NHTSA Complaint #10328716 — 2008 MAZDA MAZDA3

LOSS OF POWER STEERING: (2 TIMES) -- ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS I HAD LOST THE POWER STEERING IN MY 2008 MAZDA 3. THE FIRST TIME WAS DURING THE SUMMER OF 2009. AFTER THE CAR WAS IDLING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, I WENT TO DRIVE OFF AND THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND CHECKED THE BELTS. EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. I THEN STARTED THE CAR AND THE STEERING WAS WORKING LIKE NORMAL. THE SECOND TIME WAS IN APRIL OF 2010. I WAS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC FOR A LITTLE WHILE. AFTER THE TRAFFIC CLEARED I WAS GETTING UP TO SPEED AND STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. I PULLED OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED A FEW MINUTES LATER. STEERING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE A FEW DAYS LATER AND TOLD THEM ABOUT MY STEERING INCIDENT. THEY LOOKED AT THE POWER STEERING COMPONENTS AND NOTICED AN 'ISSUE.' THE DEALER KEPT THE CAR A FEW DAYS FOR THE NEW POWER STEERING COMPONENT PART TO COME IN. THEY REPLACED THE PART AND GAVE ME A LOANER VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE. *TR