NHTSA Complaint #10639364 — 2008 MAZDA MAZDASPEED3

I HAVE A 2008 MAZDASPEED 3 WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON 9/9/2014, THE STEEL ROD THAT THE SHIFTER KNOB IS ATTACHED TO SHEARED OFF SUDDENLY WHILE I WAS SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND. THIS LEFT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND I HAD NO POWER SINCE I COULDN'T SHIFT INTO GEAR. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE I WAS TRAVELING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. LUCKILY, I AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT AND COASTED TO A STOP. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED HOME. THE STEEL SHAFT SEPARATED COMPLETELY IN TWO WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE BREAK OCCURRED RIGHT WHERE THE SHAFT HAS A HOLE DRILLED THROUGH IT FOR THE METAL PIN THAT LOCKS IT INTO THE LOWER PART OF THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY. I HAVE SAVED THE BROKEN PART AND I ALSO TOOK PHOTOS OF IT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS PART, WHICH IS CRITICAL TO THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THERE ARE OTHER REPORTS OF SIMILAR SHIFTER FAILURES FOR THIS YEAR/MODEL CAR ON INTERNET FORUMS. I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO A MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE VIA MAZDA'S CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE HOTLINE ON 9/9. I EMAILED THEM A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM AND SENT PHOTOS OF THE PART. I ALSO SHOWED THE PART TO MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP, LEE JOHNSON MAZDA IN KIRKLAND, WA AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE PART SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED IN THIS FASHION. I HAVE MADE REPEATED FOLLOW UP CALLS TO THE MAZDA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE HOTLINE AND ON 9/26 THEY HAVE INFORMED ME THAT MAZDA WILL NOT INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE AND IS NOT INTERESTED IN EXAMINING THE FAILED PART. THE CASE FILE NUMBER THEY GAVE ME IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR