This is unbelievable, I have the same issue. I have been punching my Mazda 6, 2009 for months now, my fist is bruised. I think few thousand Mazda owners should unite and demand something to be done.
I replaced 3 bulbs on my 2011 Mazda 6, one was covered (under 36k) and the other two were within a year from then. Now another bulb went out and saw this, went out and tried your method (took a few raps) but it did go on. I probably never needed those other bulbs which were dealer installed. Thanks for the tip, now I'll be hitting any light that goes out in the car. Seems I have to hit things in my life to get them to work, including my son.
You are a freakin' GENIUS!!!!! OMG! I have a 2012 Mazda 6. Driver's side headlight went out. I tried to change it myself but couldn't. I used to have a Protege and I could change a $10 bulb myself. So when I noticed my headlight was out I went to Auto Zone, bought a $16 bulb and found out that I couldn't get to the bulb. Went online to see what I needed to do and it turns out you have to take the back paneling off in front of the tire. Of course I couldn't do that myself so I called the service dept. My warranty doesn't cover bulb replacement and it would have cost me $115 for what the guy told me is an hour and half's work. I was beyond livid! I searched again and I found your video. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! I'd buy you a beer or many if I could!! God Bless you, sir!!!
its easy to replace ..Did both my headlights , Just to keep the light even Extremely easy to do just remove the inner wheel well liner it pops out with pop out pins.. remove the tire it's much easier
I notice a lot of people saying the tire has to be removed to replace the bulb. I'm a single mom and with research found that I could just turn the tire all the way in, remove the rivets, and replace it myself. I hope this helps anyone from taking it to a shop to pay for the tire removal if funds are low.
Couple screws on bottom plastic cover plate, then reach in, turn white round backing of light assembly to the left just a bit. Release clip, take bulb out
I know this video is old and you've most likely gotten a new car, but my mother in law has an 09 M6 and it is very low miles, I replaced probably a dozen headlights in it for the first few years she owned it and finally decided to go L.E.D. and it's been solid for about 5 years now, I ended up replacing the entire assembly on both sides due to extreme oxidized lenses about 2 weeks ago and in doing that I also bought an updated L.E.D. setup for it and it's unbelievable how much better this is at night. I hope my comment helps someone in the future.
@Mark-qp9iw I bought the new headlight assembly left and right from rock auto, I'll grab an Amazon link for the led lights I bought, still love them, they're awesome.
'05 Mazda 6s 75k. Same issue, driver side. Just gave it healthy tap and the light came on. Not only saved me the money/hassle of replacing the bulb but in Virginia they require yearly inspections and that would have earned me the bright pink no-pass sticker of shame. And cost me even more money. Virtual high-five my man. Thank you!
Amen. ditto everything. 2010; same issue; same side; same solution. And I am also glad I saw this video on TH-cam because it saved me from replacing the bulb when it did not need to be replaced.
I have a 09 Mazda 6 with zero problems until the driver side low beam went out. I purchased a replacment bulb and saw how in accessable the low beam is (poor design Mazda) and looked up a guide. I cam across this, went out to the car hit the headlight cover and Voila, the headlight came on. Thanks for posting.
I have exactly the same problem with the driver's side headlight. After seeing your video I went out, gave the headlight a good whack and it worked like a charm. Thanks for this post, which saved me a lot of trouble.
Amazed.. I looked into replacing my headlights a year ago and decided not to because it wasn't worth the work, and this morning my passenger side headlight went out. I was looking on youtube for instructions to do it myself and found this video.. gave my headlight a good thump and a light from heaven shined down through the clouds.. right into my headlight! 2008 Mazda 6 i-sport with 85k miles. Thanks for posting this video! Saved me a bunch of time and money.
This is too funny. My boyfriend and I were JUST in the process of changing the bulbs on my passenger side. Identical car. 55k miles. I just happened to TH-cam this real quick. I showed him what you did and he tried it. Voila' , light came on! Thanks for posting this!!!
I also had an intermittent low beam headlight problem on a 2009 Mazda 6. If you access the back of the headlight assembly, on the drivers' side, by partially removing the fender liner and folding it back so you can reach in and remove the grey cover in the upper left corner, you can then unlock the headlight retainer and remove the bulb. Sometimes it is easier to see how the locking mechanism works if you actually look inside using a flashlight. If you find that the bulb is good then you may have a wiring problem inside the headlight assembly or by the grey connector that is located below the right corner of the headlight assembly. Unplug the gray connector and test if you get 12volts at the two wire terminals inside the loose half of the connector when the headlight switch is in the on position. If so, there may be a loose wire connection somewhere between the other half of the gray connector and the low beam bulb connector plug. You can try to free up the large red shrouded wire from the plastic retaining tab, located behind the gray connector, as that may be where the wire is kinked resulting in a loose connection. If that doesn't work, you can bypass the inaccessible wiring inside the headlight assembly by adding a two wire jumper between the gray connector wires and the wires at the low beam connecting plug and thereby bypassing the intermittent connection problem.
I have a 2009 Mazda. I purchased it used about 5 years ago. I have had to change the headlight bulbs once a year. It seems as though the lights go out more in the winter. I'm going to try this trick. I haven't reached out to Mazda yet, but they should do a recall to fix the issue. It costs me 10 times more money to replace the bulb than the bulb actually costs, because of the design of the car.
I OWN A 2009 MAZDA 3 WITH THE SAME SAME PROBLEM AS YOU DESCRIBED. EVERY FEW DAYS I HAVE TO HIT ONE OF THE HEADLITES TO GET IT WORKING AGAIN. NOT ALWAYS BEING THE SAME SIDE. I TOO AM STILL SEEKING A SOLUTION. THANX FOR THE COMMON EFFORT. NICE VID.
I've had the exact same issue. My first replacement was for the passenger side only(now replaced 3 x in the last 10 months) and then both headlamps would go out at the same time on low beam. The high beam work just fine. What a pain in the rear! Both are currently out, so I'm going to try the stick and move you showed here to see if I can't save myself the expense of a 4th change. Thanks!
Have had the same issue with my 2010 Mazda 6. I replaced both bulbs in 2013 and again in December 2014. Now 3 months later the passenger light went out again. I found this video, hitting it worked!! Thank you!! But hitting it only keeps the headlight on for a few days. I will have to try the suggestion to keep the lights on and let them turn off automatically or take it in and have them check the retainer clip/harness connector.
This was great advice. Bought bulbs yesterday because my passenger lamp was out. Thought the same things that there is no way it should be out already. Just saved $50!!
2010 Mazda 6, front passenger low beam was out watched this walked to the front of the car and little bump on top, WALA light works. Good trick. Nice design flaw Mazda
A single google search led me here. I had no idea that i had the same problem as all these other mazda drivers. i have a 2010 mazda 6. Same problem, passenger side. $80+ to fix through a dealership. Glad i saw this!
Thank you for the video! I own a 2006 Mazda and had the same issue with the headlight. I followed your tip and amazingly my headlight is working. It has been only a week so we will see. I was told it was an electrical problem.
My friend had the exact same problem. Same vehicle, same year. Purchased the only bulb that would fit for $107.00!!! Worked for about 2 days! Thanks for sharing.
