NHTSA Complaint #10277580 — 2007 MAZDA MAZDASPEED3

ON APRIL 28, 2009 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK I SHIFTED GEARS FROM SECOND INTO THIRD I HEARD A BIG THUNK FROM THE TRANSMISSION. I STOPPED THE CAR AND LOOKED UNDER THE BODY BUT DID NOT NOTICE ANY BROKEN OR LOOSE PARTS. OCCASIONALLY IN THE PAST WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE GEAR WOULD SLIP AND MOVE INTO NEUTRAL, AND I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE RELATED TO THAT SEEMINGLY MINOR PROBLEM. HOWEVER, AS I STARTED TO DRIVE I NOTICED THE GEARS WERE VERY HARD TO CHANGE AND CLUTCH WAS NOT AS SMOOTH AS IT USED TO BE. EARLY THE NEXT MORNING I TOOK THE CAR TO O'BRIEN AUTO PARK OF URBANA. THIS BUSINESS IS LOCATED AT 1111 O'BRIEN DRIVE, URBANA, IL 61802 (TELEPHONE 217-367-1222). I SPOKE TO JOSH BERBAUM, THE SERVICE CONSULTANT FOR MAZDA O'BRIEN, AND EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT HAPPENED. ON MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009 AND TOLD ME THAT THE CLUTCH HAS FAILED AND THE FLYWHEEL HAD HOT SPOTS AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. HE APOLOGIZED AND SAID THIS IS 'WEAR AND TEAR' AND MAZDA WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY OR THE POWERTRAIN LIMITED WARRANTY. HE ALSO STATED THAT THIS IS A VERY BIG JOB AND WOULD COST OVER $1575 IN PARTS AND $1045 IN LABOR AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS TO FIX THE CAR. AFTER O'BRIEN KEPT THE CAR FOR 10 BUSINESS DAYS I PAID $2352.99 TO GET MY CAR AND MAZDA DECLINED MY CLAIM. I HAVE TAKEN THE ISSUE WITH MY CREDIT CARD AND LET WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR ME. *TR