NHTSA Complaint #10265479 — 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE

MY 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE LX HAS HAD SOME "MAJOR SURGERY" LATELY. ABOUT A YEAR AGO (EARLY 2008), WHEN BACKING UP ESPECIALLY, THE CAR WOULD MAKE A STRESS THEN POP NOISE ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND TOWARDS THE MIDDLE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THIS AND THAT. I HAD NEW REAR STRUTS PUT ON, ALIGNMENTS, TIGHTENING OF THE SUSPENSION, ETC. SOME OF THESE WORKED TEMPORARILY. MY CAR WAS INVOLVED IN AN "ACCIDENT" AT THE END OF DECEMBER 2008. WE HAD BAD SNOW AND ICE AND MY CAR'S LEFT FRONT TIRE HIT AN ICE RUT PRETTY GOOD. AFTER THAT, MY CAR POPPED AND POPPED. TURNS OUT, THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES WITH IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. WHEN I DROVE THE CAR BACK TO WORK AFTER THE REPAIR, THE STICK SHIFT TURNED TO JELLO. I BARELY MADE IT BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BUSHING HAD COME APART. WELL, NOW I HAVE BEEN BATTLING A CREAKY CLUTCH PEDDLE. WITH EACH RELEASE, IT CREAKS LIKE AN OLD HINGE AS IF IT'S TRYING TO GET BACK INTO POSITION. IT'S GETTING WORSE. I TALKED TO MECHANICS AND READ ON-LINE ABOUT IT. SOME SAY IT COULD BE THE FLUID RESERVOIR (HOW EMPTY IT IS) OR THIS SPRING THAT IS RUBBING ON ANOTHER COMPONENT. THE PEDAL FEELS OKAY, IT'S NOT LOOSE. I JUST NOW WONDER IF THIS IS COINCIDENTAL DUE TO THE REPAIR OF THE STEERING RACK AND WEAK BUSHING OF THE STICK SHIFT. AND FOR THE RECORD, THE MANUAL IN THE CAR IS FOR AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, NOT A 5SPD. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN 2001 WITH 24,000 MILES ON IT. *TR