I have the same car, 2009 Mazda 6 and over the last few weeks started encountering the same problem. Thankfully I googled it and found this video! Worked for me as well! What a shame that there has not been a recall on this. 118 comments here alone, that should be proof enough that it is a design flaw! I wonder what we else can do to get Mazda North America to respond .. I would hate to have to pay out of pocket for the repairs, if they are even doable -__-
I just did this with my 2011 and it worked! Ive been changing bulbs every year and of course my mechanic just kept doing. I tapped it earlier and it didn’t work then i did the fonzi fist bump and all good. Thanks!
I have a 2009 Mazda6 i and also have the same problem, but with the driver side bulb. Following your advice, I gave the headlight a quick smack and it came right back on. Thank you so much!
Brilliant sir! Saw another video before this one removing the wheel well piece and taking the tire off and everything. You saved me hours, if there was a way, I would buy you a beer friend!
Went looking for a vid. to see if I could replace my low beam bulb myself. I have a 2008 Mazda 6 here in Ireland 126000 Miles. I saw the amount of replies to this. So nothing ventured I went out just now & hit it a mild blow " it works". Thanks for this!
My 2010 Mazda 6 has 147K miles on it and I love it. The car owes me nothing, my only complaint is the headlight issue. I've replaced the headlight bulb at least four times. Today, again, my passenger said bulb went ( I changed it about 40K miles ago). When I say I changed, I mean a shop did because of difficult location to get to bulb. I tried this tapping today and it worked, but then a few hours later, it went out again. I bought it to Mavis and it cost me $25.00 including labor to replace bulb.
I totally agree with you on this, we bought a brand new 2010 and had nothing but problems since we got it. It is very shotty craftsmanship and the dealer nor the manufacturer backs their product or wants a repeat customer
This is amazing!!! it worked for me at second hit. First didnt make it but second hit got it shining as if it never went off. I really really appreciate your video.
My wife has a 2009 that we have had for about 2 years. WE have changed the passenger light 3 times. I would say there is an issue after reading some of the other comments. Thanks for posting this video.
Oh my freaking hell... I began changing the light bulb, which turned out to be a real pain in the... especially as it´s about -20c out. Got a minor nervous breakdown as it was a complete no-go. Got back in to check youtube for instructions and got to see this video. Went out and gave the headlight a punch and voilá, it works just fine. Thanks for the upload. Now back out to put back the pop-screws
Thank you for your video! have a Mazda 6 2012 which just completed its 40000 a month ago... and I got a drivers side headlight stopped working. I didn't think too much of it - was my first bulb change. Was looking for instructions on how to do this and came across this video - and amazingly, yes, just had to give a hard tap on the headlight assembly.. voila! The bulb was working again! So your video did help, but only for a while... Unfortunately, 2 weeks later, the front driver's side headlight stopped again - this time the tap is not helping. I did notice that both failures happened during some rains and I see some moisture in the assembly. So im hoping this tap thing will work again for me once it dries out a bit... really not looking forward to the crazy calisthenics required to change 1 bulb yourself. Or worse be forced to shell out serous money for a headlight assembly change because of a quality issue :(
+TheSachingm The bulb isn't too difficult to change, but you'll find a couple of videos on TH-cam to help you along the way. Just watch out for that retainer clip holding the bulb in place and of course don't touch the glass on the bulb.
rabmparker wow finally got it done but I disagree that the bulb is not difficult to change! After being forced to buy a stubby phillips for the inner rivet screws, realized that a bunch of the screws had worn out slots (possibly from a previous garage repair?)! Had to break/pry them off. Basically, I barely had enough room to look in, put my hand in or shine a flash light in. So had to do the whole thing memorizing, feeling in the dark. took 2 hours, and almost went terribly wrong many times. Never again :( And one last thing, hitting the light assembly and making it come on was probably pure luck. The old bulb clearly was burnt with loose filament pieces. So it doesn't look like a quality issue.
2010 Mazda 6 Manual. Exactly the same problem here. It is - in general - a good car, but the low-beam headlight is a serious trouble. Thinking the problem was with the bulb, but hitting the assembly brings the lamp to life. I went to the dealer yesterday and they told me that the harness needs to be replaced for about $300. This is obviously a product-related problem and I think Mazda needs to issue a recall. This is a pattern. Can we not gather all these facts and figures together so that we can request a recall from Mazda?
I have replaced the harness. that did not fix the issue. It is a design flaw. I think there is a native short in the headlight leveler and it must be being reset by the light rap to the headlight mount. Crazy!
I just did it, it works. I git pulled over by the police car because of the passenger side headlight being out. He did not give me a ticket. I checked on here to see if there were any trouble shooting tips because these bulbs have gone out at three maybe four times within two years. Each time u replaced the bulbs. Not this time ... Thank you.
You are not crazy. It worked for my car also. 2013 Mazda 6. I have been replacing bulbs (and they are a bear to get to). My local garage proved the bulbs were good and checked all the relays and fuses. This worked when nothing else did. Wow! Thanks for sharing!
I have a Mazda 6i 2006 and one of my headlights went out as well so I brought it to a shop and the mechanic showed me how to pop the hood and barely jiggle behind the headlight and it came back on. He said the wiring is probably crossed and he would need to rewire it. I decided not to waste my money on that and instead I just pop the hood and wiggle the headlight behind it and it works fine. :)
I have recently purchased a Mazda 6 and the car is a dream to drive, but I have the same issues raised here. For me, It is an intermittent fault and at the moment it appears to be "pot luck" whether both lights work. It does appear to be related to temperature and more problematic when it is "Baltic". I phoned Mazda for advice and they advised i go to a Mazda dealership which I know will be expensive for them to do the work of replacing anything. There appears to be a known flaw/fault but they appear to not be upfront enough to take responsibility for it. Happy Motoring , folks, seasons greetings from Glasgow.
Thanks for the video. Have 2010 Mazda 6 had the same issue the passenger low-beam was not working, after watching the video I tried it out and gave it a hit and low and behold the head light went back on. Had the same issues with a 2004 Jaguar x type and after bitching to the dealer and head quarters they did replace the whole head lamp assembly. I am going to attempt to try this with Mazda.
holy shit.... just smacked my driver side headlight and 3 of my lamps came back to life i've been having this problem for years with n solution thank you for posting this
And in order to perform simple operation like changing the light bulb front wheel and whole plastic cover must be removed.Still I got crappy access to the headlight.Took me almost 30 min to position light bulb right.Cool design
Same thing just happen to my sister, she has a 2010 Mazda 6. She tried the trick and it work. She had to hit it several times, you may have to apply a little force not too much where you damage it.
My car now has 84,000 miles and the passenger side low beam went out again. I again tried rapping the lamp assembly, however the light did not come back on. So, I went to the local parts dealer (Napa) and purchased a bulb for $12 and replaced the bulb. This time the filament was burnt, so rapping the assembly wouldn't have worked. Replacing the bulb wasn't too difficult: 1) Remove Wheel (For novices: loosen lug nuts prior to jacking up your car) 2) Remove plastic punch screws (Only need to remove the front ones in the wheel well). Use a screw driver and turn them 1/2 turn. You can then pop them out with your fingers. 3) The plastic wheel well will fold in the middle, so stick a ball or another flexible object in front of the plastic to avoid it from flexing back into position. 4) Remove the gray cup covering the light + wiring. 5) Pull off wiring harness. 6) Detach spring on the left engine side which puts tension on the bulb and holds it into place. 7) Remove bulb, noting position of the metal bulb flange (has a tab on it). 8) Insert new bulb, do not touch the glass on the new bulb. It is a halogen bulb and oils from your fingers will cause it to get burn hot and melt the glass. Wear a clean glove or just handle the base of the bulb. 9) Reattach tension spring on the engine side and then do the opposite steps above. The entire process takes about 20 minutes and will save you $50.
