NHTSA Complaint #10551824 — 2008 MAZDA TRIBUTE

A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO MY STEERING WHEEL BEGAN MOVING ON ITS OWN TRYING TO GET BACK LEFT - SHAKING UNCONTROBALLY. THE PEDAL BEGAN GETTING VERY STIFF AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO PRESS ON IT FOR GAS IN ORDER TO MOVE. WHEN I CUT THE CAR OFF AND CUT IT BACK ON THE ISSUE GOES AWAY. SOMETIMES IT TAKES THE CAR A FEW TIMES TO GET GOING. MEANING I HAVE TO CUT IT OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES. THE WHEEL CONTINUES TO SHAKE ALTHOUGH THE CAR IS NOT ON. I INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SO I TOOK IT TO BE SERVICED BUT EVERYTHING WAS OK. RECENTLY (FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS) THE CAR'S STEERING HAS GOTTEN WORSE AS IF THERE IS NO POWER STEERING IN THE CAR. WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO TURN THE VEHICLE AT ALL. WHILE IT RUNS I CANNOT STEER MAKING IT VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE MAZDA DEALER TO GET ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS DEFECTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I AM IN AWE THAT A CAR SO NEW HAS THIS MANY MAJOR MECHANICAL ISSUES. I NOW HAVE NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO GET THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED AS I AM TOLD THIS IS HTE ONLY THING THAT WILL FIX THE STEERING ISSUE. *TR