NHTSA Complaint #10382328 — 2007 MAZDA MAZDA5

(5/2010) AT MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER DURING ROUTINE ROTATION MAINTENANCE OF MY TIRES I OBSERVED UNUSUAL WARE ON THE INNER AREAS OF THE TIRE TREAD AREAS AND A GROVE CARVED ON THE INNER SIDES OF THE TIRES. THE GROVE WAS EXPOSING AREAS OF THE STEEL BELT OF THE TIRES. THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION FROM MAZDA WAS TO REPLACE THE TIRES, SOON. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE MAZDA SERVICE REP HE INFORMED ME THAT THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO OCCUR IN MAZDA 3'S AND THAT MAZDA CAME OUT WITH A LONGER UPPER CONTROL ARM TO HELP CORRECT THE ALIGNMENT ISSUE WITH THE TIRES. THE MAZDA DEALER INQUIRED AND FOUND NO RECALLS OR BULLETINS WITH THE MAZDA 5 THAT COULD HELP ME PAY FOR THE NEW, LONGER UPPER CONTROL ARMS FOR THE REAR OF MY CAR. THEY DID FIND EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTED THIS ALIGNMENT ISSUE WITH MAZDA 3'S. MY COST TO REPLACE THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS IN THE REAR OF THE CAR WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $400. AT THAT TIME I PAID TO HAVE MY VEHICLES TIRES REALIGNED AT THE MAZDA DEALER & PURCHASED 4 NEW BRIDGESTONE TIRES FROM A REPUTABLE TIRE GARAGE 2 WEEKS LATER. (12/2010) SIX MONTHS LATER THE SAME WEARING OF THE TIRES WAS NOTICED DURING ROUTINE ROTATION MAINTENANCE OF MY TIRES. THE MAZDA DEALER AGAIN RECOMMENDED THAT I PURCHASE THE LONGER UPPER CONTROL ARMS TO SEE IF THAT CORRECTS THE ISSUE. (1/2011) I THEN CONTACTED MAZDA CORPORATE. THEY WERE SYMPATHETIC AND AGREED THAT THIS ISSUE WAS NOT AN ANOMALY; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO ASSIST ME. THEY COMMENTED THAT SINCE THE DEALER SUGGESTED THIS CORRECTION TO THE ISSUE, THEY SHOULD PROBABLY HELP ME. THE MAZDA DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT IS A MAZDA CORPORATE ISSUE. I DRIVE MY MAZDA 5 IN CONSTANT FEAR THAT THE TIRES WILL BLOW OUT AND I WILL GET IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS SHOULD NOT BE. MAZDA TOLD ME THAT THE CORRECTION IS NEW LONGER CONTROL ARMS. THIS IS A MAZDA SAFETY ISSUE. WHY WOULD I HAVE PAY FOR THE DEFECTIVE UPPER CONTROL ARM TO NOT DRIVE MY CAR IN FEAR OF BLOWING TIRES?