Mazda 3 engine fault code appears twice on dozens of vehicles.

Truong Hai distributor claims that after cleaning the fuel injectors, the engine fault light issue on Mazda 3 vehicles will be resolved, but some vehicles continue to display the light.

The engine fault indicator light issue on the 2015 Mazda 3 1.5L has not yet been completely resolved. Photo: Mazda 3 Club Vietnam.

Users of the Mazda 3 1.5L model have reported the engine warning light coming on since the end of July. The light stays on continuously during use, causing anxiety and inconvenience. According to the distributor, Thaco Truong Hai, the cause is clogged fuel injectors due to excessive carbon buildup from the combustion of fuel containing impurities, leading to blockage of the injectors. The solution is to use a cleaning solution to clean the injectors.

However, for many months, the problem of faulty vehicles has not been completely resolved. On November 11th, the Competition Management Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a document requesting Truong Hai Company to receive and resolve consumer complaints and report the results. Truong Hai Company's response dated November 20th, signed by Deputy General Director Bui Kim Kha, reaffirmed that the cause was clogged fuel injectors, leading to a lean air-fuel mixture and the warning light illuminating.

Truong Hai also reported that out of 4,000 Mazda 3 1.5L vehicles sold, only 170 experienced the engine fault light issue. According to the company, customers who brought their vehicles to Mazda Vietnam's service stations and had them treated with the Deposit Cleaner method – cleaning the fuel injectors with a cleaning solution – have not experienced the engine fault light issue again.

However, according to a list compiled by the Mazda 3 Club Vietnam – a forum bringing together users and enthusiasts of this car model in Vietnam – the number of reported cases has exceeded 200 vehicles. Of these, 23 cases have experienced this problem at least twice or more. This reality completely contradicts Truong Hai's statement that vehicles with cleaned fuel injectors no longer experience the problem.

Speaking to Zing.vn, Mr. Nguyen Nam Giang from Bac Ninh said that he bought a Mazda 3 1.5L sedan in July 2015. After driving about 5,000 km, the engine fault light came on. He took the car to the Mazda Nguyen Trai dealership, where the technicians fixed it by cleaning the fuel injectors and adding fuel tank and injector cleaning solution. After driving about 12,000 km, the engine fault light came on again and the injectors had to be cleaned again on December 5th.

"This situation is very frustrating because I bought a brand new car and it's already showing an engine error. Since the warning light appeared, the i-Stop feature has also stopped working and the car is consuming more fuel," Giang shared.

Mr. Hoang Cong Thanh from Ho Chi Minh City owns a Mazda 3 that has shown an engine error four times. The first time, the error light came on when the car had only driven nearly 4,000 km. After that, the error automatically disappeared. At the 5,000 km and 10,000 km maintenance intervals, the error reappeared. Currently, after the car has driven 14,000 km, the light has come on for the fourth time.

Another user, Mr. Le Duy Khanh from Thanh Hoa, had his Mazda 3 experience five engine fault warnings. The first warning light came on when the car had only driven just over 2,000 km. Subsequent warnings appeared at the 5,000 km, 10,000 km, and 15,000 km maintenance intervals, and most recently when the car had driven over 20,000 km.

"Initially, I was unhappy, but the problem occurred so many times that I gradually got used to it and didn't want to mention the warning light anymore. However, the fuel injectors aren't external parts like lights or mirrors; the constant disassembly and cleaning makes users like me feel really uneasy and annoyed," Mr. Khanh expressed.

Following a series of complaints from consumers, the Competition Management Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a document on December 2nd, requesting a meeting between representatives of Thaco and the Department and consumer representatives. The document stated that even after the fuel injectors were cleaned, the engine fault light continued to appear. This indicates that Thaco has not complied with the regulations in Article 22 of the Law on Consumer Protection.

A meeting between Thaco Truong Hai, the Competition Management Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and representatives of affected customers will take place in Hanoi on December 8th to find a common solution. If the defect is determined to be from the manufacturer, Thaco Truong Hai may have to carry out a recall in accordance with the law.

According to Zing.vn