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Design flaw

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Old 01-10-2008, 11:51 PM
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Design flaw

The damn plastic skirt or whatever underneath the front bumper is terribly designed. Sonofabitch.

I hit road debris, and it knocked out one of the plastic bolts, so that the piece of plastic is drooping on one side.

The last time I hit a shredded truck tire on the highway, it tore off both bolts, and the whole thing was hanging down.

C'mon Mazda, given that the car is low to the ground, couldn't you have actually thought about designing something more durable?

What a pain in the ***.

/rant
Old 01-10-2008, 11:56 PM
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Maybe I should take some pics of how my plastic skirt thing looks like after hitting a rabbit ...

... it shattered up to the rotary crest in the middle ... the front of my car is being held together by duct tape. It gets fixed in 2 days WOOOO!
Old 01-11-2008, 04:52 AM
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wow,

so you should hit something and nothing should happen???

an idea, roo bar.

some one will understand..

beers
Old 01-11-2008, 04:57 AM
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haha that's what i was thinking too swoope...
Old 01-11-2008, 05:03 AM
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is the car lowered? wheels?

the only thing i can recommend here is trying not to scrape more and avoid shorter tire combo for street use.

give your car as much ground clearance as it needs... a slammed car with low profile tires only looks cool until your bumper starts to get badly beaten up.
Old 01-11-2008, 05:11 AM
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even if your car is bone stock...i see no design flaw of yet. its more driver flaw at this point if any.

c'mon...you hit what, and what? any more durable they make it...say with metal, then the next time you hit something, the bumper may just stay the way you hit it.

only way around this is to simply expect the unexpected on the road when driving.

I, personally hate driving behind big-rigs w/o a cargo cover...always ****** behind huge rock/debris coming from those things.
Old 01-11-2008, 05:17 AM
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TSB on plastic thing coming off: Don't run into ****
Old 01-11-2008, 05:41 AM
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^Hehehe. I was thinking the same. And there's a bit of irony in the OP sig.
Old 01-11-2008, 06:38 AM
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Originally Posted by altspace
^Hehehe. I was thinking the same. And there's a bit of irony in the OP sig.
just a bit.

i know road debris can be hard to avoid sometimes but that would be the best answer. mazda didn't count on it's drivers having slow reflexs and design the car accordingly.
Old 01-11-2008, 08:02 AM
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Not a "design flaw". Anytime anything hits any car, there will be damage.
Old 01-11-2008, 08:47 AM
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Just pay attention when you drive and you'll be alright, i myself hit shredded tires on the road before and ended up with scratches on my paint and damage to my bumper, so...don't follow other cars to close and keep your eyes on the road and you'll be alright..just my take
Old 01-11-2008, 08:50 AM
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What about rocks... Can you avoid those Sharky... ^^I have a chip on my windshield because of rocks flying up from under a truck tire...
Old 01-11-2008, 08:53 AM
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Originally Posted by RotoRocket
The damn plastic skirt or whatever underneath the front bumper is terribly designed. Sonofabitch.

I hit road debris, and it knocked out one of the plastic bolts, so that the piece of plastic is drooping on one side.

The last time I hit a shredded truck tire on the highway, it tore off both bolts, and the whole thing was hanging down.

C'mon Mazda, given that the car is low to the ground, couldn't you have actually thought about designing something more durable?

What a pain in the ***.

/rant
I had the same problem. Backed into stupic construction rocks too low to see and broke my screw too... Dealers replaced it for me...
Old 01-11-2008, 09:01 AM
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I wouldn't call it a design flaw....you collided with something so.........

I had the same problem though, I didn't hit anything, my screws/bolts just came loose and fell out probably due to the F'd up roads in Louisiana. It looked ugly and it irritated the hell out of me until I went to the hardware store and replaced them, no more drooping.
Old 01-11-2008, 09:03 AM
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^^What did you replace them with...plastic ones?
Old 01-11-2008, 09:09 AM
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double sided tape works.
Old 01-11-2008, 09:13 AM
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I sure hope you are joking!!
Old 01-11-2008, 09:16 AM
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Velcro
Old 01-11-2008, 09:18 AM
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Originally Posted by swoope
wow,

so you should hit something and nothing should happen???

an idea, roo bar.

some one will understand..

beers
OF COURSE !

Have you ever play Super Mario Bros. ?????? Everytime Mario hits something, something comes out and he will just go grab it !!!!!

Coins, Kopals, 1up, etc etc.
Old 01-11-2008, 09:21 AM
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Originally Posted by 4me2
Velcro
Ok that's better...
Old 01-11-2008, 09:23 AM
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Crazy Glue
Old 01-11-2008, 09:28 AM
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What if they made that piece an integral part of the bumper? You'd hit something and replace the whole front end! How about fiberglass? Hit something and it shatters requiring you to replace it. How about steel? Heavy yes but just an example. It would be fine but still rip off and probably take out the bottom of your car in the process. the bolts required to mount it would probably also rip the bottom of the front end off in the process.

Basically it's made like that for a reason. You hit something, the plastic screw allows it to break away with relatively little collateral damage. Get a new plastic screw and attach it again. If you hit something bad enough that it needs to be replaced, it's nothing that wouldn't have happened with any other material.

Be happy they designed it this way!
Old 01-11-2008, 09:28 AM
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the first week I had my 8 I was driving down a road behind a small nissan truck.

The spare tire came off the bottom of the truck and I ran over it with the part that you are talking about.

No damage what-so-ever
Old 01-11-2008, 09:29 AM
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Roto do you need a flame suit ? ...
Old 01-11-2008, 09:29 AM
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Originally Posted by rotarygod
What if they made that piece an integral part of the bumper? You'd hit something and replace the whole front end! How about fiberglass? Hit something and it shatters requiring you to replace it. How about steel? Heavy yes but just an example. It would be fine but still rip off and probably take out the bottom of your car in the process. the bolts required to mount it would probably also rip the bottom of the front end off in the process.

Basically it's made like that for a reason. You hit something, the plastic screw allows it to break away with relatively little collateral damage. Get a new plastic screw and attach it again. If you hit something bad enough that it needs to be replaced, it's nothing that wouldn't have happened with any other material.

Be happy they designed it this way!
^+1


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