NHTSA Complaint #11162979 — 2011 MAZDA MAZDA6

WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 70MPH AND APPLIED BREAKS, HEARD A BANG FROM AREA OF PASSENGER FRONT SIDE AND LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING IT SWERVE INTO THE ADJACENT LANE ON MY RIGHT. I NARROWLY AVOIDED BEING HITTING AND BEING HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES AND WAS ABLE GET THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER EVENT WITHOUT HAVING PROPER CONTROL STEERING AS THE CAR WOULD ONLY STEER TO THE RIGHT. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BANG WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE SUBFRAME CRACKING DUE TO HEAVY DETERIORATION FROM RUST. THE CAR IS UNDERIVABLE. I CONTACTED MAZDA AND DISCOVERED THAT THE PREVIOUS YEARS OF THIS MODEL HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS SUBFRAME DETERIORATION ISSUE FOR THE SAME EXACT PART #. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE CAR CANNOT BE FIXED AS BECAUSE OF THE PART # IS NOT AVAILABLE AND HAS/IS ON BACKORDER FOR MANY MONTHS. THIS DEFECT IS A HUGE SAFETY RISK, IN MY CASE I AM VERY LUCKY THIS DID NOT RESULT IN FATAL ACCIDENT TRAVELING AT 70MPH ON INTERSTATE 80. I FEAR OTHER MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. THE SUBFRAME RECALL MOST CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO AT LEAST 2011 AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS THAT USE THIS SAME SUBFRAME. ADDITIONALLY, AT MINIMUM COURTESY TO IT CUSTOMERS MAZDA SHOULD BE ALTERING ITS CUSTOMERS TO HAVE THEIR SUBFRAMES INSPECTED AS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH MANY VEHICLE OWNERS UN AWARE THEY ARE DRIVING TICKING TIME BOMBS WITH SUBFRAMES THAT ARE DETERIORATING PREMATURELY AND CAN LOSE CONTROL OF STEERING AT ANY MOMENT.