NHTSA Complaint #10030980 — 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE GRAPE VINE ON I-5 MY HUSBAND HERD AN ENGINE NOISE. WE PULLED OVER AND MY HUSBAND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD. IT APPEARED TO BE A NOISE COMING FROM THE FAN BELT. HE SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS FINE. WE TRIED TO MAKE IT TO OUR DESTINATION OF MONROVIA,CA. THE ENGINE NOISE GOT LOUDER SO WE HAD TO STOP AT THE NEAREST EXIT AND LUCKILY THERE WAS A GAS STATION AT THE CORNER. MY HUSBAND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AGAIN AND THIS TIME HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE RECHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS FINE. WE CALLED MAZDA AND THEY TOWED THE VEHICLE AT THE NEAREST MAZDA DEALERSHIP. THE FOLLOWING DAY, A PERSON FROM MAZDA CALLED MY HUSBAND AND SAID WE HAD ENGINE PROBLEMS. MAZDA WANTED OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS FROM US. WE TOLD THEM THAT WE ARE NOT FROM THE AREA AND WE WERE ON VACATION AND HAVE TO GO BACK HOME AND LOOK FOR RECEIPTS. THE PERSON FROM MAZDA STATED THAT THE CAR WAS NOT MAINTAINED THEREFORE, MAZDA WILL NOT COVER THE WARRANTY. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE ENGINE WAS A QUART LOW ON OIL AND THE OIL WAS BLACK. MY HUSBAND CHECKED THE OIL AT A GAS STATION BEFORE WE WENT UP THE GRAPE VINE. HE CHECKED IT AGAIN TWICE WHEN WE PULLED OVER EACH TIME AND IT WAS FINE AND THE COLOR OF THE OIL WAS BROWN NOT BLACK. WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 5000 MILES. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 35,700 MILES AND THE ENGINE SHOULD NOT BREAK DOWN LIKE THAT. WE HAD NO TYPE OF WARNING AND THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT SHOULD GO ON IF THE OIL WAS LOW AND IT DID NOT GO ON BECAUSE THE OIL WAS NOT LOW. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME FROM OUR VACATION, I FAXED THE RECEIPTS TO MAZDA AND MAZDA DECLINED THE REPAIRS. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE AND MAZDA CLAIMS THAT IT WAS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. AFTER THIS REPAIR, THE ALARM WOULD SOUND WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS STALLED ON MY HUSBAND WHILE GOING DOWN A HILL AT ABOUT 35 MPH BUT LUCKILY, HE WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE CAR AND STOP THE VEHICLE. WHAT CAN WE DO BECAUSE WE FEEL WE HAVE A LEMON.