1993 Mazda Protege

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MAZDA PROTEGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED AND REMAINED STUCK. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND INQUIRED AS TO WHY OTHER MAZDA VEHICLES WERE RECALLED FOR THE SEAT BELTS BUT NOT THE PROTEGE. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 237,000.

1) I HAVE A 93 MAZDA 323/PROTEGE AND THE SEAT BELT WERE RECALLED ACCORDING TO THE WEB SIT SAFERCARS.GOV. NHTSA ID NO.97V211000 2)THE SEAT BELT LIGHT WAS ON MY VEHICLE AND THE BELT REFUSES TO MOVE ON THE RAIL SOME TIMES. IN ADDITION THE BUZZER COMES ON WHILE I AM DRIVING AND THE BELT TENDS TO MOVE SLIGHTLY UP AND DOWN WHILE I AM DRIVING. 3) I TOOK THE CAR INTO MAZDA TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND THE DEALER SAID THAT ITS GOING TO BE $ 98.95 TO HAVE THE CAR LOOKED AT. IF THEY FIND A PROBLEM THAT IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PARTS ON THE RECALL THEY WOULD REPAIR IT. I LEFT THE CAR AT THE SHOP FOR MORE THAN 3 FULL DAYS AND THEY SAID THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT FROM THE RAILING, AND ALSO THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE SEAT BELTS BUT INSTEAD IT WAS A SPECIAL SERVICE PROGRAM BY MAZDA. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CENTER SEAT BELT RETRACTION UNIT HAS GONE BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND ALSO THAT THE DOOR SWITCH FOR THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT IS STARTING TO GO BAD. I CALLED MAZDA HEAD QUARTER UNIT AND SPOKE TO STEVE A CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT AND HE FIRST SAID THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE DOOR SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE EVEN THOUGH THE 12 YR EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER SHIP 2 DAYS LATER TO SEE WHAT IS THE PROGRESS AND TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO PERFORM ANY REPAIRS. I CALLED STEVE AND HE SAID THAT AFTER AGAIN TALKING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT THEIR FAULT. WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR I ASKED TO SERVICE MANAGER WHAT COULD HAPPEN IT THE PARTS ARE NOT REPLACED AND I GET IN A CRASH, HE ANSWERED THAT IF I DON'T PAY THEM TO FIX THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM, THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE SEAT BELT UNIT WILL NOT LOCK IN TIME TO KEEP THE FRONT OCCUPANTS SEATED. SO IN CONCLUSION THE MAZDA DEALER DOES NOT GUARANTY THE SEAT BELTS WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. CHARGED ME 99 DOLLARS TO INSECT THE BELTS WHICH THEY THEM SELF SAID THAT ACCORDING TO THEIR DATA BASE WERE NEVER INSPECTED. AND SAID THAT ITS GOING TO COST MINIMUM $ 900 TO FIX. *TR

NOTHING LED UP TO THE FAILURE, ONE DAY THE PASSIVE SEATBELT JUST WENT ABOUT HALF-WAY UP THE TRACK, THEN IT STOPPED AND A GREASY CABLE POPPED OUT OF IT. WORST OF ALL, MAZDA'S EMERGENCY HANDLE WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO TURN AN INTERNAL HEX NUT TO MOVE THE SEATBELT REARWARD ONLY MADE ABOUT ONE TURN UNTIL IT GOT STIFF AND PUTTING ANY MORE FORCE ON THE EMERGENCY HANDLE CAUSES IT TO SLIP AND ROUND OFF. TRYING TO FORCE THE PASSIVE SHOULDER BELT BUCKLE REARWARD BY HAND DOESN'T WORK EITHER, IT'S EXTREMELY STIFF AND WHEN IT WILL MOVE (WHICH IS ONLY SLIGHTLY) THE CABLE COMES OUT EVEN FURTHER. THIS LEAVES THE SEATBELT IN A POSITION WHERE IT WON'T HOLD THE DRIVER IN THE SEAT INCASE OF A CRASH, AND IF THE SEATBELT IS LEFT PLUGGED IN IT DRASTICALLY REDUCES VISIBILITY OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. I TOOK THE CAR TO MAZDA DEALER NUMBER 10158 ABOUT THE NHTSA RECALL ID NUMBER 97V211000 BUT THE DEALER SAID IT DIDN'T APPLY TO MY CAR AND THEY QUOTED A PRICE OF NEARLY $800 TO FIX THE SEATBELT. A FRIEND OF MINE WHO ALSO HAS A 93 PROTEGE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE PASSIVE SEATBELT THREE YEARS AGO. SHE TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER AND THEY ALSO WOULD NOT HANDLE THE RECALL.*AK

THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENSES HAVE LOST THEIR TRANSPARENCY WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE OR NEGLECT IN CARE. THE NIGHTTIME ILLUMINATION HAS BEEN GREATLY REDUCED. WHILE THIS HAS NOT OCCURRED IN AN OLDER '89 MAZDA 626 WE HAVE OWNED SINCE NEW, I HAVE NOTICED THIS TYPE OF PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENS OPACITY IN EARLY '90'S FORD ESCORTS AND DODGE/PLYMOUTH NEONS. I CAN RECALL WHEN IN 1966-67, THE US GOVERNMENT PROHIBITED EXTERNAL HEADLIGHT LENSES (AS IN VW BEETLES) BECAUSE VISIBILITY COULD BECOME REDUCED IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS DUE TO FOGGING OR ICE/SNOW BUILDUP. WHY IS IT THAT SOME MANUFACUTURERS CAN NOW HAVE THESE PLASTIC "EXTERNAL" LENSES (E.G. NOT SEALED BEAM) THAT HAVE COMPOUNDS AFFECTED BY AGING (NOT DAMAGE OR NEGLECT) THAT BRING ON A CONDITION THAT THE NHTSA EXPRESSLY TRIED TO AVOID IN THE LATE 1960'S. I SHOULD ADD THE CONSUMER CAN REMEDY THIS SITUATION ONLY BY INVESTING MANY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR OEM OR AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENTS, WITHOUT ANY FAULT OF THEIR OWN.*AK