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Trailer Hitch Wiring Harness Recall — Exhaust Contact / Fire Risk (17V744)
warning light; recall notice; repeated dealer repair
Safety2017
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Mazda CX-5 2017-2023: cylinder head crack, SBS phantom braking, ghost touch, oil consumption. California lemon law rights & free review — Margarian Law.
You chose the Mazda CX-5 because it stood apart from the mainstream crossover herd — premium interior, efficient SkyActiv powertrain, i-Activsense safety suite. For many owners that promise holds. But over 800 NHTSA complaints filed against the 2017-2023 second-generation KF platform reveal a cluster of serious, manufacturer-acknowledged defects that Mazda has been slow to escalate into full recalls.
The most alarming is the SkyActiv-G cylinder head casting flaw. Mazda documented it in internal Service Alert SA-031/21: aluminum heads crack and leak pressurized oil directly onto the hot exhaust manifold — a fire risk confirmed by owners who watched smoke pour through their HVAC vents. Mazda quietly extended the turbo warranty to 10 years / 120,000 miles under CSP11, but non-turbo owners carrying the same casting defect were largely left to pay $5,000-$7,500 engine bills out of pocket.
Turbo CX-5 owners face a separate engine problem: 2.5T models, especially 2019-2021, document oil consumption rates that drain a quart in under 1,000 miles. Dealers routinely respond by telling owners to 'add oil as needed' — which is not a repair.
Then there is the Smart Brake Support system. Marketed as a safety feature, SBS has activated full emergency braking on open highways without any obstacle present, causing rear-end crashes. Complaints span every KF generation year, a dealer acknowledged the pattern as 'known,' and no recall has been issued. If your CX-5 has been back to the dealer repeatedly for any of these issues without a lasting fix, California law may give you more options than you realize.
The issues owners report most, ranked by severity — each one verified against a cited NHTSA source.
warning light; recall notice; repeated dealer repair
airbag warning light; passenger airbag may not deploy; SRS warning; occupant detection fault
engine knocking; engine stalls; sudden loss of power; check engine light; engine failure recall
engine stalls while driving; vehicle will not start; loss of power; fuel pump recall
burning oil smell inside cabin; smoke from engine bay; oil level drops between changes; oil visible on exhaust manifold; burning fumes through HVAC vents; engine oil warning light; cracked cylinder head confirmed by dealer; no warning lights before crack; acrid smell when stationary or decelerating; fire risk from oil igniting on hot exhaust
low oil warning light within 1,000–2,000 miles of oil change; rapid oil level drop; blue smoke from exhaust under deceleration; burning oil smell; engine tick or lifter noise; repeat oil top-ups required between service intervals; dealer advises to 'add oil as needed'
A settled Margarian Law case on this exact model, published with the actual settlement math.
Open any defect for the symptoms and why it matters for a California lemon-law claim. Each is tied to a cited NHTSA source.
warning light; recall notice; repeated dealer repair
Recall 17V744000 was issued because an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness could contact the exhaust muffler and ignite. If a 2017 CX-5 owner presented the vehicle to the dealer for a burning smell or fire risk and the dealer failed to perform the recall repair promptly — or if the recall remedy did not cure the symptom — those visits may count toward the Song-Beverly 'reasonable number of attempts' threshold. Recall-backed defects carry heightened weight because the manufacturer has already acknowledged the safety risk in writing to NHTSA.
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reroute the trailer hitch harness away from the muffler, replacing the harness if it is damaged, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 20, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is
airbag warning light; passenger airbag may not deploy; SRS warning; occupant detection fault
Recall 18V426000 addresses side curtain airbag non-deployment in a side impact or rollover — a life-safety defect. California courts treat airbag defects as among the most serious under Song-Beverly because the risk of harm in a collision is catastrophic. If a 2018 CX-5 owner presented this vehicle for the recall repair and the remedy was delayed, incomplete, or returned an airbag warning light, each dealer visit for the same underlying defect counts toward lemon-law eligibility. NHTSA Recall 18V426 is confirmed on record with NHTSA, meaning Mazda had written notice of the defect — a critical element of Song-Beverly claims.
