1999 Mazda MX-5 Miata

I AM WRITING THIS TO BRING UP AN ISSUE REGARDING OF A FLAWED DESIGN OUT OF THE FACTORY FROM MAZDA. IF YOU SIMPLY SEARCH "MAZDA MIATA FRONT FRAME RAIL RUST" YOU WILL SEE THAT IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND/OR EVEN FATAL PROBLEM, THAT PROBABLY MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS YEAR (1998-2005) ARE UNAWARE OF. MANY HAVE HAD THE SITUATION CHECKED OUT AND IT SEEMS THE WAY THE SHEETS OF METAL WERE PUT TO TOGETHER HOLDS MOISTURE AND SUCH AND ROTS THE CHASSIS FROM INSIDE OUT. THIS IS COMING FROM PEOPLE NOT ONLY WHO LIVES IN AN AREA THAT SNOWS, BUT EVEN DRY CLIMATES, AND EVEN FROM OWNERS THAT GARAGE KEEP AND USE THEIR CAR PURELY AS A SUMMER CAR, WHICH NEVER SEES A WINTER IN ITS LIFE. I'VE HAD MY CAR AT THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP TO GET A RECALL DONE REGARDING THE FUEL PUMP, AND THEY NEVER EVEN MENTIONED THIS PROBLEM TO ME, WHEN THEY TOLD ME THEY THOROUGHLY DO AN INSPECTION AROUND AND UNDER THE CAR. I EVEN GOT A STAT SHEET FROM THEM, AS TO WHAT THEY CHECKED. I HAD TO FIND THIS OUT WITH MY MECHANIC, WHEN HE WENT TO DO AN OIL CHANGE, WE DECIDED TO INSPECT THE CAR. NOW FOR THESE CARS (MIATAS AT ANY YEAR) ROCKER PANEL RUST IS A COMMON ISSUE, HOWEVER THIS PARTICULAR FRAME RAIL ISSUE IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING, BECAUSE IT WEAKENS THE STRUCTURE OF THE UNIBODY AND IT CAN POTENTIALLY BE FATAL WITH A FRONT END COLLISION CAUSING THE RAILS TO CRUMBLE. SOME OWNERS DO EVEN SEE ANY SIGNS OF WEAR, BUT WHEN THEY HOLD A SCREW DRIVER OR ANY TOOL TO POKE AT THAT SPECIFIC AREA, IT GOES RIGHT THROUGH THE METAL, TO ONLY FIND OUT ITS ROTTED FROM WITHIN. THIS SHOULD BE BROUGHT UP TO MORE OWNERS OF THIS SPECIFIC MODEL OF THE CAR SO THEY KNOW TO CHECK THIS AREA, BECAUSE GOD FORBID THEY GET INTO AN ACCIDENT AND THE STRUCTURE CRUMBLES ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY, WHEN IT OBVIOUSLY SHOULDN'T. MAZDA CLEARLY DIDN'T DO ANY QUALITY CONTROL AND FAILED TO INSPECT SUCH DESIGN FLAWS OUT OF FACTORY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MAZDA MIATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE CHANGING THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE, HE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT FRAME RAIL ACROSS THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES WERE CORRODED WITH RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A BODY SHOP WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE FRONT SWAY BAR WAS ALSO CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE CORROSION ISSUE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MAZDA MIATA. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRAME RAILS UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE THAT EXTENDED ONTO THE WHEELS ON EACH SIDE WERE COMPLETELY COVERED WITH RUST. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A BODY SHOP WHO ADDED PIECES OF METAL TO HELP RE-ENFORCE THE RAILS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAFETY DEFECT CAUSED CORROSION RAPIDLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 166,000. UPDATED 05/25/11 *BF

WHILE ON THE OFF RAMP FROM THE FREE WAY IN MY 1999 MAZDA MIATA II DISCOVERED THAT THE COVER ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN HAD COME UNBOLTED AND HAD FALLEN BETWEEN MY FEET AND THE BRAKE PEDDLE. THERE WAS NO TIME TO DOWN SHIFT, I ATTEMPTED TO TURN BUT WENT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND I WAS INJURED. THERE WAS NO OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PEOPLE INJURED. *TR