NHTSA Complaint #10070441 — 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE

WITHIN MONTHS OF BUYING THE SUV WE HAD IT BACK TO CRYSTAL AUTO MALL, GREEN BROOK, NJ THE PROBLEM...THE STEERING WHEEL CAME LOOSE, IT WOULD SHIFT AROUND AS YOU DROVE DOWN THE ROAD! THIS WAS A QUICK REPAIR. STARTING ON SEPT 18,2002 WE TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER FOR THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT COMING ON, THEY REPLACED THE OIL SENDER UNIT, TOTAL $69.52, WHICH WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY. ON OCT 14 BACK FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, THEY KEPT IT UNTIL OCT 17, REPLACING ALL KINDS OF PARTS, OIL PUMP, OIL GASKET FOR A TOTAL OF $924.65, AGAIN COVERED BY WARRANTY. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING IT HOME FROM THIS ROUND OF REPAIRS AND THE SAME PROBLEM LIT ITSELF UP AGAIN! HE WAS ALMOST HOME APPOX.30 MILES FROM THE DEALER, HE CALLED ON HIS CELL PHONE SAID HE WAS COMING RIGHT BACK, THIS TIME THEY HAD IT FROM OCT 18 TO OCT 31, 2002. WHAT A SURPRISE WHEN I HEARD THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE MOTOR FOR A TOTAL OF $4,511.17, AGAIN UNDER WARRANTY. STRANGE THING WAS THAT THEY WOULD NOT EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THE NEW MOTOR BEYOND THE ORIGINAL GUARANTEE FOR THE TRUCK. NOW YOU TELL ME IS THIS RIGHT? THAT'S NOT THE END OF IT, ON JUNE 21, 2003, WE BROUGHT IT IN FOR A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END THEY KEPT IT OVER THE WEEKEND UNTIL JUNE 23 AND TOLD US IT NEEDS BREAKS AND ROTORS AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT WHICH OF COURSE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY!!! ONLY 24000 MILES ON THIS SUV AND NOTHING BUT HEADACHES