Used Mazda 6 Saloon 2013-2022 reliability
Category: Executive car
Good fuel economy and an easy-to-use infotainment system make the spacious Mazda 6 a cracking used buy.
What should I look for in a used Mazda 6 saloon?
Entry-level SE cars come without front and rear parking sensors, which is a little annoying as the 6 is quite a large car. As a result, it’s worth checking for parking scrapes and dings if you’re choosing one of these models.
Boot struts have been known to fail, too, and Mazda performed a recall in early 2017 to remedy this. You can find out whether your car has had this work carried out by contacting your local Mazda dealership.
What are the most common problems with a used Mazda 6 saloon?
On the whole, owners seem to have high praise for their Mazda 6s, but the 6 can be quite hard on its brake discs, which can lead to vibration under braking. If you detect this on a test drive, it will need a new set of brake discs and pads to sort.
What’s more, the live traffic service provided by the TomTom satellite navigation system has a few issues, with some owners reporting that it doesn’t seem to work all the time.
On diesel models, it’s worth keeping in mind that the particulate filter system can cause problems, especially if you accidentally shut it off part-way through its regeneration cycle. The result is contamination of the oil system with fuel, which results in the oil level rising gradually over time. If this is happening, some damage to the engine may already have been done, so it’s worth getting the car checked out.
Diesels need to be given frequent motorway runs in order to ensure they complete this regeneration cycle, which is only triggered at high speed. So if you’re planning to buy a diesel, it’s worth checking the previous owner’s usage and making sure that you’re going to travel on the motorway often enough.
Driver's airbag
Continued exposure to high levels of absolute humidity may cause the driver’s front airbag inflator housing to rupture and deploy abnormally in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver’s front airbag. Should the inflator rupture it could result in metal fragments striking the driver or other vehicle occupants.
On affected vehicles replace airbag inflator.
Is a used Mazda 6 saloon reliable?
The diesel-engined Mazda 6s finished in 10th place out of 26 cars in the executive car class in our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey. The petrol-engined cars finished in a respectable 15th place.
Mazda as a brand finished in eighth place out of 32 manufacturers in the same survey.
If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.
