2007 MAZDA MAZDASPEED3 Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

I HAVE AN 2007 MAZDA MAZDASPEED3 BOUGHT IN MAY 2007. I HAD THE MOTOR MOUNT BOLT REPLACED DURING AN ASSOCIATED RECALL IN AUGUST 2007. A FEW MONTHS LATER IT FAILED (JULY 2008). THE BOLT HAD BACKED OUT, AND SHEARED THROUGH THE LAST FEW THREADS. I HEARD THIS LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY CLUNK-CLUNK NOISES AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER INTO A GAS STATION. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ON THE RIGHT LANE AT 30 MPH IN 3RD GEAR. I HAD IT TOWED TO JIM ELLIS MAZDA OF MARIETTA (GA). THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINEERS FROM MAZDA HAD A LOOK AT IT AND THE WHOLE MOUNT BRACKET AND THE BOLT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. BUT OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS I'VE BEEN HEARING A SLIGHT CLUNKING NOISE ESPECIALLY DURING SLOW TURNS, SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN ON LAST MONDAY (03/02/09) TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. THEY FOUND...

MOTOR MOUNT FAILURE. MY TRANSMISSION/MOTOR MOUNT FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FALL IN THE ENGINE BAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL OTHERS AS POSTED ON HTTP://WWW.MAZDA3FORUMS.COM/INDEX.PHP?TOPIC=68975.0. *TR

2007 MAZDA ASPEED 3 IS PRONE TO MOTOR MOUNT FAILURE, I AM TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM ADDRESS LOOSE MOTOR MOUNT, WHICH ACCORDING TO RECENT DATA ON THE WEB , IS PRONE TO POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IF THE MOUNT FAILS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *AK

SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR WAS ROUGH SOMETIMES. I CHECKED THE TORQUE ON BOLT OF DRIVER'S SIDE ENGINE MOUNT AND IT WAS LOOSE. IT TURNED UNDER 30 FEET-LB. BOLT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 70-80 FEET-LB FROM THE FACTORY. AFTER BOLT WAS TIGHTENED TO SPEC SHIFTING BECAME A LOT SMOOTHER. I WAS CONVINCED THAT IF BOLT WAS NOT TIGHTENED FAILURE OF DRIVER' S-SIDE ENGINE MOUNT BOLT WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY RESULTED IN A COUPLE THOUSAND MORE MILES. VEHICLE ONLY HAD 3000 MILES ON IT -ENGINE WOULD HAVE DROPPED OVER LEFT SIDE DRIVESHAFT, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. REFER TO INVESTIGATION PE07015 . *AK

I WAS ROLLING IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC AND WENT TO SECOND GEAR DOING MAYBE 15 MPH AND HEARD A CLUCK. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS REFLECTORS ON THE ROAD AS THAT WAS WHAT IT SEEMED LIKE. I MADE A TURN , AND AS THE THUNK PERSISTED, I IMMEDIATLY STOPPED AND POPPED THE HOOD AND OBSERVED THE MOTOR FELL FORWARD IN THE THE RADIATIOR. IT WAS DUE TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE TRANSMISSION MOUNT THAT CAME LOOSE.*AK

I WAS SHIFTING INTO SECOND ON MY 07 MAZDASPEED 3 AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE ENGINE MOUNT OR BOLT BROKE AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO DROP.

IN THE SPIRIT OF BEING PROACTIVE; I WILL LIKE TO SHARE A POSSIBLE MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN WITH ALL NEW 2007 MAZDASPEED 3 CARS. FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS I HAVE BEEN OBSERVING ON VARIOUS WEB FORUMS A DISTURBING TREND OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE DRIVER SIDE MOTOR MOUNT BOLT COMING LOOSE CAUSING THE MOTOR TO FALL WHILE DRIVING. I'M INFORMING THE NHTSA IN HOPES THAT AN INVESTIGATION WILL ENCOURAGE MAZDA INTO A RECALL/TSB BEFORE THIS ISSUE CAUSES A SERIOUS INJURY/FATALITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER. *JB

2007 MAZDASPEED 3 : TRANSMISSION MOUNT BECAME LOOSE AND CAUSED MIS-SHIFTS, LOUD CLUNKING NOISES AND STABILITY DEGRADATION. ASKED DEALER TO TIGHTEN BOLT BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET THEM TOO. ON PERSONAL INSPECTION BOLT WAS LOOSE AND TRANSMISSION WAS FREE TO MOVE AROUND. AFTER TORQUING BOLT TO SPEC ALL PREVIOUS MENTIONED SYMPTOMS WENT AWAY. *JB

THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW COMPLAINTS OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE MOTOR MOUNT BOLT COMING LOOSE ON MAZDA SPEED3S. I HAD VISUALLY CHECKED MINE FROM THE BOTTOM SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, AND IT LOOKED OKAY, BUT TODAY I DECIDED TO PHYSICALLY CHECK IT. I PUT THE FRONT ON RAMPS AND REMOVED THE BATTERY AND BOX. I GOT UNDERNEATH AND REMOVED THE UNDER TRAY, BUT COULDN'T LOCATE THE BOTTOM OF THE BOLT (OR SO I THOUGHT). THEN I PUT THE JACK UNDER THE TRANSAXLE AND JACKED UP A BIT UNTIL THE CAR STARTED TO LIFT. I DIDN'T SEE THE HEAD OF THE BOLT POP UP, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS TIGHT. THEN I TURNED THE BOLT COUNTERCLOCKWISE, CAREFULLY NOTING THE AMOUNT OF TORQUE REQUIRED TO BREAK THE BOLT LOOSE. IT WAS NO MORE THAN 30 FT-LBS. I GAVE IT A COUPLE OF TURNS AND NOTICED THAT THE HEAD OF THE BOLT WAS NOT...