NHTSA complaint #11233424

Owner complaint summary

I HAD A FLAT TIRE ON THE FRONT LEFT CORNER OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGH SPEED HIGHWAY. IN MY EFFORT (AND THAT OF A WISCONSIN STATE TROOPER) TO INSTALL THE TEMPORARY SPARE TIRE I (WE) DISCOVERED IT WOULD NOT FIT ON THE CAR. IT SEEMED TO BE THE WRONG TYPE FOR MY VEHICLE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOO COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE SPARE WOULD NOT FIT. THE MECHANICS BEST GUESS IS THAT THE BRAKE CALIPER IS TO BIG FOR THE SPARE PREVENTING IT FROM BEING INSTALLED. SO THEY MOVED THE LEFT REAR WHEEL TO THE FRONT AND INSTALLED THE SPARE ON THE REAR CORNER. NOW LET'S BE CLEAR, I KNOW AND THE DEALERSHIP KNOWS THAT PUTTING THE SPARE ON THE REAR AXLE IS THE SAFEST WAY TO TRAVEL UNTIL A REPLACEMENT TIRE IS OBTAINED. BUT, WHEN YOU ARE STUCK ON A PATCH OF ASPHALT BETWEEN AN EXIT RAMP AND THE MAIN THOROUGHFARE WITH CARS FLYING BY YOU ON BOTH SIDES, AS I WAS, YOU JUST WANT TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE AND NOT TAKE ANY MORE TIME THAN NECESSARY LIKE ROTATING TIRES ON ONE SIDE OF THE CAR. I CONTACTED MAZDA ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND THEIR ANSWER WAS ONLY PUT THE SPARE ON THE REAR AXLE CITING AN EXCERPT FROM THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THAT STATEMENT IN THE MANUAL ONLY TELLS YOU IT COULD BE UNSAFE TO PUT THE SPARE ON THE FRONT BUT NOTHING TELLS YOU IT WON'T EVEN FIT. BECAUSE OF THIS LITTLE "DESIGN FLAW" I WAS FORCED INTO A PROLONGED DANGEROUS SITUATION. QUITE SIMPLY I SHOULD BE PROVIDED A SPARE THAT WILL FIT EVERY AXLE SO I CAN GET OUT OF HARMS WAY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.