NHTSA Complaint #10690281 — 2009 MAZDA MAZDA3

WHILE DRIVER WAS BACKING CAR OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE RIGHT FRONT CONTROL ARM THAT HOLDS THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AND AXLE BROKE IN TWO, TOTALLY DISABLING THE CAR. ACCORDING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL, HAD THIS OCCURRED ON THE ROAD, THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO WOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE: THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SLAMMED TO THE GROUND, THE LEFT CONTROL ARM WOULD HAVE OVER-COMPENSATED AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO SWERVE SUDDENLY INTO THE LEFT LANE, GOING INTO A SKID AND THEN FLIPPING END-OVER-END THROUGH TRAFFIC, KILLING THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS OF THIS CAR AND CAUSING A MULTI-CAR PILE-UP. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE BROKEN CONTROL ARM, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS PART, FACTORY ORIGINAL, WAS MADE OF WELDED METAL, AN INHERENTLY DANGEROUS CONCEPT, SINCE WELDED METAL IS WEAKER THAN A SOLID PIECE OF STEEL. OBVIOUSLY, MAZDA CARES MORE ABOUT COST-CUTTING THAN THE SAFETY OF ITS CUSTOMERS. UPON CONTACTING MAZDA, THEIR ANSWER: POWERTRAIN WARRANTY (THAT WOULD NOT INCLUDE THIS PART) WAS EXPIRED; MAZDA REFUSED TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS POOR DESIGN. *JS