Oh crap lol - I just bought this model and was relieved to be rid of the problem you're mentioning here on the PREVIOUS model! On the bright side, there's far worse things to go wrong with cars, good video though :)
Same issue here, 2010 kona blue 6. 7 headlights so far on both sides. Mazda USA says it isn't covered and there isn't a problem. Really eh? Mazda service manager at my local dealer says he has a 6 and same problem with his own car. I am going to see about filing something with NTSB. Note, that i have posted a few months back and replaced a couple more bulbs in the meantime...
Well i was about to tear into changing the bulb this morning and saw this...worked! I have a 2012 and u would think they would have fixed this after 3 years!
The intermittent headlight problem is due to the black plastic plug that attaches to the bulb. The plug is damaged/melted from overheating and the two wires leading into the plug no make a good connection resulting in the intermittent headlight out problem. I solved the problem by cutting off the plug and stripping the two wires with a razor type cutter and then crimping two new 1/4" female terminals onto the wires and then plugging them onto the bulb. And the problem should be solved.
I feel for all of you encountering headlight failures. Here in Australia, we have Japanese manufactured Mazda 6 models, my 2009 model included, which is a smaller car than the North American manufactured model. We've never encountered headlight issues here. In fact, Mazda 6, the 3 and the other models in our range, the Thailand built Mazda BT-50 series haven't had major issues at all.
I just noticed that my light was out this morning, and I was actually quite pissed because it's only a 2012 and I just purchased the vehicle this year in Feb. I hope this works, thank you!
BTW fellow M6 owners. I've had 2 other electrical issues to look out for. 1. Severe battery cable corrosion. In march the car wouldn't start. The negative post fell off in my hand, not an uncommon thing. *HOWEVER* the corrosion went down much further, the rest of the wire was basically dust in my hand the next foot or so down to the frame. I replaced all that I could easily access at the time in that small 3pc sub-harness. Hoping I got it all. 2. Recently lost the radio/radio panel lights all of a sudden, then all interior dome lights, then the door locks!!! Yikes!!!! Luckily it was just a blown fuse for those 3 systems, due to the wire for the vanity light mirror on the visor getting pinched causing the short. Patched/taped up the wire and good to go. Lucky to have a stellar local dealer that figured this out & fixed it for a mere $158. Dodged a bullet there.
I have had this car for a couple of years now and I love the car, but I am now having an issue with my passenger low-beam. I haven't tried the love tap on the headlight itself, but I am able to bring the bulb back to life when I tap on the connector with the handle of my screwdriver. Is there a permanent fix yet? is it the connector that I am having an issue with? I can't go on doing this every night that I drive the car.
Had a similar problem on a 2012 Mazda 6 with the turn signal/running lamp located in the headlight lens assembly. I finally traced it to a harness connector that was partially inserted but not locked in. It was located under the air filter housing (had to remove it to get to it). You don't need to remove the tire to get to the headlamps, just crank the wheel toward the center of the car. You will still need to remove the plastic fasteners (13 of 'em) and 4 screws under the bumper to pull the fender skirt out of the way.
My buddy has a 2012 and he has bought at least 4 new bulbs since last summer for driver and passenger side. I always install them and where gloves when doing it so now I know it wasn't me damaging the bulbs during install. I told him to try a HID kit,they never give me problems.
First of all thank you for posting. I beat my knuckles up an hour before I saw video on google .Mazda should be ashame of themselves. I banged the hood on the drivers side and the headlight came on.Im hear to tell anyone this video is no hoax. Try giving the hood a little thump before buying new headlights and taking the wheel well off and all that crap
I have a 2012 mazda 6, passenger lowbeam went out around 23K then a month later my driver went out. I have 45K miles now on it and my passenger just went out again. Tried your trick and it didn't work.... very frustrated!! Going to show this video and comments to Mazda dealership tomorrow.
Christine Neuschwander I showed the clip to the sales rep I purchased my car from, he did the typical sales rep chuckle and didn't have any other response. The other person I know in the "area" who had the issue found out that the clip which holds the light bulb in place was not fastened correctly. The caused the bulb to loose connection and the swift whack of the assembly caused the light to reconnect. He brought the car to a reputable dealership and they fixed the issue.
I have a 2009 Mazda 6 and have been having this problem for years. I learned to hit the lamp, however, it doesn't always work. I just changed the bulbs 5 days ago and the next day one of the headlights didn't come on. This is so frustrating because I am actually replacing bulbs that really don't need to be replaced. The hitting didn't work the last time and hitting isn't normal. Based on what I've been reading, this is definitely a design flaw. Other than this headlight issue, I love my Mazda 6. Mazda show have figured out by now that this is a real problem in many of their models. There should have been a recall by now!!
2011 Mazda 6, bought used in 2012. with 20,000 miles on it. In the 3 & 1/2 years we've had it the low beam headlamp bulbs have burned out a total of 11 times - 5 times passenger side, 6 times driver's side. Absolutely no help from the closest Mazda dealership (180 miles away). All the usual advice (Make sure you aren't touching the bulbs with your hands/fingers), and precautions (wearing the latex gloves) have been following, and we're still blowing bulbs. :( :(
bought my mazda 6 2012 last year and the driver side went out!! Am going to try what you did because I can't fix it myself since the cover doesn't simply pop off.
I have a 2011 Mazda 6-V6 model, bought it brand new and only have a little over 32,000 miles. I make a lot of shorter trips in the dark to/from work, and I don't hardly use the car in the summer (on motorcycle) and yet I can't even count how many times I've replaced the passenger side bulb!!! I've replaced the drivers side twice I think, but it's like 4 or 5 for the passenger. And my wheel bearings squeak in reverse, and using your brakes I believe the brake assembly shifts when moving forward, then backing up and then moving forward again trying to adjust the car into a parking space as there's definite clanking and I know it's not the cv joints as I can hear it with windows rolled down, and it happens only when touching the brake initially after changing forward/backward direction
Freaking amazing - my wife's 2013 CX-9 has the same issue with the passenger side. The bulb and fuse are good. Has driven me crazy until I found this post. Thank you Now how do we get Mazda to get off their asses to recall their defective product. Will not be purchasing another Mazda until this is corrected.
I had the same problem with my Acura RSX but over 140,000 miles. It went out on the road while driving one day so I hit a reflecting lane divider on the highway on purpose and it would go back on. Knew it was something loose so had to hit it as well before I drove off at night. Due to possible replacement when I had a minor wreck, the body shop fixed it for free since they did the repairs. They had to tighten around the plug area connection.
I have a 2009 Mazda 6 with about 51k miles on it, and I just encountered this problem, too. The weird solution I found is just to put it in "D" drive, and drive just a few feet and put the headlights on, and it would work! For some reason, when your standing still, no matter how many times you turn them on and off, that headlight won't work. But as soon as you put it in drive and start driving, just switch them on and off, and it would come back on.
Same problem here with my 2009 Mazda 6i, 45,000 miles. Anyone know if there's been a recall? To me this is a HUGE safety issue since I do most of my driving at night.
Had the same problem with my 2010 Mazda 6. Dealership quoted $172.00 to change both non working low beams. Tap method worked, restored both headlamps. Went back 10 minutes later and headlights weren't working again. This is definitely a Mazda safety issue. Everyone here having the problem should file a complaint with the NTSB. Only way they will issue a recall.
