NHTSA Complaint #10733031 — 2010 MAZDA MAZDASPEED3

I WAS IN THE VEHICLE ABOUT TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPOT WHEN I HEARD A POP AND THE SEAT SUDDENLY FELT LOOSE. THE SEAT ITSELF WILL ROCK BACK AND FORTH A FEW INCHES AND GENERALLY FEELS UNSTABLE. I LOOKED UNDER THE SEAT AND FOUND THAT ONE OF THE 4 SEAT MOUNTING BRACKETS (CONNECTS THE SEAT PORTION TO THE SEAT RAILS) HAD BROKEN IN HALF. THIS BRACKET HAS BEEN DISCOLORED BY HEAT FROM THE WELDING PROCESS (BLACK AT THE WELD FADING TO BLUE/GRAY AND THEN BACK TO THE BRONZE-TYPE COLOR OF THE PART). THE PART BROKE RIGHT WHERE THE COLOR FADES FROM BLUE/GRAY TO THE ORGINAL BRONZE COLOR. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALS THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM. I HAVE INCLUDED SEVERAL LINKS WITH OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE. ONE DRIVER MENTIONS ALMOST COLLIDING WITH A WALL WHEN IT BROKE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO BOTH MAZDA AND MY LOCAL DEALER. BOTH REFUSE TO COVER THE REPAIR COSTS. MAZDA DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE AS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE DEALER REPAIR WOULD BE AN OUT OF POCKET COST OF ~$1000. I WAS QUOTED 2.5 HOURS LABOR AND A PARTS COST OF $700 FOR THE SEAT AND FRAME. THE RESPONSES I RECEIVED FROM MAZDA AND THE DEALER WERE DISHEARTENING. OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT A POTENTIAL $1000 REPAIR BILL TO FIX THE SEAT, AND THE BROKEN BRACKET AND WOBBLY SEAT REPRESENT A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. I'M HOPING THE FOLKS AT THE NHTSA CAN HELP ADVOCATE FOR THE CONSUMER AND CONVINCE MAZDA THAT THEY MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THIS RATHER SERIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT. REFERENCE LINKS: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/MAZDA/MAZDA3/2010/ACCESSORIES-INTERIOR/BROKEN_SEAT_WELD.SHTML HTTP://WWW.REDDIT.COM/R/MAZDA/COMMENTS/2S51X8/MAZDA_3_2010_SEAT_WELD_BROKE/ HTTP://WWW.MAZDASPEEDFORUMS.ORG/FORUM/F436/DRIVER-SEAT-LOOSE-100964/ HTTP://WWW.TORONTOMAZDA3.CA/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?72586-MY-SEAT-BROKE HTTP://FORUM.MAZDA6CLUB.COM/MAZDASPEED6/209501-BROKEN-SEAT-FRAME.HTML