2003 Mazda Mazda6 Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA 6. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, AN UNKNOWN FLUID STARTED LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RADIATOR CAP AND COOLANT BYPASS FITTING HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,326.

I STARTED HEARING A KNOCKING/TICKING NOISE FROM THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. I TOOK IT TO THE AUTO WORKSHOP I WAS TOLD I WILL HAVE TO CHANGE MY CAR ENGINE WHEN THE ENGINE HAS NOT EVEN GET TO 100,000 MILE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA 6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACT AS IF IT WANTED TO STALL WITH THE RPM GAUGE GOING UP AND DOWN ON THE VEHICLES INSTRUMENT PANEL AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATING. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE WAS A RECURRING ONE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE DIAGNOSIS DETAILS COULD NOT BE PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 30-60 MPH DURING ANY TYPE OF TRAFFIC (STOP AND GO, FREEWAY SPEEDS, ETC), MY 2003 MAZDA6 WILL SUDDENLY GO INTO A "SAFE OR LIMP" MODE CHARACTERIZED BY ABRUPT LOSS OF POWER WITH NO ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. THE RPMS DROP TO BETWEEN 1000 AND 1300 AND FLUCTUATE QUICKLY BETWEEN THE TWO NUMBERS. I HAVE HAD TO QUICKLY PRESS THE CLUTCH, TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON TO REGAIN NORMAL FUNCTION. WHEN TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, THE ROOT CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY. UPON MORE RESEARCH (INCLUDING THIS SITE), THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AN UNCOMMON ISSUE FOR THIS MODEL OF MAZDA. *KB

ON 17 FEB 2011 I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 MAZDA 6S AND WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED OF 25 MPH ALL MY LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD TURNED ON AND MY CAR IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO REDUCE SPEED ALMOST TO A STAND STILL. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN TIME TO AVOID ANY ACCIDENTS OR POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. I RESTARTED MY CAR AND WAS ABLE TO PROCEED IN DRIVING. HOWEVER MY ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THAT SOMEONE WITH THE SAME MODEL VEHICLE AND YEAR HAD THE SAME ISSUE ALMOST VERBATIM. THE REFERENCED A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM MAZDA BULLETIN NO: 01-016/06 RELEASED IN 2006 REGARDING THROTTLE BODY REPLACEMENT. I READ THE BULLETIN AND SURE ENOUGH IT STATED TO INSPECT THE LETTERS ON THE THROTTLE BODY. IT SHOWED AA,AB,BA MARKINGS = NO GOOD AND BB MARKING = GOOD. SO I INSPECTED MY VEHICLES THROTTLE BODY LETTER AND SURE ENOUGH IT WAS "AA". I WILL HAVE TO DEFINITELY REPLACE IT, AND OF COURSE I HAVE NO CHOICE BECAUSE YOU CAN IMAGINE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY OR FREEWAY AND SOMETHING LIKE THIS WERE TO OCCUR. ACCIDENTS, OR EVEN DEATH. IT IS PRETTY UPSETTING THAT SOMETHING HAS NOT BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THESE ISSUES ESPECIALLY WITH THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF THIS DEFECT! *TR

2003 MAZDA 6 WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND APPROXIMATELY 60K MILES. HAVING INCIDENTS OF STALLING AND IDLING HARD. PER ONE MECHANIC IT IS A PVC AND LINES. A SECOND MECHANIC SHOWED US A CRACK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THESE PARTS ARE CHEAP SINCE THEY ARE PLASTIC. BUT THE QUOTED INSTALLATION IS OVER $700 FOR JUST THE PVC. *TR

ON SEVERAL MODELS OF MAZDA 6'S MAZDA HAS ISSUED A TSB FOR THE PROBLEM WHICH IS A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. I HAVE READ THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS BY CONSUMERS. MAZDA HAS MADE A NEW PART YET NOT RECALLED THE OLD PART. WHEN THIS PART FAILS YOU LOSE ALL ACCELERATION POWER TO THE VEHICLE. THE WAY TO RESET THIS IS TO TURN OFF THE MOTOR AND TURN IT RIGHT BACK ON. I WAS DRIVING ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY CROSSED OVER THE BROKEN DOUBLE YELLOW LINE TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN THIS DEFECTIVE PART FAILED AND I LOST ALL ACCELERATION. THANKFULLY, I HAD JUST ENOUGH TIME TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW THE SAME CAR I WAS PASSING TO PASS ME AND I PULLED OFF THE ROADWAY. THE CAR WORKED FINE FOR THE REST OF THAT TRIP IT OCCURRED AGAIN ON THE FREEWAY IN THE FAST LANE. I CONTACTED MAZDA CORPORATE CUSTOMER CARE THEY ADVISED ME THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT HAD NOT ISSUED A RECALL AT THIS TIME.

