2015 Mazda CX-5

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MAZDA CX-5. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE AT NIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WHITTEN BROTHERS MAZDA (10745 MIDLOTHIAN TURNPIKE, RICHMOND, VA 23235, (804) 378-8200) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.

I PURCHASED A NEW 2015 MAZDA CX5 IN MAY OF 2015 WITH THE TOUR TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE. THEREFORE, I HAVE THE BI-XENON, HID, HEADLAMPS. I DO LIKE THE CURVE ADAPTIVE FEATURE THAT MOVES THE ENTIRE LIGHT SYSTEM LEFT AND RIGHT BY15 DEGREES. I DRIVE MOSTLY IN WELL LIT CITY AREAS, BUT WHEN MY BROTHER WAS HERE LAST NOVEMBER AND NOTICED IN RURAL AREAS HOW EASY IT WAS TO 'OVERDRIVE' BOTH LOW AND HIGH BEAM SETTINGS. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THE REGULAR H1 HIGH BEAMS ON MY 2007 MAZDA6 ARE FAR BETTER THAN THESE 2015 HID LIGHTS. THEY HAVE A SHARP CUT OFF ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WHEN ON LOW BEAM SO THEY DON'T ILLUMINATE AS FAR DOWN THE ROAD AS I WOULD LIKE, AND THAT MAY EXPLAIN PART OF THE PROBLEM WHEN LIGHTS ARE SWITCHED TO HIGH BEAM AS WELL. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE WITH MY MAZDA SERVICE DEPT., AND THEY TELL ME THAT BY FEDERAL LAW, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO RAISE THE HEIGHT OF THESE 'SELF-LEVELING' LIGHTS. THEY CAN ONLY ADJUST FROM SIDE TO SIDE FOR MORE OR LESS LIGHTING. I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THE INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY GAVE THE 2016 MAZDA CX5 A MARGINAL RATING EVEN WITH THE BI-XENON HEADLAMPS. EVEN AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO STOP FOR OBJECTS ON POORLY LIT RURAL ROADS. I DO FEEL THAT THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN. MANUFACTURERS AND THEIR ENGINEERS NEED TO REEVALUTE THE IMPORTANCE OF BASIC FEATURES SUCH AS HEADLIGHTS.