NHTSA Complaint #10251425 — 2008 MAZDA MAZDA3

MY SON PURCHASED A NEW 2008 MAZDA 3 IN LATE JULY 2008. LAST SATURDAY HE SLID ON ICE AND HIT A TREE HEAD ON AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CAR HAS ROUGHLY 7000 MILES ON IT. THE INITIAL ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS IS $9100. I CONTACTED MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500 (DANIEL) TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHY THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AND WAS TOLD THAT MAZDA DOESN'T SEND AN INVESTIGATOR OUT AND I SHOULD CONTACT MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO DETERMINE WHY THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. MY INSURANCE COMPANY (FARMERS) TELLS ME THAT THEY DON'T INVESTIGATE UNLESS THERE IS REASON TO GO AFTER THE MANUFACTURER TO HELP WITH MEDICAL EXPENSES INCURRED DUE TO THE ACCIDENT. I NEED TO KNOW WHY THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T WORK SO THE PROBLEM IS CORRECTED RATHER THAN JUST ASSUME THAT THEY WILL NEXT TIME. MY SON SUFFERED WHIPLASH TO HIS NECK AND BACK AND A STRAIN TO HIS LEFT SHOULDER FROM THE SEAT BELT. I BELIEVE THIS WAS CAUSED BECAUSE THE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY TO CUSHION THE IMPACT TO THE TREE. ISN'T THAT WHAT THEY'RE THERE FOR? MAZDA DOESN'T SEEM INTERESTED TO KNOW WHETHER THERE IS A DEFECT OR NOT. *TR