NHTSA Complaint #10469121 — 2012 MAZDA MAZDA5

STARTING A FEW MONTHS AGO, MY STEERING WHEEL SHIMMIED AS I WAS BRAKING. IT WAS INTERMITTENT. IN MAY, THE SHAKING DISAPPEARED BUT A SLIGHT GRINDING SENSATION(NO NOISE) COULD BE FELT WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL. I DIDN'T THINK IS WAS A BRAKE WEAR PROBLEM SINCE THE CAR WAS RELATIVELY NEW AND I LIVE IN A FLAT AREA WITH NO UNUSUAL STRESS ON THE BRAKES. I WAS ON VACATION FOR A FEW MONTHS AND DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT ONCE AND FELT IT WASN'T SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF WEAK BRAKING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHEN I RETURNED. MY BRAKING DISTANCE WAS DOUBLE OF WHAT IT USED TO BE. I FELT UNSAFE DRIVING THE CAR THE 5 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER SEEMED TO KNOW THAT MAZDA WOULD PROBABLY FIX THE ISSUE EVEN THOUGH BRAKE ISSUES ARE USUALLY CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I WAS TOLD THAT MAZDA DID FIX THE PROBLEM AT NO CHARGE AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE 2012 MAZDA5'S ROTORS. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE TOO THIN IN THE ORIGINAL DESIGN AND THUS WORE OUT QUICKLY. THEY ALSO INDICATED THEY HAD FIXED IT IN MORE RECENT MODELS. I FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FORMAL RECALL. THE CAR RAPIDLY WENT FROM A INTERMITTENT BOTHER TO A TRUE SAFETY ISSUE. I CONTINUALLY WORRIED THAT I MIGHT HAVE TO STOP QUICKLY AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO. *TR