NHTSA Complaint #10208460 — 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE

OIL PAN GASKET IS LEAKING. I CALLED MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE, RECEIVED A FILE #115785220. MY 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE (5 YEARS OLD WITH 35,000 MILES) IS LEAKING OIL FROM THE OIL PAN GASKET. MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. SINCE I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE, MAZDA HAS REDESIGNED THE OIL PAN WITH AN EMBEDDED O RING IN LIEU OF A GASKET. THE LOCAL MAZDA SERVICE CENTER (MAZDA 112) DOES NOT REPLACE THE GASKET; THEY FIX THE VEHICLE BY SELLING AND INSTALLING THE REDESIGNED OIL PAN FOR $440 + TAX (MEDFORD, NY). YOU CAN BUY A GASKET FOR THE ORIGINAL PAN AND DO IT YOURSELF OR MAYBE HAVE A LOCAL MECHANIC DO IT (I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S WORTH IT). MAZDA 112 TOLD ME THEY CALLED THE REGIONAL MAZDA REPRESENTATIVE AND THEY WOULD SAVE ME THE PRICE OF THE PARTS BUT THE COST OF REPAIR WILL STILL BE OVER $300. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND MAZDA IS NOT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE." I HAVE CALLED MAZDA TWICE AND EMAILED THEM. THE REPRESENTATIVES ARE POLITE BUT COULD NOT TELL ME IF THE OIL PAN WAS REDESIGNED BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL DESIGN WAS DEFECTIVE??? THEN WHY THE REDESIGN? ON THE INTERNET I HAVE VIEWED MANY COMPLAINTS OF LATE MODEL MAZDA TRIBUTE OWNERS WITH "OIL PAN LEAKS." *TR