NHTSA Complaint #10346164 — 2008 MAZDA MAZDA5

POWER STEERING FAILED THREE TIMES YESTERDAY. DASH LIGHT CAME ON AND STEERING GOT VERY HEAVY ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO MUSCLE THE CAR THROUGH TURNS. DAY WAS VERY HOT AND WE WERE DRIVING IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT. I DID WHAT THE OWNERS' MANUAL SAID - STOPPED AND SHUT OFF THE CAR, WAITED A FEW SECONDS AND RESTARTED THE CAR. IN TWO OUT OF THE THREE INSTANCES THE POWER STEERING LIGHT HAD GONE OUT AND THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING. IN THE OTHER INSTANCE THE LIGHT DID NOT GO OUT AND THE POWER ASSIST WAS NOT WORKING. THE CAR IS WORKING OKAY NOW AND I AM NOT SURE IF OR WHEN THIS MIGHT OCCUR AGAIN. BECAUSE OF THE DRIVING SITUATION AT THE TIME AND BECAUSE I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER THIS DID NOT PRESENT A GRAVE SAFETY ISSUE; HOWEVER, HAD I BEEN DRIVING FASTER AND THE ROAD CONDITIONS BEEN POOR IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. *TR