2004 Mazda MAZDA3

2004 MAZDA 3. PURCHASED CAR USED IN MARCH 2007. PER OWNER SERVICE RECORDS, MOTOR MOUNT #3 FAILED AND IN 11/2006, PER SERVICE BULLETIN, AND WARRANTY, LOCAL DEALER PERFORMED PARTIAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT, INCLUDING RUBBER ON MOUNT #3. NO PROBLEMS WITH CAR LEADING UP TO INCIDENT, REGULAR MAINTENANCE PERFORMED DURING OWNERSHIP 2007 - CURRENT. CAR USED PRIMARILY TO AND FROM WORK, APPROX. 12K PER YEAR DRIVEN. ON 8/29, CAR JUST STOPPED, MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION FELL OUT OF CASING, CAR CRASHED ON HWY 9. TOWED TO MAZDA DEALERSHIP. INITIAL ESTIMATE OF REPAIR $990 APPROX. ESTIMATE REVISED TO $3500 APPROX. TRANSMISSION BRACKET SHEARED/BROKEN AT METAL. MOTOR MOUNT #4 & TRANSMISSION MOUNT SCREW COMPLETELY DISLODGED. RECOMMENDED REPAIR INCLUDES COMPLETELY NEW TRANSMISSION CASE AND MOUNTS. NOT SURE IF ANY DAMAGE DONE TO TRANSMISSION ITSELF. FAILURE REPORTED TO DSM AND MAZDA CORPORATE. DUE TO CAR OUT OF WARRANTY AND MILEAGE ON CAR $100K, DENIED ANY RECOURSE FROM MAZDA FOR STRUCTURAL FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA MAZDA3. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH AN OIL FILTER HOUSING CRACK. THE DEALER ALSO OFFERED TO ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR EXPENSES. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 51,000.

I OWN A 2004 MAZDA 3 HATCHBACK THAT I PURCHASED NEW. THE CAR HAS 74,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN MAINTAINED FAITHFULLY BY MAZDA TECHNICIANS. DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE. TO REITERATE, THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE. HAD MY WIFE NOT NOTICED, AND HAD WE PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE, IT WOULD HAVE BURNED DOWN THE HOUSE WITH US IN IT. WE MANAGED TO PUT THE CAR OUT AND TOOK IT TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP. THE TECHNICIAN TOLD US THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR FROZE AND THE BELT CAUGHT FIRE FROM THE FRICTION; THIS THEN IGNITED PLASTIC SPLASH GUARDS UNDER THE VEHICLE. ALL TOTAL - $1500 IN DAMAGE. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE COMPRESSOR SHOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED A FIRE, AND IN FACT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. I CONTACTED MAZDA AND ASKED THEM TO RECOMPENSE THE DAMAGE FROM THE FAILED COMPRESSOR AND THE FIRE, AND THEY REFUSE TO ASSIST ME (OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ONE OF THEIR PRODUCTS' SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION IS A PROBLEM), OR COMPENSATE ME. I AM LESS CONCERNED ABOUT COMPENSATION THAN I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THESE CARS ON THE ROADS, BEING DRIVEN BY FAMILIES, WAITING TO CATCH FIRE AND BURN. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND ADDRESSED QUICKLY BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE. THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS OR EVEN WARNINGS FROM MAZDA THAT THIS IS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. PLEASE, I AM ASKING THAT THE NHTSA ASSIST IN DOING SOMETHING BEFORE THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL MANUFACTURER DEFECT COSTS SOMEONE THEIR LIFE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN VAN HOLLEN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE SAFETY PROBLEMS (RANDOM STALLING) WITH HIS 2004 MAZDA3 *TGW THE CONSUMER WENT TO SEARS TO PURCHASE A BATTERY THINKING THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE RANDOM STALLING, BUT WAS TOLD THE BATTERY WAS FINE AND IT APPEARED THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS. THE CONSUMER THEN WENT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD DIFFERENT THINGS WERE WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, WHICH WAS CAUSING IT TO STALL. THE CONSUMER PAID FOR THE REPAIRS, BUT WEEKS LATER THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. *JB

I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR THAT I HAVE HAD SINCE 2004 MAZDA 3. ON SUNDAY, I WAS HIT BY A CAR AT ABOUT A 20 TO 30 DEGREE ANGLE AND THE IMPACT HIT MY PASSENGER DOOR. NEITHER ONE OF US WAS GOING AT A SPEED THAT SHOULD HAVE HAD A RESULT IN THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED. WHEN HE HIT US AND THE CAR CAME TO REST, THE POLICE AND TOWING PEOPLE DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SNAPPED OFF ITS' MOUNTING. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EITHER. HE TOLD ME THAT BOTH HE AND THE TOWING AGENT HAD EVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE TO A CAR WITH AS LITTLE DAMAGE TO IT. I WENT TO THE TOW PLACE WHERE THEY WERE HOLDING MY CAR TO TAKE PICTURES AND LOOK AT THE CAR, AND BOTH OF THE PEOPLE (DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAN THE ORIGINAL TOW DRIVER) SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THE ONE GUY SAID ONLY TWICE HAS HE SEEN THAT HAPPEN AND BOTH HAD MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND THAT THEY WERE DEMOLISHED UP TO HALF OF THE CAR. HE ALSO SAID THE MOUNTING PIECE OF HARDWARE LOOKED LIKE IT WAS MADE OF DIECAST NOT METAL OR ALUMINUM, WHEN WE INSPECTED IT WE NOTICED THE PART THAT WAS SNAPPED AND I MUST ADMIT IT LOOKED LIKE PLASTIC. I HAD TO HAVE THE STRUTS REPLACED IN 2008, BUT YET I HAD NEVER HIT THE TIRES HARD ON ANYTHING. MY QUESTION IS THIS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND COULD IT BE DANGEROUS TO OTHER DRIVERS OF THIS YEAR. I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE MADE ENGINES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO DROP IN ACCIDENT RECENTLY, BUT NOT FOR THIS YEAR AND NOT FOR THAT TYPE OF ACCIDENT. I HAVE WRITTEN TO MAZDA REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION AND I AWAIT THEIR RESPONSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA3. SHE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE DRIVEN AS AN AUTOMATIC OR A MANUAL. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH IN MANUAL MODE SHE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEARS, TO NO AVAIL. SHE HAD TO TAKE HER FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL IN ORDER FOR THE GEARS TO RELEASE AND AFTERWARDS THE GEARS STARTED TO SHIFT ON THEIR OWN. SHE WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER, BUT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. SHE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE OR MAKE A TURN. THE VEHICLE BEGAN MOVING FROM ONE LANE TO ANOTHER AND ACCELERATED THROUGH A RED LIGHT TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING WITHIN IN A FEW MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED, DAMAGED THE SENSOR AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, SENSORS, AND THE GASKETS; HOWEVER, SHE HAD TO ADD OIL TO THE ENGINE BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A REPORT; HOWEVER , THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS. THE ENGINE WAS NOT REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA 3. SINCE 2007, THE CONTACT HEARD A TICKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE. THE NOISE INTENSIFIED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $1,036. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER AS WELL. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,200.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA 3. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO THE HIGHWAY AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FLASHED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED MORE THAN THREE TIMES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.