NHTSA Complaint #11111780 — 2006 MAZDA MAZDA6

ON 6/18/2018, THE PASSENGER SIDE STEERING CONTROL ARM BROKE OFF THE SUB-FRAME OF MY 2006 MAZDA 6 WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. FORTUNATELY, I WAS DRIVING ON A SIDE STREET CLOSE TO HOME WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND NOT ON A HIGHWAY. I DID NOT KNOW AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS THE SUBFRAME. ALL I KNEW WAS THAT THERE WAS NO CONTROL OF THE CAR AS IT WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE CONTROL ARM BROKE OFF THE SUB-FRAME BECAUSE THE SUBFRAME WAS RUSTED/CORRODED. IT'S UNACCEPTABLE AND A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR AN AUTO SUBFRAME TO ROT LIKE THAT AND MY CAR ONLY AS ABOUT 86,000 MILES. I CALLED MAZDA USA (1-800-222-5500) AND EXPLAINED MY SITUATION WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE. THEY STARTED A CASE AND ADVISED ME TO GET THE CAR TOWED TO MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP FOR AN INSPECTION. ON 6/29/18, I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO LIBERTY MAZDA. ON 7/5/2018, THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THE SUBFRAME FAILED BECAUSE IT WAS RUSTED/CORRODED. AND THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME AN ESTIMATE OF $1,973 TO REPAIR THE CAR USING A USED SUBFRAME. ON 7/9/2018, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM ANGELA (REFUSED TO PROVIDE LAST NAME) A MAZDA USA CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE. SHE STATED THAT MAZDA USA DECLINED TO ASSIST IN REPAIRING MY CAR. IN OTHER WORDS, MAZDA USA IS NOT OWNING UP TO THEIR ENGINEERING FLAW DESIGNING THE SUBFRAME. EVEN THOU NHTSA HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT SUBFRAME FAILURES DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION. I DECLINED GETTING MY CAR REPAIRED SINCE MAZDA USA WAS NOT WILLING TO PAY ANYTHING TOWARDS THE REPAIR.