Mazda owner files lawsuit over misunderstanding of common safety issue

Mazda is facing a US class action lawsuit in which the owner of one of the cars claims that his car had a major defect… which was actually just an extremely common safety feature.

Pennsylvania Mazda CX-50 owner Joshua Meltzer filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Central District of California, seeking to sue the automaker for US$5 million (A$7.35 million) after his daughter was ejected from the moving vehicle during an accident.

The specific content of this function is to require the driver to step on the brake pedal when starting the car, and it will be displayed on the dashboard as “Step on the brake pedal to start the vehicle.”

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according to Car ComplaintsMr Melzer said he bought the CX-50 in May 2024 and told his daughter how to operate it.

Two weeks later, when she tried to drive the car for the first time, the accident happened.

“She pressed the stop-start button. The display then prompted her to ‘Apply brake to start vehicle,'” Mr. Melzer said in the lawsuit.

“She then applied the brakes and shifted the vehicle from park to drive. The vehicle immediately began to roll backwards. She attempted to control the vehicle, including applying the brakes, but the power brakes and power steering did not respond.”

In fact, Mr. Meltzer’s daughter appeared to interpret the instructions as meaning that pressing the brake would start the vehicle, rather than that she should press the brake and then press the start button again.

His daughter (age unknown) allegedly jumped out of the driver’s door in fear for her life, and the Mazda continued to move forward until it hit a curb and then a neighbor’s tree, forcing Mr. Meltzer to pay for repairs.

Mazda denied there was a flaw in how the CX-50 functions and operates, with dealer service managers telling owners that the car had shifted gears while in accessory mode before the engine started, meaning it could not provide power assistance for steering or braking.

Not only is the owner suing for financial damages, he also claims that Mazda owners equipped with push-button start since 2017 have been overpaying for their vehicles and that the “defect” has caused the vehicles to depreciate in value.