NHTSA Complaint #10028988 — 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE

WE RECENTLY HAD A SECOND HARROWING EXPERIENCE IN OUR 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE ES-V6. WE WERE SO TAKEN ABACK BY THE AUDACITY OF MAZDA HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THE STALLING ISSUE IN THE TRIBUTE AND NOT TAKING INTO THEIR BEST INTEREST TO RECALL THE VEHICLE THAT WE TRADED THE VEHICLE IN FOR A DIFFERENT MAKE. IN FORWARD MOTION, AT APPROXIMATELY 35MPH+, THE VEHICLE STALLED. IN THE PROCESS OF STALLING, ALL POWER TO THE POWER ASSISTED STEERING AND BRAKES WERE LOST. MY WIFE HAD EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN STOPPING THE VEHICLE. IT HAPPENS AT SUCH A RANGE OF SPEED (~40MPH) THAT RESTARTING THE CAR IS NOT AN IMMEDIATE OPTION. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, YES, AND MAZDA CLAIMS TO HAVE ADJUSTED THEIR FLASH BIOS TO ADJUST FOR THE FAULT. THEY ALSO STATE THAT THE 2003 DOES NOT HAVE THIS REPORTED STALLING WHILE IN FORWARD MOTION ISSUE. THATS FINE, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE 1000'S OF PEOPLE OUT ON THE ROAD THAT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE OF ANY SORT FOR THIS VEHICLES PROBLEM WITH STALLING. I EVEN TALKED TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT MY MPV FROM, AND HE STATED THAT A TRIBUTE 2002 HAD STALLED FOR HIM WHILE IN FORWARD MOTION WHILE SHOWING IT TO A PROSPECTIVE NEW OWNER! I FIND IT APPALLING THAT A COMPANY KNOWS ABOUT A FAULT OF THIS NATURE AND HAS NOT FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THOSE THAT HAVE BOUGHT THEIR VEHICLE, AND THOSE THAT DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAYS ALONGSIDE SAID VEHICLE HAVE NOT RECALLED AND FIXED THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE EQUIPMENT INVOLVED : NOT JUST A FLASH BIOS UPDATE, THAT IN READING MANY MANY CASES ONLINE IN TRIBUTE/ESCPAE MESSAGE BOARDS DID NOT FULLY FIX THE FAULT.SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR VEHICLE BEFORE PEOPLE START SUBMITTING THESE COMPLAINTS WITH INJURY LISTINGS.*AK