2014 Mazda MAZDA3

MY 2014 MAZDA 3 SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED TRUCK. THERE WAS AN EYE-WITNESS. HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED: I WAS DRIVING ON A QUIET, DEAD-IN STREET ACCOMPANIED BY MY HUSBAND. I TURNED LEFT INTO THE TURN AROUND AREA AT THE END OF THE STREET. AS I WAS COMING TO A STOP, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED'GOING VERY FAST, VERY QUICKLY. IT LEAPT OVER THE CURB, NARROWLY MISSED A TREE AND A FIRE HYDRANT, PASSED BACK OVER THE STREET I HAD BEEN ON MOMENTS EARLIER, AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED PICK-UP TRUCK. THE AIR-BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED IN 2 TO 3 SECONDS. WE WERE NOT HURT. THE EYE WITNESS WAS IN HIS YARD, WHICH ADJOINS THE TURN-AROUND AREA. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HE CAME OVER AND ASKED IF I WAS OK. HE ASKED ME IF I COULD TURN MY CAR OFF. THE EYE WITNESS LATER TOLD ME HE HAD SEEN THE WHOLE THING AND THAT I NEVER HAD CONTROL OVER THE CAR. HE SAID HE TOLD THE POLICE THAT HE WAS WATCHING ME TURN MY CAR INTO THE TURNAROUND AREA AND SAW THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATE. HE WANTED ME TO KNOW THAT THERE WAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. HE TOLD ME THAT WHEN HE APPROACHED THE CAR, IT WAS REVVING AND STILL TRYING TO ACCELERATE INTO THE TRUCK, EVEN THOUGH MY FEET WERE NOWHERE NEAR THE PEDALS. THAT WAS WHY HE ASKED IF I COULD TURN THE CAR OFF. I REMEMBERED BEFORE TURNING THE CAR OFF, THAT I COULD HEAR THE WHINE OF THE ENGINE AS IT SOUNDS WHEN IT IS AT HIGH RPMS. THE UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION AND THE FACT THAT THE AIR-BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ARE BOTH SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONTACTED MAZDA CORPORATION WHO SENT AN ENGINEER TO CHECK IT OUT. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM, BUT THEY PUT AN EVENT DATA RECORDER ON THE CAR TO MONITOR IT. THEY DROVE THE CAR FOR A FEW DAYS AND NOTHING SHOWED UP. THE DEALER BOUGHT THE CAR BACK.

STARTING ABOUT A MONTH AFTER WE BOUGHT THE CAR WE NOTICED THAT THE INDICATOR LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WOULD SOMETIMES LIGHT UP INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WAS DEACTIVATED. WE STOP THE CAR AND EXITED THE VEHICLE AND REENTERED THE VEHICLE AND THE LIGHT STARTED TO WORK PROPERLY. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS WE NOTICED THAT THE ISSUE WAS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN. WE TOOK THE CAR TO BROWN'S MAZDA IN ALEXANDRIA. AFTER CHECKING THE CAR OUT THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 ABOUT 10 DAYS AFTER HAVING THE CAR SERVICED MY WIFE AND I WAS DRIVING ON A LEVEL CITY STREET AROUND 5:48 PM, AT THAT TIME THE INDICATOR LIGHT WAS OFF, WHICH WOULD INDICATE THAT THE AIRBAG AND ACTIVE RESTRAINTS ARE ON AND THAT THE CAR RECOGNIZES THAT THERE IS AN ADULT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT. A CAR PULLED OUT FROM A SIDE STREET IN TO TRAFFIC CAUSING US TO HARD BRAKE IN ORDER TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT. MY WIFE THAT WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS THROWN FORWARD AS IF SHE DID NOT EVEN HAVE A SEAT BELT ON, THE ACTIVE SEAT RESTRAINT DID NOT TIGHTEN AT ALL. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT THAT WAS OFF WAS NOW ON INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG AND RESTRAINT SYSTEM WAS OFF. SHE WAS SHAKEN BUT THANKFULLY NOT HARMED. AGAIN WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO FIX IT'S JUST PART OF THE DESIGN AND THAT PEOPLE MY WIFE SIZE SHOULD NOT USE THE CAR. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR, BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT WHEN THE AIRBAG WILL DECIDE TO DEACTIVATE LEAVING THE PASSENGER AT RISK OF INJURY IF THERE WERE A CRASH OR ROLLOVER. *TR