NHTSA Complaint #10817180 — 2004 MAZDA RX-8

CRACKS IN THE DASH IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WHICH IS CURRENTLY A RECALL ISSUE. IT SEEMS THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF RX8 EXPERIENCE CRACKING IN THE SAME SPOT ON THE DASH, GENERALLY FOLLOWING AN "H" SHAPE. REPORTS ARE THAT THE CRACKS FOLLOW THE AIRBAG MODULE ASSEMBLY UNDERNEATH THE DASH, AND THE CRACKS FOLLOW THE SEAM THAT WOULD BE CREATED IN AN IMPACT FOR THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. IN MY CASE IT BEGAN WITH A 4" LEFT TO RIGHT CRACK. IN 2015 A RECALL WAS PERFORMED INVOLVING A TEMPORARY AIRBAG FIX UNTIL A PERMANENT FIX COULD BE DESIGNED. AFTER THIS INTERIM AIRBAG RECALL WAS PERFORMED, THE CRACKS INTENSIFIED. JUST RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE THAT THE "FINAL" AIRBAG FIX IS READY TO BE PERFORMED AT THE DEALER WHICH WITH ALL THE REMOVAL AND JOSTLING OF THE DASH TO MAKE THE FINAL AIRBAG REPAIR, WILL PROBABLY CREATE MORE CRACKS. THE RECALL WAS DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT AIRBAG PARTS COULD BECOME PROJECTILES AND CAUSE INJURY. WOULD NOT A POORLY DESIGNED DASH SIMPLY BREAK INTO PIECES UPON AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT AND BECOME PROJECTILES AND INJURY? NUMEROUS RX8 OWNERS ARE SEEING NEARLY IDENTICAL H SHAPED CRACKS.