NHTSA Complaint #10448498 — 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE

MY SON HAS DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE SINCE 2008, WHEN WE PURCHASED IT FOR HIM TO USE WHILE IN COLLEGE. HE WAS DRIVING ONTO CAMPUS AND WHEN APPROACHING THE PARKING LOT, HE NOTICED ABS AND AIRBAG LIGHTS COMING ON AND OFF ON THE DASHBOARD. AS HE PARKED HE REALIZED THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. HE OPENED THE HOOD, SAW A FIRE, AND CALLED 911 IMMEDIATELY. THEY ARRIVED QUICKLY AND SUCCESSFULLY PUT THE FIRE OUT. FIREMEN TOLD HIM IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN ELECTRICAL AND HE WAS LUCKY THEY GOT THERE AS QUICK AS THEY DID. INSURANCE CLAIM ADJUSTER TOOK IT TO A FORD SHOP (CLOSEST) WHERE THEY HAD IT FOR A WEEK AND SAID THEY COULDN'T GET PARTS, BUT WERE AWARE OF A RECALL COMING ON THE AREA THE FIRE HAD OCCURRED IN (THE WIRING HARNESS AND ABS MODULE). IT WAS THEN SENT TO A MAZDA DEALER, THAT HAD IT FOR 10 DAYS, AND FINALLY SAID THE NEEDED PARTS WERE OBSOLETE AND THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. CLAIMS ADJUSTER CHECKED WITH ANOTHER FORD AND ANOTHER MAZDA DEALER, GETTING THE SAME ANSWERS FROM BOTH. BY THE WAY, WHEN THEY CHECKED ON THE VIN, THEY SAID IT WAS NOT ON ANY MAZDA RECALLS. THIS WAS AT THE END OF JANUARY/BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY 2012. SO AFTER ALL THIS, THEY HAD TO TOTAL A VEHICLE THAT ONLY HAD ABOUT 77,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION OTHERWISE. THE DAY I GET HOME FROM HAVING DOCUMENTS NOTARIZED FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANY, IN MY MAILBOX IS A RECALL FROM MAZDA....THIS VERY ONE 6712A, WHICH I HAD ALREADY FOUND ONLINE DAYS PRIOR TO THE MAZDA DEALERS DENYING OUR VIN WAS INCLUDED. THE RECALL LETTER STATES THE WORK FROM A PRIOR RECALL IN 2007 REGARDING THIS ISSUE HAD BEEN DONE. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL THIS FIRE DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR MORE SERIOUS EMERGENCY SITUATION. AND WE ARE GRATEFUL OUR INSURANCE COMPANY ISN'T HOLDING THINGS UP DUE TO MAZDA'S LACK OF HELP. *TR