Well, I figure the dealer part lasted less than 2 years so I may as well try the aftermarket for less than half the cost.
I don’t suppose there’s any way to reseal a headlight? All the lights work, it just has condensation and a milky white color to it.
“What about Fords? I see these Ford wagons all over the place, which look similar to mine.”
From the internet: So yeah they look the same.
Mazda was part owned by Ford Motor Company from 1974 to 2015 and now stands as its own entity.
Fords are very reliable, but I don’t think they have produced a wagon in ten years.
Except for the C-Max hybrid Ford hasn’t made a station wagon in years. Any Ford you see today that’s similar to your Mazda is fairly old, which means you’re back to an old car with its associated problems and the potential issue of parts becoming scarce. Subaru and Toyota’s Prius lineup include vehicles that are sorta wagon-like. You might want to look at them. In any event, go ahead and get your Mazda fixed and start looking. You don’t need to buy something next week but IMHO you do need to be thinking about a replacement. I get that you don’t mind used but personally I recommend something 4 years old or newer with 50k or less so you have at least some warranty left.
AFAIK the Flex sits higher than a traditional wagon, something the OP wants to avoid. I could easily be wrong and it’s not like there are a lot of options.
How do I take it to a mechanic and not tell him what the problem is? Why am I bringing it to him? - to look for what? Wouldn’t I say I have an oil leak and can you tell me if it’s bad or not? And no, there’s no oil on the driveway, so how do I know there’s a leak?
Until you tell us how much oil you’re using we don’t know if there’s a problem at all.
I had my car in for a recall at the dealer and they had it on the lift. The kid reported to me that I had a bad oil leak in the rear seal and the front seal also. I said thanks and took it to a shop I use and asked them to put it on the lift and take a look since I wasn’t using any oil. They said no leak, no charge. Great let’s do a tune up instead. It’s not that complicated for a second opinion, just don’t withhold relevant information.
Ford’s controlling share of 33% was sold down in 2008 to 11%. That was effectively the end of Ford’s influence at Mazda. They redesigned and retooled and started making all new cars with zero Ford influence in 2012. By 2014 there were no longer any Ford based models or drive trains left in the Mazda line-up.
In 2007, when the OP’s car was built it was definitely a “Forza”.
My 2004 Mazda6 made it to 226,000 mi. Fun car…
Well, that will take a while since I don’t drive all that much.
When I worked in a dealership, the shop management would pressure us to recommend full repairs for minor problems that we’d otherwise ignore. It’s possible the oil leak you have is something that you could easily live with for years if you checked your oil periodically and added as needed.
In cases like this, if it’s possible to speak with the mechanic directly, then ask the mechanic:
All the best.
Are you aware of any issue created by the leaks? Or was it just something the dealer told you was a problem?
You should tell the shop you have a oil leak and give a general description or where, but don’t tell them it needs specific parts. If it turns out the problem isn’t what you said, you have to pay for whatever you asked for, and then for whatever the real problem is.
Many, many posts yet no mention of why the OP thinks this.
Extensive posts about doing a $3000-5000 dollar engine swap.
OP would like a wagon, last full size domestic wagon was made by GM in the 90s. Fords last full size wagon was 1991, no I don’t consider the latter Taurus’ full size.
All this because the OP will not check their own oil level.
As said in numerous replies, the oil “leak” may be insignificant.
I’ll take your concerns one at a time:
First, explain what/why not checking the oil (with which there’s neve been a problem) has anything to do with the fact that I have an oil leak? I understand that being low on oil, or having none (which would seize the engine) lets you know that you have to put some in, but that has nothing to do with actually having a leak. A leak is a leak whether you check the oil or not. Checking or not checking the oil doesn’t prevent you from getting one. Once you know you HAVE a leak checking the oil is what you have to do. Again, since I took it in regularly for oil changes and maintenance there never was a problem because it was always being monitored. That being the case I don’t know why I keep getting blasted for not checking it.
