NHTSA Complaint #10247780 — 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE

THE LOW BEAM HALOGEN BULB (HEADLIGHT) ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY MAZDA RECENTLY BURNED OUT. > FIRST COMPLAINT--BECAUSE OF A CRAMPED ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE BULB IS DIFFICULT TO REPLACE. I HAVE SMALLISH HANDS FOR A MAN. THERE WAS BARELY ROOM TO ACCESS THE BULB SOCKET (HOLDER) ON THE OUTSIDE CORNER OF THE HEADLIGHT "POD". > SECOND COMPLAINT--THE BULB HOLDER WAS COMPLEX. THE BULB PLUGS INTO AN "INTERNAL" SOCKET; THIS PAIR SLIDES INTO THE HEADLIGHT "POD"; THE PAIR IS THEN HELD IN PLACE BY A WIRE CLIP; EVERYTHING THUS FAR GETS COVERED BY A RUBBER GASKET; AND LASTLY, THERE'S AN "EXTERNAL" CONNECTION (PLUG). > THIRD COMPLAINT--THE HEADLIGHT "POD" IS A INTRINSICALLY LOUSY DESIGN. EVEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, I COULDN'T SEE THE CATCH-POINT FOR THE WIRE CLIP. > FOURTH COMPLAINT--THE "POD" ITSELF IS FRAIL. IT'S APPARENTLY PLASTIC. THE PLASTIC APPARENTLY AGES BADLY. MY GENTLE ATTEMPT TO REFASTEN THE WIRE CLIP BROKE SOMETHING ON THE BACK OF THE "POD"--I DON'T KNOW WHAT. SO I WAS FORCED TO REPLACE THE "POD" ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF OVER $400. > NOTE--I'D PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THREE HEADLIGHT BULBS ON THIS CAR; AND THOUGH SUCCESSFUL, I WAS FRUSTRATED WITH THE PROCESS EACH TIME. > THERE OUGHTA BE A LAW! > AN OWNER SHOULD BE ABLE TO REPLACE ANY SAFETY-RELATED LIGHT BULB ON THE OUTSIDE OF THEIR VEHICLE WITH 1) NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE MECHANICALLY, EG, A TEEN BARBIE-BIMBO; 2) ONLY MODEST HAND DEXTERITY, EG, AN OLD FART WITH ARTHRITIS; 3) NO TOOL MORE COMPLEX THAN A COMMONPLACE SCREWDRIVER; AND 4) WITHOUT AN OWNER'S MANUAL, EG, AN OLDER USED CAR. > THE GOAL HERE IS TO EMPOWER AN OWNER TO KEEP THEIR VEHICLE IN SAFEST CONDITION. I REQUEST THAT THE USDOT ISSUE AND ENFORCE SUITABLE STANDARDS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF "FAMILY" VEHICLES. > IT'S TOO '!@#$% LATE TO HELP ME. I DOUBT WHETHER I'LL EVER BUY ANOTHER MAZDA.