2011 Mazda MAZDA6

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA 6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO MAZDA MALL OF GEORGIA (3546 GA-20, BUFORD, GA 30519, (678) 394-3085) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW FRAME NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,914.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 55 MPH I HEARD A LOUD NOICE AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STARTED TO SWERVE, THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TO A PARKING LOT. DURING THE RIDE AT A MUCH SLOWER SPEED AROUND 20-25 VERY LOUD NOISES CAME FROM THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE CAR ESPECIALLY,WHEN THE THE WHEEL WAS TURNED. THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE SUB FRAME RUSTED OUT AND THE LOWER CONTROL ARM PUSHED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE INTO THE BACK OF THE WHEEL WELL.

RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING DOWN A STRAIGHT ROAD ABOUT 35 MPH MY STEERING STARTED TO FAIL IN ORDER TO KEEP THE CAR GOING STRAIGHT THE WHEEL HAS TO BE TURNED TO THE LEFT AND HELD IN PLACE. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON THAT MY BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM IS OFF/FAILING. THE CAR SLIGHTLY JERKS TO THE RIGHT WHEN TRYING TO STAY GOING STRAIGHT. THERE WAS NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR WHEN TURNING AND GOING IN REVERSE. UPON INSPECTION FOR THE BODY SHOP THE SUBFRAME IS PREMATURELY ROTTING AND THAT IS WHY I LOST PROPER STEERING ALONG WHY THE OTHER ISSUES OCCURRED TOO. THE CAR IS INOPERABLE AND THE SUBFRAME IS NOT HOLDING AS IT SHOULD

I AM WRITING THIS LETTER BECAUSE I RECENTLY LEARNED ABOUT A SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY CAR DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE ON THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018. I WAS MADE AWARE BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE SUBFRAME ON MY 2011 MAZDA6 IS COVERED IN RUST AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. UPON TRUSTED INSPECTIONS FROM TWO DIFFERENT AUTO SHOPS, THE RESULT IS THE SAME: I NEED A NEW SUBFRAME BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF IT BROKE AWAY. I BOUGHT MY CAR NEW IN 2011, SO I AM SHOCKED THAT A MAJOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENT OF MY CAR IS NOW COMPROMISED, PUTTING MY SAFETY AT RISK. THE SUBFRAME IS ON NATIONWIDE BACK ORDER, WHICH TELLS ME (AND BOTH MECHANICS ECHOED EACH OTHER) THAT THIS IS A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM. MY DAILY COMMUTE TO MY JOB HAS ME DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, AT 70 MPH, AT A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 80 MILES PER DAY. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE WHEN DRIVING MY CAR. I DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED MAZDA HAD OVER 20 REPORTS FROM OWNERS WHO SAY RUST IN THEIR 2009-2010 MAZDA 6S HAS CAUSED, OR NEARLY CAUSED, A STEERING FAILURE. THIS EXTENDED EVEN FURTHER INTO OTHER MODEL MODELS FOR SUBFRAME ROT DEEMED DANGEROUS. IN 2016, MAZDA HAD TO RECALL 190,000 CX-7S FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE WHEREIN CORROSION WAS CAUSING SUSPENSION FAILURE. DAYS LATER, 2.2 MILLION MAZDAS WERE RECALLED WORLDWIDE. I CALLED MAZDA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT THEY DECLINED TO HELP ME BECAUSE 'I DIDN'T CONTINUE MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MAZDA", AFTER MY WARRANTY WAS UP. HOWEVER, WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, I ONLY TOOK MY CAR TO MAZDA FOR SERVICE BECAUSE I KNEW I HAD TO DUE TO THE WARRANTY, DESPITE THEIR COMPLETE INCOMPETENCE. DURING THE TIME MY CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS SERVICED AT MAZDA, THEY INSTALLED MY DRIVER'S WINDSHIELD WIPER BACKWARDS. IT POPPED OFF THE NEXT DAY DURING A DOWNPOUR. TWO TIMES THEY DIDN'T CLOSE MY HOOD FULLY (ONCE LEFT OIL CAP ON TOP OF MY ENGINE). FOR THESE REASONS, I SOUGHT OUT A MORE RELIABLE MECHANIC AFTER WARRANTY.

