MajorVery commonElectrical

Mazda Biante: Power Sliding Door Motor Brush Wear and Cable Fraying

Power Sliding Door Motor Brush Wear and Cable Fraying is a very common electrical fault on the Mazda Biante on the 2008–2018 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $650 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 12 documented faults on the Mazda Biante.

Vehicle: Mazda Biante
Years: 2008–2018
System: Electrical

This page covers the Mazda Biante as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Mazda Biante faults12 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph for this fault yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of something else.

What goes wrong

The Biante's electric power sliding doors (both sides) are driven by a reversible DC motor with carbon brushes and a nylon-coated steel cable running through a pulley system in the door B-pillar and sill. The motor brushes wear from frequent use, causing intermittent or complete door failure. Simultaneously the cable fray at the drum anchor or at pulley contact points, jamming the door mid-travel or causing the auto-open/close to abort. Failure is more common on the driver's side left rear door due to higher use frequency. Replacement requires full door trim removal and cable rerouting.

What you would notice

Door halts mid-travel and reverses or stops, triggering a beep, particularly on cold mornings or after the vehicle sits unused for several days
Audible motor whine or clicking from the B-pillar area without door movement, indicating brush or cable seizure
Door operates normally in manual push mode but fails in auto-electric mode

How to check it

Where to look. Power sliding door motors mounted inside the B-pillar cavity; drive cables run through the lower door sill and upper door track

Operate both sliding doors via the door button, the interior switch, and the key-fob at least five times each.
Listen for grinding, hesitation, or motor whine without movement.
Check that both doors fully latch without manual assistance.
Inspect the lower door sill cable channel for any visible cable kinking or fraying through the inspection aperture.

What it costs to put right

$650 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Have either power sliding doors ever stuck, reversed unexpectedly, or required manual assistance to close?”
“Has the sliding door motor or cable been replaced or inspected on this vehicle?”
“Does the vehicle have service records showing door mechanism lubrication at recommended intervals?”

Now check the Mazda Biante you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Mazda Biante buyer questions

Is power sliding door motor brush wear and cable fraying serious on a Mazda Biante?

We rate it major and very common on the Mazda Biante. The Biante's electric power sliding doors (both sides) are driven by a reversible DC motor with carbon brushes and a nylon-coated steel cable running through a pulley system in the door B-pillar and sill. The motor brushes wear from frequent use, causing intermittent or complete door failure. Simultaneously the cable fray at the drum anchor or at pulley contact points, jamming the door mid-travel or causing the auto-open/close to abort. Failure is more common on the driver's side left rear door due to higher use frequency. Replacement requires full door trim removal and cable rerouting.

How much does it cost to fix on a Mazda Biante?

$650 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Mazda Biante years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2008–2018 Mazda Biante. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Operate both sliding doors via the door button, the interior switch, and the key-fob at least five times each. Listen for grinding, hesitation, or motor whine without movement. Check that both doors fully latch without manual assistance. Inspect the lower door sill cable channel for any visible cable kinking or fraying through the inspection aperture. Look here: Power sliding door motors mounted inside the B-pillar cavity; drive cables run through the lower door sill and upper door track