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2718F.
engine knocking; engine stalls; sudden loss of power; check engine light; engine failure recall
Recall 19V497000 covers a PCM software error that can stall the engine at speed — a loss-of-drive defect that substantially impairs safety. Under Song-Beverly, an unexpected engine stall on the highway is a paradigmatic safety impairment. If a 2018-2019 CX-5 owner experienced engine stalling and the recall software update failed to cure it (or the stall recurred), the repair history documents a defect that was not repaired in a reasonable number of attempts. The recall applies to model years 2018-2019, so any owner within those years who suffered stalling has NHTSA Campaign 19V497000 as direct confirmation of the manufacturer's knowledge.
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.
engine stalls while driving; vehicle will not start; loss of power; fuel pump recall
Recall 21V875000 covers a low-pressure fuel pump impeller that can crack and fail, causing the engine to stall or preventing starting — a direct safety and use-impairment defect. For 2018-2019 CX-5 owners, if the dealer performed the recall fuel pump replacement and the engine stall or no-start symptom returned (possible if the control unit was also affected), each subsequent dealer visit for that symptom strengthens a Song-Beverly claim. Separately, if the recall notice was delayed and an owner suffered a highway stall in the interim, that period of non-repair may be counted as time out of service under California's 30-day out-of-service provision.
Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.
burning oil smell inside cabin; smoke from engine bay; oil level drops between changes; oil visible on exhaust manifold; burning fumes through HVAC vents; engine oil warning light; cracked cylinder head confirmed by dealer; no warning lights before crack; acrid smell when stationary or decelerating; fire risk from oil igniting on hot exhaust
A cylinder head defect documented in Mazda's own Service Alert SA-031/21 constitutes a substantial impairment of use, value, and safety under California's Song-Beverly Act. If the dealer has replaced the head (or denied coverage) after two or more attempts within the warranty period, and the oil-leak or smoke symptom returned, those repair orders may satisfy the 'reasonable number of attempts' threshold. Owners whose CSP11 warranty claims were denied as 'non-turbo excluded' have an additional argument that Mazda's refusal itself breaches the implied warranty.
Cylinder head replacement (cost typically $5,000–$7,500 out-of-pocket for non-covered owners). Turbo variants: submit to Mazda under CSP11 extended warranty. Non-turbo: request goodwill from Mazda Corporate referencing SA-031/21; if denied, consult counsel. ATF flush alone does not address the head.
low oil warning light within 1,000–2,000 miles of oil change; rapid oil level drop; blue smoke from exhaust under deceleration; burning oil smell; engine tick or lifter noise; repeat oil top-ups required between service intervals; dealer advises to 'add oil as needed'
Excessive oil consumption that forces repeated dealer visits within the warranty period, with the dealer repeatedly documenting 'operating as designed' or 'add oil as needed,' is a classic Song-Beverly pattern. Under California law, a defect that substantially impairs value need not be a safety defect. Three or more repair attempts for documented consumption above Mazda's own threshold — each failing to cure — may support a buyback claim.
Mazda dealers may perform valve stem seal replacement or engine short block replacement under warranty. P250F software calibration update addresses the warning logic but not consumption. If consumption exceeds 1 qt/1,000 mi, request an oil consumption test documented on repair orders; Mazda's threshold for repair authorization is typically 1 qt per 750 miles under warranty.
automatic emergency brakes activate without obstacle present; sudden harsh stop at highway speed; vehicle rear-ended by following traffic after unprovoked SBS activation; Forward Smart City Brake Support Malfunction warning; Smart Brake System Malfunction light; Front Radar Sensor System Malfunction; adaptive cruise control disengages unexpectedly; vehicle hesitates or decelerates sharply when passing; dealer unable to duplicate
An ADAS system that applies full emergency braking without cause at highway speed — causing or nearly causing rear-end collisions — substantially impairs the vehicle's safety and value under Song-Beverly. Because the defect is intermittent, a 'cannot duplicate' dealer response is likely. California law counts each visit where the owner presents the vehicle for the same symptom, even if the dealer cannot reproduce it, provided the owner documents the complaint in writing on the repair order. A pattern of three or more such visits strengthens the lemon-law claim significantly.
