MX-3.com

hi

i am thinking of getting a mazda 3 as a second car in the family. I was told that the engines are pure mazda. Is this true? ALso when u take off teh oil cap and look at the bottom of the oil cap it says ford. why?
I will cancel the deal if its a ford motor.

thanks

I would think that it says ford because mazda is owned by ford. Thats why so many of the mx-3 parts are the same as the probe.

I was at the Ford-Mazda dealer talking with a tech, From what he told me is the Ford doesn't make 4cylinders, most are made by mazda and other Ford companies, so yeas, it is a Ford Motor Company Brand engine, but it was likely made and cast by mazda. I'm personally pretty sure its a mazda engine. Not like it really matters anymore, their all cast in the same places... Now the real differences is the electronic engine componets, their all mazda, as is most of ford's electronics. Ford is mosty a figure head company nowadays, cars like the Focus, Escorts, and rangers are all made by mazda (or at least most of them). "Made by" is a real relitive term for this company. But to ease things down, and not spend a whole day typing about the Ford motor company, it likely is that same oil cap used on other ford branded cars

Ricksmx3 wrote:I would think that it says ford because mazda is owned by ford. Thats why so many of the mx-3 parts are the same as the probe.

Owned isn't really the word for it, more like Ford has an intrest and partnership with the company, as in Ford owns most of Mazda's stock. And who says Buisness classes are not useful....

Its the same way with Jaq i do believe, the both have a corperation, but have to answer to their primary share holder, same with Chysler and Jeep. Some people once speculated that the DSM corp. was part of Chysler, but it is mearly a partnership.

Ahhh.... auto politics.


BTW, the probe shares the same parts as the MX3 cuz Mazda built the Probe (actually built right next to the MX6, same plant) after ford abandoned the FWD Mustang project, ford still need a Sport compact (No one like the escorts....) and dubed it the "Probe" and relaesed it as a Ford.

Hehe...Probe...what a screwed up name for a car.

so nobody knows for sure what the real deal is on this engine?
the vin number starts with JM.
Does ford produce anything in japan?

All the 4 bangers are a mazda design, though it dosn't really matter, mazda and ford share the same casting plants... even if it has a "Ford" manufacture code, it is still a mazda motor. The only importaint thing is that ALL the electronics are Mazda.

BTW, all JDM fords are actually Mazdas(i.e. the ford Ka).