NHTSA Complaint #10187711 — 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE

I PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW IN JAN 04. WHILE EXITING THE FREEWAY, I FELT A "HICCUP" IN THE ENGINE AT WHICH TIME IT RAN VERY POORLY AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME. THE SERPENTINE BELT HAD ALSO JUMPED ABOUT 25% OFF DRIVE PULLEYS. I WAS TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN AT THIS TIME AND TOOK IT TO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION. TECHNICIAN IDENTIFIED PROBLEM AS AN ENGINE MISFIRE AND INSTALLED A NEW BELT. I DECIDED NOT TO HAVE SERVICE STATION PERFORM ANY ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSIS PREFERRING TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP INSTEAD. DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT A SPARK PLUG HAD FAILED AND CAME APART. DEALERSHIP THEN REPLACED ALL SPARK PLUGS. VEHICLE RAN FINE. APPX 1 MONTH LATER, EXACT SYMPTOMS OCCURRED - ENGINE HICCUP, ROUGH IDLE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. AGAIN I TOOK TO DEALERSHIP. MASTER TECH WAS ASSIGNED TO MY VEHICLE THIS TIME AND DETERMINED CAUSE TO BE SHUTTER VALVE SCREWS HAD COME LOOSE FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND ENTERED ENGINE CAUSING DAMAGE TO SPARK PLUG. TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME OF RECALL # 3005C THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED AND THAT HE WOULD CONTACT HIS REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER TO REQUEST THE REPAIR BE COVERED BY MAZDA. REGIONAL SVC MGR DECLINED TO COVER COSTS STATING MY SPECIFIC VIN WAS NOT IN THE EFFECTED RANGE AND THAT MY MILEAGE WAS TOO HIGH. I LOOKED UP THE RECALL AND DETERMINED THE RECALL ISSUE DATE TO BE 6/1/05. AT THAT TIME MY MILEAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN 40,000 TO 50,000 MILES. I THEN CONTACTED MAZDA USA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE - REFERENCE NUMBER 112751060. I WAS TOLD THAT MAZDA WOULD NOT COVER THE EXPENSE BECAUSE MY VIN # WAS NOT IN THE RANGE OF EFFECTED VEHICLES. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT VIN RANGE WAS DETERMINED BY THE NHTSA AND NOT BY MAZDA AND THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL FOR MAZDA TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR EXPENSE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A LIE ON THE PART OF MAZDA. I BELIEVE MAZDA IS NOT ACCEPTING ITS' RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CONSUMER BECAUSE THIS WOULD BE ADMITTING THE PROBLEM IS LARGER THAN THE ORIGINAL SCOPE AND WILL COST THE COMPANY A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY. *JB