Dealer recalibration of the front radar sensor unit; replacement of the windshield if delaminated near sensor mount; front camera unit replacement. Disabling SBS through the Mazda Connect menu is a workaround but resets to ON at every engine start. Mazda has not issued a recall for this defect.
touchscreen activates menus without driver input; volume jumps to maximum without warning; infotainment system freezes or reboots randomly; phone calls initiated by phantom touch; blind spot monitoring and heads-up display settings altered by ghost input; navigation exits mid-route; screen appears to have liquid or bubble under glass; system changes radio station or media source unprompted
Under Song-Beverly, a defect that alters safety-critical ADAS settings (blind-spot monitoring, emergency braking threshold) without driver input can support both functional and safety impairment arguments. If the CMU software update failed to cure the ghost-touch and a second visit resulted in the same complaint, California law may treat those as two repair attempts for the same defect. Dealers who log ghost-touch as 'software updated' rather than 'CMU replaced' create a paper trail that strengthens a lemon-law timeline.
Step 1: CMU software update at dealer (often temporary relief). Step 2: CMU (Connectivity Master Unit) replacement under CSP13d if ghost-touch persists. Owners who paid out-of-pocket before CSP13d was announced may submit reimbursement claims via Mazda. 2022+ MY CX-5 uses a revised infotainment architecture not subject to this defect.
chirping or shuddering noise on 3rd-to-4th gear upshift at 20–35 mph; jerky or hard transmission shifts from a stop; vibration felt through drivetrain during light acceleration; transmission whine at highway speed; vehicle hesitates or bucks when warm; transmission failure warning light; loss of drive engagement after warm-up
A transmission shudder or chirp that begins within the powertrain warranty period and requires full transaxle replacement constitutes a substantial impairment under Song-Beverly. If the dealer initially dismissed the complaint as 'operating as designed' or performed only an ATF flush that failed to cure the shudder, those visits count toward the required repair attempts. Owners near or outside warranty whose claims were denied despite TSB 05-005/23 documentation may have goodwill or legal recourse.
Multiple ATF flushes (not drain-and-fill; full exchange required) and torque converter replacement. If iron contamination is severe: complete transaxle replacement. Mazda TSB 05-005/23 covers the 3rd-to-4th chirp diagnostic. Confirm ATF change history before authorizing partial repair.
brake squeal or grinding before 20,000 miles; steering wheel vibration under braking; rotor rust and pitting visible on new vehicle; brake pads worn to metal before first oil change interval; dealer quotes brake job on near-new vehicle; brake warning light; all four corners worn simultaneously at low mileage
While brakes are classified as wear items, a complete four-corner brake replacement before 20,000 miles — within the bumper-to-bumper warranty period — may support a defect claim if the dealer's own inspection documents abnormal corrosion or material failure. Under Song-Beverly, a defect in materials (rotor casting, pad compound) is covered even if the component is categorized as a wear item. Owners should insist on the specific cause of failure being written on the repair order rather than simply 'normal wear.'
Pad and rotor replacement (typically $600–$1,000 all four corners). Mazda warranty covers brakes only if a defect in materials or workmanship is documented — dealers routinely deny, citing normal wear. Request written dealer inspection notes; if the dealer acknowledges rotor pitting or abnormal pad material separation, document it for warranty escalation. Aftermarket slotted rotors are a common owner upgrade.
loud humming, buzzing, rattling, or whirring from driver-side or passenger-side headlight; noise begins at key fob unlock or ignition on; noise present at all speeds; headlight output reduced or flickering due to LED thermal overheating; dealer diagnoses headlamp cooling fan bearing failure; Mazda requests partial cost contribution despite failure under warranty
Headlamp failure that reduces forward visibility is a safety-adjacent defect. If the fan noise began within the bumper-to-bumper warranty period and Mazda refused full coverage — or replaced one unit only for the other to fail shortly after — those sequential repair attempts may support a warranty breach claim. While a single headlamp fan is unlikely to anchor a lemon-law claim alone, combined with other open defects (oil consumption, SBS), it bolsters the overall impairment picture.
