NHTSA Complaint #10184032 — 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE

ON 2/7/2007 HAD A 15 MILE HIGHWAY RIDE, THEN PROCEEDED THREE CITY BLOCKS TO PARK AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY. PLACE THE STICK SHIFT IN REVERSE TO PARALLEL PARK HOWEVER NO POWER STEERING AVAILABLE. INEVITABLY HAD TO STRUGGLE WITH STEERING WHEEL TO FORCE THE CAR INTO A PARKED POSITION. UPON RETURNING TO THE CAR WITHIN ABOUT 10 MINS THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO SELF CORRECT. HOWEVER, THE RETURN 15 MILE HIGHWAY TRIP PROVED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED WHEN A RIGHT TURN WAS MADE INTO A BUSINESS COMPLEX -- THE POWER STEERING FAILED. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, A SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ON A PUMP. THAT SAME DAY AS THE INCIDENT, THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC WHO COULD NOT REPAIR IT THE SAME DAY BECAUSE THE PART WAS ON BACKORDER AT THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL 2/19/2007. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT WHEN A PART IS ON BACKORDER, IT TYPICALLY INDICATES THAT THERE IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH THE PART. THIS IN ADDITION TO THE MECHANIC STATING THAT THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE FOUND ON A VEHICLE, ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT THE MILES ON MY VEHICLE ARE PRINCIPALLY FROM HIGHWAY TRAVEL (INDICATING LESS WEAR AND THE CAR) ARE THE KEY FACTORS THAT MADE ME CONSIDER RECOMMENDING THIS AS A POTENTIAL ISSUE. ADDITIONALLY, ALTHOUGH THERE IS HEAVY RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC IN THE WASHINGTON DC AREA, I AM NOT OFTEN AFFECTED BY THIS WHICH ALSO REDUCED THE WEAR-AND-TEAR ON THE CAR. *JB