1998 Mazda Millenia

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MAZDA MILLENIA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED TO 40 MPH. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER, WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED TO 40 MPH ACCOMPANIED BY A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT QUICKLY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE DECELERATION FAILURE, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO HEAR THE NOISE. SINCE THE SUMMER OF 2008, THE CONTACT HAS SPENT $7,000 AT TWO DEALERS. THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO BEEN SERVICED AT PEP BOYS. IN ADDITION, THE CYLINDERS MISFIRE. ONE OF THE DEALERS PERFORMED A COMPRESSION TEST ON THE VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING VARIOUS ISSUES SINCE 2006. THE FUEL PUMP, SPARK PLUG WIRES, AND ALL OF THE GASKETS, INCLUDING THE HEAD GASKET, HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE VEHICLE ALSO SHAKES SIGNIFICANTLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AT THE TIME OF THE DECELERATIONS. OCCASIONALLY, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE ON AND OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 200,000.

I HAVE HAD A TERRIBLE TIME WITH MY 1998 MAZDA MILLENIA. WE BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2001 WITH APPROX. 30,000 MILES. IT SEEMED LIKE A GREAT CAR. THEN ONE DAY IT DIED AS I WAS TURNING INTO MY DRIVEWAY AT HOME. THANK GOODNESS I WASN'T DRIVING ON THE MAIN ROAD. IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM SHORTLY AT 70,000 MILES. WE IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE THE GASKET. MY MECHANIC DISCOVERED, AFTER ENTERING THE ENGINE, THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE BLOCK. SO WE REPLACED THE ENGINE WITH A USED ENGINE WITH 30,000 MILES ON IT. IT, TOO, HAD COOLANT IN THE OIL. THE THIRD ENGINE IS ALSO THE SAME. I SPOKE WITH A SERVICE AND PARTS MANAGER, JIM KELLEY, AT CENTURY MAZDA IN AUGUST 2003. HE KNEW THE PROBLEM RIGHT AWAY. SEVERAL MAZDA MILLENIAS MADE IN THAT YEAR HAD A "FAULTY WATERPUMP". HE SAID IT WASN'T RECALLED. HE OFFERED ME A NEW REMANUFACTURED MAZDA ENGINE WITH A WARRANTY OF 3 YEARS/UNLIMITED MILES. BUT FOR $5,000+. I DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY AT THE TIME. I FOUND OUT NOW, MAZDA ONLY TYPICALLY GIVES A 1 YEAR/12 MONTH WARRANTY ON THEIR ENGINES. SO I AM TO ASSUME THAT THEY WANTED ME TO BE QUIET AND GET A "VERY GOOD DEAL". MY CAR STILL DOES NOT WORK, AND HAS COST ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. IF I WAS INFORMED OF THE WATER PUMP PROBLEM, THE CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. THE OIL AND ANTIFREEZE WITH BREATHED IN PROBABLY HASN'T HELPED US EITHER. MY HUSBAND IS UNDERGOING TESTS FOR SEIZURES RIGHT NOW WHICH BEGAN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. WE HAVE BOTH EXPERIENCED SEVERE MIGRAINES AND BREATHING AND ALLERGY PROBLMES THAT WE NEVER HAD TWO YEARS AGO. WHAT CAN I DO?*AK