And WHY I think that my car is “apparently on its last legs” is because I was told that. The car is 16 yrs old, it has a leak that can’t be fixed because the parts aren’t available, I need another headlight because the seal on one of the new ones from 2 years ago failed, I’ve replace the entire section that houses the radio/clock/heat/ac options (I call it the dashboard but it’s not the actual dashboard that has the odometer and stuff, but I don’t know what that part’s called), the headliner is (was) falling down, there’s some rust on it, I’ll need a new rim because I’ve had a slow leak for a long time and the tire isn’t sealing/seating? anymore due to the rim being corroded or whatever, who know what else will go wrong with it and will you be able to get parts? so start looking for another car. All that is what I was told.
BTW, the headliner’s not falling down anymore and the rust isn’t bad and can be fixed.
Yeah, I would like a wagon if I had my druthers. But not being in the market for a car for the last 16 years I have no idea what kind are out there, so I don’t know that they don’t make wagons anymore.
I really like my car and want to keep it alive any way possible, hence the engine swap thing. Grasping at straws and trying to figure out what I can do about it. NOW I’m learning from you guys apparently if there isn’t any oil on the driveway that it’s no big deal. But from what I was told, I was panicking.
Many many posts…is there a limit on posts no matter the topic? Why does anyone care how many posts there are? If people are willing to help and posting that help, what does it matter how many are doing that? If someone gets irritated or upset that there’s a lot of posts that they think are irrelevant or stupid, for lack of a better word at the moment, they don’t have to participate with more posts complaining about it, which just adds to the “many many posts”.
Some people act like because I’m not car savvy I shouldn’t be here asking for help based on things I’ve been told. I’m a moron for not checking the oil; I like round vents; I don’t want a truck or van, etc. WHY am I making such a big deal about an insignificant oil leak? Because I was told it was a big deal, that’s why. Even morons have to learn somewhere and I thought this was the place to do that. Most people are very nice, understand I don’t know about cars, give me a break for that and actually help a lot.
I don’t think I left any of your concerns out. Let me know if I did.
Very simple, if you lose 1 oz of oil in 1000 miles the leak is meaningless.
Why obsess with that if the car has a myriad of other problems that are
critical that cause it to be on its last legs.
If I were told that my car was on its last legs, I would expect reasons to be provided.
You mean the Ford Flex with the 3.5L V-6 that contains an internal water pump driven by a timing chain? The same Ford Flex which I frequently see for sale dirt cheap, just needs a new engine? Sorry, I would not recommend this model to anyone other than my worst enemy.
Our 3.5 V6 has been fine, and carcomplaints.com has few reported issues. That engine’s in a lot of Fords.
Checking the oil regularly is a part of normal maintenance. In fact, it’s one way to discover an oil leak. I check mine at least every other week.
I understand about a car that’s “on its last legs.” I mentioned earlier that my wife and I had to replace a Ford Escort because it was leaking gas from a part Ford no longer made. Plus, your mechanic told you and most of us trust our mechanic. If we didn’t he wouldn’t be our mechanic, would he?
I understand wanting a wagon if possible and not being up to date on current trends. I like sedans and US makers have mostly if not completely gotten rid of them, which means my next car will probably be an import.
I also understand wanting to keep your current vehicle as long as you can. My wife and I generally drive ours into the ground. I currently drive a 2009 Corolla with 122k that shows on sign of gicing up any time soon.
AFAIK there’s no limit to the number of posts, although the mods will shut a thread down if it goes off the rails.
There’s no crime in not being “car savvy” but when you receive good advice (like “check your oil once in a while”) and ignore it, it becomes harder to keep pushing that boulder uphill.
Yes, most folks hereabouts are good about giving new or less knowledgeable people the benefit of the doubt. But there are others who aren’t and it’s a good idea to come here with a thick skin. You want what you want, your priorities are your own, and I for one respect that.
Quick reply then I think I’m done with this one. Checking the oil just tells you how bad the leak is if any. For example, I was losing one quart every week. That was significant and due to a pan gasket, so it needed to be fixed.
I don’t remember what you were talking about for new engines but if you got the same engine that is in it, you still have the same issue with obsolete parts. If you tried to put a different engine in, that’s a whole 'nother problem with electronics and so on.