NHTSA Complaint #10367211 — 2005 MAZDA RX-8

MOST MODELS OF THE 2005 RX-8 ARE EQUIPPED WITH HID HEADLIGHTS. IN ORDER TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS, THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE A "CUTOFF" THAT PREVENT BLINDING ONCOMING DRIVERS, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS REQUIRED BY LAW. THE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE AN AUTOLEVELING FUNCTION WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO LEVEL THE HEADLIGHTS AT THE PROPER HEIGHT DEPENDENT ON THE POSITION OF THE CAR'S SUSPENSION. THE HEADLIGHT LEVELERS ARE CONTROLLED BY TWO SENSORS, ONE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT AND ONE ON THE DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL HUB, CONNECTED TO THE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THESE SENSORS WHICH CAUSES THE HEADLIGHT LEVELERS TO MALFUNCTION, AIMING THE HEADLIGHTS EITHER TOO LOW (WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IN THE RX-8) OR TOO HIGH (WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BY BLINDING ONCOMING TRAFFIC). THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR LOCATED BENEATH THE CAR AT EACH SENSOR THAT MOISTURE CAN GET INSIDE, CAUSING CORROSION. THIS CAUSES THE SENSORS TO FAIL AND THE HEADLIGHTS WILL AUTO-AIM THEMSELVES IN ANY ORIENTATION, AND THIS CANNOT BE OVERRIDDEN...I KNOW, I HAVE TRIED REPEATEDLY TO MANUALLY RE-AIM THEM MYSELF. MANUALLY RESETTING THE HEADLIGHTS WILL ONLY CAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS TO MIS-AIM THEMSELVES AGAIN WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED AND THE SENSORS RETURN FAULTY SIGNALS. CURRENTLY, MY HEADLIGHTS ARE AIMED FAR TOO HIGH FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND I ROUTINELY GET "FLASHED" BY OTHER DRIVERS. DRIVING MY CAR AT NIGHT IS UNSAFE FOR MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS DUE TO THIS DEFECT. AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THERE HAVE BEEN APPARENTLY ENOUGH COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT THAT MAZDA HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON THIS DEFECT, AND THE LEVELERS HAVE BEEN RE-ENGINEERED TO USE MORE HEAVY-DUTY CONNECTORS. I WOULD URGE THE NHTSA TO EVALUATE THIS ISSUE AND COMPEL MAZDA TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT ASAP. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION! LINK TO TECHNICAL BULLETIN: HTTP://WWW.FINISHLINEPERFORMANCE.COM/PDF/RX8/BULLETIN/09-008-07-1729A.PDF. *TR