Steering Wheel Problems of Mazda Miata

We took the car in to sunnyvale Mazda today because the steering column was loose and they said the safety clamps are broken and that the steering column needed to be replaced (plus the safety clamps) and that we must have run over a "bump" to cause the steering column to have to be replaced. I wonder how many other Mazda Miata's have had this happen to the steering column at approximately 18,000 miles.

See all problems of the 1997 Mazda Miata 🔎.

My Miata was hit in the front left side by a GMC pickup which was traveling at least 35 mph. I was pulling out of a parking lot, so my speed was minimal. Both airbags deployed, and the steering wheel came completely off the column. The car was determined to be a total loss. I have not heard of a steering wheel breaking away from the column with the deployment of an airbag. Is this a defect in the vehicle?.

See all problems of the 1999 Mazda Miata 🔎.

The vehicle was involved in an accident in which at the time of impact the steering wheel came off the main column, ahead of the air bag and hit the driver, it seems this may have occured when the air bag went off, the driver stated that the air bag did not seem to inflate fully. Nlm.