Mazdas in general are reliable cars. They don't require too much special care or maintenance, but you should be aware of what maintenance they do require. Taking good care of your car now means you will pay less money to repair it in the future. Here are the basics of maintaining your Mazda in top shape.
Change the oil in your Mazda every 5,000 miles. If most of your miles come from highway driving (driving at a set speed for long intervals of time), you may be able to change the oil every 6,000 miles, but if you do most of your driving in a city or suburban area, check your oil every 2,500 miles just to be safe. If the oil appears completely black, this is a sign that you need to have your oil changed.
If you change the oil yourself, remember to change the oil filter as well. If you take the car to a mechanic to have the oil changed, he should change the filter when he changes the oil.
Rotate your tires every 10,000 miles to prevent uneven wear (this means the back tires should be moved to the front wheels and vice versa). Also keep a very close eye on your tire pressure. Mazdas use tires with a very soft tread, which means your car grips the road better, but its tires are more prone to leaks and breakage.
Look in your manual to see what the tire pressure of your front and back tires should be, and check all four tires' pressure once a month to make sure no leaks have appeared.
Mechanics will often try to convince you to change your air filter every time you change your oil. However, you shouldn't change your air filter more than once every 20,000 miles.
To protect your transmission and keep your car running for as long as possible, have the transmission fluid checked every 40,000 miles. In general, you don't need to replace it until you hit 100,000 miles, but if you don't check it and the fluid does burn out, it can ruin your transmission, a job that can cost more than $1,500 to repair on a Mazda.
If you bought your Mazda new, follow the service guidelines recommended in the owner's manual. This will keep you from accidentally voiding your warranty in any way.
According to the Mazda online owner's manual, your new Mazda should be serviced at 12 months or 12,500 miles, again at 24 months or 25,000 miles, and a third time at 36 months or 37,500 miles.
As long as you are careful not to leave the light or any other battery-operated extras such as the stereo turned on when your engine is not running, your Mazda's battery should last approximately five to six years. When approaching the five- to six-year mark, be sure to have it inspected. It is better to be prepared than to have your battery die unexpectedly when you need to be somewhere.
