NHTSA Complaint #10341407 — 2008 MAZDA MAZDA3

HI - I SAW IN A NEWS STORY THAT YOU OPENED UP AN INVESTIGATION INTO MAZDA3 POWER STEERING. THIS IS A PROBLEM I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF TIMES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. I HAVE A 2008 MAZDA3 PURCHASED NEW IN EARLY APRIL 2008. BASICALLY, THE POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT TWICE ON ME - THE VEHICLE IS STILL FULLY FUNCTIONAL AND THE WARNING LIGHT DOES GO ON, BUT IT JUST REQUIRES A LOT OF MUSCLE TO TURN ON THE CAR. BOTH TIMES, IT WAS ON A WARM DAY (I LIVE IN CHICAGO) AND TOWARD THE END OF A RELATIVELY LONG COMMUTE (1 HOUR 15 MINUTES+) OF MOSTLY STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, SO I WONDERED IF IT MAY BE HEAT-RELATED BUT THAT COULD ALSO BE COINCIDENCE. THE FIRST TIME, I DROVE IT THE REMAINING MILE OR SO AND WAS ABLE TO PARK IT. AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR, POWER STEERING STILL DIDN'T WORK. WHEN I CAME LATER (EITHER A FEW HOURS OR THE NEXT DAY), IT WAS FINE. SECOND TIME WAS SIMILAR, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE BETTER MENTAL NOTES OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE TRIGGERED IT - THIS TIME, IT WENT OUT SHORTLY AFTER I CUT THE WHEEL ALL THE WAY TO ONE SIDE WHEN THE CAR WAS PRACTICALLY STATIONARY. AGAIN, HARD TO TELL IF THAT WAS WHAT TRIGGERED THE PROBLEM OR IF IT WAS SHEER COINCIDENCE ... THIS TIME, THOUGH, I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND WHEN I RESTARTED IT, IT WAS FINE. NOT SURE WHAT ELSE YOU MIGHT NEED TO KNOW... I AM UP-TO-DATE ON MY SERVICING AND THE FIRST INSTANCE OCCURRED ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AFTER SERVICE AT MAZDA (A WEEK IN WHICH I HADN'T REALLY DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE WE WERE ON VACATION WITH OUR OTHER CAR). I HAVE NOT YET CONTACTED MAZDA ABOUT THE PROBLEM, I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT NEXT TIME I BROUGHT IT IN. *TR