NHTSA Complaint #11062652 — 2008 MAZDA TRIBUTE

ON DEC 29, 2017 DRIVING MY 2008 MAZDA TRIBUTE THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN SHAKING AND VIBRATING UNCONTROLLABLY WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. I BECAME EXTREMELY NERVOUS AND AFRAID OF BEING STRANDED OR EVEN WORSE WRECKING. LUCKILY, I WENT STRAIGHT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND WHEN HE STARTED IT UP THE STEERING WHEEL HAD COMPLETELY LOCKED UP AND THE ERROR 'POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT' WAS DISPLAYED ON THE DASHBOARD. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IT HAD EVER HAPPENED AND AFTER RUNNING THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST THE CODE B2278 INDICATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL NHSTA # 14V282000 IN 2014 CAUSING THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE MECHANIC CONTACTED THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP TO CONFIRM IF THE RECALL HAD BEEN DONE. THE RECALL WAS ON THE STEERING TORQUE SENSOR WHICH AFFECTS THE ABILITY TO PROPERLY DETECT THE DRIVER STEERING INPUT. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED IN 2014 AND MAZDA WAS NOT GOING TO REPLACE THE SENSOR AGAIN. I DECIDED TO DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH WAS ANOTHER 30 MINUTES AWAY, BUT NOW THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKING UP AND EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL. SO AFTER THEY INSPECTED THE TRIBUTE I WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED THE TORQUE SENSOR REPLACED AND IT WOULD COST ME $877 AND IF THAT DIDN'T FIX IT THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE PART. SO THE TORQUE SENSOR DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE STEERING WHEEL IS SHAKING EVEN MORE UNCONTROLLABLY. NOW I HAVE ANOTHER $1500 I HAVE TO PAY AND TOTALING $2400. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OVER THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, THEREFORE THIS SHOULD BE HONORED UNDER A RECALL. IN ADDITION THE PART THAT'S NEEDED IS ON BACK ORDER AND MY VEHICLE WON'T BE READY UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY.