NHTSA Complaint #10176003 — 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE

I READ IN THE PAPER THAT NHTSA WAS INVESTIGATING ABS MODULE FIRES ON FORD ESCAPES AND MAZDA TRIBUTES. I AM REPORTING THAT MY 2002 TRIBUTE'S ABS MODULE ALSO CAUGHT FIRE! *NM MY 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE STARTED HAVING ABS PROBLEMS AROUND APRIL OF 2004. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WOULD ACTIVATE INTERMITENTLY, SOMETIMES STAYING ON FOR SEVERAL DRIVING CYCLES BEFORE CLEARING. SOME TIME THEREAFTER, THE MOTOR ON TOP OF THE ABS ASSEMBLY WOULD SPONTANEOUSLY START RUNNING WITH THE ENGINE OFF, KEY REMOVED, PARKED IN THE GARAGE! I DISCOVERED THIS MOTOR RUNNING BECAUSE OF THE NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. ON TWO OCCASIONS, I WAS ABLE TO RESET IT TO A NORMAL CONDITION BY DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY FOR A PERIOD. THE THIRD TIME THE MOTOR WAS RUNNING, IT WOULD NOT RESET FOLLOWING A BATTERY DISCONNECTION, BUT WOULD RESUME RUNNING WITH RESTORATION OF POWER. THIS WAS IN FEBRUARY 2005, AT WHICH TIME I DISCONNECTED THE ABS MOTOR'S ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FROM THE CONTROL MODULE UNDERNEATH IT. THEREAFTER, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ALWAYS ON (AS WOULD BE EXPECTED.) IN MARCH 2005, WITH ABOUT 50,000 MILES SHOWING, MY MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE ABS MODULE AS BAD, BUT I CHOSE NOT TO REPLACE IT IMMEDIATELY DUE TO THE VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR ESTIMATE. IN JULY 2005, THIS MODULE SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED IN MY GARAGE, FILLING THE SPACE WITH SMOKE. UPON DISCOVERY OF THE SMOKE, MY WIFE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR FEAR THE HOUSE WAS ON FIRE. THE MAZDA DEALER REFUSED TO WORK ON THE CAR DUE TO THE FIRE DAMAGE, AND DIRECTED ME TO AN AUTO ELECTRIC SHOP. THE SHOP EVENTUALLY REPAIRED THE WIRE HARNESS AND REPLACED THE MODULE WITH A NEW UNIT THAT I PURCHASED FROM THE DEALER. IT HAS SINCE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. I ESTIMATE THAT THIS DEFECTIVE BRAKE MODULE ULTIMATELY COST ME VERY CLOSE TO $1,000 AND A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF FUSS AND INCONVENIENCE, INCLUDING LOSS OF USE OF MY CAR FOR OVER A WEEK. I DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE PART.