Here is the thing about the Mazda 3. It might not be the most reliable model in the market right now but it is definitely not bad to the point where you have to avoid it but that is what some of the buyers are made to believe when they go to their local dealers.
A Reddit user went on Reddit to talk about how his dealer was trying to talk him out of buying the 2014 Mazda 3. According to the OP, his dealer said that the Mazda 3 was prone to rust and is in general, not very reliable. How true is that?
Well, if you are looking to get the Mazda 3 that was made before 2010, the dealer is probably right. The Mazda 3 from 2000 and 2010 all came fitted with a lining material and absorbed water which caused it to rust faster than usual but Mazda did get around fixing that issue in the newer models.
Mazda has made so many changes to the newer Mazda 3 that it is nowhere close to what the older models were.
