NHTSA Complaint #10836324 — 2016 MAZDA CX-5

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE 25 F OR LOWER AND IT IS SNOWING OR RAINING IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP THE WINDSHIELD CLEAR OF ICE. WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEEDS 25 TO 50 MPH ON LOCAL ROADS AND HIGHWAYS, THE SNOW WOULD MELT ON CONTACT WITH THE WINDSHIELD, REFREEZE, AND THE WIPERS WOULD FREEZE SOLID AND NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE WINDSHIELD OVER THE MAJORITY OF THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD TO STOP EVERY SEVERAL MINUTES AND USE A SCRAPER TO REMOVE THE WINDSHIELD ICE TO SEE SAFELY. THIS CONDITION MAKES FOR VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS WINTER PRECIPITATION DRIVING. THE ONLY CHANCE OF OF GETTING MINIMAL VIEWING AREA WAS TO KEEP THE FUNCTION SELECTOR ON FULL DEFROST, THE TEMPERATURE SELECTOR ON FULL HEAT AND THE FAN ON HIGH. THIS WAS STILL A LOSING BATTLE AND EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAN NOISE IS INCREDIBLY LOUD, THE WIPERS ARE LOADED WITH ICE AND THUMPING ON THE WINDSHIELD AND YOUR FACE GETS RIDICULOUSLY HOT BECAUSE ON THE DEFROST FUNCTION MORE AIR IS DIRECTED BACK AT THE SIDE WINDOWS THAN IS DIRECTED AT THE WINDSHIELD. WHAT AN EXTREMELY POOR DESIGN AND FUNCTION OF A BASIC DEFROST SYSTEM. EVEN DURING COLD WEATHER WITH NO PRECIPITATION THE POOR FUNCTION OF THE DEFROST SYSTEM CANNOT KEEP THE WINDSHIELD FREE OF FOGGING OVER UNLESS THE SELECTORS ARE SET ON FULL FAN, HEAT AND DEFROST. NOW WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH A CAR THAT SHOULD BE A GREAT, SAFE ALL WHEEL DRIVE, ALL WEATHER VEHICLE IN NEW ENGLAND THAT CAN'T HANDLE DEFROSTING THE WINDSHIELD DURING OUR WINTERS.