NHTSA Complaint #10326680 — 2008 MAZDA MAZDA5

I OWN A 2008 MAZDA 5 WITH JUST OVER 50,000 MILES ON IT. I TRAVEL IN SALES, SO I AM PUT QUITE A FEW MILES ON PER YEAR. IN THE PAST MONTH I HAVE EXPERIENCED 3 OCCASIONS WHERE UPON STARTING MY CAR, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. EACH TIME, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTART AND THE LIGHT GOES OUT AND THE POWER STEERING RETURNS. HEAT SEEMS TO PLAY AN ISSUE IN THIS. ALSO, THE POWER STEERING WILL NOT RESET AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR UNLESS THE AIR CONDITIONING IS FIRST SHUT OFF. THERE IS A SECTION IN THE OWNERS MANUAL THAT ADDRESSES WHAT TO DO IF THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND THE POWER STEERING FAILS TO RESPOND. THIS WOULD INDICATE TO ME THAT MAZDA HAS SEEN THIS OCCUR. AS SOMEONE WHO WAS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 30 YEARS, I HAVE NO CLUE WHY A AUTO MANUFACTURER WOULD ADD ELECTRONICS TO A POWER STEERING SYSTEM. I HAVE CONTACTED MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. APPARENTLY, IT COULD BE THE PUMP OR THE HOSES TO THE STEERING RACK AND NATURALLY THE WARRANTY ENDS AT 36,000 MILES. I KNOW PUMPS RUN OVER $ 650.00 WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR. I AM 58 YEARS OLD AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING ON ANY VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY ONE WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM NOT PLEASED. *TR