Headlamp assembly replacement (cooling fan is not individually serviceable; the entire headlamp unit must be replaced). Dealer cost varies $800–$1,500 per side out of warranty. If within the 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, submit for full coverage; if Mazda requests a cost contribution, escalate to Mazda Customer Experience.
remedy available
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
remedy available
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.
remedy available
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda CX-5 vehicles. In the event of a side impact or rollover crash, the side curtain air bags may not properly unfold during deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
remedy available
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2017 CX-5 vehicles equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness. This harness may be routed such that there is insufficient clearance between the harness and the exhaust muffler, allowing the wiring harness to contact the muffler.
Every item below comes from this vehicle's documented defects. The more you recognize, the more a free case review is worth your time.
California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act gives CX-5 owners enforceable rights when a warranty-covered defect is not repaired after a reasonable number of attempts.
Song-Beverly applies directly to the CX-5's documented defects because Mazda's own service bulletins — SA-031/21 (cylinder head), CSP13d (infotainment CMU), and TSB 05-005/23 (transmission chirp) — establish that Mazda had written notice of each problem before your first repair visit. That written notice matters; it eliminates the argument that Mazda did not know.
The law presumes the eligibility threshold is exceeded when: (1) the same defect was subject to repair four or more times within the warranty period, or (2) the vehicle was out of service for 30 or more cumulative days due to repairs. For defects that risk death or serious injury — SBS phantom braking, oil-on-exhaust fire — California courts have found two attempts can be sufficient.
If your CX-5 qualifies, Mazda must offer either a comparable replacement vehicle or a full repurchase at your purchase price (minus a mileage-use offset), plus reimbursement for towing, rental, and related incidental costs. Mazda must pay your attorney's fees if you prevail — meaning a Song-Beverly claim typically costs you nothing out of pocket to pursue.
Nothing here is legal advice; no attorney-client relationship is formed. Law as of June 2026.
“Could not duplicate” doesn't mean the defect isn't real. Here's exactly what to do to protect a potential California lemon-law claim.
Document the moment it happens. Photos, video, and screenshots of any warning lights — with the date and the mileage.
Get a repair order every visit — even “found nothing.” That paperwork is the foundation of a claim.
Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Note any recall that has no available remedy yet.
Track your out-of-service days. California law counts the cumulative days your vehicle spends in the shop.
Keep loaner & rental records. Alternate-transport paperwork during long repairs matters.
Save everything in one place. Symptoms, dates, repair orders, and every repeat visit — the intermittent ones especially.
Mazda dealers routinely mark CX-5 complaints — especially SBS phantom braking, oil smell, and ghost touch — as 'unable to duplicate.' Here is how to protect your rights:
1. PUT THE SYMPTOM ON THE REPAIR ORDER. Hand the service advisor a written description before they write anything — speed, conditions, date, frequency. Insist it appears verbatim. 'Emergency brakes applied at 65 mph, no obstacle, 2/15/26' is evidence. 'Customer concern' is not.
2. FILM IT. Dashcam footage of an SBS event, a dated video of the oil-level dipstick, or a screen recording of ghost-touch inputs are evidence the dealer cannot dispute later.
3. CITE THE TSB BY NUMBER. For the cylinder head, reference SA-031/21 and CSP11 by name and ask the inspection follow those procedures. For Mazda Connect, cite CSP13d. For the transmission chirp, cite TSB 05-005/23. A dealer who marks 'normal' after ignoring an applicable service bulletin is building documentary exposure for themselves.
