NHTSA Complaint #10184612 — 2007 MAZDA MAZDASPEED3

THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW COMPLAINTS OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE MOTOR MOUNT BOLT COMING LOOSE ON MAZDA SPEED3S. I HAD VISUALLY CHECKED MINE FROM THE BOTTOM SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, AND IT LOOKED OKAY, BUT TODAY I DECIDED TO PHYSICALLY CHECK IT. I PUT THE FRONT ON RAMPS AND REMOVED THE BATTERY AND BOX. I GOT UNDERNEATH AND REMOVED THE UNDER TRAY, BUT COULDN'T LOCATE THE BOTTOM OF THE BOLT (OR SO I THOUGHT). THEN I PUT THE JACK UNDER THE TRANSAXLE AND JACKED UP A BIT UNTIL THE CAR STARTED TO LIFT. I DIDN'T SEE THE HEAD OF THE BOLT POP UP, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS TIGHT. THEN I TURNED THE BOLT COUNTERCLOCKWISE, CAREFULLY NOTING THE AMOUNT OF TORQUE REQUIRED TO BREAK THE BOLT LOOSE. IT WAS NO MORE THAN 30 FT-LBS. I GAVE IT A COUPLE OF TURNS AND NOTICED THAT THE HEAD OF THE BOLT WAS NOT MOVING UP, WHICH IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I PUMPED THE JACK HANDLE TWO MORE TIMES, AND THE BOLT JUMPED UP QUITE A BIT, MORE THAN WHAT I THOUGHT I HAD LOOSENED IT. SO I TIGHTENED THE BOLT BACK DOWN, AND IT DEFINITELY TOOK MORE TURNS TO GET IT TIGHT THAN WHAT I HAD TURNED IT LOOSENING IT. I THEN REMOVED THE BOLT COMPLETELY AND LOOKED AT EVERYTHING. THE BOLT DID NOT HAVE LOCTITE ON IT, AND THERE WERE SOME SMALL BITS OF LOOSE METAL IN THE THREADS. I LOOKED IN THE HOLE AND SAW THAT THE THREADED HOLE IN THE TRANSAXLE WAS NOT CENTERED WITH THE HOLE IN THE MOUNT ITSELF. IT WAS AS FAR OFF TOWARD THE FRONT AS IT COULD GO, PROBABLY DUE TO THE ANGLE OF THE CAR AND THE JACK. IN THE METAL SLEEVE IN THE MOUNT (THIS PIECE IS UNTHREADED) I SAW MARKS CORRESPONDING TO THE THREADS OF THE BOLT WHEN I LOOSENED IT. THIS BINDING BETWEEN THE BOLT AND THE SLEEVE COULD HAVE BEEN THE ONLY REASON I FELT ANY BREAK OUT TORQUE AT ALL. THE THREADS IN THE ALUMINUM PIECE BELOW LOOKED TO BE IN REASONABLE SHAPE (CAN'T SEE MUCH DOWN THERE). THE THREADED HOLE IS ABOUT AN INCH LONG, WHICH SHOULD BE PLENTY OF THREADS IF THEY ARE ALL ENGAGED. I CLEANED THE BOLT, PUT SOME RED LOCTITE ON IT, AND TIGHTENED IT TO 75 FT-LBS. *JB