TRAVELING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS IN CA ON THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY BRIDGE DURING EVENING TRAFFIC, MY 2003 MAZDA6 SUDDENLY WENT INTO "SAFE OR LIMP" MODE. THIS CAUSED ABRUPT LOSS OF POWER WITH NO ABILITY TO ACCELERATE, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A MULTI VEHICLE ACCIDENT. WHEN TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, THE ROOT CAUSE WAS A CODE DTC P2135 FOR A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY. MAZDA ADMITS 3 (THREE) VERSIONS OF THEIR THROTTLE BODY FOR THAT VEHICLE DEFECTIVE WITH AUTOMATIC DISCARD IF THERE IS A MIL WITH DTC P2135(PER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 01-016/06 ISSUED 05/18/2006 BY MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS), AND THROTTLE BODY MARKINGS "AA","AB","BA". MINE IS AN "AA". OBVIOUSLY MAZDA ADMITS THAT THESE ARE DEFECTIVE, BUT ONLY REPLACED THEM UNDER WARRANTY AND MY VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANY LONGER. THEY CALL THE NEW PART AN "UPGRADED VERSION". MY VEHICLE HAS DONE THIS (SAFE MODE) SEVERAL TIMES, SO NOW IT IS PARKED UNTIL I CAN GET IT FIXED (QUOTED PRICE FOR REPAIR IS $714 FROM MAZDA DEALER). THESE INCIDENTS CREATES AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I FEEL VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO ME, AND LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I FEEL MAZDA HAS MADE A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ADMITTING THAT THIS PART IS DEFECTIVE AND IT CAN CAUSE DANGER AND POSSIBLY LOSS OF LIFE. MAZDA NEEDS TO BE FORCED TO MAKE A RECALL AND REPLACE THESE PARTS AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. DEFECTIVE PART - THROTTLE BODY WITH MARKINGS "AA", "AB", "BA" MINE IS "AA"

OVER A PERIOD OF 1-1/2 HOURS, OUR 2003 MAZDA 6 QUICKLY LOST ALL ACCELERATION POWER ON 5 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING OUT OF TOWN ON THE HIGHWAY. FOLLOWING A 'SLIGHT BUMP' THE CAR WENT FROM 70 MPH TO 35 MPH TO 10 MPH, QUICKLY, REGARDLESS OF PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR. GETTING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN TRAFFIC GOING 70MPH+ WAS IN ITSELF A CHALLENGE AND AFTER PULLING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE CAR BEGAN JERKING FIERCELY. ONLY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE COMPLETELY WAS THE SYSTEM 'RESET'. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP HOOKED IT UP AND DETERMINED THE THROTTLE BODY MUST BE REPLACED FOR A QUOTED COST OF $534.41 (MACON, GA). THE SENSOR ITSELF, THE LIKELY CULPRIT FOR THIS ISSUE, IS NOT OFFERED OR AVAILABLE FOR SALE BY MAZDA WITHOUT ITS 'BODY', UNLIKE COUNTLESS OTHER MAKES, WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS, BUT THE MOST DISGUSTING PART OF THIS ISSUE IS THAT ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A CRITICAL NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS LOGGED ABOUT THIS ISSUE, THE TPS HAS NOT BEEN LISTED AS A RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY DID NOT HAVE TO REPLACE IT SINCE THERE WERE ONLY 'SERVICE BULLETINS' LISTED AND NO ACTUAL RECALLS FOR THE PARTS. THEY ARE VERY AWARE OF THE SITUATION. FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE AND MY DAUGHTER'S WITH THIS ISSUE, I CAN GUARANTEE THAT THIS HAS DEFINITELY CAUSED SERIOUS INJURIES, IF NOT FATALITIES, THAT JUST HAVEN'T BEEN REPORTED OR POSSIBLY IDENTIFIED. I WILL CONTINUE TO HUNT DOWN THE SENSOR AS I WILL NOT FALL PREY TO MAZDA'S 'RACKET'. THE CAR WILL SIT UNTIL I LOCATE THE PART, OR END UP BEING PARTED OUT. *TR

ENGINE SEIZED UP AS IT WAS SITTING IN DRIVEWAY WARMING UP. OIL WAS ALL OVER THE DRIVEWAY UNDER THE CAR AFTER THE SEIZED UP. *TR

SINCE I FIRST PURCHASED MY MAZDA THERE HAS BEEN A FAULTY FAN CONTROL MODULE THAT SHORTS OUT MY COMPUTER. THIS TIME THE VEHICLE FORCED MY INTO AN INTERSECTION WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I COULD KEEP MY VEHICLE FROM MOVING EVEN WITH THE BRAKE ON. *TR