Great video, had to laugh when you thumped the light, I've been consistenly doing this like some kind of "deranged eejit" for a period of time. the problem now , is that it doesn't come on when I thump it. Probably relay or fuse replacement. Greetings from Glasgow
I've been having the same issue on the driver's side of my 2010 Mazda 6 since October 2013. Every time we take it in they just tell us the bulb is out and needs to be replaced, even though the passenger headlight has only needed to be changed once since we got the car. They have checked for connection issues and have never found anything to report. We use the tapping method but it is only a temporary fix, sometimes a few days, other times a few minutes. I have called Mazda in hopes of discovering a recall for this issue but have had no luck thus far. Any updates on what can be done are appreciated.
I have a 2010 mazda 6 and am having this issue with the low beam...going to smack it! The head light is easy to replace though and I didn't have to go through the wheel well or remove the bumper like other people are saying to do. I just had to move the antifreeze resevoir to access the light fixture....was fairly easy.
I have a Mazda 6 2012 , purchased new bulbs to replace passenger side that was out and I saw ur video went and gave it a few hits and my light went on, so it could be an issue...Thank you
I have a 2010 mazda6. I've also got the same issue. I thought it was a bulb issue initially and got it replaced at a canadian tire store for 100bucks. After hiting a pothole now both my low beams are gone. When i went to my local canadian tire store to fix it they are saying that i need to book an appointment and also need to pay an inspection charge of 40bucks. Also need to go to the original branch where i did the repair. I asked mazda dealer, they recommended me to do an electrical inspection worth 190bucks. Waiting for the appointment nw
It's just a corroded connection splice on a new plug and use some dielectric grease... also make sure the splice job is done water tight with shrink wrap that has glue in it then liquid electrical tape over that
I have the exact same issue with my 2009 Mazda 6. I went through a lot of bulbs, which are a huge pain to change, before realizing a little tap on the headlight would cause it to come back on. Just like "Fonzie".
i have a 2012 mazda 6 and i had one go out about two weeks ago and now the other one went out i have only had the car for a year. Not cool and not happy because you cant change it yourself that is bs. I am going to try and hit it tomorrow like you showed in video i hope that works and if so i am going to the dealer ship and they best fix the problem. I have never had a light go out that quick in a car.
I own a Mazda 6 (2010) and I think this is a big issue. In the last two years I replaced the bulbs about 4 times. I buy those long life, name brand ones and that does NOT matter. In comparison, I have a 2000 Corolla and I replaced the bulbs maybe twice in all those years. Today its 5 below in Chicago and I got to replace it once again. I am so sick of this car because of it. Another big issue is how darn complicated it is to remove. Let me be clear, I been working on cars for about 35 years, when I say complicated, not replacing the bulb, but the work required for the task at hand, does that make sense. For example, most cars, you drive to the auto parts, buy the bulb, fit your hand in a tight space and bingo its done. This car you have to jack up the car, remove the tire, remove the underlining, etc. In other words, very hard to replace this on the street, parking lot or at the job during your lunch hour. Doing a tune up is easier. I also hate to be seen in public banging like a mad man to see if I can get the headlight to work. I did it anyway and "nada". Mazda needs to address this.
I've only replaced the headlight bulbs twice on my 2006 Mazda 6. Once on the left and once on the right. They were burned out both times. I was quite amused that the owners manual said to take the car to the dealer to change the bulbs. I was able to change them both without taking out the fender wells. It was very tight and took a while though. I have never experienced them going out and requiring a bump to come back on.
My dad has a 2011 Mazda 6 i Touring and it's been going through Low Beam bulbs several times, a bit too many times to count for me, one time both low beam bulbs went out within a day. Kind of a design flaw with these generation Mazda 6s.
They call that a "technical tap." :) I have a 2003 Mazda 6 with about 37k miles (I don't drive much obviously) and I just started having headlight issues. Had to drive for an hour with my highbeams on on I-95 and in the city as a result. I'm sure everyone on the road enjoyed that. Replaced the two low beam lights and will probably try replacing the parking lamps, too. Hopefully it'll fix it :/ Good to know I'm not alone. Thanks for the post.
Wow this is exactly true on my 2010 Mazda 6 I did exactly that hit light assembly and light came back on so it's a real problem the dealership needs to figure this out and fix the issue for free
light went out last night i gave it a smack it stayed out but came across this vid' this morning and hit it again (higher up the lens) and on it came all i can say is dude you deserve that beer that john fowler mentioned.
I have a 2012 Mazda 6. I have had it for a 1.5 years I have replaced my right side headlight twice and my left side headlight 3 times. Each time with the added expense of going to the tire store so they can take the wheel off to change the light. All total about $72.00. Right now both low beams are out. I am praying when I get off of work I can hit these lights and get them to come back on. Because I am tired of this crap. This cant be a coincidence.
First time my son changed the bulbs, he took the tire off on the passenger side. Next time, I took it to Valvoline in one city and they told me they needed to remove the front bumper (which they don't do) but I told them how my son did it and they took my advice to remove the tire. Third time, took it to Valvoline in another city and they just cranked the tires all the way to the dirver's direction and were able to reach in and change it in no time. Perhaps they can do the same on the 2012 as they did on the 2010? Good Luck!
2010 Mazda 6 owner here. I have had to replace my light bulbs (both sides) several times now since owning it except i haven't tried bumping it. I wanna say that everytime i replace the bulb, it's burned out so i don't think bumping it will work but I'll try since there is usually a long gap between the bulb going out and when i actually get around to replacing it due to it being such a pain in the ass to do it. I thought it might be related to the door window issues I've been having. My master door switch controller went out a while back ago but i thought it was due to me spilling soda on it years ago. I replaced it and it worked, but after a while it started doing it again. It'll go out and back in and i don't know why. I figured it might be related since they are both electric issues but I'm no mechanic. I wish i knew why.
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This is unbelievable, I have the same issue. I have been punching my Mazda 6, 2009 for months now, my fist is bruised.
I think few thousand Mazda owners should unite and demand something to be done.
Ismet Saric I Absolutely agree
Easy fix if you know how to repair a things
I replaced 3 bulbs on my 2011 Mazda 6, one was covered (under 36k) and the other two were within a year from then. Now another bulb went out and saw this, went out and tried your method (took a few raps) but it did go on. I probably never needed those other bulbs which were dealer installed. Thanks for the tip, now I'll be hitting any light that goes out in the car. Seems I have to hit things in my life to get them to work, including my son.
paul vanbeverhoudt I'm having the same issues right now. I'm gonna give it a try and see what happens.
Flmaooooo
You are a freakin' GENIUS!!!!! OMG! I have a 2012 Mazda 6. Driver's side headlight went out. I tried to change it myself but couldn't. I used to have a Protege and I could change a $10 bulb myself. So when I noticed my headlight was out I went to Auto Zone, bought a $16 bulb and found out that I couldn't get to the bulb. Went online to see what I needed to do and it turns out you have to take the back paneling off in front of the tire. Of course I couldn't do that myself so I called the service dept. My warranty doesn't cover bulb replacement and it would have cost me $115 for what the guy told me is an hour and half's work. I was beyond livid! I searched again and I found your video. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! I'd buy you a beer or many if I could!! God Bless you, sir!!!
its easy to replace ..Did both my headlights , Just to keep the light even Extremely easy to do just remove the inner wheel well liner it pops out with pop out pins.. remove the tire it's much easier
Ha, I was about to try to change the bulb then I saw your video & said "give it a shot". It worked!! Thanks alot, bro 👍🏽.
