2019 Mazda MAZDA3

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The airbag system, specifically the curtain airbags and related airbag control components, malfunctioned by deploying spontaneously without any collision or impact. The vehicle and deployed airbags are still available and can be inspected upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The spontaneous deployment of all four curtain airbags created an immediate safety hazard. Airbag deployment can cause injury, disorientation, or loss of control, especially if it occurs unexpectedly. Although the vehicle was stationary at the time, deployment without warning posed a serious risk of injury to occupants and could have resulted in a crash if it had occurred while driving. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The problem has not been reproduced, as the airbags have already deployed. However, the spontaneous deployment itself is clear evidence of a malfunction. The issue has not been resolved or repaired, and responsibility for repair has not been accepted. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The incident was reported to Progressive Insurance, which denied coverage because there was no accident or collision. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer for defect analysis. No police inspection occurred because there was no crash or injury. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes. The airbag warning light was illuminated prior to the incident, indicating a potential system fault. Additionally, a strong chemical odor was noticed inside the vehicle immediately before deployment, originating from the front passenger side, moments before all four curtain airbags deployed.

A few weeks ago the following error message popped up on my dashboard: “Airbag Malfunction. Have vehicle inspected”. This message came and went intermittently whenever I had a passenger in the vehicle. I scheduled and appointment at my local Mazda dealership service center and in the meantime looked up the issue and found that it was extremely common and caused by a design flaw where the wire harness to the seat airbags was too short causing eventual failure. The issue was so prominent that Mazda even issued a service bulletin on how to fix it which included replacing the wire harness and adding extra security clips to help prevent future failure. So I get my car to the service center and after looking at it they confirm this exact issue, say it is not covered under any extended warranty and tell me that it will cost approximately $1,000 to fix (diagnostic, parts plus labor). I asked how a safey issue such as an airbag not deploying isn’t covered and they reaffirm that it is NOT a safety issue and that there is no recall for it nor would it fail inspection with that error message. They also did confirm that in the event of an accident that airbag would not deploy while that error message was showing. I am at a loss right now and am not sure what to do as I cannot afford a $1,000 fix and am very confused as to how this design flaw for what I believe to be a safety issue is not covered under a recall.

"AIR BAG SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED" NEW VEHICLE 4/14/2019! ONCE WHILE TURNING IN PARKING LOT ON 4/17@151MI, TWO OTHER TIMES 30-35MPH ON 4/25@458MI AND 4/29@551MI ON ODOMETER. ON ALL OCCASIONS 2+HRS OF DRIVE TIME THERE WERE 4-6 STOPS. AT OTHER TIMES UNDER AN HR WITH 1 STOP NO PROBLEM. I HAD NO PASSANGERS SO NO OTHER SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE WHEN I GOT THE WARNING. BUT, ON 2 OTHER OCCASIONS WHEN I HAD A FRONT SEAT PASSANGER WEARING THEIR SEATBELT DOING THE ABOVE NO WARNING AT ALL.