2011 Mazda Mazda3 Lighting Problems

MECHANIC'S REPORT 12/28/2019: "RIGHT FRONT (PASSENGER SIDE) HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS MAJOR MOISTURE CONTAMINATION. HID CONTROLLER FAILURE DUE TO MOISTURE; HID BULB OUT. REPAIR EST. $1,500 - $2,000." MY 2011 MAZDA 3 MILEAGE IS 36,915. I WILL TAKE THIS TO MAZDA SERVICE DEPT. ON 1/2/2020 FOR EVALUTAION. THEIR REPAIR EST. ON PHONE WAS $2,000+ - PARTS ONLY. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM REPORTED ONLINE BY MANY OWNERS OF THIS MAKE AND YEAR. CLEARLY THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT ISSUE. ONE THAT HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS AT NIGHT. (I FIRST NOTICED MOISTURE SOMETIME AFTER A DRIVE-THRU CAR WASH 3 MONTHS AGO.)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA MAZDA3. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE REAR BRAKE STOP LAMPS ILLUMINATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE FAILURE DUE TO THE ABS MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKE STOP LAMPS WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA 3. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED WATER IN THE PASSENGER SIDE HEAD LAMP. AS A RESULT, THE HEAD LAMP FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD LAMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V644000 (STRUCTURE). THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

VEHICLE HEADLIGHT FAILED DUE TO FAULTY SEAL ALLOWING MOISTURE TO ENTER THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. I BROUGHT THE HEADLIGHT INTO THE DEALER WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY WHEN I NOTICED MOISTURE IN THE HEADLIGHT BUT BEFORE IT FAILED. MY CLAIM WAS DENIED STATING THAT IT WAS A COSMETIC ISSUE. NOW THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COSTS SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO CORRECT. RESEARCH ONLINE INDICATES MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR WARRANTY CLAIM AVOIDANCE AND FAILED HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES.

1) AFTER MOVING THE EMPTY PASSENGER SEAT BACK A FEW INCHES AT A RED LIGHT, PASSENGER AIRBAG DEACTIVATION LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASH AND HAS REMAINED ON EVER SINCE. AT THE SAME TIME, THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BEGAN FLASHING A CODE 16. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE LOOSE WIRES OR CONNECTIONS UNDER THE SEAT. 2) CONDENSATION APPEARING IN DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY.

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WILL GO ON AND OFF WITH NOBODY IN THE SEAT. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND NOT CONSISTENTLY. SOMETIMES WHILE STATIONARY, SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING. THE DASHBOARD HAS COME APART FROM THE CENTER PIECE ON THE DASH WITH THE DIGITAL DISPLAY. CAR WAS PURCHASED IN TEXAS IN 2013, DROVE TO MAINE IN 2015 AND DRIVEN TO VIRGINIA SINCE 2018. PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE REAR VIEW MIRROR HAS STRANGE BROWN MARKS INSIDE THE MIRROR MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. OWNER DOES NOT SMOKE. STRANGE CLUNKY NOISE FROM REAR SUSPENSION, NOT CONSISTENT VERY RANDOM. SMOOTH ROAD, BUMPY ROAD, FAST OR SLOW, THE SOUND JUST RANDOMLY HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME. HEADLIGHTS FORM MOISTURE, OWNER BOUGHT NEW HEADLIGHTS WITH MECHANIC INSTALL AND THEY STARTED TO COLLECT MOISTURE ABOUT A YEAR AFTER INSTALLATION. OWNER OF VEHICLE SINCE 2013 TO PRESENT. VEHICLE PURCHASED AT APPROX 60K MILES, CURRENTLY APPROX 130K MILES.

HEADLIGHT SEAL FAILURE; WATER CONDENSATION IN THE HEADLIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE). OCCURS AFTER A CAR WASH, A DRIVE IN THE RAIN, DRIZZLE OR DOWNPOUR IN HIGHWAY OR CITY. ROAD ILLUMINATION DIMINISHED FROM WATER CONDENSATION.