Building cars is hard, especially when it comes to infotainment systems. Not too long ago, before most automakers finally accepted Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as their lord and savior, automaker-built infotaiment systems were almost universally reviled. Mazda’s infotainment system, however, was on another level of bad. Mazda Connect, as the automaker called it, promised to help owners “stay connected without taking your hands off the wheel” with “seamless connectivity between your car and your smart phone.” If you buy something expensive, like a whole new car, you expect it to work as advertised. Instead, users were greeted with dangerous and frustrating errors. Screwing around with an infotainment system can be as dangerous as texting while driving, so having one that blips out when you are say, trying to navigate around a new town, can be especially hazardous.
A small cadre of Mazda owners decided to hold the automaker accountable, earning a sizable pay day… for their lawyers, at least. The lawsuit, filed by four plaintiffs, was in regard to Mazda Connect infotainment system that was sold in the following U.S. Mazda vehicles, according to CarComplaints.com:
- 2016-2022 Mazda 2
- 2014-2018 Mazda 3
- 2016-2021 Mazda 6
- 2016-2021 Mazda CX-3
- 2016-2020 Mazda CX-5
- 2016-2020 Mazda CX-9
- 2016-2023 Mazda MX-5
Dangerous and distracting
Mazda Connect’s main problem was the SD Card–based navigation system, which didn’t work so well with the onboard software. The miscommunication between the two softwares caused the infotainment system to enter a continuous cycle of rebooting. This cycle would cause freezes and lags, and would eventually kill the display screen completely, leaving drivers with no access to navigation, phone connectivity or backup cameras — all problems that span from merely annoying to very dangerous. Losing nav while driving can cause confusion in a drive unfamiliar with their surroundings, and backup cameras have become such an essential piece of safety equipment that the feds made them mandatory in all cars meant for U.S. roads back in 2018. Suddenly losing these features could distract a driver, leading to a crash.
While Mazda did issue service and technical bulletins regarding the problem infotainment screens, as well as extend the warranty on the infotainment screens. All of this was useless, the lawsuit alleged, because Mazda techs just swapped out faulty units with other units with the same problem — a practice Mazda denies, according to The Drive.
Lawsuit fildings
The lawsuit’s main plaintiff, Catherine Duffy, bought a Mazda 3 Hatchback in 2018 and began having problems with it shortly thereafter. By 2020 the infotainment screen was totally dead. She brought it to a Mazda dealership which charged her $50 for the pleasure of receiving a brand new, equally faulty infotainment system. Duffy filled suit, along with fellow plaintiffs Matthew Edlin of California, who owned a 2016 Mazda 3, Lawrence Mulcahy of Massachusetts, who owned a 2016 Mazda 6, and Paula Hal of Florida, who owned a 2017 Mazda CX-5 — all with the same problems as Duffy. Rather than fight in court, Mazda settled the lawsuit, awarding Duffy $4,000 while her fellow plaintiffs received $2,500 a pot. Owners affected by the faulty infotainment system in the Mazda models listed above can file a claim for a $1,750 reimbursement for infotainment systems they may have replaced. The settlement also states that Mazda will extend the warranties for owners of effected infotainment systems. Meanwhile, the lawyers who represented Duffy et al. received a $1.9 million payday. Must be nice!
