NHTSA Complaint #737855 — 1995 MAZDA 626

/STABILIZER/ SWAY BAR LINKS ON MY 1995 MAZDA 626 BROKE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THIS WEEK. THEY CAUSED THE STABILIZER BAR TO DROP DOWN AND DRAG ON TO THE ROAD WHICH WAS EXTREMELY BUSY. I HAD TO ABRUBTLY SLOW DOWN, PULL OVER AND STOP MY CAR WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT SINCE I WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 60-65 MILES PER HOUR. THE DEALER IN MY AREA CHARGES $61.80 TO PURCHASE THE LINKS FOR EACH SIDE SINCE THE PRODUCTION DATE OF THE CAR IS BEFORE 9/13/95. IF THE PRODUCTION DATE WAS AFTER THIS DATE, I WOULD BE CHARGED $29.30. SINCE I WAS ABLE TO APPLY A $10.00 DEALER COUPON, THE PARTS COST ME $55.24 EACH TOTALING 117.92 WITH TAX. ALSO, THE DEALER QUOTED A &75.00 LABOR CHARGE TO REPAIR EACH SIDE WHICH WOULD HAVE COST ME $150.00 FOR LABOR AND TOTAL REPAIR OF $267.92. I THINK THAT THIS IS TOTALLY UNFAIR. AN INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR SHOP NEAR MY HOME ONLY CHARGED ME $45.00 FOR THE REPAIR OF THE LINKS WHICH TOOK ONLY 15-20 MINUTES TO REPAIR. THE MECHANIC AT THIS SHOP SAID THAT HE RECEIVED FIVE VEHICLES IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS THAT HAD THE SAME PARTS REPLACED. THERE WERE THREE FORD PROBE CARS AND TWO (INCLUDING MINE) MAZDA 626 CARS. HE BELIEVES THAT THE STABILIZER BAR LINKS ARE DEFECTIVE MAZDA/FORD PARTS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT CONSUMERS SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR PARTS AND LABOR AS WELL AS THE INCONVENIENCE. MAZDA AND FORD SHOULD NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES TO WARN THEM OF THESE STABILIZER BAR LINK BREAKDOWNS. *AK