4. GET EVERY CODE IN WRITING. Do not let the dealer clear P250F, P0303, or SBS fault codes without logging them on the repair order. Intermittent codes that are cleared leave no trace unless the service advisor writes them down first.
5. SAVE EVERY REPAIR ORDER. California lemon law counts each visit even when nothing was repaired. Three 'could not duplicate' notations for the same defect can support a Song-Beverly claim.
6. ESCALATE IN WRITING. After two failed attempts, email Mazda Customer Experience identifying the defect, citing the applicable bulletin, and stating you believe the vehicle qualifies under Song-Beverly. A written record of notice, independent of the dealer, strengthens any claim.
The 2017-2023 Mazda CX-5 is a genuinely well-designed vehicle for most owners — but the cylinder head casting defect and the SBS phantom braking pattern represent the kind of manufacturer-acknowledged, slow-to-recall defects that California's lemon law was designed to address. Mazda's decision to extend the turbo warranty under CSP11 while initially denying equivalent relief to non-turbo owners with the identical casting flaw was a corporate choice that left thousands of owners with five-figure repair bills on a vehicle they were told was reliable. If your CX-5 has been back to the dealer more than twice for any of the defects described on this page — especially within the warranty period — your repair orders may already tell the story a lemon-law attorney needs to review.
— The Margarian Law team
If your Mazda CX-5 has been to the dealer two or more times for a burning oil smell, phantom emergency braking, infotainment ghost-touch, or transmission shudder — and the problem was not fixed — you may have options under California's lemon law. Margarian Law has handled thousands of lemon-law cases and offers a free, no-obligation case review. There is no fee unless we recover for you.
A burning oil smell in the 2018-2021 Mazda CX-5 — especially coming through the HVAC vents or from the engine bay — is most commonly caused by a known cylinder head casting defect documented in Mazda's internal Service Alert SA-031/21. The aluminum cylinder head on the 2.5L SkyActiv-G engine can crack or develop porosity, allowing pressurized engine oil to leak onto the hot exhaust manifold directly below. The oil ignites on the manifold surface, producing the distinctive acrid smell and, in severe cases, visible smoke through the vents. This is a genuine fire risk, not a cosmetic concern. Take the vehicle to a Mazda dealer immediately and ask specifically for an inspection under SA-031/21. If your CX-5 has the 2.5T turbo engine, request coverage under Customer Satisfaction Program CSP11, which extends the warranty to 10 years or 120,000 miles for this specific defect. Non-turbo owners whose claims are denied should document the refusal in writing, as Mazda's own service bulletin acknowledges the same casting flaw in both engine variants. []
The Mazda CX-5's Smart Brake Support (SBS) system — which is designed to prevent collisions — has a documented pattern of activating the emergency brakes without any obstacle present, particularly at highway speeds. The system relies on a front-mounted radar and camera sensor array that can misidentify shadows, lane markings, guardrails, or vehicles in adjacent lanes as collision threats. When this happens, the car applies full braking force without driver input, often surprising the driver and the vehicle immediately behind. At least one NHTSA complaint documents a rear-end collision caused by the unprovoked SBS activation (ODI 11729750). A separate 2017 owner complaint notes that a Mazda dealer explicitly acknowledged the SBS phantom braking as a 'known issue' with that generation of CX-5 (ODI 11459535). The SBS system cannot be permanently disabled by the driver — it resets to 'on' every time the engine starts. If you have experienced this, document the date, location, speed, and conditions, then present the vehicle to the dealer with a written description requesting sensor recalibration and a notation on the repair order. Repeated phantom braking events that the dealer cannot resolve may support a Song-Beverly lemon-law claim. []
