NHTSA Complaint #10463089 — 2008 MAZDA MAZDA5

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR BEGAN TO STALL AND SLOW DOWN SUDDENLY. THE CAR'S HEAT INDICATOR LIGHT WENT ON HIGH AND THEN WENT TO COLD. HE COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR PAST 45 MILES. WHEN MY HUSBAND EXITED THE RAMP OFF THE HIGHWAY THE CAR SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. THE INCIDENT COULD POTENTIALLY PUT MY HUSBAND IN A DEADLY ACCIDENT HAVING HAD STALLED AND STOPPED ON A HIGHWAY WITH CARS SPEEDING BEHIND HIM. WE WERE TOLD BY A MAZDA DEALER THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THE ENGINE WHICH APPARENTLY BLEW. THEY CLAIM THE ENGINE HAD NO OIL, BUT WE KNOW THE CAR SHOULD HAVE HAD OIL. NO CHECK OIL LIGHT EVER CAME ON. IN ADDITION, THIS CAR STALLED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY 6 MONTHS AFTER WE PURCHASED THE CAR. THAT TIME I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SLOW LANE AND DRIVE IT SLOWLY AS THAT TIME IT ALSO DID NOT ALLOW ME TO DRIVE PAST 45 MILES. THE DEALER FIXED THE PROBLEM STATING THAT IT WAS THE TRANS CONTROL MODULE THAT WAS DEFECTIVE. EARLIER THIS MONTH THE CAR BEGAN TO STALL AGAIN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ONCE MORE, THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. I FAILED TO MENTION THAT A FEW MONTHS AFTER BUYING THE CAR THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON INDICATING THAT IT WAS NOT WORKING. WE EXPECTED ALL THE TROUBLES WITH THE CAR TO BE ELECTRICAL, BUT EITHER WAY THESE PROBLEMS COULD HAVE CAUSED OUR LIVES. *TR