Certain vehicles made by Mazda Motor of America, Inc. consume too much oil, says the complaint for this class action, because of a valve stem seal defect. This can lead not only to the need for too-frequent additions of oil but also to engine failure.
The Nationwide Class for this action is all persons or entities in the US who are current or former owners or lessees of a 2021 Mazda CX-30, CX-5, CX-9, Mazda3, and Mazda6 vehicle. A Washington Subclass has also been defined for those in the above class who bought or leased their vehicles in the state of Washington.
The valve stem seal defect lets engine oil seep into the combustion chamber, the complaint alleges, which “causes voluminous oil consumption that cannot be reasonably anticipated or predicted and can result in engine failure.”
Oil serves important functions in a vehicle, the complaint claims: “The oil creates a film separating surfaces of adjacent moving parts to minimize direct contact, decreasing heat caused by friction and reducing wear. Engine oil also has important cleaning and sealing functions and servs as in important medium for dissipating heat throughout the engine.”
The plaintiff in this case, Gary Guthrie, bought a new 2021 Mazda CX-30 in June 2021 and experienced the oil defect before he’d even owned the vehicle for a year. In March 2022, the complaint alleges, about 4,000 miles after his last oil change, the Low Engine Oil Level indicator illuminated. When Guthrie checked the oil level, he claims, the dipstick was “bone dry.”
When the dealership checked the vehicle, the complaint says, it did not see signs of oil leakage but confirmed that the vehicle was using too much oil. The complaint alleges that the Mazda Owner’s Manual and Warranty specifies an oil change interval of 10,000 miles or one year.
According to the complaint, Mazda has known about this defect, but it has not yet been willing or able to do anything about it under the warranty.
The complaint alleges that Mazda has known about this and mentions it in a bulletin of October 4, 2021, stating that “it is very likely that valve stem seal damage is causing oil to leak into the combustion chamber.” What are dealers supposed to do about it? The complaint claims that “Mazda merely directs its dealerships to ‘top off the engine’ oil” if it gets complaints. Mazda, the complaint says, has not yet offered its dealerships an adequate fix for the problem.
Mazda has known about the problem, the complaint alleges, through its own testing, consumer complaints, warranty information, and dealership repair orders, but it has not offered to reimburse owners or lessees for the extra costs incurred. The complaint also alleges it has actively concealed the defect and the associated problems from consumers and those buying the vehicles.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Automobile
Most Recent Case Event
Mazda Vehicles Excessive Oil Consumption Complaint
June 25, 2022
Certain vehicles made by Mazda Motor of America, Inc. consume too much oil, says the complaint for this class action, because of a valve stem seal defect. This can lead not only to the need for too-frequent additions of oil but also to engine failure.
Mazda Vehicles Excessive Oil Consumption ComplaintCase Event History
Mazda Vehicles Excessive Oil Consumption Complaint
June 25, 2022
Certain vehicles made by Mazda Motor of America, Inc. consume too much oil, says the complaint for this class action, because of a valve stem seal defect. This can lead not only to the need for too-frequent additions of oil but also to engine failure.
Mazda Vehicles Excessive Oil Consumption Complaint