2019 Mazda CX-5

ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2019, AS I WAS APPROACHING MY HOME, I ACTIVATED MY GARAGE DOOR OPENER AND THE GARAGE DOOR OPENED AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY. I STOPPED THE CAR, A 2019 MAZDA CX-5, IN THE DRIVEWAY, PLACED IT IN PARK, GOT OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND ENTERED THE GARAGE. WHILE IN THE GARAGE FOR APPROXIMATELY 2-3 MINUTES, I TURNED AROUND TO SEE MY 2019 MAZDA CX-5 ACCELERATING TOWARD ME. THE CAR ROLLED UNTIL IT HIT THE WASHING MACHINE AND DRYER. I MANAGED TO AVOID GETTING PINNED BUT NOT BEFORE THE CAR RAN OVER MY FOOT. I MANAGED TO SQUEEZE PAST AND ENTER THE VEHICLE PLACING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND PUTTING THE CAR BACK IN PARK.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH VERY LIGHT SNOW FALLING AND LESS THAN AN INCH OF WET ON THE ROAD, THE "FRONT RADAR BLOCKED" MESSAGE APPEARED! UPON LATER RESEARCH INTO THE MAZDA OWNER'S MANUAL IT INDICATES THE FOLLOWING SYSTEMS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING: MAZDA RADAR CRUISE CONTROL (MRCC) MAZDA RADAR CRUISE CONTROL WITH STOP & GO FUNCTION (MRCC WITH STOP & GO FUNCTION) DISTANCE RECOGNITION SUPPORT SYSTEM (DRSS) SMART BRAKE SUPPORT (SBS) APPARENTLY THE LOCATION OF THE FRONT RADAR IS BEHIND THE EMBLEM IN THE CENTER OF THE GRILL. MAZDA RECOMMENDS THAT THE OWNER CLEAN OFF THE EMBLEM OF ANY DIRT OR SNOW TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IT IS NOT PRACTICAL TO PULL OVER AND CLEAN OFF THE EMBLEM WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN IN THESE CONDITIONS. THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW THAT CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. THE FRONT RADAR SHOULD BE RELOCATED IN A LOCATION NOT SUBJECT TO ROAD SPLATTER. IT COULD BE LOCATED WITH THE OTHER SENSORS BEHIND THE MIRROR IN THE MIDDLE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD.

TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY ON THE PARKWAY THAT DAY SO THERE WAS A LOT OF STOPPING AND GOING. APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN BUT SUDDENLY THERE WAS A JERK AND THE CAR ACCELERATE WHILE THE BRAKES WERE STILL BEING APPLIED. THERE WAS A FRONTAL COLLISION WHICH INDICATES THAT THE SMART BRAKES SYSTEM WAS ALSO NOT WORKING. THE WARNING 'BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION' APPEARED ON MY DASHBOARD AFTER THE ACCIDENT. MY INSURANCE COMPANY SENT A WRITTEN REQUEST FOR THE EDR TEST AND HAVE AGREED TO PAY THE FEE WITH THE EXPECTATION OF BEING PROVIDED WITH A QUOTE OF THE COST AND THE END RESULTS. MAZDA HAS NOT APPROVED THE REQUEST AND IT HAS BEEN OVER 3 WEEKS. ASKED TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR AND DID NOT GET A RESPONSE.

SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE--THE ENTIRE DASH AND MIDDLE SCREEN GOES BLACK, ALL MUSIC STOPS PLAYING, THE APPLE CARE PLAY DOESN'T WORK, ATTACHED IPHONE SOMETIMES GOES BLANK. MUST PULL OVER AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. PREVIOUSLY AT MAZDA OF OREM (UTAH) FOR RECALL AND THIS SAME ISSUE. RETURNED TODAY--9/1 8/19, DEALER NO IDEA WHY SCREENS SHUTTING OFF. HAPPENS WITHOUT NOTICE OF PROVOCATION. SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE,

I HAD A FLAT TIRE ON THE FRONT LEFT CORNER OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGH SPEED HIGHWAY. IN MY EFFORT (AND THAT OF A WISCONSIN STATE TROOPER) TO INSTALL THE TEMPORARY SPARE TIRE I (WE) DISCOVERED IT WOULD NOT FIT ON THE CAR. IT SEEMED TO BE THE WRONG TYPE FOR MY VEHICLE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOO COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE SPARE WOULD NOT FIT. THE MECHANICS BEST GUESS IS THAT THE BRAKE CALIPER IS TO BIG FOR THE SPARE PREVENTING IT FROM BEING INSTALLED. SO THEY MOVED THE LEFT REAR WHEEL TO THE FRONT AND INSTALLED THE SPARE ON THE REAR CORNER. NOW LET'S BE CLEAR, I KNOW AND THE DEALERSHIP KNOWS THAT PUTTING THE SPARE ON THE REAR AXLE IS THE SAFEST WAY TO TRAVEL UNTIL A REPLACEMENT TIRE IS OBTAINED. BUT, WHEN YOU ARE STUCK ON A PATCH OF ASPHALT BETWEEN AN EXIT RAMP AND THE MAIN THOROUGHFARE WITH CARS FLYING BY YOU ON BOTH SIDES, AS I WAS, YOU JUST WANT TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE AND NOT TAKE ANY MORE TIME THAN NECESSARY LIKE ROTATING TIRES ON ONE SIDE OF THE CAR. I CONTACTED MAZDA ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND THEIR ANSWER WAS ONLY PUT THE SPARE ON THE REAR AXLE CITING AN EXCERPT FROM THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THAT STATEMENT IN THE MANUAL ONLY TELLS YOU IT COULD BE UNSAFE TO PUT THE SPARE ON THE FRONT BUT NOTHING TELLS YOU IT WON'T EVEN FIT. BECAUSE OF THIS LITTLE "DESIGN FLAW" I WAS FORCED INTO A PROLONGED DANGEROUS SITUATION. QUITE SIMPLY I SHOULD BE PROVIDED A SPARE THAT WILL FIT EVERY AXLE SO I CAN GET OUT OF HARMS WAY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.