Mazda 6 2011

Mazda 6 2011 Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Mazda 6 2011 here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• Why does it take more effort to steer left in my 2011 Mazda 6?

  Let’s start with the basics here, Bryan, before lashing out on mechanics. Are the tyre pressures where they should be? A tyre can be pretty under-inflated before that’s actually obvious to the eye, but a tyre with an incorrect pressure can be harder to turn. Next, what about the wheel alignment settings? Has the car bounced off a kerb lately? Has there been any incident that could have wrenched the front end out of alignment? When was the last time the wheel alignment was checked?

  For all of that, however, I’m tempted to suspect that there’s something wrong with the valving in the power-steering rack. I’d be having the rack checked for any foreign matter inside that could be blocking the valves or in some other way preventing the rack from guiding the wheels smoothly in both directions. A dodgy steering system is an obvious safety issue, so don’t mess about having it checked.

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• SUV or wagon?

  Definitely the Mazda6. It gets The Tick from me and wins over the SUVs on everything from fuel economy to comfort and quietness.

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• Parts not covered under extended warranty?

  That seems like a lot of money to replace the seat mechanism, perhaps you could try an independent Mazda mechanic and replace it with used parts. That would save you some money. As for the extended warranty, you should read it and understand what is covered and what is not. The warranty is generally not from the carmaker directly, but from an insurance company and sold through the dealer. If it is correct that the failure was due to faulty welding, as you say it was suggested, then it's a problem for Mazda itself to fix.

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• What to pick for second hand sedan?

  I'd go for the Mazda6, which has a combination of class and comfort, and not the Falcon unless you're a sporty driver. The Liberty in that age was a bit 'off' by Subaru standards because of the Global Financial Crisis, and the 3.6 is no real improvement over the 2.5 unless you tow.

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