NHTSA Complaint #10450101 — 2007 MAZDA MX-5

APPROXIMATELY, ONE MONTH AGO, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE WATER ACCUMULATION ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF MY VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED EVERY TIME THERE WAS ANY KIND OF RAIN, AND I LEFT THE VEHICLE OUTSIDE. AFTER A PARTICULARLY HARD RAIN ON FEBRUARY 17, 2012 IN MY AREA, THE NEXT MORNING THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY A 6 INCH ACCUMULATION OF WATER IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF MY VEHICLE.I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MAZDA DEALER. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO ROGER BEASLEY MAZDA, 6825 BURNET RD, AUSTIN, TX 78752 AND SPOKE WITH THEIR LEAD SERVICE TECHNICIAN. HE LOOKED AT THE WATER INSIDE MY CAR AND TOLD ME " I HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM TOO MANY TIMES AND THE PROBLEM IS WITH DRAIN HOLES ON EACH SIDE OF THE CONVERTIBLE TOP THAT GET CLOGGED WITH DEBRIS". I ASKED HOW DEBRIS GOT INTO THE DRAINS, AND HE SAID IT WAS LEAVES, AND OTHER DEBRIS FROM RAIN. INSTEAD OF THIS DEBRIS FILTERING OFF THE VEHICLE, THE DEBRIS ACCUMULATES IN THE DRAINS AND CAUSES THEM TO CLOG, AND THEN REVERTS THE EXCESS WATER TO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THIS WOULD APPEAR TO BE A DESIGN DEFECT. NOW, MY CAR HAS WET CARPET THROUGHOUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR, AND ALL THE EXCESS MOISTURE HAS ACCUMULATED AND CAUSED THE CONVERTIBLE TOP TO BE MOLDY ON THE INSIDE. I SIMPLY DO NOT FEEL AS THOUGH I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE THAT IS CLEARLY A DESIGN DEFECT AND CLEARLY SOMETHING THAT THIS LEAD SERVICE TECHNICIAN HAS RECOGNIZED OVER SEVERAL MODEL YEARS OF THIS MAKE OF MAZDA VEHICLE. *TR