NHTSA Complaint #10156580 — 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE

MY ENGINE FAILED CAUSING A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. MY CAR REQUIRED ABOUT $1,000 WORTH OF REPAIRS, USING USED PARTS, AND I HAVE PERMANENT ENGINE DAMAGE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY SHORTEN THE LIFE OF MY ENGINE. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO LOOSE SCREWS LOCATED IN THE AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD, THAT ALLOWED FOR A BAFFLE OR BUTTERFLY VALVE TO BREAK AND ENTER MY ENGINE. THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM WAS RECALLED BY MAZDA FOR VEHICLES MADE FROM MARCH OF 2003 TO JULY OF 2003, MINE WAS MANUFACTURED IN FEBRUARY OF 2003, AND THEREFORE WAS NOT RECALLED. I KNOW OF AT LEAST THREE OTHER PEOPLE WHO ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS VERY SAME ISSUE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I HAVE HAD TWO SEPARATE MAZDA SERVICE MANAGERS CONFIRM THIS WAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE RECALL - LOOSE SCREWS IN AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD. I NEED THIS INVESTIGATED TO DETERMINE IF MORE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED. *JB