NHTSA Complaint #10181688 — 2004 MAZDA TRIBUTE

I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY (4 LANE - 65 MPH SPEED LIMIT) ON THE AFTERNOON OF 2/3/2007 WITH MY CRUISE CONTROL SET TO 65 MPH. I NOTICED THAT I WAS SPEEDING UP, AND WITHIN A SHORT TIME, MY SPEED HAD CLIMBED TO ABOUT 90 MPH. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A MALFUNCTION OF MY SPEED CONTROL, BUT AFTER TOUCHING THE BRAKE AND TURNING THE SPEED CONTROL OFF, IT CONTINUED TO GO ABOUT 90 MPH. AT THIS TIME, I NOTICED AN EXIT COMING UP IN ABOUT 1 MILE - SO I KEPT TOUCHING THE BREAK TO KEEP THE SPEED ABOUT 75-80 AND WHEN I APPROACHED THE EXIT, SHUT OFF THE CAR AND COASTED TO THE TOP OF THE RAMP. WITH THE CAR SAFELY STOPPED, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TOWED TO A SERVICE STATION, WHERE THE MECHANIC PULLED OFF THE AIR FILTER ASSEMBLY GOING INTO WHAT I THINK IS A THROTTLE CHAMBER AND FOUND A LARGE PIECE OF ICE HOLDING EITHER THE CHOKE OR THROTTLE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE TEMPERATURES THAT DAY WERE VERY COLD - ABOUT 10 DEGREES F. BELOW ZERO. AFTER REMOVING THE ICE AND CLEANING OUT THE CHAMBER WITH SILICON, AND ALLOWING IT TO WARM UP FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES - EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. I SHOULD NOTE THAT I HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE INTO THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALER ABOUT A MONTH EARLIER BECAUSE I NOTICED THE THROTTLE WAS STICKING - THEY SERVICED IT AND IT SEEMED TO BE OKAY, UNTIL THE INCIDENT ON 2/3/07. WHEN I CALLED THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ON THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY, BUT THEY SHOWED THIS PART HAD BEEN REPLACED ALREADY. I AM CONCERNED THAT ICE CAN BUILD UP IN THIS AREA AND THE SAME THING WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, WHENEVER IT IS COLD OUT. I HAVEN'T SEEN ANOTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINT, BUT THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO DOCUMENT THIS - THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *NM