NHTSA Complaint #11202646 — 2018 MAZDA MAZDA3

PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2018 MAZDA 3 2.5L TOURING HATCHBACK. I HAD ONLY DRIVEN THE VEHICLE AS ITS NEW OWNER ONCE, FROM THE DEALERSHIP BACK TO MY HOME, WHICH WAS LESS THAN 20 MILES, WHEN THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED: I STARTED THE ENGINE FOR MY SECOND TRIP WITH THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. I DROVE THE VEHICLE AROUND THE BLOCK AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY UNUSUAL DRIVING PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS SO I DROVE TO MY INTENDED DESTINATION WHICH WAS ONLY 7 MILES AWAY. WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE TO MAKE MY WAY BACK I NOTICED THAT NOW FIVE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED, WHICH CORRESPONDED TO THE FOLLOWING WARNING GUIDANCES: AN ENGINE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, A DSC MALFUNCTION, A TPMS SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, ALONG WITH TWO SCBS MALFUNCTION WARNINGS. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, I FOUND THAT THE ENGINE WAS CLEARLY NOT RUNNING PROPERLY, AS IT JERKED VIOLENTLY, SURGED, HESITATED AND AT TIMES SEEMED POISED TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS CLEARLY UNSAFE FOR ME TO PROCEED ON THE ROAD. AS IT WAS SUNDAY, I HAD TO ARRANGE ON THE NEXT DAY FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TRANSPORT THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST MAZDA SERVICE CENTER, WHICH WAS NOT THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM. IT TOOK OVER A WEEK FOR MAZDA SERVICE CENTER TO DETERMINE I HAD A FAULTY THROTTLE BODY, WHICH HAD CAUSED THESE PROBLEMS AND THIS WAS WHAT NEEDED REPLACEMENT. IMPORTANTLY, THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING PROBLEMS WITH THIS NEW MAZDA WERE KNOWN PREVIOUSLY BY THE ORIGINAL MAZDA DEALER BEFORE THE SALE TRANSACTION WAS COMPLETED: PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE'S ARRIVAL FOR SERVICE AT MAZDA SERVICE CENTER, THE WARNING LIGHTS AND MALFUNCTION CODES WERE PREVIOUSLY CLEARED BY THE MAZDA DEALER, RATHER THAN ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OR RESOLVING IT. THIS IS FRAUD AND CORPORATE MALFEASANCE ON THE PART OF THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP.