NHTSA Complaint #10343804 — 2008 MAZDA MAZDA3

ON 14JUL10 WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN AND TRAFFIC AT HIGH WAY SPEED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SLOWED NOTICEABLY THEN STOPPED. VISUAL SIGHT OF TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME WAS IMPOSSIBLE. AFTER MANAGING TO PULL OVER INTO THE BREAK DOWN LANE WITH OUT A COLLISION I PROCEEDED TO CHECK OUT THE PROBLEM. THE FUSE FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WAS NOT BLOWN NOR COULD I FIND ANY OTHER PROBLEM THAT WOULD HAVE ACCOUNTED TO THIS PROBLEM. AFTER THE RAIN LET UP I PROCEEDED TO CONTINUE MY COMMUTE HOME HAVING TO PULL OVER AND STOP NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN THE RAIN STARTED AGAIN. THIS WAS A NERVE RACKING EXPERIENCE! THE NEXT DAY I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT TO BE CHECKED OUT. I WAS TOLD THAT THE WIND SHIELD WIPER MOTOR WAS BURNED OUT AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $330.00 TO REPAIR IT AND THEY WOULD OVERNIGHT EXPRESS A NEW ONE AS THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY IN STOCK. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETE ON16JUL10 AND I PICKED THE VEHICLE AT APP 3PM, TOTAL COST $337.00. MILEAGE WAS APP. 42900 SO IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. I CONSIDER WIND SHIELD WIPERS IMPORTANT SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD BE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD. THIS VEHICLE IS A 2008 THAT I BOUGHT NEW! WIPER MOTORS BURNING OUT IN TWO YEARS??? I HAVE A 1994 FORD RANGER WITH 213000+ MILES ON IT WITH THE ORIGINAL WIPER MOTOR STILL IN IT!!! I BELIEVE MAZDA SHOULD MAKE GOOD ON THIS TYPE OF PREMATURE FAILURE ON SAFETY EQUIPMENT. I ALL SO HAVE EXCESSIVE TIRE WARE ON THE INSIDE EDGES OF MY TIRES, WORN DOWN SMOOTH AND SCALLOPING BUT DUE TO ROTATING OFTEN I HAVE MANAGED TO GET BETTER LIFE OUT OF THEM AND WILL REPLACE THEM SOON. I HAVE A NOISE THAT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE A WHEEL BEARING OR OTHER ROTATING PART WEARING OUT AND SHIMMY/VIBRATION THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL THAT THE DEALER CLAIMS IS RELATED TO THE WORN/SCALLOPED TIRES. I WILL SOON SEE IF THIS GOES AWAY WHEN I REPLACE THE TIRES. *TR