2006 MAZDA RX-8 Structure Problems

DASH HAS SEVERAL CRACKS OVER AIRBAG. CRACKING STARTED SOON AFTER WARRANTY WAS NULL. AIRBAG HAS RECALL, BUT MAZDA EXPECTS OWNERS TO PAY $500 FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART. WILL REPLACE AIRBAG AND RE-INSTALL SAME CRACKED DASH. VERY DANGEROUS IN CRASH SITUATION AS SMALL FRAGMENTS MAY ENTER PASSENGERS FACE AND UPPER BODY. SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH RX8'S ACCORDING TO MAZDA MECHANIC. *TR

CRACK APPEARED IN THE DASH WHERE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS CONTAINED. THE CRACK STARTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND THE CAR IS NOT GARAGED AND IS IN THE SUN ALL DAY SO I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE CAUSED BY THE SUN. I LIVE IN GEORGIA AND THIS CAR ORIGINALLY CAME FROM THE PORT AUTHORITY IN FLORIDA WHERE IT IS ALSO VERY HOT. MY VIN NUMBER IS INCLUDED IN THE RANGE OF "POTENTIALLY AFFECTED VEHICLES" IN THE 14V-344 LETTER DATED JUNE 20, 2014, WRITTEN TO [XXX] OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION AND WAS SIGNED BY [XXX] , GROUP MANAGER, OF ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & POWERTRAIN ENGINEERING, MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS. I PRINTED A COPY OF THAT LETTER AND WILL ALSO CONTACT MAZDA TO SEE WHEN THEY PLAN TO INITIATE AN ACTION. I AM ASKING [XXX] THE SAME QUESTION HERE. IS MY FAMILY AND THE PEOPLE WITH THE CRACKS IN THEIR...

THE DASH COVER OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IS CRACKING A LOT IN ALL DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. I TALKED TO THE DEALER ABOUT THIS AND THEY TOLD ME IT IS A COMMON ISSUE IN THE RX-8'S AND THAT THE FACTORY WON'T COVER FIXING IT. THIS SEEMS LIKE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE DASH CRACKING APART RIGHT ABOVE THE AIR BAG. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT SOME MINOR CRACKS EITHER. I FIRST NOTICED THE CRACKS IN THE DASH ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND NOW THEY GROWN AND EXPANDED SUBSTANTIALLY SINCE THEN. IT JUST REALLY LOOKS LIKE A DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH IT OCCURRING RIGHT ABOVE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF SOMEONE FROM NHTSA WOULD LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE FURTHER. THANK YOU *TR