NHTSA Complaint #10576455 — 2006 MAZDA MAZDA3

OVER THE PAST 2 WEEKS, MY POWER STEERING GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY AND THE POWER STEERING INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASH TURNS ON. THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING LASTS FOR ANYWHERE FROM 5 SECONDS TO 5 MINUTES, AND TYPICALLY RESOLVES WHEN BRAKING AND/OR TURNING AND SPEED IS REDUCED TO BELOW 20 MPH. THE POWER STEERING LOSS HAS OCCURRED AT A VARIETY OF SPEEDS, RANGING FROM 25 TO 70 MPH, AND HAS LED TO A JERKING OF THE WHEEL AND A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE FREEWAY. ON AVERAGE IT OCCURS ABOUT ONCE OR TWICE PER DAY, SO ROUGHLY EVERY 20-30 MILES ON AVERAGE. I HAVE SEEN OTHER SIMILAR REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM FOR 2006 MAZDA3'S, AND A RECALL FOR THE 2007-2009 MODELS. THEREFORE I AM HOPEFUL THAT 2006 MAZDA3S WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AS WELL TO AVOID POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS CAR, AND PURCHASED IT WITH ABOUT 42,000 MILES. *TR