NHTSA Complaint #10116762 — 2003 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA

EVERY SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR ON 5/7/03, I HAVE BEEN HAVING HARD STARTS--MORE THAN 24 TIMES. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE CAR WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD, ANOTHER DEALER TOLD ME ALL 4 RIMS WERE BENT. I ALSO HAD A RACING ISSUE OCCUR 3 TIMES ON SAT. 3/12. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THE TWO INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS. RECENTLY, THEY FIXED THE HARD START BY REPLACING THE BATTERY BUT THEY CHARGED ME FOR IT. THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE CHARGED ME IF THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE HARD STARTS SINCE DAY ONE. I TOLD THEM THIS BUT THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T FIND THE BATTERY TO BE A PROBLEM THEN. THEY ALSO TOLD ME ALL 4 RIMS WERE BENT. WHEN THE FIRST DEALER MENTIONED THIS I THOUGHT THEY WERE MISTAKEN AS MY CAR WAS BRAND NEW AT THE TIME. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER, DO MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING, AND HAVE NOT HIT ANY BIG POTHOLES OR GONE OFF ROAD WITH THE VEHICLE. I ASKED IMMEDIATELY AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR WHY IT WAS SO BOUNCY AND THEY SAID THAT IS THE WAY SPORTS CARS ARE. BASED ON MY LETTER, SAM AT MAZDA USA (1-800-222-5500 X1157) CALLED ME. E SAID THAT MAZDA CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE CAR UNLESS THE PROBLEMS RECUR. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE RIMS BEING BENT ARE DUE TO OUTSIDE INFLUENCE; SAYING I MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING. I'M TIRED OF FIGHTING SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY RESULTS. THE ONLY WAY THESE RIMS COULD HAVE BEEN BENT IS IF THEY SOLD THE CAR TO ME LIKE THAT OR NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS CAUSED THEM TO BEND--MEANING THE RIMS ARE DEFECTIVE. THE CAR HAS BEEN VERY BOUNCY AND VERY RARELY SORT OF LOOSEY GOOSEY WHEN IT COMES TO STEERING CONTROL SINCE THE BEGINNING SO THE CAR MUST HAVE HAD BENT RIMS FROM THE FACTORY. *AK *NM