2020 at 18:22

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I need to do that, this is bugging the crap out of me.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Under_Score 05/09/2020 at 18:24

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Yesterday I actually parked next to a 2000-ish Silverado and it no longer had wheel arches.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > MorrisGray 05/09/2020 at 18:26

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I started to polish the head lights only to realize the glazing was from the inside. Once it gets really bad I’ll just buy new headlight.

Nauraushaun > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 18:59

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Is this caused by the snows?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > MM54 05/09/2020 at 19:07

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I believe it.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Nauraushaun 05/09/2020 at 19:10

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It is primarily from the brine they spray on the roads to prevent ice and snow buildup. The brine is a  magnesium and sodium chloride solution. It might be worse than rock salt.

YoSpeedRacerYo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 19:19

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My 2006 5 spd out here in AZ be like, “What’s r ust? ”.

The Prime Minister > jimz 05/09/2020 at 19:25

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They have built in rust protection that kicks in at about 5 years or 60k miles. The oil is supposed to come out of all engine gaskets a nd keep the rust from forming.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Nauraushaun 05/09/2020 at 23:25

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I’ve heard a couple causes in Mazdas case. Madza jumped early into the thinner paints and more than other manufactureres .08mm vs others .1-.125mm. Second was a switch suppliers/methods in the early 2000s and the third cheaper steel/poorly galvanized. I recall the influence of supplier switch was debunked as they also were suppling other manufacturers . I think the consensus on the forums to be a combo of 1 and 3. Thinner paint any scratch goes through easier and thus exposing the steel to the salt.

Im_down_here > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/09/2020 at 23:32

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I got rid of my 05 a couple months ago because the pinch welds were rusted out and chunks were falling off. Had rust at the bottom of the doors and along the rear bumper.

Still ran great

Tristan > Under_Score 05/10/2020 at 00:25

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I think they forgot the decimal... A 315,000 mile 4.3 rustbucket like that should be $17.00...

Terrible Gerbil > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/10/2020 at 01:02

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Good lord, people. The midwest, never once.

It s sounds like humble bragging but:

‘ 97 miata n o rust.

‘ 03 rc51 no rust

‘ 07 cbr600rr no rust

‘ 11 Triumph Street triple R no rust (and it’s british for Christ’s sake!)

‘ 12 X terra 99.9% no rust (my daily driver with a couple of rock chips that need treating, no biggie)

PNW and our mild winters for the win!

Under_Score > Tristan 05/10/2020 at 07:27

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Most of the cars I see from northern states look like that.

Stef Schrader > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/10/2020 at 08:16

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Ugh, the Lancer’s weather stripping looks weird, too. I know it’s from sun damage instead, though.

Vyoman > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/10/2020 at 09:50

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Galvanization or stainless steel will not rust. I guess @ mazda uses lower quality materials.

for Michigan > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/10/2020 at 11:51

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They’re still everywhere in NW Ohio. 6's and 3's are daily sightings and 5's are seen regularly . Rust-free 6's are still common, but the 3's and 5's usually have some level of visible rust.

Protege’s, however, are few, far between, and either pristine or half-gone. There is no middle ground.

for Michigan > jimz 05/10/2020 at 11:59

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Allegedly Mazda fixed the rust issue for the final 08-09 model years.

The bigger problem, I think, is the tendency of the 2.3L MZR to consume dangerous amounts of oil by around 150K miles. At that point, the cars aren’t generally worth enough for an engine rebuild to be worth it but if you don’t address the issue the engine will eventually blow up.

for Michigan > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/10/2020 at 12:05

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What does the chassis look like near around the seems in the engine bay? Mine wasn’t too bad when I bought it in 2015, but by the next spring there was surface rust everywhere.

The worst on mine was the bubbling on the rear wheel arches, but it was also showing up in all the door jambs (including the hatch jamb, but not the hatch itself ) by the end. When the engine blew up, the rust was the deciding factor in sending it off to the scrapyard instead of replacing the engine.

I do miss that car, though.

Tristan > Under_Score 05/10/2020 at 12:19

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Yep. Born and raised in Minnesota... I miss living there, but I don't miss the salt.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Under_Score 05/10/2020 at 12:22

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I would pay $1,700 to never see that.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Under_Score 05/10/2020 at 12:23

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It’s rare, but you can almost always tell when a car has spent most of its life in the north. Once, I saw a van so rusty that the sheet metal was entirely   detached at the bottom of the cargo area and just sort of flapping around on the highway. Shocking.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > for Michigan 05/10/2020 at 12:42

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The frame area around the engine bay is very clean and very little rust.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/10/2020 at 13:45

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Body rust is fine, that stuff doesnt really matter a whole lot, its cosmetic after all.

