NHTSA Complaint #10733813 — 2008 MAZDA CX-9

ON 06 JUNE 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 MY WIFE WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN THROUGH AN INTERSECTION AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH. NEAR THE END OF THE TURN THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL BROKE LOOSE TURNING NEARLY 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND JAMMED ITSELF INTO THE REAR OF THE FENDER WELL. THE CAR WAS IMMEDIATELY IMMOBILIZED AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. LOOKING AT THE DAMAGE IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT HAD FAILED AND BROKE COMPLETELY FREE. THIS CAUSED THE WHEEL TO TURN NEARLY 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY RIPPED OUT THE CV AXLE FROM THE TRANSMISSION. HAD THIS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE CONTROL ARM/BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY, THE CV SHAFT, AND SWAY BAR LINK WAS REPLACED. THERE IS ALSO FENDER WELL AND BODY DAMAGE THAT WILL HAVE TO BE REPAIRED. ON 10 JULY 2015, I NOTICED AN UNUSUAL INSTABILITY WHILE NEGOTIATING WIDE TURNS ON THE HIGHWAY. IT FELT AS IF THE VEHICLE HAD A WHEEL LOOSE. WHILE TURNING TO THE RIGHT, THE VEHICLE WOULD ABRUPTLY TURN EVEN SHARPER TO RIGHT ALMOST CAUSING AN UNINTENTIONAL LANE CHANGE. AFTER COMING OUT OF THE TURN I COULD FEEL THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY CORRECT ITSELF. ONCE I ARRIVED AT MY RESIDENCE I JACKED UP THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT THE FRONT WHEELS. THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL SEEMED NORMAL (WAS REPAIRED IN JUNE 2015 AS MENTIONED ABOVE). MUCH TO MY DISMAY WHEN INSPECTING THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL, I DISCOVERED THAT THE BALL JOINT ON THIS SIDE IS NOW BROKE. IT IS NOT SEPARATED, BUT IS CLEARLY BROKEN AS EVIDENCED BY THE EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT AND CLUNKING NOISE WHEN MOVING THE WHEEL FROM SIDE TO SIDE AS IT IS SUSPENDED ABOVE THE GROUND FROM THE CAR BEING ON A JACK. I WILL BE HAVING THIS REPAIRED THIS WEEK ONCE PARTS ARRIVE FROM THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALER. BOTTOM LINE: I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE.