NHTSA Complaint #10239084 — 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE

MAY 4, 2008 MY 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE (PURCHASED NEW- AND HAD 60,000 MILES) EXPERIENCED AN AIR INTAKE EXPLOSION FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND WITHOUT WARNING.. I'VE HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND HAD NO PROBLEMS STARTING THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE EXPLOSION. MAZDA CAN'T TELL ME WHY THIS OCCURRED AND CAN'T TELL ME IF IT WILL OCCUR IN THE FUTURE. I FEEL THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS THING TO OCCUR FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED UNDER THE HOOD, PLASTIC PIECES BROKE AND TRIED TO GO THROUGH THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND THE EXPLOSION WAS VERY LOUD AND BLACK SMOKE BILLOWED OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. MAZDA WAS NOT WILLING TO COVER THE COST OF THE EXPLOSION AND DIDN'T SEEM CONCERNED WHEN I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO THEM. I WROTE THE CEO OF THE COMPANY BUT REC'D A RESPONSE FROM HIS SUBORDINATE THAT DIDN'T ADDRESS MY SAFETY CONCERNS AT ALL. AFTER MY SECOND CORRESPONDENCE, MAZDA TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD CONSIDER THAT MY LAST CORRESPONDENCE ON THIS MATTER. I HAD THE DAMAGE REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CHECKED OUT THE CAR AND COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE FOR THE EXPLOSION. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY FOUND NOTHING FURTHER WRONG. *TR