NHTSA Complaint #754172 — 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE

ON NOVEMBER 2 DRIVING 40MPH WITH NO WARNING MY ENGINE SHUT OFF AND I LOST POWER TO MY STEERING AND BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AFTER APPLYING ALL MY WEIGHT TO THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL. I MISSED AN ONCOMING CAR AND A TREE BY LUCK. I TOOK THE TRIBUTE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THIS WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THEY WERE GOING TO PUT ME BACK IN THE TRIBUTE UNTIL MONDAY WHEN THEY HAD AN OPENING. I REQUESTED A RENTAL CAR BECAUSE I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR UNTILL THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. THE MANAGER ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE TRIBUTES THAT HAVE BEEN REPAIRED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT PORBLEMS. I RETURNED HOME AND CALLED THE MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM. THEY ASSURED ME THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND GET BACK WITH ME, THIS NEVER HAPPENED. ON NOVEMBER 6TH I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY CAR WAS READY. I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH THE SEVICE MANAGER WHO INFORMED ME THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND I COULD PICK UP MY CAR. I TOLD HIM I WOULD NOT PICK UP THE CAR UNTIL THERE WAS A SOLUTION TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND THE CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. HE INFOMED ME THAT HIS HANDS WERE TIED AND TO CONTACT MAZDA. I CONTACTED MAZDA AND THEY CONTACTED THE SEVICE MANAGER WHO HAD ALREADY CONTACTED THE REGIONAL MANAGER. I WAS TOLD I WOULD BE CONTACTED BY HIM TOMORROW NOVEMBER 7TH. I HAVE A 15 YEAR OLD SON WHO HAS HIS LEARNERS PERMIT AND WHO I STRONGLY BELIEVE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP. MY TRIBUTE IS THE FIRST 2002 THAT THEY HAVE SEEN WITH THE PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY THIS SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS CONTINUES.*AK