2011 Mazda MAZDA6

I WAS DRIVING 40 MPH AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD NICE AND MY CAR WAS GOING TO THE RIGHT WHILE MY STEERING WHEEL WAS STRAIGHT, IN ORDER TO DRIVE STRAIGHT I HAD TO TURN MY STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT. WHILE I MADE TURNS I WOULD HERE LOUD NOISES. ALSO MY TRACTION LIGHT TURNED ON AND THE BREAKS WERE NOT WORKING WELL WHICH MADE ME SLIDE AND CAUSED THE TIRES TO SPIN WHEN ACCELERATING AND THAT'S WHEN I PULLED OVER TO A SAFE SPOT AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE CAR SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THE WHOLE SUB FRAME WAS RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 70MPH AND APPLIED BREAKS, HEARD A BANG FROM AREA OF PASSENGER FRONT SIDE AND LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING IT SWERVE INTO THE ADJACENT LANE ON MY RIGHT. I NARROWLY AVOIDED BEING HITTING AND BEING HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES AND WAS ABLE GET THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER EVENT WITHOUT HAVING PROPER CONTROL STEERING AS THE CAR WOULD ONLY STEER TO THE RIGHT. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BANG WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE SUBFRAME CRACKING DUE TO HEAVY DETERIORATION FROM RUST. THE CAR IS UNDERIVABLE. I CONTACTED MAZDA AND DISCOVERED THAT THE PREVIOUS YEARS OF THIS MODEL HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS SUBFRAME DETERIORATION ISSUE FOR THE SAME EXACT PART #. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE CAR CANNOT BE FIXED AS BECAUSE OF THE PART # IS NOT AVAILABLE AND HAS/IS ON BACKORDER FOR MANY MONTHS. THIS DEFECT IS A HUGE SAFETY RISK, IN MY CASE I AM VERY LUCKY THIS DID NOT RESULT IN FATAL ACCIDENT TRAVELING AT 70MPH ON INTERSTATE 80. I FEAR OTHER MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. THE SUBFRAME RECALL MOST CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO AT LEAST 2011 AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS THAT USE THIS SAME SUBFRAME. ADDITIONALLY, AT MINIMUM COURTESY TO IT CUSTOMERS MAZDA SHOULD BE ALTERING ITS CUSTOMERS TO HAVE THEIR SUBFRAMES INSPECTED AS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH MANY VEHICLE OWNERS UN AWARE THEY ARE DRIVING TICKING TIME BOMBS WITH SUBFRAMES THAT ARE DETERIORATING PREMATURELY AND CAN LOSE CONTROL OF STEERING AT ANY MOMENT.

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ON 290 IN THE MORNING TRAFFIC DOING SPEEDS AROUND (30-50MPH) THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN PROGRESSIVELY ROTATING COUNTER-CLOCKWISE WITH THE VEHICLE PULLING DRASTICALLY TO THE RIGHT. THE DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL TURNED OFF AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND THE VEHICLE ACTED AS IF IT WERE ON ICY/SLICK SURFACES NO LONGER PROVIDING SUPPORT TO THE DRIVER. THE STEERING/BRAKING SYSTEM BEGAN TO STRUGGLE NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT ON THE EXPRESSWAY CAUSING A FISHTAIL WITH THE ABS ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE. AT THIS POINT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS REGISTERING STRAIGHT’ WITH THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES LEFT. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE EXPRESSWAY AND PULL INTO A JUST TIRES SHOP, WHO INFORMED ME THE FRONT SUBFRAME HAS RUSTED COMPLETELY THRU AND EVEN TWISTED DUE TO THE CORROSION. NOW MY 2011 MAZDA6 IS NOT DRIVABLE AND HOPEFULLY NHTSA WILL FORCE MAZDA TO DO A RECALL FOR SUBFRAMES BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT.

ON OCTOBER 2, 2018, DURING THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED 6-MONTH MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGE, MECHANIC AT MAZDA DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED ME OF SEVERE CORROSION ON FRONT AND REAR SUB FRAMES. SERVICE DIRECTOR NOTIFIED ME THAT THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO ME DUE TO SAFETY ISSUE AND HE WAS GOING TO CONTACT MAZDA CORPORATE ON MY BEHALF. ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 5, 2018, DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED ME THAT MAZDA WAS GOING TO REPAIR IT AT NO CHARGE TO ME. I WAS CONTACTED AGAIN TODAY OCTOBER 9, STATING THAT MY VEHICLE PASSED THE INITIAL INSPECTION TEST, THERE IS NO PERFORATION DEVELOPED FROM CORROSION, THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE AND I SHOULD COME OVER TO PICK IT UP. AFTER LENGTHY DISCUSSION EXPRESSING ALL MY SAFETY CONCERNS (PLUS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE CURRENTLY MORE THAN 30 REPORTS INVESTIGATED WITH THE SAME ISSUE), MAZDA AGREED TO REPLACE IT AT GOODWILL. I REALLY HOPE NHTSA CAN CREATE A PRESSURE ON MAZDA TO START THE RECALL, BECAUSE THERE ARE NUMEROUS DRIVERS OF EFFECTED MODELS THAT DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 55 MPH I HEARD A LOUD NOICE AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STARTED TO SWERVE, THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TO A PARKING LOT. DURING THE RIDE AT A MUCH SLOWER SPEED AROUND 20-25 VERY LOUD NOISES CAME FROM THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE CAR ESPECIALLY,WHEN THE THE WHEEL WAS TURNED. THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE SUB FRAME RUSTED OUT AND THE LOWER CONTROL ARM PUSHED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE INTO THE BACK OF THE WHEEL WELL.

RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING DOWN A STRAIGHT ROAD ABOUT 35 MPH MY STEERING STARTED TO FAIL IN ORDER TO KEEP THE CAR GOING STRAIGHT THE WHEEL HAS TO BE TURNED TO THE LEFT AND HELD IN PLACE. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON THAT MY BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM IS OFF/FAILING. THE CAR SLIGHTLY JERKS TO THE RIGHT WHEN TRYING TO STAY GOING STRAIGHT. THERE WAS NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR WHEN TURNING AND GOING IN REVERSE. UPON INSPECTION FOR THE BODY SHOP THE SUBFRAME IS PREMATURELY ROTTING AND THAT IS WHY I LOST PROPER STEERING ALONG WHY THE OTHER ISSUES OCCURRED TOO. THE CAR IS INOPERABLE AND THE SUBFRAME IS NOT HOLDING AS IT SHOULD

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA 6. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION IN OCTOBER OF 2016 FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V593000 (SUSPENSION). THE DEALER (CONTINENTAL MAZDA OF NAPERVILLE, 2363 AURORA AVE, NAPERVILLE, IL 60540) STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR AND WAS NOT SURE OF A DATE FOR THE REMEDY. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT THE CONSUMER STATED PLEASE CLOSE CASE REPAIR HAS BEEN MADE. *TR