NHTSA Complaint #10125432 — 2002 MAZDA MAZDA6

MAZDA MOTORS CO. HAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE CLUTCH IN 2001-2003 MAZDA MIATAS AND HAS ISSUED A TSB (05-001/03). MY MIATA, A 2002 IS 3 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT WITH ONLY 13,000 MILES OF A WARRANTED 36,000 MILES. WHEN I APPROACHED MAZDA CORP. WITH MY PROBLEM I WAS SUMMARILLY TOLD, WITHOUT THEM LOOKING AT MY CAR, THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND ALSO STATED THAT, EVEN IN A WARRANTED STATE, THE CLUTCH WILL BE COVERED FOR ONLY 12,000 MILES. I HAVE READ THE TSB AND NOWHERE IS A MILEAGE NUMBER STATED FOR A COVERED REPAIR. MY COMPLAINT IS, THAT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND OWNERS ARE NOT MADE AWARE OF THAT PROBLEM OR THE REPAIR THAT IS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER.I WAS UNAWARE OF IT UNTIL READING WHAT OTHER MIATA OWNERS HAD WRITTEN IN A MIATA FORUM.GRANTED, THIS IS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM BUT IT DOES AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE AND IF THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF IT AND CORRECTS IT WHEN CONFRONTED THEN THE WARRANTY TIME LIMIT ALONE SHOULD NOT BE A DETERMINING FACTOR IN WHETHER OR NOT A CORRECTION OF THE PROBLEM IS MADE. THE REPAIR SHOULD BE MADE WHEN THE CUSTOMER MAKES THE COMPLAINT RERGARDLESS OF THE TIME FACTOR INVOLVED AS LONG AS THE MILEAGE FALLS WITHIN THE WARRANTED PERIOD.MANY OF THE OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM DID NOT REPORT ONSET OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL THEY HAD DRIVEN THE CAR FOR 15,000 TO 25,000 MILES. THEY EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM WITHIN THE 36 MONTHS OF THE WARRANTY BUT WITH GREATER MILEAGE. I HAVE LESS MILEAGE ON THE CAR BUT WITH A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. EITHER WAY THE PROBLEM DEVELOPS WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF "OPERATION" OF THE VEHICLE. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF ME DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME AT THE E-MAIL, PHONE OR ADDRESS THAT I HAVE GIVEN. THANK YOU.