NHTSA Complaint #10730634 — 2007 MAZDA CX-9

WE WERE COMING HOME FROM OUR SON'S BASEBALL GAME WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. THERE WERE 2 ADULTS AND 3 CHILDREN IN THE CAR AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. WE WERE TRAVELING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A 3 LANE HIGHWAY AND WERE GOING ABOUT 65 MPH, WHICH IS THE SPEED LIMIT ON THIS HIGHWAY. OUT OF NOWHERE, THERE WAS A VERY LOUD "POP" SOUND AND YOU COULD FEEL THE CAR SHIFT A LITTLE BIT. I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AT ALL. I PUT MY FOOT ON BRAKE LIGHTLY TO TRY AND BRING THE CAR TO A STOP WITHOUT SLAMMING THE BRAKES SINCE WE WERE ON HIGHWAY. THE CAR BRIEFLY JERKED TO THE LEFT AND THEN DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT. IT CONTINUED TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO BRING TO A COMPLETE STOP ABOUT 2-3 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF HIGHWAY INSIDE LANE. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND IT WAS JUST STARTING TO GET DARK. THERE WERE PLENTY OF OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT THE TIME, BUT THIS HAPPENED AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME WHEN THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT OF US. IF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED 15 SECONDS EARLIER OR LATER, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL WHERE THE CAR WAS GOING. IT WAS DEFINITELY A VERY SCARY SITUATION AND WE FEEL EXTREMELY LUCKY. SINCE THE CAR WAS UNDRIVEABLE, I HAD TO CALL AAA TO COME GET VEHICLE AND TAKE TO LOCAL AUTO SHOP. THEY TOLD ME THE BALL JOINT COMPLETELY SNAPPED/SEPARATED AND I WOULD NEED NEW TIE RODS, BALL JOINT, CONTROL ARM, AXLE, QUICK STRUT AND TIRE ON FRONT DRIVER SIDE. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED WITHIN 5 MONTH PERIOD. THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO FRONT PASSENGER SIDE 5 MONTHS EARLIER AT LOW SPEED IN A PARKING LOT. WE HAD REPAIRED AND THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN TO THE OTHER SIDE IN THIS SITUATION, WHICH WAS MUCH MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION. IN BOTH CASES, THE BALL JOINT COMPLETELY SEPARATED.