NHTSA Complaint #10809347 — 2008 MAZDA CX-9

WHILE TAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN IN THE PARKING LOT OF LOGAN AIRPORT, AND TRAVELLING ABOUT 5-10 MPH, MY CAR MADE A LOUD NOISE AND CAME TO A SUDDEN AND ABRUPT HALT. I STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR AND DISCOVERED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE HAD DISCONNECTED FROM THE STEERING ARM. THE CAR WAS IMMOBILIZED, AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE IT OUT OF THE WAY OF OTHER TRAFFIC IN THE AIRPORT PARKING LOT, CAUSING CHAOS IN THE PARKING LOT AND CAUSING THEM TO TEMPORARILY SHUT DOWN AN ENTIRE FLOOR OF THE PARKING LOT WHILE THEY STRUGGLED TO TOW THE CAR OUT OF THE WAY. THE CAR WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TOWED TO A MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND THE TIRE ARMS AND BALL JOINTS WERE REPAIRED PURSUANT TO A RECALL (8515G). THE FRONT TIRES WERE ALSO UNEVENLY WORN AND REPLACED, VERY LIKELY FROM THE BALL JOINT / STEERING ARM ISSUE, AND COST $481.55. MAZDA WOULD NOT REIMBURSE FOR THE TIRES BECAUSE I COULD NOT LOCATE RECEIPTS TO PROVE I HAD ROTATED THE TIRES AT THE APPROPRIATE INTERVALS, SPECIFICALLY STATING "OUR DEALER WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM IF THE WEARING OF THE TIRES WERE DUE TO THE RECALL ITEM AS THERE WAS NO SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INDICATING THE PROPER MAINTENANCE ON THE TIRES". I DO NOT BELIEVE MOST PEOPLE KEEP RECORDS OF EVERY OIL CHANGE / TIRE ROTATION THEY HAVE DONE, BUT THE WEAR WAS VERY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WOULD BE EXPECTED FOR BALL JOINT ISSUES. FURTHERMORE THE CAR HAD BEEN INSPECTED BY THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, AND NO UNEVEN WEAR WAS FOUND AT THAT TIME, GIVING FURTHER INDICATION THAT THE UNEVEN WEAR WAS LINKED TO THE BALL JOINT / TIRE ROD ISSUE. FORTUNATELY THIS DID NOT OCCUR ONE DAY EARLIER WHILE TOWING A BOAT ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY DISABLED SON, THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN A MULTI FATALITY ACCIDENT. I HAVE LITERALLY HAD NIGHTMARES OVER THIS POSSIBILITY. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION.