Complaint 2239518

Complaint Summary

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Owner Narrative

I am reporting a severe electrical fire and system failure hazard resulting from unauthorized, dealership-installed aftermarket wiring modifications on a brand new 2026 Mazda CX-30. ​At the point of sale, Walker's Renton Mazda ([XXX]) spliced invasive, unauthorized aftermarket tracking/security wiring (suspected LoJack or similar) directly into the factory CAN-bus and main wiring harnesses. These modifications were done without consent, actively concealed during the pre-purchase inspection, and compromise the integrity of the vehicle's primary electrical architecture. ​Specifically, the physical installation bypassed standard safety protocols and compromised the vehicle's firewall insulation. As a military electromechanical engineering veteran, I recognize that unauthorized taps into a modern vehicle's high-speed data network and main power lines introduce immense risk of short circuits, signal logic failure, parasitic draw, and most critically, catastrophic electrical fires. ​Despite providing physical evidence of the tampered wiring, the dealership's management has denied the modifications exist and refused to remediate the safety hazard by unwinding the compromised vehicle. Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) has also refused to intervene under Case #XXX. The vehicle remains in my custody, but it is fundamentally compromised and unsafe due to the dealer's tampering with factory safety and electrical standards. I am requesting NHTSA investigate this dealership's practice of covertly installing unregulated electronics into new factory wiring harnesses, as it presents an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.