NHTSA Complaint #10405516 — 2007 MAZDA MAZDASPEED3

I OWN A 2007 MAZDASPEED 3, PURCHASED FROM A DEALER IN , LANGLEY BC., IN JUNE 2008. IT WAS A US IMPORTED CAR ( BY THE DEALER) AND I WAS TOLD I INHERITED THE BALANCE OF THE WARRANTY. IT WAS BUILT IN MAY 2007, AND HAD APPROX 22,646 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. ON FRIDAY 27 MAY AT ABOUT 7 AM, I HAD JUST ACCELERATED FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN AN ENGINE MOUNT SUDDENLY FAILED, PITCHING THE COMPLETE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION FORWARD AND DOWN ONTO THE ROAD , WITH DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES. I WAS REALLY FORTUNATE TO BE TRAVELING QUITE SLOWLY ( ABOUT 20 MPH) AS THE 'CV' JOINT DISINTEGRATED AND THE CAR SLEWED ALARMINGLY TOWARDS THE KERB. I DID NOT HAVE MUCH DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, BUT MANAGED TO STEER THE CAR TOWARDS THE KERB WHERE IT (RAPIDLY ) CAME TO A STOP. FORTUNATELY, I WAS TRAVELING SLOWLY ENOUGH FOR THIS NOT TO BE SERIOUS ACCIDENT, BUT IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT 70 MPH DOWN THE FREEWAY, I MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN HERE TODAY TO WRITE THIS. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A MAZDA DEALERSHIP ( AT MY EXPENSE ) WHERE A INSPECTION SHOWED THAT THE #4 ENGINE MOUNT HAD FAILED, DROPPED THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION AND DESTROYED THE 'CV' JOINT, IN THE PROCESS DAMAGING THE TURBO WASTEGATE VALVE. THEY CHECKED THE VIN AND FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INDEED BUILT MAY 2007, AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL TO CHANGE THE ENGINE MOUNT, ALSO IN 2007 ( BEFORE I PURCHASED THE CAR). THIS CHANGE WAS PRESUMABLY DONE AT A US DEALER AS IT DID NOT COME TO THE IN BC DEALER UNTIL JUST BEFORE I PURCHASED IT IN 2008. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO OVERT WARNING SIGNS- THE ONLY THING WAS THE DAY BEFORE WHEN I NOTICED A FAINT VIBRATION COMING FROM THE FRONT , WHICH SOUNDED LIKE A PIPE CLAMP OR SOMETHING VIBRATING. I STOPPED AND MADE A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE BAY AND UNDERNEATH , BUT COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. BANG AS IT LET GO. THE PARTS WERE REPLACED FREE UNDER MAZDA WARRANTY. *TR