NHTSA Complaint #10025642 — 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE

WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR PROCEEDING TO A STOP, THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN IN MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHILE THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING. THE BRAKES WILL FREEZE UP AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE CAR IS TO PULL UP ON THE HAND BRAKE. THE CAR WILL RESTART. THIS HAS ALWAYS HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC AND IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP THE FIRST TIME ON MAY 3, 2003. DEALER SAID THAT THEY REPLACED THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM ARISED WHERE THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED IN TRAFFIC. BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER ON JUNE 3, 2003, THEY SAID THERE WAS IMPROPER OPERATION AND REPROGRAMMED THE PCM. THE CAR DIED DOWN AGAIN A WEEK LATER WHILE DRIVING SLOWING DOWN IN TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY. AGAIN BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE THIRD TIME JUNE 19, 2003. LEFT THE CAR OVERNIGHT AND HAD THE TECHNICIAN DRIVE THE CAR 100+ MILES HOME, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND SENT THE CAR HOME. CAR DIED AGAIN IN TRAFFIC. BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THE FOURTH TIME ON JULY 1, 2003, AND ONCE AGAIN DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CAR. ADVISED ME TO KEEP DRIVING THE CAR UNTIL THEY PROBLEM WORSENED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE CAR IS IN MOTION AT ALL TIMES WHEN IT HAS DIED AND IN TRAFFIC. A POTENTIONAL DANGEROUS AND FATAL SITUATION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY! THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN JUNE 2002, AND SINCE THEN IT HAS HAD A MASTER CYLINDER LEAK, AIR BAG CIRCUIT FAILURE, AS WELL AS FUEL SYSTEM ELECTRICAL WIRING PROBLEMS. MAZDA NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS INVOLVED IN ITS TRIBUTE MODELS AND RECALL THE CARS.*AK