I notice a lot of people saying the tire has to be removed to replace the bulb. I'm a single mom and with research found that I could just turn the tire all the way in, remove the rivets, and replace it myself. I hope this helps anyone from taking it to a shop to pay for the tire removal if funds are low.
Wal-mart offers headlight bulb replacement service for $7.50 per headlight plus the cost of bulb or bring your own bulb.
Couple screws on bottom plastic cover plate, then reach in, turn white round backing of light assembly to the left just a bit. Release clip, take bulb out
I know this video is old and you've most likely gotten a new car, but my mother in law has an 09 M6 and it is very low miles, I replaced probably a dozen headlights in it for the first few years she owned it and finally decided to go L.E.D. and it's been solid for about 5 years now, I ended up replacing the entire assembly on both sides due to extreme oxidized lenses about 2 weeks ago and in doing that I also bought an updated L.E.D. setup for it and it's unbelievable how much better this is at night. I hope my comment helps someone in the future.
can you send me the link for the LEDs please. I'm trying to upgrade bc of this same issue w my 2012 Mazda 6
@Mark-qp9iw I bought the new headlight assembly left and right from rock auto, I'll grab an Amazon link for the led lights I bought, still love them, they're awesome.
'05 Mazda 6s 75k. Same issue, driver side. Just gave it healthy tap and the light came on. Not only saved me the money/hassle of replacing the bulb but in Virginia they require yearly inspections and that would have earned me the bright pink no-pass sticker of shame. And cost me even more money. Virtual high-five my man. Thank you!
Amen. ditto everything. 2010; same issue; same side; same solution. And I am also glad I saw this video on TH-cam because it saved me from replacing the bulb when it did not need to be replaced.
my 2010 Mazda 6 also has the same problem. we should unite and ask Mazda to solve this problem.
I have a 09 Mazda 6 with zero problems until the driver side low beam went out. I purchased a replacment bulb and saw how in accessable the low beam is (poor design Mazda) and looked up a guide. I cam across this, went out to the car hit the headlight cover and Voila, the headlight came on. Thanks for posting.
I have exactly the same problem with the driver's side headlight. After seeing your video I went out, gave the headlight a good whack and it worked like a charm. Thanks for this post, which saved me a lot of trouble.
Amazed.. I looked into replacing my headlights a year ago and decided not to because it wasn't worth the work, and this morning my passenger side headlight went out. I was looking on youtube for instructions to do it myself and found this video.. gave my headlight a good thump and a light from heaven shined down through the clouds.. right into my headlight! 2008 Mazda 6 i-sport with 85k miles. Thanks for posting this video! Saved me a bunch of time and money.
This is too funny. My boyfriend and I were JUST in the process of changing the bulbs on my passenger side. Identical car. 55k miles. I just happened to TH-cam this real quick. I showed him what you did and he tried it. Voila' , light came on! Thanks for posting this!!!
I also had an intermittent low beam headlight problem on a 2009 Mazda 6. If you access the back of the headlight assembly, on the drivers' side, by partially removing the fender liner and folding it back so you can reach in and remove the grey cover in the upper left corner, you can then unlock the headlight retainer and remove the bulb. Sometimes it is easier to see how the locking mechanism works if you actually look inside using a flashlight. If you find that the bulb is good then you may have a wiring problem inside the headlight assembly or by the grey connector that is located below the right corner of the headlight assembly. Unplug the gray connector and test if you get 12volts at the two wire terminals inside the loose half of the connector when the headlight switch is in the on position. If so, there may be a loose wire connection somewhere between the other half of the gray connector and the low beam bulb connector plug. You can try to free up the large red shrouded wire from the plastic retaining tab, located behind the gray connector, as that may be where the wire is kinked resulting in a loose connection. If that doesn't work, you can bypass the inaccessible wiring inside the headlight assembly by adding a two wire jumper between the gray connector wires and the wires at the low beam connecting plug and thereby bypassing the intermittent connection problem.
I have a 2009 Mazda. I purchased it used about 5 years ago. I have had to change the headlight bulbs once a year. It seems as though the lights go out more in the winter. I'm going to try this trick. I haven't reached out to Mazda yet, but they should do a recall to fix the issue. It costs me 10 times more money to replace the bulb than the bulb actually costs, because of the design of the car.
I OWN A 2009 MAZDA 3 WITH THE SAME SAME PROBLEM AS YOU DESCRIBED. EVERY FEW DAYS I HAVE TO HIT ONE OF THE HEADLITES TO GET IT WORKING AGAIN. NOT ALWAYS BEING THE SAME SIDE. I TOO AM STILL SEEKING A SOLUTION. THANX FOR THE COMMON EFFORT. NICE VID.
I've had the exact same issue. My first replacement was for the passenger side only(now replaced 3 x in the last 10 months) and then both headlamps would go out at the same time on low beam. The high beam work just fine. What a pain in the rear! Both are currently out, so I'm going to try the stick and move you showed here to see if I can't save myself the expense of a 4th change. Thanks!
Have had the same issue with my 2010 Mazda 6. I replaced both bulbs in 2013 and again in December 2014. Now 3 months later the passenger light went out again. I found this video, hitting it worked!! Thank you!! But hitting it only keeps the headlight on for a few days. I will have to try the suggestion to keep the lights on and let them turn off automatically or take it in and have them check the retainer clip/harness connector.
This was great advice. Bought bulbs yesterday because my passenger lamp was out. Thought the same things that there is no way it should be out already. Just saved $50!!
2010 Mazda 6, front passenger low beam was out watched this walked to the front of the car and little bump on top, WALA light works. Good trick. Nice design flaw Mazda
A single google search led me here. I had no idea that i had the same problem as all these other mazda drivers. i have a 2010 mazda 6. Same problem, passenger side. $80+ to fix through a dealership. Glad i saw this!
Thank you for the video! I own a 2006 Mazda and had the same issue with the headlight. I followed your tip and amazingly my headlight is working. It has been only a week so we will see. I was told it was an electrical problem.
My friend had the exact same problem. Same vehicle, same year. Purchased the only bulb that would fit for $107.00!!! Worked for about 2 days! Thanks for sharing.
I have the same car, 2009 Mazda 6 and over the last few weeks started encountering the same problem. Thankfully I googled it and found this video! Worked for me as well! What a shame that there has not been a recall on this. 118 comments here alone, that should be proof enough that it is a design flaw! I wonder what we else can do to get Mazda North America to respond .. I would hate to have to pay out of pocket for the repairs, if they are even doable -__-
I just did this with my 2011 and it worked! Ive been changing bulbs every year and of course my mechanic just kept doing. I tapped it earlier and it didn’t work then i did the fonzi fist bump and all good. Thanks!
I have a 2009 Mazda6 i and also have the same problem, but with the driver side bulb. Following your advice, I gave the headlight a quick smack and it came right back on. Thank you so much!
Brilliant sir! Saw another video before this one removing the wheel well piece and taking the tire off and everything. You saved me hours, if there was a way, I would buy you a beer friend!
Went looking for a vid. to see if I could replace my low beam bulb myself. I have a 2008 Mazda 6 here in Ireland 126000 Miles. I saw the amount of replies to this. So nothing ventured I went out just now & hit it a mild blow " it works". Thanks for this!