CURRENTLY, I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A REPLACEMENT DASHBOARD FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY DASH BOARD IS MELTED. APPARENTLY IT IS A FACTORY DEFECT IN MY MODEL CAR. TWO YEARS AGO THE DEALERSHIP TOOK PICTURES, SENT IN THE CLAIM, AND I STARTED WAITING. SINCE THEN I HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST TWO LETTERS TO UPDATE ME TO THE FACT THAT THE PART STILL IS NOT AVAILABLE. SO I CONTINUE TO DRIVE AROUND WITH A MELTED DASH BOARD, WHICH BY THE WAY IS A STICKY MESS. NOW, AS IF TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, I HAVE RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT MY PASSENGER AIR BAG INFLATOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. YET AGAIN, THE PART IS UNAVAILABLE AND I WILL SOMEDAY RECEIVE NOTIFICATION WHEN THE PART IS AVAILABLE. EVEN MORE OUTRAGEOUS IS THAT THE LETTER SAYS, "UNTIL THIS REPAIR IS PERFORMED, DO NOT ALLOW PASSENGERS TO RIDE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. IT HAS BEEN MONTHS AND STILL NO LETTER CONCERNING THE PART BEING CORRECTED.

THE DASH OF MY CAR IS MELTING - A KNOWN PROBLEM IN THE MAZDA 2011, AS WELL AS OTHER MAKES AND MODELS, THAT IS EXACERBATED BY THE HEAT. I LEAVE IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS, WHERE WE SEE A LOT OF HEAT. I CALLED OUR MAZDA DEALERSHIP TO ASK WHAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. THEY SAID TO JUST WAIT UNTIL MAZDA ISSUES A RECALL. IN ADDITION, THEY SAID THEY HAVE HAD THESE PARTS ON ORDER SINCE DECEMBER AND STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THEM IN. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED AND REPAIRS NEED TO BE MADE. THE DASH BECOMES STICKY AND SHINY, WHICH IN TURN REFLECTS LIGHT UP ON TO THE WINDSHIELD. VISIBILITY IS THEN CUT DRASTICALLY TRYING TO SEE THROUGH THE REFLECTION FROM THE DASH.

TAKATA RECALL - 2011 MAZDA 6 I WAS THE PASSENGER IN A COLLISION IN NOVEMBER 2015 WHERE THE 2011 MAZDA 6 WAS T-BONED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE (FORD FUSION), WHICH MADE THE MAZDA 6 SPIN SEVERAL TIMES, HOP A CURB, AND DEPLOY THE AIRBAGS. AS THE PASSENGER (FRONT SEAT) I SUFFERED INJURIES CAUSED BY THE TAKATA AIRBAGS AND REQUIRED GOING TO THE HOSPITAL FOLLOWING THE COLLISION. INJURIES INCLUDED AT LEAST THREE FRACTURED/BROKEN RIBS AND MAJOR BRUISING ON MY RIGHT KNEE. INJURIES TOOK OVER 6 MONTHS TO HEAL, TAKING HEAVY DOSES OF PAIN KILLERS JUST TO MANAGE THE PAIN. LINGERING EFFECTS FROM THIS COLLISION CAN STILL BE FELT 7 MONTHS LATER. THE DRIVER DID NOT SUSTAIN MAJOR INJURIES ASIDE FROM SCRAPES AND A FEW BRUISES. POLICE REPORTS DETERMINED THAT THE DRIVER OF THE FORD FUSION WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLLISION AND WAS CHARGED WITH CARELESS/RECKLESS DRIVING. THAT DRIVER FAILED TO STOP/YIELD IN THEIR TURNING LANE BEFORE DRIVING STRAIGHT INTO THE MAZDA 6. THE MAZDA 6 WAS DECLARED TOTALED BY INSURANCE. THE MAZDA 6 WAS ADDED TO THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL IN MAY 2016, APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED.