2010 Mazda MAZDASPEED3

THE SEAT HEIGHT ADJUSTER IS OPERATED BY A LEVER ON THE SIDE OF THE SEAT. THE LEVER ROTATES A ROD WITH TWO BRACKETS (ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE SEAT) WHICH ARE WELDED TO THE BAR ON ONE END AND PINNED TO THE SEAT ADJUSTER BASE. THE BRACKET CRACKED AT THE BASE OF THE WELD ON THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF THE SEAT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP; HOWEVER, I HAD NOTICED SOME A RATTLE OR CREAKING SOUND FROM THE SEAT FOR A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE FINAL FAILURE OCCURRED. THE SEAT IS NOT COMPLETELY LOOSE AT THE FRONT LEFT CORNER. THE SEAT HAS SIDE AIRBAGS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THEY WILL ACCIDENTALLY DEPLOY DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE SEAT MOVEMENT IN A PANIC BREAKING EVENT. MAZDA HAS CHANGED THE PART DESIGN, BUT THE REPAIR IS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH A DEFECTIVE SEAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE ONLY REPAIR IS TO REPLACE THE SEAT ADJUSTER ASSEMBLY OR ENTIRE SEAT.

WHILE DRIVING, I HEARD A SLIGHT POP FROM UNDER THE SEAT. UPON ROUNDING A CURVE, THE ENTIRE DRIVER SEAT ROCKED LOOSE 7 TO 8 INCHES SIDEWAYS. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND CAREFULLY DRIVE BACK TO MY HOME. I DISCOVERED THAT INSTEAD OF BOLTS & LOCKNUTS, THE SEAT IS SECURED TO THE SEATFRAME RAILS WITH 4 PINS (APPROXIMATELY 12MM). THE PARTS ARE ONLY HELD TOGETHER WITH PRESS-ON THRUST WASHERS. THESE WASHERS HAD POPPED OFF. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING SLIGHTLY FASTER I COULD HAVE TOTALLY LOST CONTROL & CRASHED.UPDATED 07-16-15 *BF UPDATED 9/21/2015 *JS

WHILE I WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY I FELT THE SEAT MOVED BACK I ALMOST GOT INTO ACCIDENT WHEN IT HAPPEN LUCKILY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. I WENT TO A MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM ABOUT THE SEAT THEY SAID ITS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY I HAVE TO PAY 800 PLUS LABOR TO FIX THE SEAT. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPEN I WAS AT THE STOP LIGHT AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURN GREEN THE SEAT MOVED WAY BACK AND I COULDN'T REACH THE GAS AND THE CLUTCH PEDAL SO I STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND THERE WAS TRAFFIC COMING, ALMOST GOT INTO ACCIDENT AGAIN. SO NOW I HAVE TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL AND MOVE CLOSER TO THE STEERING WHEEL JUST TO REACH THE GAS ,BRAKE, AND CLUTCH PEDAL AND THAT'S NOT THE PROPER WAY TO SEAT FOR THE DRIVERS IF ANYONE GOT INTO ACCIDENT THAT CLOSE TO THE AIR THEY MIGHT SUFFOCATE IF THE AIR DEPLOY DURING AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE FIX THIS PROBLEM I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN THIS TO ANYONE. I HAVE PICTURES TO PROVE IT. *TR

I WAS TAKING A CLOVER-LEAF OFF-RAMP WHEN I HEARD A SNAP (OR POP) AND FELT MY SEAT ROCK BACK ABOUT 3 INCHES WITH MORE INCHES TO GO BACK. I TOOK MY 2010 MAZDASPEED 3 INTO MORRIE'S MINNETONKA MAZDA IN ORDER FOR THEM TO INSPECT THE PART THAT HAD BROKEN. THE WASHER CAME LOOSE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT RAIL ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE MECHANICS HAD REATTACHED THE WASHER, WHICH APPEARED TO BE A PRESSED-ON WASHER, AND WHEN TESTING THE SEAT BY ROCKING IN IT, THE WASHER FELL OFF AGAIN. THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD GIVEN ME WAS TO PURCHASE A NEW DRIVER SEAT RAIL ASSEMBLY, WHICH COSTS $1080.00 + TAX/SS. I HAD DECLINED TO PURCHASE THIS PART, AS I DON'T BELIEVE THE SEAT RAIL ASSEMBLY IS WORTH THAT AMOUNT, PLUS I COULD HAVE PURCHASED A NICE SET OF AFTERMARKET SEATS LIKE BRANDS BRIDE OR SPARCO. AFTER POSTING TO A FACEBOOK GROUP PAGE CALLED "MAZDA COMMUNITY BLOG", MANY OTHER MEMBERS HAVE POSTED SIMILAR EXPERIENCES, AND HAVE PROVIDED MANY REFERENCES TO OTHER WEBSITES THAT HAVE CLOSE TO THE SAME ISSUE THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED. IT APPEARS TO BE MOSTLY RELATED TO THE 2010 MAZDASPEED 3 / 2010 MAZDA 3 YEARS OF WHEN THIS ISSUE HAS HAD OCCURRENCES. SOME OTHER SIMILAR ISSUES THAT OTHERS HAVE ALSO HAD ARE THE WELDS BREAKING ON THE SEATS, WHICH HAVE A SIMILAR EFFECT TO WHAT MY SEAT FELT LIKE. *JS

THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD OF MY 2010 MAZDA3 IS MELTING! THE MAJORITY OF IT HAS MELTED INTO A THICK TAR LIKE SUBSTANCE; THE REST OF IT HAS BECOME VERY SOFT, WITH A STICKY THICK GLUE LIKE TEXTURE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE SEEN A FEW OF THESE MELTING DASHBOARDS BUT I WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT MAZDA & IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE COVERED. A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO I NOTICED THAT THE TAR LIKE "POOL OF GOO" HAS STARTED A SLOW THICK BLACK DRIP OF LIQUID DASHBOARD STREAMING TOWARDS ONE OF THE VENTS. THE GLARE OF MY "EBONY OASIS" ON THE WINDSHIELD MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT & VERY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING. COMBINE THE BLAZING TEXAS SUN & HOUSTON TRAFFIC WITH THAT AND IT'S BEYOND WHAT ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO ENDURE TO GET TO AND FROM WORK... SO I CAN PAY FOR THE CAR THAT'S LITERALLY MELTING AROUND ME! IF A MANUFACTURER'S VEHICLE CAN'T TAKE "THE (TEXAS) HEAT" THEY SHOULD STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN... I MEAN MARKET! *JS

WE WERE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE SEAT BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO THE POSITION ADJUSTMENT FRAME SNAPPED, CAUSING THE SEAT TO TIP BACKWARDS. A COLLISION WAS NARROWLY AVOIDED. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT THE SEAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LIKELY TO STAY CONNECTED TO THE CAR. THE PART IN QUESTION IS A 1/4" OR 3/8" STEEL BRACKET THAT APPEARS TO HAVE BROKEN NEAR A FACTORY WELD. PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE. THE DEALER PERFORMED AN INVESTIGATION, BUT CONCLUDED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHY IT HAD HAPPENED AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. THERE APPEARS TO BE A PATTERN OF THIS ESTABLISHING ON THE NHTSA DATABASE AND ANECDOTALLY ON AUTOMOBILE ENTHUSIAST WEBSITES. THERE WAS NO EARLY INDICATION OF A PENDING FAILURE. WE ARE CONCERNED THE SAME MAY HAPPEN WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT OR AGAIN TO THE DRIVERS SEAT AFTER REPAIR. *TR

THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN JUST THE DATE LISTED HERE. THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS (TPS) ON THIS AND OTHER VEHICLES ARE PRONE TO CORROSION AND FAILURE. THIS IS BECAUSE THE EXTERIOR STEM IS ALUMINUM AND THE INTERIOR CORE IS ANOTHER METAL (NICKEL-PLATED, PERHAPS) AND THE ENTIRE SENSOR BODY IS ENERGIZED. WHEN THE TPS IS EXPOSED TO ROAD SALT AND SNOWMELT, THE ALUMINUM CORRODES AND CAN BREAK OFF, CAUSING AN UNCONTROLLED DEFLATION OF THE TIRE. THIS HAPPENED TO ME AND MY WIFE ON TWO OCCASIONS WHILE CHANGING A TIRE AND I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER INSTANCES IN WHICH DRIVERS HAVE EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TPS AND TIRE DEFLATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

DRIVING WHEN SEAT MADE A LOUD POPPING SOUND AND BEGAN ROCKING WILDLY. UPON INVESTIGATION REALIZED THE WELD HAD BROKEN. THERE IS A TSB THAT APPLIES TO MY VIN NUMBER, BUT MAZDA WANTS $700 TO REPAIR THE SEAT. THERE ARE A LOT OF ONLINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE. SHOULDN'T THIS BE A RECALL AS IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING FASTER I WOULD HAVE CRASHED. TSB #09-049/10 "2010 MAZDA3 - RATTLE NOISE FROM BOTTOM OF DRIVER SEAT" APPLIES TO VINS LOWER THAN [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR