NHTSA Complaint #10849997 — 2004 MAZDA MAZDA6

OVER TIME, THE CLUTCH IN MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION 2004 MAZDA 6 V6 HATCHBACK HAS BEEN GETTING NOISY, DIFFICULT TO MODULATE WITH SURPRISING SLOPPY MOVEMENT IN A SIDEWAYS MOTION WHEN BEING DEPRESSED, AND HAS BEEN GREATLY WORRYING ME. UPON INVESTIGATION, I DISCOVERED CRACKS IN THE FORMED AND WELDED STEEL FRAME THAT HOLDS THE CLUTCH PEDAL WHERE THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY BOLTS TO THE FIREWALL. I'VE ADJUSTED MY CLUTCH LINKAGE, BLED THE HYDRAULIC LINE AND ATTEMPTED TO BEND THE FRAME BACK TO SQUARE, BUT EVENTUALLY THIS FRAME IS GOING TO FAIL AND I WILL BE UNABLE TO PUSH THE CLUTCH AND CHANGE GEARS. IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING, I COULD CRASH AND BE INJURED OR KILLED. IN ADDITION, THE CLUTCH PEDAL FRAME, AS IT BENDS TO THE LEFT WITH EVERY SHIFT, MAKES CONTACT WITH AN ELECTRICAL/CPU BOX MOUNTING FRAME NEXT TO THE CLUTCH, WHICH IS ADDITIONALLY WORRISOME. THIS WELDED STEEL FRAME IS MADE FROM SURPRISINGLY LIGHT GAUGE METAL AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THIS IS A GRAVE SAFETY CONCERN FOR ALL MAZDA 6S MADE IN THE FORD AUTO ALLIANCE FACTORY IN FLAT ROCK, MICHIGAN. THIS COMPONENT SHOULD BE RECALLED!