NHTSA Complaint #10124561 — 2000 MAZDA MPV

IN SEPTEMBER 2003, 2000 MAZDA MPV VAN (APPROX 80K MILES) WOULD NOT PASS EMISSIONS ALTHOUGH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOT ON. WAS TOLD THE VAN'S OBD SYSTEM COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH STATE'S EQUIPEMENT. WAS ISSUED WAIVER. ONE MONTH LATER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND O2 SENSOR WAS REPLACE PER RECOMMENDATION. FOUR DAYS LATER, LIGHT CAME BACK ON. SINCE THEN, LIGHT HAS INTERMITTENTLY GONE ON AND OFF WITH NOONE BEING ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. A STRONG ODOR HAS COME INTO THE PASSENGER AREA AND THE VAN HAS RUN ROUGH. FINALLY, IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THERE IS NO REASON A 3 1/2 - 5 YEAR OLD VAN SHOULD HAVE A CRACKED MANIFOLD. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM THE SAME ISSUE AS NOTED ON EVERY MAZDA MESSAGE BOARD. THE PART CANNOT BE PURCHASED AFTERMARKET OR EVEN USED, BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL CRACKED. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD BY OTHER GARAGES THE WELDING SUGGESTED AT THE DEALER'S SHOP IS INEFFECTIVE AND WILL NOT SOLVE THE LEAK. THE DEALER IS UNWILLING TO HELP BECAUSE THE VAN OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I AM WONDERING HOW MANY MANIFOLD FAILURES THERE HAVE TO BE, WHICH AFFECTS OUR AIR QUALITY AND CANNOT PASS FEDERAL EMISSIONS, BEFORE THERE IS A RECALL ISSUED FOR AN OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE PART.