NHTSA Complaint #11063495 — 2007 MAZDA MAZDA3

WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH ON THE HIGHWAY AT TYPICAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND THE DASH LIGHT TURNED ON. THIS WAS PRECEDED BY THE STABILITY CONTROL AND ABS LIGHTS TURNING ON. THE ABS AND STABILITY CONTROL LIGHTS TURNED OFF AFTER LESS THAN A MINUTE. THE STEERING LIGHT STAYED ON. LATER, AS I WAS MAKING A SECOND 90 DEGREES LEFT TURN WITHOUT POWER ASSIST, THE LIGHT TURNED OFF AND THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK SUDDENLY WHILE STILL TURNING. THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS AT AN IDEAL LEVEL BETWEEN MIN & MAX MARKER WHEN I PARKED. THE SUDDEN AND RANDOM LOSS OF POWER STEERING AS WELL AS THE UNEXPECTED RETURN OF THE FUNCTIONALITY ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS THE INABILITY TO TURN AS EXPECTED MAY LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL AND ULTIMATELY A COLLISION. I NOTIFIED MAZDA USA OF THE FAILURE (800-222-5500) BUT BECAUSE THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED IN DEC 2006 IT'S NOT COVERED BY THE 2010 RECALL # 10V374000 FOR THE STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED IS THE SAME.