AFTER 4 PREVIOUS REPAIRS I STARTED MY CAR AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ONCE AGAIN BEGAN TO FLASH, THIS TIME FLASHING RAPIDLY. I CALLED THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE RAPID FLASH MEANS THE CAR IS UNSAFE. I WAS TOLD I HAD A BAD COIL. AFTER A $400 REPAIR, I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME LIGHT FLASH. THE DEALER THEN TOLD ME MY CATALIYTIC CONVERTERS SPLIT. NOW I HAVE A $4,600 REPAIR JOB ON A 2003. PLEASE CHECK TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR FOR THE PAST YEAR. THANK YOU. *NM

BEGINNING IN 2006, MY 2003 MAZDA 6 WOULD RANDOMLY EXPERIENCE POWER FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS BOTH SCARY AND DANGEROUS. I WOULD BE DRIVING, THE CAR WOULD COMPLETELY LOOSE POWER WITH NO WARNING AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD WOULD COME ON. I WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER, TURN MY CAR OFF AND BACK ON, AND THEN IT WOULD WORK FINE TILL IT RANDOMLY HAPPENED AGAIN. OBVIOUSLY LOOSING POWER AT A HIGH SPEED IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR BOTH MYSELF AND THE OTHER DRIVERS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES AND THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO DETERMINE A CAUSE. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP OVER 10 TIMES FOR THIS BEHAVIOR. FINALLY IN AUGUST 2008, I WAS READING ON A MAZDA MESSAGE BOARD THAT THIS BEHAVIOR IS CAUSED BY A BAD THROTTLE BODY. THERE WAS EVEN A MAZDA SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED FOR IT IN 2006 (BULLETINS 01-016/06 LAST ISSUED MAY 18, 2006). I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, HAD THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED AND HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS BEHAVIOR SINCE. THE SERVICE BULLETIN HAD SERIAL NUMBERS OF BAD THROTTLE BODIES LISTED ON IT, MINE WAS ONE OF THEM. I BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE A MAZDA RECALL, NOT JUST A SERVICE BULLETIN, AS DEALERSHIPS DO NOT EVEN SEEM TO BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IT THE CAR IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF THE THROTTLE BODY FAILS. *TR

I PURCHASED MY MAZDA IN 2003. SINCE THE PURCHASE EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL THE END OF OCT. 2005 MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR WAS SHAKING, AND MY RPMS WHERE MALFUNCTIONING (GOING UP AND DOWN, THEN BACK UP AGAIN). I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED THAT MY CAR JUMPED TIME, MY CAR HAD UNDER 45K MILES. THEY FIXED IT, BUT IN THE BEGINNING OF NOV. 2005, NOT EVEN A MONTH LATER, MY CAR DID THE SAME THING, BUT THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THE BOLTS IN MY ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. THEN IN THE SUMMER OF 2006 I HAD A VACUUM LEAK, MY CAR WOULD START AND STOP, I HAD THAT REPAIRED AT REPAIR SHOP OF MY OWN CHOSE, SINCE MY WARRANTY WAS UP. NOW IN APRIL 2007, I WAS INFORMED BY A REPAIR SHOP, OF MY OWN CHOSE, THAT I THROWN A ROD IN MY MOTOR. *TR

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE HESITATED WHEN SHE HIT THE GAS AND WHEN SHE IS DRIVING, IT SEEMED TO HESITATE AND THEN GOES ON. SHE SAID THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. SHE HAS HAD IT TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES. ALL THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS. SHE SAID THAT TWO MONTHS AGO THEY TRIED TO LOCK IT AND THE HORN STARTED BLOWING. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB

ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TWICE WITHIN LESS THAN 5 1/2 YRS. TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITHIN 6YRS. BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED EVERY YEAR AND A HALF. INTERIOR CHEAPLY MADE. ALL PART ON THIS VEHICLE ARE PLASTIC AND BRAKE VERY EASY. MOTOR MOUNTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACE WITHIN 4 YRS. THIS VEHICLE IS A OWNERS NIGHTMARE . I WOULD NEVER RECOMMENDED ANYONE TO PURCHASE THIS CAR. REPAIRS COST MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. ENGINE REPAIR $6000.00, MOTOR MOUNTS $900, TRANSMISSION $2400-$4800, BRAKES $400, AND THE COST GOES ON. (LEMON). *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2003 MAZDA6 IN JUNE OF 2003. SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR MUTIPLE PROBLEMS. SEVERAL RECALLS OF COURSE, BUT THE FIRST MAJOR PROBLEM CAME WHEN THE CAR WAS ABOUT 1 YEAR OLD AND MY RADIATOR SEAM AT THE BOTTOM SEPERATED. THEY REPLACED THE RADIATOR. WHEN I PICKED THE CAR UP MY AIR CONDITIONING WAS NOT WORKING, SO I RETURNED THE CAR AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AT THAT TIME. APRIL OF 2005, MY CAR ONLY HAD ABOUT 19,000 MILES ON IT MY AIR CONDITIONING STARTED BLOWING HOT AIR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE STATED THAT MY FREON WAS LOW AND CHARGED IT UP. I ASKED HOW THAT COULD BE WITH A CAR AS NEW AS THIS ONE AND THEY STATED, IT WAS NORMAL. FOR A CAR THAT IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD?? LAST WEEK, AUGUST OF 2005, ONCE AGAIN MY AIR IS BLOWING HOT,PARTICULALY WHEN SITTING IN AN IDLE POSITION,WORKS BETTER UPON ACCLERATION. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THE CONTROL FAN MODULE WAS BAD AND REPLACED IT,WHICH BY THE WAY HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED WITH A RECALL. AS OF AUGUSST 22, 2005 MY AIR IS STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WE WENT ON A SHORT TRIP AND WERE STUCK IN A TRAFFIC JAM. ONCE AGAIN THE AIR WOULD NOT BLOW COLD WHILE WE WERE SITTING. I KNOW THIS IS NOT RIGHT BECAUSE WHEN WE FIRST GOT THE CAR, THE AIR WORKED GREAT. I AM REALLY FRUSTRATED WITH THIS CAR,I JUST KEEP WAITING FOR THE NEXT THING TO GO WRONG. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE MY BRAKED PADS AND HAD THE LEFT FRONT ROTOR TURNED. I THINK MAZDA OWES US ALL OF US THAT HAVE PURCHASED THESE CARS AND HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS A BIG APOLOGY . AND SHOULD REPLACE THESE VEHICLES, WHICH I KNOW WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY ACCELERATED AT HIGHER SPEED. CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT BE ENGAGED DURING THIS ISSUE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHCILE WAS IN GOOD CONDTION AND THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO HESITATE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND MADE A CLUNKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE REVVED HIGH WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP. THE CHECK ENIGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. EACH TIME THE DEALER TURN THE ENGINE LIGHT OUT IT WOULD COME BACK ON. *NM

WHILE WAITING IN MY CAR AT THE BANK WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING ON I NOTICED AN ODD SMELL AND THEN THE TEMP GAUGE STARTED RISING FAST. I PULLED TO THE SIDE IMMEDIATELY AND TURNED MY CAR OFF AND WAITED 30 MINUTES. I TOOK MY CAR IN THE NEXT DAY AND WAS INFORMED MY COOLING FAN CONTROL UNIT NEEDED REPLACING, WHICH THEY DID. I HAD TO ASK FOR MY INVOICE WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME. IT IS WORKING FINE NOW, BUT I FIND IT ODD THAT SUCH A NEW CAR COULD HAVE SUCH A PROBLEM.

I DRIVE A 2003 MAZDA 6S, WHICH I PURCHASED FROM BIGGER'S MAZDA IN ELGIN, IL. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM THEM. MY AREA OF CONCERN INVOLVES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON MY VEHICLE, AND THE PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS LIGHT IS ON. ON APRIL 2, 2004 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED FOR THE THIRD TIME. WHEN I OPERATE MY VEHICLE WITH THE LIGHT ON IT PERFORMS ERRATICALLY AND UNUSUAL. THE LAST TIME THE LIGHT CAME ON, I WAS PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, AND MY VEHICLE BOGGED DOWN. IN TURN, THE DRIVER BEHIND ALMOST REAR-ENDED ME. WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE YESTERDAY, I WENT TO PASS A CAR ON THE EXPRESSWAY, AND AGAIN MY CAR BOGGED DOWN. EVERY TIME THAT I TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALER, I PROVIDE THEM WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. I HAVE PAPERWORK TO SHOW THAT I HAVE TAKEN IT IN THREE TIMES. AFTER A RECENT VISIT TO MY DEALER, THEY STATED, "WE HAVE NO FIX FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE LIGHT WILL ALWAYS COME BACK ON. IF YOU ARE LUCKY, OUR MAZDA ENGINEERS WILL HAVE A REMEDY BY AUGUST 2004 (TODAY IS 4/6/04). THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS CAUSED BY A MISFIRE IN THE FOURTH CYLINDER". WHAT AN AWFUL RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY CAR. I AM ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE OTHER DRIVERS AROUND MY CAR. AFTER THREE VISITS TO MY DEALER, I FEEL LOST AND HELPLESS. PLEASE ADVISE. *LA