Owners of Mazda Maxda3 cars file lawsuit after claiming clutches wear down and fail. April 28, 2016 — Mazda Mazda3 clutch replacements have caused owners to file a proposed class-action lawsuit against the automaker concerning Mazda3 clutch failures. The clutch lawsuit targets model year 2010-2015 Mazda3 cars with allegedly defective clutch release levers (clutch forks), bearings and pins. The cars named in the lawsuit are equipped with either a 5-speed or 6-speed transmission. The lawsuit alleges the clutch assemblies have a defect in design that causes premature clutch failure and premature wear to the transmission components. The plaintiffs say the defects cause problems with the clutch disks and pressure plates, in addition to the flywheels. The plaintiffs say although Mazda allegedly knows about the defect, many consumers are stuck with huge repair bills because dealers won't make repairs under warranty.