As time went on the car became increasingly more difficult to shift. It started to grind when shifting between gears. This happened sporadically. I finally took it in to have it serviced. The guy at the garage stated that the firewall was cracked in several spots and that he was not sure how to fix it and whether or not a body shop could fix it without pulling out the dash and removing the floor boards. This would cost over $1000 and there was no guarantee that it would take care of the problem. I can no longer drive my car because the clutch will not engage.I can't even get it started in gear anymore with the clutch pushed in. It does start in neutral but once it is started, I cannot shift it into any gear. This is a manufacturing issue and the problem should be taken care of by Mazda. I am very angry that I have a car that runs great but that I am unable to drive due to a Mazda design defect which they do not seem to want to recognize. Following multiple calls to Crippen Mazda in Lansing, MI, I have yet to receive a call.