NHTSA Complaint #10052405 — 1992 MAZDA 626

I HAVE A 1992 MAZDA 626, WITH AUTOMATIC FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTORS. ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, THE RIGHT SIDE RETRACTOR FAILED, RESULTING IN AN EXTENDED BUZZING OF THE SEAT BELT ALARM, AND A DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT THAT WOULD NOT GO OUT. MAZDA AGREED TO FURNISH THE PART, BUT LEFT ME WITH THE SIGNIFICANT LABOR COST. NOW THE LEFT SIDE HAS FAILED. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER TODAY, THE SECOND BUSINESS DAY OF THE YEAR, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ADVISES ME THAT, AS OF THIS YEAR, MAZDA WILL NOT ASSIST IN THIS REPAIR AT ALL. THIS MALFUNCTION MAY PREVENT ME FROM OBTAINING A VALID SAFETY INSPECTION, AND THE COST OF THIS REPAIR WOULD BE NEARLY 1/2 THE PRESENT VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME NHTSA REQUIREMENT THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD TO MAINTAIN THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM FROM MALFUNCTIONS, AND MAKE REPAIRS AT THEIR EXPENSE.*AK