NHTSA Complaint #10168731 — 2004 MAZDA MAZDA3

REAR BRAKE ROTORS WARPED, GROOVED AND WORN BEYOND REPAIR AT 49,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS MY DRIVING "STYLE" BY THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP THAT PROBABLY CAUSED THE EXCESSIVE WEAR. HOWEVER, THE FRONT BRAKE PADS HAVE PLENTY OF LIFE LEFT IN THEM AND THE ROTORS ARE SMOOTH AS CAN BE (I EVEN CHECKED THE INSIDE). MY CAR HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND MY WIFE AND I COMMONLY "DOWNSHIFT" TO CONTROL ENGINE SPEED. MY DRIVING STYLE HAS GIVEN ME LONGER BRAKING SYSTEM LIFE ON CARS I DRIVE AND HAVE DRIVEN. I HAVE ALWAYS NOTICED THE EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST ON THE REAR WHEELS OF MY CAR AND ON OTHERS ON THE ROAD SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN MARCH 2004, AND THOUGHT IT ODD SINCE MOST BRAKING IS DONE BY THE FRONT WHEELS. I HAVE SPENT MANY HOURS CLEANING THE BRAKE DUST FROM MY REAR WHEELS, SO I KNOW. UNFORTUNATELY, IT NEVER CLICKED IN MY HEAD THAT THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE BEING CARVED UP. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A WEAR ITEM AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, BUT IS IT NOT COMMON IN THE INDUSTRY FOR THE PADS TO WEAR OUT MUCH BEFORE THE ROTORS? I THINK THERE IS CAUSE TO RESEARCH THIS FURTHER. I AM DISAPPOINTED IN THE TWO MAZDA DEALERSHIPS THAT HAVE DONE ALL MY OIL FILTER CHANGES AND HALF OF MY TIRE ROTATIONS, TO HAVE NEVER MENTIONED ANY BRAKE WEAR BEFORE. OTHER THAN THAT, SO FAR, THIS IS AN EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. *NM