1997 Mazda 626

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997 MAZDA 626. WHILE AT A STOP, ANOTHER VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO THE FRONT OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST AND BACK INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

WE HAD JUST BOUGHT MY 1997 MAZDA 626 FROM A FAMILY MEMBER AND HAD ONLY HAD IT ABOUT 3 WEEKS. MY MOTHER IN LAW HAD USED MY CAR AND WAS COMING DOWN THE DRIVE AND HIT A POT HOLE WHEN THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED HITTING HER IN THE FACE AND BUSTING THE WINDSHIELD. SHE HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR INJURIES SUSTAINED DUE TO THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYING. I THEN WENT ONLINE WHERE I SAW THAT MAZDA HAD A RECALL ON MY CAR MODEL. I CALLED MAZDA AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT MY INSURANCE COMPANY. DUE TO THIS BEING AN OLDER VEHICLE I HAVE ONLY LIABILTY INSURANCE. THE CAR CONTINUES TO SET IN THE SAME STATE AS THE DAY THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN.

ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 8, 2006, I WAS DRIVING LOCALLY TO VISIT A FRIEND IN A NEW HOME. I HAD JUST TURNED OFF A BUSY THOROUGHFARE ONTO A SIDE ROAD WHEN A HUGE EXPLOSION WENT OFF IN MY FACE. I WAS TRAUMATIZED AND BLINDED AT FIRST- ALL I KNEW WAS THAT I COULDN'T SEE, AND HAD BEEN HIT IN THE FACE WITH A TREMENDOUS FORCE--I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT I HAD BEEN IN A COLLISION, BUT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHERE ANOTHER CAR COULD HAVE COME FROM--I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR, UNDO MY SEAT BELT AND GET OUT OF THE SMOKEY INTERIOR--A WOMAN DRIVING BEHIND ME PULLED UP AND HELPED ME TO THE CURB, SAYING "GET AWAY FROM THE CAR!" SINCE IT LOOKED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO EXPLODE! SHE CALLED THE RESCUE SQUAD, AND THEY INSPECTED MY INJURIES, WHICH WERE MAINLY FACIAL BRUISING AND SCRAPES--ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, AND I REFUSED, SIGNING A PAPER THAT SAID THAT I REFUSED--MY FRIEND CAME DOWN THE STREET AFTER I CALLED HER, AND BROUGHT ME A BAG OF ICE TO PUT ON MY FACE. I WAS GREATLY SHAKEN, AND STAYED AT HER HOME FOR THE AFTERNOON, AND THEN DROVE SLOWLY THE SHORT DISTANCE HOME WITH THE BAG TAPED UP -- I WAS TOLD TO NOT LET ANYONE SIT IN THE PASSENGERS SEAT SINCE THAT AIR BAG MIGHT DEPLOY ALSO AT ANY TIME! MY INSURANCE COMPANY SAID IT WOULD NOT COVER THE EXPENSES OF REPAIRING THE AIRBAG. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 1O MPH AND CROSSING OVER A METAL SEWER COVER (THREE TO FOR 4 INCHES HIGHER ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE ROAD), THE FRONT DRIVER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A COMPLETE LOSS SINCE THE PRICE TO REPAIR THE AIRBAG OUTWEIGHED THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 98V249000, REGARDING AIR BAGS: FRONTAL: SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

I HAVE FAILED 2 TIMES TRYING TO TYPE THIS LETTER OF COMPLAINT. WELL,I HAVE A 1997 MAZDA 626 LX 4 CYLINDER,2 LITER ENGINE SEDAN.,THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THEW TIME NOW. FIRST TIME I TOOK IT BACK TO GRANGER IN GARDEN CITY,GA AND THEY SENT IT TO FAIRWAY FORDMAZDA IN ABERCORN ST IN SAVANNAH,GA. THEY KEPT IT ABOUT 6 WEEKS AND THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED OFF ABOUT 2 YEARS. THEN IT STARTED COMING BACK ON IN FEBRUARY 2005,SO I TOOK IT TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC HERE IN POOLER,GA.HE CLEARED THE SENSORS,LASTED ABOUT 1/2 DAY,TOOL\K IT BACK,HE SAID IT WAS NUMBER 2 SENSOR,REPLACED IT,LASTED ABOUT A DAY AND NOW IT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. NUMBER 2 SENSOR WAS WHAT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME. I;M ALSO EXPERCING SOME JERKY MOTION IN THIS CAR AND IT COULD BE THE TRANSMISSION. SO I'M HOPING THAT YOU WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE FAULTY PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS,LIKE RECALL THEM AND REPAIR THEM AT NO COST TO THE OWNERS. LIGHTSTYBEE@AOL.COM. *AK

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 1997 MAZDA 626 WHEN SHE HIT A POTHOLE AT 19TH AND SPRING GARDEN STS IN PHILA., PA. BOTH AIRBAGS WENT OFF, BREAKING THE WINDSHIELD. HER NECK WAS A LITTLE RED AFTER THE INCIDENT, BUT NO MEDICAL TREATMENT WAS SOUGHT. WE FOUND A SMALL DENT IN THE RIM, BUT THE TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT. SHE DROVE THE CAR TO A PLACE WHERE SHE COULD PULL OFF THE ROAD. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED THE CAR. I FOUND THAT 97 MAZDA 626'S WERE RECALLED. I HAD A DEALER CHECK OUR VIN NUMBER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD BEEN TAKEN IN FOR THE RECALL. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY AAA MIDATLANTIC IS CALLING THIS A CHARGEABLE ACCIDENT AND RAISING OUR RATES 40%. I FEEL THAT THE AIRBAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED WHEN HITTING A POTHOLE AT NO MORE THAN 25 MPH THAT DID NO REAL DAMAGE TO THE CAR. LUCKILY, SHE WAS NOT HURT, BUT WAS CERTAINLY SCARED TO DEATH WHEN IT WENT OFF.*AK