From my other miata that I brought from NJ. Thats supposed to be a solid steel bar that is a primary piece of the crash structure. SLIGHTLY important if I want to live in any sort of wreck. While Miatas aren’t renowned for their crash safety, a non rusty NB does actually have modern crash standards for the normal front/rear stuff. And with the roll bar I am not insta-dead in a rollover. But with a frame like that? Yeah my odds are about ZERO.

There was one on bring a trailer that looked almost as bad. Regardless of the perfect paint on top and the ~60,000 miles, that rust is the absolute killer. It still went for like $4500 which is INSANE given the incurable rust problem. But I guess in different parts of the country rust is all but guaranteed on 10+ year old cars. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > for Michigan 05/10/2020 at 14:04

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The last car I drove that I like as much as this one was a 2017 Mazda3. I guess I know what my next car will be.

for Michigan > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 05/10/2020 at 15:48

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All too familiar with that problem. My NB has been off the road for about a year . Had planned to pull the drivetrain for a Locost build before I moved into a place with no garage, but I don’t know what I’m going to do with it now. Should probably just scrap it...

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > for Michigan 05/10/2020 at 16:27

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Ill take a motor lol. I have two miatas, a rusty one and a clean cali one. Too bad both have bad motors!! But at least thats a fixable problem eventually. I just need to yank the motor out of the broken one and start rebuilding it. I just hate that its stuck behind a locked gate due to the virus =(

for Michigan > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 05/10/2020 at 18:09

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It has 175K miles, a busted timing belt cover, and is leaking oil out the front pretty severely. I also think the diff needs rebuilt... (It is an LSD, though.)

But if you want to come to Ohio to get it, it's yours! 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > for Michigan 05/11/2020 at 01:12

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Haha sounds just like my rust pile. At 200k I did a 4500 mile cross country trip and then went and did 5 track days in cali ending up at 210k and was still running when I parked it . Not to mention the 50+ autocrosses done between 160k-200k. So I think I got good use out of that one! Hoping to fix the rod knock and refresh everything in that motor and then have it live on in my current miata. Then do something cool with the motor in there now. The one I have now definitely has less miles on the motor but it has an unsolvable misfire that ive narrowed down to a wet compression issue. Meaning it probably needs rings. Then it would be a good time to turbo build if I can save some money for it.

for Michigan > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 05/11/2020 at 07:00

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I always wanted to get my hands on a Jackson Racing supercharger for the Locost build. It’d be unique and fit the character of the Locost so well. They're getting scarcer and more expensive though, so I don't know if that's a realistic goal anymore.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/11/2020 at 08:16

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That’s it? I’ve heard that any Mazda built before 2010 and has been anywhere that they get real weather has disintegrated into Lancia-like clumps of ferric oxide (despite the fact that I’ve seen plenty of old Mazdas here in MO).

Heck, that’s less rust than I had on my trusty old E21 320i that spent it’s entire life in SoCal and then NV; I was wondering why everything in the trunk would get damp and moldy until we tossed a friend’s son in there a with a flashlight and hosed down the car, and that’s how we discovered that the whole lip under the weatherstripping was rusted clear through.

Zaphod's Heart of Gold > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/11/2020 at 10:07

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Has your car ever experienced hail?  Mine has, and that was the cause of my window seals looking like yours.  They didn’t break on their own 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Zaphod's Heart of Gold 05/11/2020 at 12:22

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No hail, this is all from baking in the sun in california until 2012. So TBH the car has 6 years in northern california and 8 years in NW Montana. Montana has been much harder on it. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 05/11/2020 at 12:22

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That looks like what my previous 5 datsuns were made out of. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 05/11/2020 at 12:23

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Good lord that is terrible, did you drive it through the ocean on a daily basis?  I have some surface rust on the suspension components but otherwise the frame rails etc are very clean and rust free.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/11/2020 at 16:22

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Super common problem on NB miatas. Drive near anything involving salt and it WILL rust. No amount of cleaning can clean that part of the car either. Even garaging all winter is risky because simply water will do it eventually too. Gotta live somewhere dry with no salt and never drive in rain. My new to me miata spent it’s entire life outdoors but in socal. Hence why the paint on top is trashed by the sun but not a spec of rust on the bottom. I drove through plenty of snow and salt but it was already rusty when I got it so it didn't really matter.