NHTSA Complaint #10498330 — 2005 MAZDA MPV

THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE ON THESE VANS IS SERIOUSLY FLAWED AND IS PRONE TO FAILURE WHICH STALLS THE ENGINE AND PUTS OCCUPANTS IN PERIL AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED WITHOUT POWER BRAKING OR STEERING. ONCE STALLED, THE ENGINE CAN OFTEN FAIL TO RESTART, LEAVING THE DRIVER UNPREPARED AND PARALYZED TO REACT. BACKGROUND - APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING OUR VAN USED (2-3 YRS OLD / 30K MILES), WE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE STALLING RANDOMLY AFTER 6 MONTHS OF OWNING. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ENGINE STALLING WAS NOT A RESULT OF NOT MAINTAINING AN IDLE WELL ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT WAS RANDOM AND OFTEN FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH, ONCE THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO RESTART (BUT THEN WOULD GO AWAY COMPLETELY UNDETECTED). I CANNOT STRESS HOW UNPREDICTABLE THE ENGINE WAS OVER THE YEAR WE EXPERIENCED THIS INTERMITTENT STALLING. EVERY 1-3 WEEKS IT WOULD STALL AND SOMETIMES WE'D BE STRANDED 1-30 MINUTES BEFORE STARTING AND RUNNING NORMALLY (NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AFTER ENGINE SAT AND RESTARTED. LIGHT WOULD COME ON WHEN PROBLEMS STARTED AND WOULD CYCLE OFF ONCE ENGINE RAN AND COMPUTER CHECKED SENSORS. WHY THE CONTACT TO THE NHTSA? REAL ISSUE I HAVE WITH HERE IS THAT THE VAN WOULD RANDOMLY FAIL TO IDLE AND STALL THE MOTOR WHEN AT FREEWAY SPEEDS OVER THE YEAR (6/2009 - 6/2010) THIS WENT UNIDENTIFIED. AS A PRIMARY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION IN OUR HOUSEHOLD FOR FOUR CHILDREN (AS MOST VANS ARE), MY WIFE REFUSED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE STARTING IN BEGINNING OF 2010 BECAUSE OF HER EXPERIENCES AND SUBSEQUENT FEARS AFTER MANY CLOSE CALLS IN WHICH SHE COULDN'T STEER OR BRAKE IN A SAFE OR RELIABLE MANNER. THE DRIVER MUST SHIFT TO NEUTRAL (WHILE AT 70+ MPH), AND ATTEMPT TO TURN THE ENGINE OVER, TO GAIN CONTROL AGAIN. TAKE ACTION ON THIS AS IT IS FAR TOO COMMON AND DANGEROUS TO IGNORE. MAZDA MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF THESE VEHICLES. *TR