NHTSA Complaint #10416373 — 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE

INTERMITTENT ABS LIGHT, SOMETIMES WITH BRAKE LIGHT. NOTICED A LOW HUM FROM ENGINE ONE NIGHT, CHECKED FOR ANYTHING LEFT ON, DECIDED IT WAS PROBABLY NORMAL NOISE I HADN'T NOTICED BEFORE. THE NEXT MORNING,I WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK DOORS, THEN TRIED TO START ENGINE. ENGINE TURNED OVER THEN ALL LIGHTS WENT OFF. TRYING TO START ENGINE FAILED AND I HAD TO LOCK DOOR MANUALLY. GOT A JUMP START AND WAS FINE RUNNING LOCAL ERRANDS, BUT THAT HUM WAS ALWAYS THERE WITH ENGINE OFF. THE NEXT DAY, SAME SCENARIO. GOT JUMP AND WENT TO MAZDA DEALER. TOLD NO RECALLS FOR THAT YEAR EXCEPT SEATBELTS, WAS NEVER ASKED FOR VIN. A TECH OFFERED TO LOOK AND I EXPLAINED WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM AND THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS THE ABS. HE DISAGREED AND LOOKED AROUND THE ENGINE. EVENTUALLY HE SAID HE HAD TO "EAT HIS WORDS", THAT IT WAS THE ABS PUMP STAYING ON. I ASKED IF I COULD PULL THE ABS FUSE AND NOT AFFECT ANY OTHER SYSTEMS SINCE IT WASN'T WORKING ANYWAY. HE SAID IT WAS FINE, AND TOOK IT OUT FOR ME. I NEVER HAD ANY OTHER BRAKE-RELATED PROBLEMS. WHEN MY CAR STARTED IDLING LOW AND LOSING POWER AT LOW SPEED, I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE COMPUTER REPORTED A SLIGHTLY OFF FUEL MIX AND CYLINDER 5 MISFIRING. THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COIL, BUT I WASN'T CONFIDENT THEY FELT CERTAIN THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. I GAVE MYSELF A CRASH COURSE IN ENGINES AND REALIZED THE NUMBER OF THINGS IT COULD BE WAS HUGE. I AUTHORIZED THE REPAIR, BUT WENT ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE WAS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. THAT WAS WHEN I REALIZED MY CARFAX REPORT, AND THE DEALER HAD CONCEALED RECALLS. I WASN'T CERTAIN MY VIN WAS INCLUDED UNTIL I PICKED UP MY CAR AND THE TECH HELPED ME LOOK AROUND THE ENGINE. RIGHT THERE, IN BRIGHT BLUE, WAS A STICKER FOR THE ABS RECALL CAMPAIGN. AT THE VERY LEAST, I SHOULD HAVE HAD THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE WHEN I BOUGHT IT. THE MAZDA TECH COULD NOT HAVE MISSED THE STICKER, NOR THE 5 OR SO RECALLS, ASSUMING HE LOOKED THEM UP. HOPING THAT NO FUSE MEANS NO FIRE RISK. *TR