2010 Mazda MAZDA5

The Mazda 5 was in a minor collision. The vehicle rear-ended another vehicle in stop-and-go traffic. Both vehicles were in motion, approximate speed of the Mazda 5 was 15MPH or less. The front seat airbags deployed. The other vehicle had rear bumper damage but the Mazda 5 immediately had smoke and flames under the hood. Thankfully, all four occupants immediately exited the vehicle to safety. The Mazda 5 quickly burned completely. Police and firefighters came to the scene and everyone agreed that the Mazda 5 fire was not commensurate with the extent of the collision and likely speed of impact. I am concerned there was a major safety defect that caused it to be engulfed in flames.

While driving the car started lurching when accelerating. I noticed somebody else mentioned this recently when their car reached 180,000, which is when mine started doing the same thing. When this started happening my transmission light and my traction control light came on and my car was no longer operable. And by that I mean I could not accelerate or shift the vehicle into reverse, park, or neutral. This happened while driving 60 mph on the highway and almost caused an accident as I could no longer accelerate. I had the vehicle taken to a transmission shop and had the transmission control module replaced, but the car continued to have the same problem.

Random intermittent stalling of the car starting about 100,000 miles. Car suddenly shuts down while driving, most notably while decelerating but sometimes while cruising along. It actually surged and bucked once recently, (Dec 2021 ~ 180,000 miles), while pulling up to a stop. This is causing me to feel increasingly unsafe in this vehicle as it could cause an accident since I have no control whatsoever during these occurrences. Very frightening and risky. Have feared for my life a couple times given the particular timing of the occurrence.

ON MY 2010 MAZDA 5 SPORT, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS UP AUTOMATICALLY WHEN IT IS DARK OR DIM OUTSIDE. ON PREVIOUS YEARS OF THIS VEHICLE, AND ON ALL OTHER VEHICLES I HAVE EVER DRIVEN, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS UP ONLY WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SWITCHED ON. THIS IS WHAT PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM DRIVING WITH THEIR HEADLIGHTS OFF. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND MAZDA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THE CONTROLS ARE WORKING THE WAY THE CAR WAS DESIGNED. THE RESULT OF THIS DESIGN CHANGE IS THAT BOTH MYSELF AND MY WIFE HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR IN THE DARK WITH THE HEADLIGHTS OFF. I HAVE TOLD MAZDA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE THAT THIS DESIGN FLAW WILL CERTAINLY RESULT IN ACCIDENTS FROM PEOPLE DRIVING WITH THE HEADLIGHTS OFF, BUT THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I HOPE THEY WILL NOT WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO HAVE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT BEFORE THEY TAKE NOTICE. *TR