NHTSA Complaint #10279574 — 1993 MAZDA PROTEGE

1) I HAVE A 93 MAZDA 323/PROTEGE AND THE SEAT BELT WERE RECALLED ACCORDING TO THE WEB SIT SAFERCARS.GOV. NHTSA ID NO.97V211000 2)THE SEAT BELT LIGHT WAS ON MY VEHICLE AND THE BELT REFUSES TO MOVE ON THE RAIL SOME TIMES. IN ADDITION THE BUZZER COMES ON WHILE I AM DRIVING AND THE BELT TENDS TO MOVE SLIGHTLY UP AND DOWN WHILE I AM DRIVING. 3) I TOOK THE CAR INTO MAZDA TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND THE DEALER SAID THAT ITS GOING TO BE $ 98.95 TO HAVE THE CAR LOOKED AT. IF THEY FIND A PROBLEM THAT IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PARTS ON THE RECALL THEY WOULD REPAIR IT. I LEFT THE CAR AT THE SHOP FOR MORE THAN 3 FULL DAYS AND THEY SAID THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT FROM THE RAILING, AND ALSO THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE SEAT BELTS BUT INSTEAD IT WAS A SPECIAL SERVICE PROGRAM BY MAZDA. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CENTER SEAT BELT RETRACTION UNIT HAS GONE BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND ALSO THAT THE DOOR SWITCH FOR THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT IS STARTING TO GO BAD. I CALLED MAZDA HEAD QUARTER UNIT AND SPOKE TO STEVE A CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT AND HE FIRST SAID THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE DOOR SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE EVEN THOUGH THE 12 YR EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER SHIP 2 DAYS LATER TO SEE WHAT IS THE PROGRESS AND TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO PERFORM ANY REPAIRS. I CALLED STEVE AND HE SAID THAT AFTER AGAIN TALKING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT THEIR FAULT. WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR I ASKED TO SERVICE MANAGER WHAT COULD HAPPEN IT THE PARTS ARE NOT REPLACED AND I GET IN A CRASH, HE ANSWERED THAT IF I DON'T PAY THEM TO FIX THE SEAT BELT SYSTEM, THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE SEAT BELT UNIT WILL NOT LOCK IN TIME TO KEEP THE FRONT OCCUPANTS SEATED. SO IN CONCLUSION THE MAZDA DEALER DOES NOT GUARANTY THE SEAT BELTS WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. CHARGED ME 99 DOLLARS TO INSECT THE BELTS WHICH THEY THEM SELF SAID THAT ACCORDING TO THEIR DATA BASE WERE NEVER INSPECTED. AND SAID THAT ITS GOING TO COST MINIMUM $ 900 TO FIX. *TR