Omg thank you so much. Honestly, you have no idea how thankful I am. I've literally had this issue for years and have cried over this.
Me too. It's so frustrating.
My 2010 Mazda 6 has 147K miles on it and I love it. The car owes me nothing, my only complaint is the headlight issue. I've replaced the headlight bulb at least four times. Today, again, my passenger said bulb went ( I changed it about 40K miles ago). When I say I changed, I mean a shop did because of difficult location to get to bulb. I tried this tapping today and it worked, but then a few hours later, it went out again. I bought it to Mavis and it cost me $25.00 including labor to replace bulb.
I totally agree with you on this, we bought a brand new 2010 and had nothing but problems since we got it. It is very shotty craftsmanship and the dealer nor the manufacturer backs their product or wants a repeat customer
This is amazing!!! it worked for me at second hit. First didnt make it but second hit got it shining as if it never went off. I really really appreciate your video.
My wife has a 2009 that we have had for about 2 years. WE have changed the passenger light 3 times. I would say there is an issue after reading some of the other comments. Thanks for posting this video.
Oh my freaking hell... I began changing the light bulb, which turned out to be a real pain in the... especially as it´s about -20c out. Got a minor nervous breakdown as it was a complete no-go. Got back in to check youtube for instructions and got to see this video. Went out and gave the headlight a punch and voilá, it works just fine. Thanks for the upload. Now back out to put back the pop-screws
Thank you for your video!
have a Mazda 6 2012 which just completed its 40000 a month ago... and I got a drivers side headlight stopped working. I didn't think too much of it - was my first bulb change. Was looking for instructions on how to do this and came across this video - and amazingly, yes, just had to give a hard tap on the headlight assembly.. voila! The bulb was working again! So your video did help, but only for a while...
Unfortunately, 2 weeks later, the front driver's side headlight stopped again - this time the tap is not helping. I did notice that both failures happened during some rains and I see some moisture in the assembly.
So im hoping this tap thing will work again for me once it dries out a bit... really not looking forward to the crazy calisthenics required to change 1 bulb yourself. Or worse be forced to shell out serous money for a headlight assembly change because of a quality issue :(
+TheSachingm The bulb isn't too difficult to change, but you'll find a couple of videos on TH-cam to help you along the way. Just watch out for that retainer clip holding the bulb in place and of course don't touch the glass on the bulb.
Yep, after blinding enough ppl with the high beam for a week now, finally got a basic h7 from Walmart today! Hope to try changing it tomorrow!
rabmparker wow finally got it done but I disagree that the bulb is not difficult to change! After being forced to buy a stubby phillips for the inner rivet screws, realized that a bunch of the screws had worn out slots (possibly from a previous garage repair?)! Had to break/pry them off. Basically, I barely had enough room to look in, put my hand in or shine a flash light in.
So had to do the whole thing memorizing, feeling in the dark. took 2 hours, and almost went terribly wrong many times. Never again :(
And one last thing, hitting the light assembly and making it come on was probably pure luck. The old bulb clearly was burnt with loose filament pieces. So it doesn't look like a quality issue.
TheSachingm have a 2012 with the same issue.
Thank you so much for this! This really worked! I even took the light bulb back and got a refund!
2010 Mazda 6 Manual. Exactly the same problem here. It is - in general - a good car, but the low-beam headlight is a serious trouble. Thinking the problem was with the bulb, but hitting the assembly brings the lamp to life. I went to the dealer yesterday and they told me that the harness needs to be replaced for about $300. This is obviously a product-related problem and I think Mazda needs to issue a recall. This is a pattern. Can we not gather all these facts and figures together so that we can request a recall from Mazda?
You can buy a harness online for $50 or under...
I have replaced the harness. that did not fix the issue. It is a design flaw. I think there is a native short in the headlight leveler and it must be being reset by the light rap to the headlight mount. Crazy!
I just did it, it works. I git pulled over by the police car because of the passenger side headlight being out. He did not give me a ticket.
I checked on here to see if there were any trouble shooting tips because these bulbs have gone out at three maybe four times within two years. Each time u replaced the bulbs.
Not this time ... Thank you.
You are not crazy. It worked for my car also. 2013 Mazda 6. I have been replacing bulbs (and they are a bear to get to). My local garage proved the bulbs were good and checked all the relays and fuses. This worked when nothing else did. Wow! Thanks for sharing!
But smacking dont last.i dont understand what's wrong.id pay to get fix if I know what to do or if anyone else k ew what to do
I have a Mazda 6i 2006 and one of my headlights went out as well so I brought it to a shop and the mechanic showed me how to pop the hood and barely jiggle behind the headlight and it came back on. He said the wiring is probably crossed and he would need to rewire it. I decided not to waste my money on that and instead I just pop the hood and wiggle the headlight behind it and it works fine. :)
WOW!! glad to know i wasn't only one having this issue. I probably spent way more than i should have for bulbs
Thanks men, I was thinking about going to the dealership to get it fixed this weekend & saw this clip. I have a 2009 Mazda 6 & it worked for me.
I have recently purchased a Mazda 6 and the car is a dream to drive, but I have the same issues raised here. For me, It is an intermittent fault and at the moment it appears to be "pot luck" whether both lights work. It does appear to be related to temperature and more problematic when it is "Baltic".
I phoned Mazda for advice and they advised i go to a Mazda dealership which I know will be expensive for them to do the work of replacing anything. There appears to be a known flaw/fault but they appear to not be upfront enough to take responsibility for it.
Happy Motoring , folks, seasons greetings from Glasgow.
Thanks for the video. Have 2010 Mazda 6 had the same issue the passenger low-beam was not working, after watching the video I tried it out and gave it a hit and low and behold the head light went back on. Had the same issues with a 2004 Jaguar x type and after bitching to the dealer and head quarters they did replace the whole head lamp assembly. I am going to attempt to try this with Mazda.
+Brian Harris Good luck with this and let us know what they tell you.
holy shit.... just smacked my driver side headlight and 3 of my lamps came back to life i've been having this problem for years with n solution thank you for posting this
And in order to perform simple operation like changing the light bulb front wheel and whole plastic cover must be removed.Still I got crappy access to the headlight.Took me almost 30 min to position light bulb right.Cool design
Same thing just happen to my sister, she has a 2010 Mazda 6. She tried the trick and it work. She had to hit it several times, you may have to apply a little force not too much where you damage it.
My car now has 84,000 miles and the passenger side low beam went out again. I again tried rapping the lamp assembly, however the light did not come back on. So, I went to the local parts dealer (Napa) and purchased a bulb for $12 and replaced the bulb. This time the filament was burnt, so rapping the assembly wouldn't have worked.
Replacing the bulb wasn't too difficult:
1) Remove Wheel (For novices: loosen lug nuts prior to jacking up your car)
2) Remove plastic punch screws (Only need to remove the front ones in the wheel well). Use a screw driver and turn them 1/2 turn. You can then pop them out with your fingers.
3) The plastic wheel well will fold in the middle, so stick a ball or another flexible object in front of the plastic to avoid it from flexing back into position.
4) Remove the gray cup covering the light + wiring.
5) Pull off wiring harness.
6) Detach spring on the left engine side which puts tension on the bulb and holds it into place.
7) Remove bulb, noting position of the metal bulb flange (has a tab on it).
8) Insert new bulb, do not touch the glass on the new bulb. It is a halogen bulb and oils from your fingers will cause it to get burn hot and melt the glass. Wear a clean glove or just handle the base of the bulb.
