NHTSA Complaint #10341221 — 2008 MAZDA MAZDA5

I WAS PULLING INTO A HOTEL PARKING LOT WHICH HAPPENED TO BE A STEEP SLOPE. I STOPPED MID WAY UP THE HILL TO SEE WHERE I NEEDED TO CHECK IN AND PARK. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE, I STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS. I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR BUT NOTHING HAPPENED, MY CAR CONTINUED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT IT WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO PUSH IT DOWN. IT WAS STUCK. THEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS MY BRAKE LIGHT. AS I REACHED FOR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE MY CAR STOPPED BECAUSE I RAN INTO A LIGHT POST AND A TREE DAMAGING MY CAR. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO PARK AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND THE LIGHTS WERE NO LONGER ON. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT AND PARK IT. I ASSESSED THE DAMAGE WHICH WERE BOTH REAR QUARTER PANELS WERE DAMAGED AS WELL AS A FEW DENTS AND SCRATCHES. SINCE IT WAS THE WEEKEND I WAITED TILL MONDAY MORNING TO CALL MY DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THEY WOULDN'T TOUCH IT WITHOUT ME REPORTING IT TO MAZDA CORP. FIRST. I CALLED MAZDA AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. THEY TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO RUN IT THROUGH MY INSURANCE COMPANY SINCE THERE WAS DAMAGE TO MY CAR. I CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY THE NEXT MORNING AND REPORTED IT. I HAD TO PAY MY DEDUCTIBLE PLUS SOME MONEY FROM MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO GET IT FIXED. I ASKED FOR MAZDA TO CHECK THE EVENT DATA RECORDER TO SEE WHY THIS HAPPENED. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS WAS DONE BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE THEY ONLY CHECKED THE DIAGNOSTICS AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. I DON'T BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR MY CAR BECAUSE IT WAS FAULTY. IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *TR