NHTSA Complaint #11362494 — 2008 MAZDA TRIBUTE

ISSUE #1 - LEFT FRONT CALIPER LOCKS UP PREVENTING VEHICLE TO MOVE. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER HAS LOCKED UP AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND COMING TO EITHER A COMPLETE OR SUDDEN STOP AFTER HARD BRAKING. THE ISSUE MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSES THE BRAKE PADS TO OVERHEAT AND SMOKE. I'VE REPLACED THE CALIPER 3 TIMES AND HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH EACH NEW CALIPER. THE UNDERLYING CAUSE FOR THE BRAKE LOCK UP HAS BEEN A MALFUNCTION IN THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL UNIT AND SENSORS. TEMPORARY REMEDY HAS BEEN TO REMOVE THE 50AMP ABS FUSE FOR 24 HOURS AND REPLACE. SYSTEM WORKS LIKE IT IS DESIGNED TO DO AFTERWARDS. ISSUE #2 - POWER ASSISTED STEERING. THE VEHICLE HAD SHOWN SYSTEMS OF A VIBRATING AND TWITCHING STEERING WHEEL WHILE AT IDLE IN PARK AND WHILE IN GEAR WHILE SITTING AT A STOP. AFTER 2 DAYS OF THE MOVING STEERING WHEEL THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN RESTARTED 5 HOURS LATER WITH NO MORE JUMPING STEERING WHEEL BUT NOW WITH NO POWER ASSISTED STEERING AT ALL. MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER WHILE UNDER NO TO VERY LOW SPEED. THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO HAVE NO POWER ASSISTED STEERING AS THERE IS NO CONSISTENT RESOURCE ON WHAT TO DO FOR THOSE VEHICLES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THE RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE.