Used Mazda Mazda6 review and buying guide (2002 to 2022): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Mazda6 should you buy?

The 2.0 SkyActiv-G petrol in a Mazda6 from 2012 on is the lesser risk, because every serious known fault sits with the diesels. That isn't a clean record, just a shorter one: one 2013 petrol owner had a battery management warning at 34,000 miles, and another had all four brake callipers seize one after another by just over 60,000 miles.

Skip the 2.2 SkyActiv-D built from 2012 to 2016. Its DPF regenerations leave fuel in the sump, diluting the oil, wearing the camshaft and blocking the oil strainer, usually between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, and early engines shed camshaft debris into the oil as well. Several owners have had turbo failures, and one estate needed a rebuild covering the turbo and camshafts at 51,000 miles. If you still want one, it's only worth it with recall paperwork and oil at or below Full.

Going older doesn't dodge the problems. On 2002 to 2007 cars, rust at the rear wheel arches, tailgates and door bottoms turns up after about four years, clutches and flywheels fail more often than they should, and 2002 and 2003 diesels suffered crankshaft big-end failures. On 2008 to 2012 cars, the 2.2 diesel fouls its oil, blocks its oil strainer and stretches its timing chain, and several engines have needed replacing, and the 2.0 diesel shares the DPF oil contamination problem.

There's little on record for Mazda6s from 2017 to 2022 either way, so don't take the quiet as a clean bill. Diesels built up to 2018 fall inside the recall to clean or replace a soot-clogged intake shutter valve, so ask for proof it's been done, and any later 2.2 diesel still needs its dipstick checked for rising oil; the petrol's still the one to start with.

Which Mazda6 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 2.0 SkyActiv-G petrol from 2012 on is the engine to go for, as none of the serious known faults involves it and far fewer owners have reported trouble with it than with the diesels. Fewer isn't none: one owner's 2014 manual developed a drivetrain vibration in fourth gear that a replacement gearbox didn't fully cure. On 2008 to 2012 cars, two owners found the 1.8 petrol getting through oil at a heavy rate.

The 2.2 SkyActiv-D diesel of 2012 to 2016 is the one to avoid. DPF regenerations put fuel into the oil, which raises the level, wears the camshaft and can block the oil strainer, and early engines also wear their exhaust camshaft and send metal debris round the oil system. Both show up between 50,000 and 110,000 miles, and owners have reported turbo failures, a collapsed exhaust valve and full engine rebuilds.

The older diesels aren't a safe way round it. Diesels with a DPF from 2002 to 2007 and the 2.0 diesel of 2008 to 2012 suffer the same fuel-thinned oil, and the 2.2 diesel of 2008 to 2012 has a serious known fault of its own: leaking injector seals and fuel from regenerations foul the oil, which blocks the oil strainer and stretches the timing chain, with engines dying between 36,000 and 106,000 miles. Early 2002 and 2003 diesels also had crankshaft big-end failures.

Several owners of early diesels with the older manual gearbox had fifth gear fail after labouring the engine in fifth or towing, though the later gearbox doesn't suffer it. Clutches and flywheels on 2002 to 2007 cars wear out faster than they should, and diesel clutch judder has a free dealer fix. One owner's 2005 automatic let coolant into its transmission fluid at 80,000 miles, and a few owners of 2012-on cars complained of a notchy change from first to second.

What should you check when viewing a used Mazda6?

On any diesel, pull the dipstick before anything else: the oil should sit between the L and F marks, and a level creeping up towards the X mark above Full means fuel from DPF regenerations is diluting it. Ask how the car's been driven, because the 2.2 diesel's DPF needs at least 2,000rpm for 20 minutes to clear itself, and a diet of short runs from cold is what fills the sump with diesel.

On the drive, watch for the oil pressure light, the engine or DPF warning light and limp mode, and listen for a whistling turbo or a rattle or tick from the top of the engine. Black smoke or lost power on a 2.2 SkyActiv-D points to the camshaft fault, and so does a brake pedal that goes hard when you press it quickly at low revs. On a 2002 to 2007 diesel, check the clutch doesn't judder or slip.

Get down and look at the front edges of the rear wheel arches, the sills, the door bottoms and the tailgate on 2002 to 2012 cars, where rust takes hold; one 2011 estate rusted inside its tailgate. Check the undertray's still there on 2008 to 2012 cars, as deep water can drag it off, and look for corroded alloys. Two owners had brake callipers seize, so feel for a wheel that's hotter than the rest after the drive.

Ask for receipts showing regular oil and filter changes, and on a 2.2 SkyActiv-D, proof the recall work was done: a replaced brake vacuum pump, retightened injector mounting nuts and reprogrammed injector software. Cars from 2012 to 2018 also had a recall to clean or replace a sooted intake shutter valve, a recall replaced tailgate struts that could corrode and let the tailgate drop, and airbag recalls cover 2002 to 2005 and 2008 to 2012 cars.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

Is a used Mazda6 GH (2008 to 2012) worth buying?

Buy a GH with the 1.8 petrol and leave the 2.2 diesel alone. That diesel's oil gets fouled by leaking injector seals and by DPF regenerations that dump fuel in the sump, and the muck then clogs the oil pick-up strainer. Owners have had blocked strainers from about 36,000 miles and worn timing chains from about 46,000, and several engines have needed replacing. Switching to the 2.0 diesel doesn't help, because its DPF thins the oil with fuel in the same way.

The petrol dodges every serious known fault on this generation, though it isn't spotless. One 2009 1.8 burned oil heavily, which a dealer put down to gentle driving leaving the piston rings poorly bedded in, and a 2010 owner saw the same engine use half a litre every 1,000 miles and run noisily until switching to a higher-octane fuel.

Look under the front for the engine undertray: it catches water from deep puddles and can be dragged off, and cutting a drain hole in it stops that. Check inside the tailgate for rust, as one 2011 estate had, and ask whether the struts were swapped under the recall for corroded struts that could let the tailgate drop. The airbag recall covers these years too, so ask for proof it's been done.

On the drive, feel for heavy or uneven steering. One 2011 Tourer lost its power assistance, and a 78,000-mile 2011 car needed a new steering rack for a faulty torque sensor. A 2010 automatic had every calliper stick at 83,000 miles, needing new pins, discs and pads, so check the wheels for heat after the run. On any diesel, oil above Full on the dipstick means it's diluted with fuel.

What does a used Mazda Mazda6 cost to run?

What do Mazda6 owners like about them?

The 2012-on Mazda6 is good fun on a twisty road, with nimble, agile handling that makes a cross-country drive something to enjoy. There's plenty of room inside, too, and the cabin's solidly built, with a real quality feel to it.

It's quiet as well: hardly any noise from the engine, the tyres or the wind reaches the cabin, and that holds true at any speed, from pottering about town to cruising on the motorway. The Tourer estate adds a properly generous load bay on top.

• A 2010 Mazda 6 1.8i petrol used no oil and achieved over 43mpg after switching to 99RON fuel, also running quieter.
• The Mazda 6 was predicted to have significantly less depreciation than rivals, with the 2.2d TS2 163ps retaining 35 percent of its value.
• The Mazda 6 achieved a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating in 2009, with strong scores in adult, child, pedestrian, and safety assist categories.
• The Mazda 6 achieved a four-star NCAP crash safety rating, including three stars for child protection.
• The Mazda 6 was ranked third in the 2004 J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey, with 99% of cars under two years old breakdown-free.