Mazda 6 defect on car,  should we pay or the company?

My warranty on my Mazda just expired and would you believe that I am having a problem (all of a sudden) with my clutch slipping.  I decided to do a little research and found that many owners of the Mazda 6 are having this same problem of the clutch slipping and are having to pay (out of their own pockets) for this problem.  Obviously, if a number of people are having the same problem with the same car, it's the manufacturer who made the boo boo.  I believe the manufacturer should fix this problem, do the right thing, rather than making their customers pay.  Instead of letting this happen, let's do something about it.  A petition is just the beginning and maybe it will be an example to other companies who want to sell us products with defects, take our money, and make us pay extra to fix their mistake.