Investigations
FAILURE OF ENGINE/TRANSMISSION MOUNT
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE07015 — closed, opened 2007-03-13 and involving the MAZDA MAZDASPEED3.
NHTSA investigation PE07015 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2007-03-13 and currently closed. The subject of record is MAZDA MAZDASPEED3, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for MAZDA. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2007-07-13 — NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE07015 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "ON JULY 2, 2007 MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO NHTSA REGARDING THE LEFT HAND SIDE (LHS) ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS IN APPROXIMATELY 5,700 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 MAZDASPEED3 VEHICLES BUILT..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time. Related MAZDA files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
ON JULY 2, 2007 MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO NHTSA REGARDING THE LEFT HAND SIDE (LHS) ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS IN APPROXIMATELY 5,700 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 MAZDASPEED3 VEHICLES BUILT FROM JUNE 26, 2006 THROUGH MAY 19, 2007 (MAZDA RECALL 4607F, NHTSA RECALL 07V-295). ACCORDING TO MAZDA, THE LHS ENGINE MOUNT COULD LOOSEN UNDER REPEATED LOADS PRODUCED DURING RAPID ACCELERATIONS. LOOSE BOLTS COULD PULL OUT OR BREAK, ALLOWING THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION TO DROP ON THE LEFT SIDE. WHEN THE ENGINE DROPS, THE DRIVESHAFT MAY BECOME DETACHED AND DISABLE THE VEHICLE. MAZDA WILL REPLACE THE LHS ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS IN THE RECALLED VEHICLES. IN ADDITION, THE LHS ENGINE MOUNT RUBBER AND BRACKET WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED IF NECESSARY. MAZDA STATED IN ITS LETTER THAT IT "CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO UNREASONABLE RISK OF ACCIDENT OR INJURY ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONDITION," CITING THE LACK OF ACCIDENTS AND CONTENDING THAT MOST OF THE REPORTED INCIDENTS WERE IDENTIFIED BY OPERATORS BEFORE THERE WAS ANY EFFECT ON VEHICLE OPERATION. ODI DISAGREES WITH MAZDA. ALTHOUGH ONLY ABOUT HALF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES HAD ENTERED SERVICE BY THE CUTOFF DATE OF THE FAILURE DATA SUBMITTED BY MAZDA, ODI'S ANALYSIS OF CONSUMER COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM DATA IDENTIFIED A TOTAL OF 36 SUBJECT VEHICLES WITH REPAIRS FOR LOOSE OR BROKEN LHS MOUNTING BOLTS. ODI VERIFIED 17 INCIDENTS OF BOLT FRACTURE RESULTING IN THE ENGINE DROPPING IN THESE VEHICLES, INCLUDING AT LEAST 10 THAT RESULTED IN VEHICLE DISABLEMENT. ALL OF THE BOLT FRACTURES OCCURRED IN THE FIRST 7 MONTHS OF VEHICLE SERVICE, WITH 8 FAILING WITHIN 4 MONTHS. THESE FAILURES RESULT IN A RELATIVELY HIGH FAILURE RATE WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER ODI INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING DEFECT CONDITIONS WITH SIMILAR SAFETY CONSEQUENCES THAT RESULTED IN SAFETY RECALLS, PARTICULARLY WHEN CONSIDERING THE VERY SHORT SERVICE LIFE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION. ODI INTERVIEWED OWNERS TO FURTHER ASSESS THE SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
Other MAZDA Investigations
Momentary increase in steering effort after recall remedy
Inadvertent Curtain Air Bag Deployment
Front Subframe Corrosion
Lower ball joint separation
Brake Booster Failure
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. Learn more.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.