If the infotainment touchscreen in your 2017-2021 Mazda CX-5 is activating menus, changing volume, or making phone calls without you touching it, you are experiencing the Mazda Connect CMU digitizer delamination defect — commonly called 'ghost touch.' The touchscreen's laminated digitizer layer separates from the LCD panel over time due to heat cycling, and the separated layer generates phantom electrical signals that the system interprets as driver input. Beyond the distraction risk, ghost-touch events documented in NHTSA complaints include the system altering blind-spot monitoring sensitivity and automatic emergency braking distance settings while the vehicle is moving — safety-relevant changes the driver does not notice until after the fact (ODI 11740076, ODI 11718237). Mazda acknowledged the defect and issued Customer Satisfaction Program CSP13d, which provides for a CMU software update first, followed by full Connectivity Master Unit replacement if ghost-touch persists. Bring the vehicle to a Mazda dealer and reference CSP13d by name. If the software update does not resolve the issue, insist on the CMU replacement — do not accept a 'no concern found' notation when the defect is visible or documented. []
Excessive oil consumption in the 2019-2023 CX-5 Turbo (2.5T SkyActiv-G) is a documented pattern, with NHTSA complaints describing the low-oil warning illuminating within 900 to 2,000 miles of a fresh oil change — far below normal consumption thresholds. The likely cause is valve-stem seal degradation and piston ring wear under sustained boost pressure, which allows oil to enter the combustion chamber and burn off. Under the Mazda new-vehicle powertrain warranty (5 years / 60,000 miles on the drivetrain for vehicles sold as new), abnormal oil consumption caused by a manufacturing defect is a covered condition — not routine maintenance. To pursue warranty coverage: (1) bring the vehicle to a Mazda dealer and request an oil consumption test (this is a formal measurement over a defined number of miles); (2) ask the service advisor to document the test protocol and starting oil level on the repair order; (3) return for re-measurement at the dealer-specified interval. If consumption exceeds Mazda's threshold (typically 1 quart per 750-1,000 miles), the dealer should authorize an engine repair. If the dealer advises you to 'add oil as needed' without further investigation, ask for that response in writing — it is a red flag and potentially relevant to a Song-Beverly claim. []
Mazda's Customer Satisfaction Program CSP11 extended the powertrain warranty on the cylinder head defect to 10 years / 120,000 miles — but Mazda initially limited CSP11 to 2.5T turbo variants. Owners of 2018-2021 CX-5 models with the naturally-aspirated 2.5L SkyActiv-G engine have filed hundreds of NHTSA complaints alleging the same cylinder head casting defect covered by Service Alert SA-031/21, yet Mazda has declined equivalent goodwill coverage for those vehicles. Multiple NHTSA complaints (including ODI 11709993) document the inconsistency: Mazda's own service bulletin describes a manufacturing trend affecting both engine variants, but Mazda's warranty extension covers only the turbo. If you own a non-turbo 2018-2021 CX-5 and your dealer has confirmed a cracked or porous cylinder head causing oil leakage: (1) ask the dealer to document the repair using SA-031/21 procedures; (2) contact Mazda Customer Experience in writing requesting goodwill coverage and referencing the CSP11 extension applied to the identical defect in the turbo variant; (3) if Mazda refuses, retain your repair invoices — the denial of coverage for a manufacturer-documented defect may be relevant to a warranty breach or lemon-law evaluation. []
Yes — California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act counts every dealer visit for the same complaint, even when the dealer marks the repair order 'unable to duplicate' or 'no concern found.' This is especially important for CX-5 owners dealing with phantom SBS braking, intermittent oil burning, and ghost-touch infotainment — all of which are intermittent by nature and hard for a dealer to reproduce on demand. What matters is that you presented the vehicle for the same defect and the defect was not repaired. California law also provides a separate trigger: if the vehicle was out of service for repair for 30 or more cumulative days within the warranty period, you may qualify regardless of the number of repair attempts. To protect your rights when facing repeated 'cannot duplicate' responses: (1) bring the car in every time a symptom occurs, even if mild; (2) request that your specific symptom description appears on the repair order — do not let the advisor substitute vague language; (3) after a third unsuccessful attempt, consider sending a written notice to Mazda Corporate identifying the vehicle, defect, and repair history; (4) consult a California lemon-law attorney — attorney fees are paid by Mazda if you prevail, so a free consultation costs you nothing. []
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