2015 Mazda MAZDA3

I HAVE FILED THIS CLAIM BECAUSE THE CAR IN MENTION HAS BEEN REPAIRED BY MAZDA FOR FAILURES IN THE DOOR LATCHING-LOCKING SYSTEM ON THREE (3) SEPARATE OCCASIONS ON DIFFERENT DOORS SINCE I PURCHASED IT AND IT IS CURRENTLY SHOWING SIGNS OF FAILURE ON ONE OF THE DOORS THAT WAS NOT AFFECTED BEFORE. I NO LONGER CONSIDER THE VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE AND I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT FAILURES OF THIS NATURE MAY CAUSE ACCIDENTS WITH CATASTROPHIC INJURIES TO THE DRIVER AND TO OTHERS. AS A MAZDA CUSTOMER, CAR OWNER AND ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL, I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED WHEN I CONTEMPLATE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS MIGHT NOT BE AN ISOLATED CASE AND THAT OTHER MAZDA OWNERS MIGHT BE DRIVING UNSAFE VEHICLES. I HAVE ALSO STARTED A CLAIM WITH THE BBB AUTO LINE CASE MAZ1714424 WHERE I PURSUE REPURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE BY MAZDA AMONG OTHER ITEMS.

ON SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 AT 11:00 A.M., I WAS DRIVING MY 2015 MAZDA 3 (S TOURING) BACK TO KNOXVILLE, TN FROM YORK, PA. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF OF DRIVING (NEAR SHIPPENSBURG, PA), I HEARD A LOUD SOUND LIKE A GUN SHOT AND DEBRIS HITTING THE TOP OF THE CAR AND THEN REALIZED THAT MY SUNROOF HAD SHATTERED. I WAS IN LIGHT TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY, TRAVELING AT THE 70 MPH SPEED LIMIT. I WAS NOT BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE NOR WAS MY CAR STRUCK BY ANYTHING FROM THE ROAD OR THE AIR. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET ABOUT MY SITUATION, I LEARNED THAT THE NHTSA REFERS TO THIS PROBLEM AS "SPONTANEOUS SUNROOF BREAKAGE."

THE CAR HAD A CATASTROPHIC ELECTRICAL FAILURE, MAZDA IS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE. I HAVE ASKED MAZDA AND THE DEALER BY PHONE, EMAIL, AND POSTAL MAIL WHAT I SHOULD DO IF THIS OCCURS ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE GOTTEN NO RESPONSE FROM MAZDA. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON A CITY STREET, DURING THE DAY OF 8/11/16,ALL THE INDICATOR LIGHTS FLASHED ON AND THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. I PULLED IN TO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I TRIED TO START IT AGAIN (PUSH BUTTON) AND NOTHING HAPPENED; NO LIGHTS, NO SOUNDS. I WAITED SEVERAL MINUTES AND TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN. THIS TIME IT STARTED. I TURNED IT OFF AND TRIED TO START IT AGAIN, NOTHING HAPPENED. I CALLED MAZDA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALER. ON 8/20/16 THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMED THAT MORE THAN 60 ERROR CODES HAD GONE ON A ONCE, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE. I HAVE EMAILED AND WRITTEN TO MAZDA ASKING IF IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY, ASKING IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN WOULD THE AND WHAT I SHOULD DO IF IT HAPPENS. MORE THAN A MONTH HAS PASSED AND I HAVE HAD NO RESPONSE FROM MAZDA.

VEHICLE WAS INADVERTANTLY TURNED OFF WHILE IN DRIVE, WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE NO ALARM SOUNDED. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS, FORCING ME TO JUMP BACK INTO THE CAR AND JAM ON THE BRAKE. ONE WOULD THINK THAT AS A SAFETY MEASURE, THE CAR WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE IN PARK, BEFORE TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. WHILE ITS CONCEIVABLE THAT IN AN EMERGENCY THE DRIVER MAY WANT TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE WHILE IN GEAR, THIS WOULD BE VERY RARE, AND COULD BE ACCOMMODATED BY PROGRAMING THE OFF SWITCH TO REQUIRE MULTIPLE PUSHES OR HOLDING IN THE BUTTON FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. EXITING THE CAR WHEN IT IS NOT IN PARK IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION, JUST AS DANGEROUS AS TRYING TO START THE CAR WHILE IN GEAR, RESULTING IN UNEXPECTED MOVEMENT OF THE CAR. SINCE THE CAR REQUIRES THE GEARSHIFT TO BE IN PARK AND THE BRAKE ON BEFORE STARTING, ONE WOULD THINK A SIMILAR PROCESS WOULD BE USED FOR TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE.

HEADREST UNUSABLE IN SAFE DRIVING POSITION. FORCES HEAD TO FLOOR OR PREVENTS PROPER BACK PLACEMENT ON SEAT, SOMETIMES BOTH. THE ONLY WAY TO SIT IN THE SEAT COMFORTABLY IS TO HAVE THE SEAT LEANING TOO FAR BACK WHERE I CANNOT REACH THE STEERING WHEEL COMFORTABLY. WHEELS WOULD VIBRATE AT SPEEDS ABOVE 55, SOMETIMES AS LOW AS 40. RECENTLY FIXED BY DEALERSHIP. BRAKES WERE IMPROPERLY ADJUSTED AND SCRAPED AGAINST THE INSIDE OF THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY. MADE A LOUD SCRATCH SOUND. TOOK TWO VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED. ALL EVENTS REQUIRED INDIVIDUAL VISITS TO THE REPAIR SHOP, AND I AM UNCERTAIN OF THE LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF THE VEHICLE. ANY SMALL ISSUE RAISES EXTRA CONCERNS. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 2K MILES AFTER A YEAR OF OWNERSHIP BECAUSE OF EITHER DRIVING DISCOMFORT OR THE VEHICLE BEING IN THE SHOP TO BE WORKED ON.