9) Reattach tension spring on the engine side and then do the opposite steps above.
The entire process takes about 20 minutes and will save you $50.
Worst designed headlamp bulb in the history of Automobiles
Oh crap lol - I just bought this model and was relieved to be rid of the problem you're mentioning here on the PREVIOUS model! On the bright side, there's far worse things to go wrong with cars, good video though :)
2010 - Same issue, same side (passenger), same solution. I was glad I went to TH-cam before replacing the bulb.
Same issue here, 2010 kona blue 6. 7 headlights so far on both sides. Mazda USA says it isn't covered and there isn't a problem. Really eh? Mazda service manager at my local dealer says he has a 6 and same problem with his own car. I am going to see about filing something with NTSB. Note, that i have posted a few months back and replaced a couple more bulbs in the meantime...
Well i was about to tear into changing the bulb this morning and saw this...worked! I have a 2012 and u would think they would have fixed this after 3 years!
We've got the same problem in Denmark! Just did what you did, and it solved my problem for now! Good video! Thanks!
The intermittent headlight problem is due to the black plastic plug that attaches to the bulb. The plug is damaged/melted from overheating and the two wires leading into the plug no make a good connection resulting in the intermittent headlight out problem. I solved the problem by cutting off the plug and stripping the two wires with a razor type cutter and then crimping two new 1/4" female terminals onto the wires and then plugging them onto the bulb. And the problem should be solved.
I feel for all of you encountering headlight failures. Here in Australia, we have Japanese manufactured Mazda 6 models, my 2009 model included, which is a smaller car than the North American manufactured model.
We've never encountered headlight issues here. In fact, Mazda 6, the 3 and the other models in our range, the Thailand built Mazda BT-50 series haven't had major issues at all.
I just noticed that my light was out this morning, and I was actually quite pissed because it's only a 2012 and I just purchased the vehicle this year in Feb. I hope this works, thank you!
BTW fellow M6 owners. I've had 2 other electrical issues to look out for.
1. Severe battery cable corrosion. In march the car wouldn't start. The negative post fell off in my hand, not an uncommon thing. *HOWEVER* the corrosion went down much further, the rest of the wire was basically dust in my hand the next foot or so down to the frame. I replaced all that I could easily access at the time in that small 3pc sub-harness. Hoping I got it all.
2. Recently lost the radio/radio panel lights all of a sudden, then all interior dome lights, then the door locks!!! Yikes!!!! Luckily it was just a blown fuse for those 3 systems, due to the wire for the vanity light mirror on the visor getting pinched causing the short. Patched/taped up the wire and good to go. Lucky to have a stellar local dealer that figured this out & fixed it for a mere $158. Dodged a bullet there.
I have had this car for a couple of years now and I love the car, but I am now having an issue with my passenger low-beam. I haven't tried the love tap on the headlight itself, but I am able to bring the bulb back to life when I tap on the connector with the handle of my screwdriver. Is there a permanent fix yet? is it the connector that I am having an issue with? I can't go on doing this every night that I drive the car.
Had a similar problem on a 2012 Mazda 6 with the turn signal/running lamp located in the headlight lens assembly. I finally traced it to a harness connector that was partially inserted but not locked in. It was located under the air filter housing (had to remove it to get to it). You don't need to remove the tire to get to the headlamps, just crank the wheel toward the center of the car. You will still need to remove the plastic fasteners (13 of 'em) and 4 screws under the bumper to pull the fender skirt out of the way.
My buddy has a 2012 and he has bought at least 4 new bulbs since last summer for driver and passenger side. I always install them and where gloves when doing it so now I know it wasn't me damaging the bulbs during install. I told him to try a HID kit,they never give me problems.
My Maza 6 2011 fog light went on the passenger side. Would I have to replace the fog light or replace the fuse.
First of all thank you for posting. I beat my knuckles up an hour before I saw video on google .Mazda should be ashame of themselves. I banged the hood on the drivers side and the headlight came on.Im hear to tell anyone this video is no hoax. Try giving the hood a little thump before buying new headlights and taking the wheel well off and all that crap
I have a 2012 mazda 6, passenger lowbeam went out around 23K then a month later my driver went out. I have 45K miles now on it and my passenger just went out again. Tried your trick and it didn't work.... very frustrated!! Going to show this video and comments to Mazda dealership tomorrow.
Did you show this video to the dealership? If so, what was their response?
Christine Neuschwander
I showed the clip to the sales rep I purchased my car from, he did the typical sales rep chuckle and didn't have any other response. The other person I know in the "area" who had the issue found out that the clip which holds the light bulb in place was not fastened correctly. The caused the bulb to loose connection and the swift whack of the assembly caused the light to reconnect. He brought the car to a reputable dealership and they fixed the issue.
you just save me sooo much time and money with this video. THANK YOU!!!!
I had the same problem on my 2010, 68,000 miles.. and I hitting it fixed it. thanks!
I have a 2009 Mazda 6 and have been having this problem for years. I learned to hit the lamp, however, it doesn't always work. I just changed the bulbs 5 days ago and the next day one of the headlights didn't come on. This is so frustrating because I am actually replacing bulbs that really don't need to be replaced. The hitting didn't work the last time and hitting isn't normal. Based on what I've been reading, this is definitely a design flaw. Other than this headlight issue, I love my Mazda 6. Mazda show have figured out by now that this is a real problem in many of their models. There should have been a recall by now!!
2011 Mazda 6, bought used in 2012. with 20,000 miles on it. In the 3 & 1/2 years we've had it the low beam headlamp bulbs have burned out a total of 11 times - 5 times passenger side, 6 times driver's side. Absolutely no help from the closest Mazda dealership (180 miles away). All the usual advice (Make sure you aren't touching the bulbs with your hands/fingers), and precautions (wearing the latex gloves) have been following, and we're still blowing bulbs. :( :(
This worked perfect! Thank you!
Thanks for the vid. Having the same problem with 2010 Mazda 6 passenger side.
bought my mazda 6 2012 last year and the driver side went out!! Am going to try what you did because I can't fix it myself since the cover doesn't simply pop off.
I have a 2011 Mazda 6-V6 model, bought it brand new and only have a little over 32,000 miles. I make a lot of shorter trips in the dark to/from work, and I don't hardly use the car in the summer (on motorcycle) and yet I can't even count how many times I've replaced the passenger side bulb!!! I've replaced the drivers side twice I think, but it's like 4 or 5 for the passenger. And my wheel bearings squeak in reverse, and using your brakes I believe the brake assembly shifts when moving forward, then backing up and then moving forward again trying to adjust the car into a parking space as there's definite clanking and I know it's not the cv joints as I can hear it with windows rolled down, and it happens only when touching the brake initially after changing forward/backward direction
2011 Mazda 6, just tried this and it worked so far anyway
Unfortunately its not a permanent solution....Ugh
Freaking amazing - my wife's 2013 CX-9 has the same issue with the passenger side. The bulb and fuse are good. Has driven me crazy until I found this post. Thank you
Now how do we get Mazda to get off their asses to recall their defective product. Will not be purchasing another Mazda until this is corrected.
I had the same problem with my Acura RSX but over 140,000 miles.
It went out on the road while driving one day so I hit a reflecting lane divider on the highway on purpose and it would go back on. Knew it was something loose so had to hit it as well before I drove off at night. Due to possible replacement when I had a minor wreck, the body shop fixed it for free since they did the repairs. They had to tighten around the plug area connection.
