Here we are four and a half years later. The EP3 just turned 125K. I had a colleague’s mechanic and race car builder husband perform the 100k service back in March of 2020, including the drive belt, valve adjustment, and spark plugs. He recommended changing the tie rods, which really tightened up the steering. And I had him replace the pads and rotors since those were still all original. Around that time I also got into the instrument cluster myself to change all 9 bulbs since I had a few out.

In 2022 I also noticed that my heat was only warm, so I decided to change my thermostat when I did my 5 year full fluids change (coolant, clutch, brakes, transaxle). It was not easy due to lack of space, but I got it done. And it worked. Hot heat in the winter is good.

Two bigger items needed to be replaced recently. First of all, when I went to put on my winter tires (take offs) I noticed a wheel stud was spinning around. I couldn’t get the lug nut off, so I took it to my local tire shop (not a chain). They ended up having to replace the entire rear wheel hub assembly for about $300.

A couple weeks later my passenger window fell into the door. I ended up ordering a window regulator from my local Honda dealer for about $350 and putting it in myself. I paid a little more since I needed it ASAP. It was quite easy to do, but I did have to reconnect the cable to the inner door handle twice (twisting it around once before clicking it into place finally kept it from disconnecting).

Other than that, it is still running fine. I do notice a very short screeching/grinding sound after startup on colder days. It’s been doing it for a few years, but I can’t tell if it’s the belt, maybe a pulley bearing, or the starter. It doesn’t happen often, and I’ve kind of ignored it.

My son will be 16 in two years, so the plan is to keep the EP3 going so I can pass it on to him. For a replacement, I thought for sure I’d be heading toward an 11th gen Si. But the sticky steering rack issues are a turn off, not to mention how big it is. The Sport Touring hatchback is another consideration, but I’ve read about water leaking in from the hatch and pooling up below the floor. So now I’ve added the Mazda 3 6MT hatch to the list (our family had five different Mazdas growing up, too).

I’ll continue updating!