NHTSA Complaint #10089015 — 2004 MAZDA MAZDA6

VEHICLE DESIGN PROBLEM THAT COULD EASILY RESULT IN FATALITY. 2004 MAZDA 6S. THIS IS THE TRANSMISSION THAT CAN EITHER BE RUN AS FULL AUTOMATIC OR AS A SEMI MANUAL SHIFT. WHEN IN A PASSING SITUATION WITH THE THROTTLE FULLY OPEN, THE ENGINE JUMPS INTO ACTION AND THE TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTS AS IT SHOULD. HOWEVER, IF THE GAS PEDAL IS KEPT PRESSED DOWN AS IN A PASSING SITUATION, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT UP SHIFT AT ANY POINT. THE RESULT IS THAT THE ENGINE RPMS WILL INCREASE TO THE POINT OF HITTING THE RED LINE. AT THAT POINT ANOTHER FEATURE SHUTS DOWN THE ENGINE UNTIL THE RPMS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW THE RED LINE. THE RESULT IS LOSS OF POWER AT THE MOST CRITICAL TIME IN THE PASSING MANEUVER. I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE AND RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS PLACE BEHIND THE VEHICLE BEING PASSED, BUT ALMOST DID NOT MAKE IT. HAD I BEEN MUCH FURTHER FORWARD I WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE COLLIDED WITH THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAVE CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE. THEY TESTED IT, TALKED WITH APPROPRIATE MAZDA SERVICE CENTER EXPERTS AND REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO MALFUNTION - ALL SETTING WERE AS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE. I CORRESPONDED WITH NORTH AMERICAN MAZDA VIA EMAIL (ATTACHED) AND FORWARDED THAT EMAIL STRING TO YOUR TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE AT [email protected]. MAZDA CONTINUES TO SAY THAT NIETHER DESIGN DEFECT OR MALFUNCTION EXISTS. TO THEM IT IS AN OPERATOR PROBLEM. IF SO, ANYONE ACCUSTOMED TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS IN ALL OTHER CARS WILL FIND THEMSELVES IN THE SAME POSITION, UNAWARE OF THE POTENTIAL. ALL OTHER TRANSMISSIONS THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH UP SHIFT AT EITHER A CERTAIN SPEED OR VACUUM LEVEL WELL BEFORE THE ENGINE CAN GET TO DANGEROUS RPMS.*AK