CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, SHIFTING FROM 3RD TO 2ND AS THE GEAR LEVER HIT NEUTRAL THERE WAS A FAINT POPPING NOISE, CLUTCH PEDAL FROZE IN THE DOWN POSITION, I SENSED SOMETHING WRONG AND ALLOWED FORWARD MOMENTUM TO PULL TO THE CURB. I ATTEMPTED TO FINISH SHIFTING, GEARS WERE UNUSABLE, CLUTCH PEDAL FROZEN DOWN. THIS ALL OCCURRED IN A HALF A SECOND OR LESS. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND THERE WAS SURPRISINGLY LITTLE TRAFFIC. 2 BLOCKS FURTHER AND THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IN HEAVY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AT 65 MILES AN HOUR. AFTER 5 MINUTES OF MAKING PHONE CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE, THE CLUTCH PEDAL RELEASED AND I WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY LIMP TO THE DEALERSHIP. THERE WERE NO PRIOR SIGNS OF CLUTCH WEAR EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE PRIOR DAYS IN WHICH THE CLUTCH FELT A LITTLE SOFTER THEN NORMAL BUT SO LITTLE I COULDN'T TELL IF WAS THE NEW SHOES OR THE CAR. THE CAR HAS 38,000 MILES. IT IS USED PRIMARILY TO GET TO WORK WITH 50/50 STREET AND HIGHWAY DRIVING AND ROUGHLY 36 MILES A DAY. WITH 4 MODELS OF THIS BRAND OVER 20 YEARS I HAVE NEVER HAD A CLUTCH REPAIR WITH AN AVERAGE LIFE OF 90-100K MILES. *TR
2013
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I DROVE THE CAR ON FRIDAY, 4/26/13, FOR ABOUT 120 MILES. ON 4/29/13, I FOUND THE BATTERY DIED. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME FOR THIS BRAND NEW CAR ABOUT A MONTH. IT'S NOT A RELIABLE PRODUCT. THE SERVICE LADY IN MAITA MAZDA SACRAMENTO TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD DRIVE THE CAR EVERYDAY TO KEEP THE BATTERY WORKING. WHY DIDN'T THEY TOLD ME BEFORE I BROUGHT IT. *TR