Ha!! Have the same problem. Watched this video. Headlight works now lol thanks for the video!!!
what do it mean when your headlights go out in a 2009 mazda 6 when is not the fuse or the bulb
I have a 2009 Mazda 6 with about 51k miles on it, and I just encountered this problem, too.
The weird solution I found is just to put it in "D" drive, and drive just a few feet and put the headlights on, and it would work! For some reason, when your standing still, no matter how many times you turn them on and off, that headlight won't work.
But as soon as you put it in drive and start driving, just switch them on and off, and it would come back on.
Same problem here with my 2009 Mazda 6i, 45,000 miles. Anyone know if there's been a recall? To me this is a HUGE safety issue since I do most of my driving at night.
Had the same problem with my 2010 Mazda 6. Dealership quoted $172.00 to change both non working low beams. Tap method worked, restored both headlamps. Went back 10 minutes later and headlights weren't working again. This is definitely a Mazda safety issue. Everyone here having the problem should file a complaint with the NTSB. Only way they will issue a recall.
This actually worked. I think Mazda needs to do something about it. It can be a safety issue.
Great video, had to laugh when you thumped the light, I've been consistenly doing this like some kind of "deranged eejit" for a period of time. the problem now , is that it doesn't come on when I thump it. Probably relay or fuse replacement.
Greetings from Glasgow
Did you figure out what was wrong.i have same problem
I've been having the same issue on the driver's side of my 2010 Mazda 6 since October 2013. Every time we take it in they just tell us the bulb is out and needs to be replaced, even though the passenger headlight has only needed to be changed once since we got the car. They have checked for connection issues and have never found anything to report. We use the tapping method but it is only a temporary fix, sometimes a few days, other times a few minutes. I have called Mazda in hopes of discovering a recall for this issue but have had no luck thus far. Any updates on what can be done are appreciated.
I have a 2010 mazda 6 and am having this issue with the low beam...going to smack it! The head light is easy to replace though and I didn't have to go through the wheel well or remove the bumper like other people are saying to do. I just had to move the antifreeze resevoir to access the light fixture....was fairly easy.
I have a Mazda 6 2012 , purchased new bulbs to replace passenger side that was out and I saw ur video went and gave it a few hits and my light went on, so it could be an issue...Thank you
I have a 2010 mazda6. I've also got the same issue. I thought it was a bulb issue initially and got it replaced at a canadian tire store for 100bucks. After hiting a pothole now both my low beams are gone. When i went to my local canadian tire store to fix it they are saying that i need to book an appointment and also need to pay an inspection charge of 40bucks. Also need to go to the original branch where i did the repair.
I asked mazda dealer, they recommended me to do an electrical inspection worth 190bucks. Waiting for the appointment nw
It's just a corroded connection splice on a new plug and use some dielectric grease... also make sure the splice job is done water tight with shrink wrap that has glue in it then liquid electrical tape over that
I have the exact same issue with my 2009 Mazda 6. I went through a lot of bulbs, which are a huge pain to change, before realizing a little tap on the headlight would cause it to come back on.
Just like "Fonzie".
i have a 2012 mazda 6 and i had one go out about two weeks ago and now the other one went out i have only had the car for a year. Not cool and not happy because you cant change it yourself that is bs. I am going to try and hit it tomorrow like you showed in video i hope that works and if so i am going to the dealer ship and they best fix the problem. I have never had a light go out that quick in a car.
same car, same year, same problem!
You can change them yourself but you have to use halogens, I believe.
Worked like a charm on my 2010 Mazda 6. Zoom zoom
I own a Mazda 6 (2010) and I think this is a big issue. In the last two years I replaced the bulbs about 4 times. I buy those long life, name brand ones and that does NOT matter. In comparison, I have a 2000 Corolla and I replaced the bulbs maybe twice in all those years. Today its 5 below in Chicago and I got to replace it once again. I am so sick of this car because of it. Another big issue is how darn complicated it is to remove. Let me be clear, I been working on cars for about 35 years, when I say complicated, not replacing the bulb, but the work required for the task at hand, does that make sense. For example, most cars, you drive to the auto parts, buy the bulb, fit your hand in a tight space and bingo its done. This car you have to jack up the car, remove the tire, remove the underlining, etc. In other words, very hard to replace this on the street, parking lot or at the job during your lunch hour. Doing a tune up is easier. I also hate to be seen in public banging like a mad man to see if I can get the headlight to work. I did it anyway and "nada". Mazda needs to address this.
I've only replaced the headlight bulbs twice on my 2006 Mazda 6. Once on the left and once on the right. They were burned out both times. I was quite amused that the owners manual said to take the car to the dealer to change the bulbs. I was able to change them both without taking out the fender wells. It was very tight and took a while though. I have never experienced them going out and requiring a bump to come back on.
My dad has a 2011 Mazda 6 i Touring and it's been going through Low Beam bulbs several times, a bit too many times to count for me, one time both low beam bulbs went out within a day. Kind of a design flaw with these generation Mazda 6s.
They call that a "technical tap." :) I have a 2003 Mazda 6 with about 37k miles (I don't drive much obviously) and I just started having headlight issues. Had to drive for an hour with my highbeams on on I-95 and in the city as a result. I'm sure everyone on the road enjoyed that. Replaced the two low beam lights and will probably try replacing the parking lamps, too. Hopefully it'll fix it :/ Good to know I'm not alone. Thanks for the post.
yeah my 2010 mazda 6 low beam does the same thing.. but not the bulb and I'm not sure if it's just wiring problem
Wow this is exactly true on my 2010 Mazda 6 I did exactly that hit light assembly and light came back on so it's a real problem the dealership needs to figure this out and fix the issue for free
light went out last night i gave it a smack it stayed out but came across this vid' this morning and hit it again (higher up the lens) and on it came all i can say is dude you deserve that beer that john fowler mentioned.
My passenger side headlight was out. I tried this and it worked. Wonder if mazda will do anything.
I have a 2012 Mazda 6. I have had it for a 1.5 years I have replaced my right side headlight twice and my left side headlight 3 times. Each time with the added expense of going to the tire store so they can take the wheel off to change the light. All total about $72.00. Right now both low beams are out. I am praying when I get off of work I can hit these lights and get them to come back on. Because I am tired of this crap. This cant be a coincidence.
First time my son changed the bulbs, he took the tire off on the passenger side. Next time, I took it to Valvoline in one city and they told me they needed to remove the front bumper (which they don't do) but I told them how my son did it and they took my advice to remove the tire. Third time, took it to Valvoline in another city and they just cranked the tires all the way to the dirver's direction and were able to reach in and change it in no time. Perhaps they can do the same on the 2012 as they did on the 2010? Good Luck!
2010 Mazda 6 owner here. I have had to replace my light bulbs (both sides) several times now since owning it except i haven't tried bumping it. I wanna say that everytime i replace the bulb, it's burned out so i don't think bumping it will work but I'll try since there is usually a long gap between the bulb going out and when i actually get around to replacing it due to it being such a pain in the ass to do it. I thought it might be related to the door window issues I've been having. My master door switch controller went out a while back ago but i thought it was due to me spilling soda on it years ago. I replaced it and it worked, but after a while it started doing it again. It'll go out and back in and i don't know why. I figured it might be related since they are both electric issues but I'm no mechanic. I wish i knew why.