NHTSA Complaint #10500850 — 2004 MAZDA MAZDA6

ON AUGUST 15, 2012 I STOPPED OFF AT A GAS STATION WENT TO OPEN DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE HANDLE. I THEN HAD TO ESCAPE BY CLIMBING OVER THE CONSOLE TO EXIT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR, GOOD THING I'M A SMALL GIRL AND NOT A BIG GUY TRYING TO CLIMB OUT. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A DOOR HANDLE ON MY CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS, HAVING TO CLIMB THRU THE WINDOW OR PASSENGER DOOR. I FINALLY TAKE TO MECHANIC TO PURCHASE A NEW HANDLE AT $100 AND THEN CHARGED ANOTHER $150 FOR THE LABOR TO FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MAZDA AND THE REAL ISSUE ARE THE DOOR LATCHES. I NOW HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLY AT ANOTHER $205 AND ANOTHER $100 IN LABOR. THIS ENTIRE TIME I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IN AN UNSAFE VEHICLE THAT IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT I WOULD HAVE SUED MAZDA FOR. THESE ARE FAULTY LATCHES THEY ASSEMBLED ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOORS UNSAFELY LOCKING US INSIDE THE VEHICLE. MAZDA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, CORRECT THIS ISSUE, AND REIMBURSE THE OWNERS THAT ARE PAYING FOR THIS FAULTY PART. THIS HAS COST ME OUT OF POCKET OF $550. UNCALLED FOR!!! *TR