2009 Mazda Mazda3 Lighting Problems

Brake lights are causing the top of the tail light to melt on the housing.

RED TAIL LIGHT LENS MELTED SO WHEN YOU TURN ON THE LIGHTS, THE TAIL LIGHTS LOOK WHITE INSTEAD OF RED. DID THIS TO BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE TAIL LIGHTS USING ORIGINAL BULBS. I PURCHASED TWO NEW TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES AND INSTALLED THEM MYSELF. AFTER THREE MONTHS THE RIGHT SIDE TAIL LIGHT AGAIN MELTED SO IT NOW LOOKS WHITE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS MELTED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TAIL LIGHTS; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKE LIGHTS OPERATED AT RANDOM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

RED INNER COATING ON TAIL LIGHTS APPEARS TO HAVE MELTED, MAKING A HOLE THAT SHOWS WHITE LIGHT THROUGH THE TAIL LIGHT LENS SO THAT WHEN I AM BRAKING, IT LOOKS LIKE I MIGHT HAVE MY BACKUP LIGHTS ON. *TR THIS PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO (MID-2012) BY A FRIEND WHO WAS FOLLOWING ME ON A TRIP AT NIGHT. AT THE TIME, THERE WERE SMALL "HOLES" IN THE RED PART OF THE TAIL LIGHTS. BY EARLY THIS MONTH, WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO A MAZDA DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THE HOLES HAD BECOME QUITE A BIT BIGGER. THEY STARTED AT ABOUT THE SIZE OF A DIME OR NICKEL, LAST YEAR. NOW THEY ARE THE SIZE OF A HALF DOLLAR, AND ARE A BIGGER SAFETY HAZARD. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT THIS. MAZDA TOLD ME TODAY THAT THE MANUFACTURER CANNOT HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM. MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP SAID MY CAR'S TAIL LIGHTS HAD "NONSTANDARD" BULBS IN THEM, AND ALSO SAID THAT THERE WERE CRACKS IN THE BULB SOCKETS. IF SO, THEN THE TAIL LIGHTS CAME THAT WAY FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND/OR THE DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD ME THE CAR NEW. I AM THE SOLE OWNER OF THE CAR, AND I HAVE NEVER CHANGED ANY TAIL LIGHT BULBS IN IT.