NHTSA Complaint #764258 — 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE

ENGINE PERIODICALLY SHUTS DOWN AT LOW RPMS. POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAIL WHEN ENGINE SHUTS DOWN AND, AS A RESULT, THE TRIBUTE IS DIFFICULT TO STEER AND STOP. SHUTDOWNS HAVE HAPPENED AT LEAST ELEVEN TIMES - ALWAYS AT LOW RPMS (1000 RPM OR LESS). EACH SHUT DOWN OCCURRED WHEN I WAS COASTING DOWNHILL. GENERALLY, I WAS ALSO BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME. THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY DILIGENT IN THEIR EFFORTS BUT SO FAR MAZDA HAS BEEN UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDED TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I BOUGHT THE TRIBUTE IN JAN 2001 AND EXPERICED THE FIRST FAILURES BEFORE THE FIRST 3000 MILE SERVICING. THE FIRST DEALER RESOLUTION ATTEMPT WAS NOT DOCUMENTED. THE TECHNICIAN QUERIED THE ONBOARD COMPUTER BUT THERE WAS NO CODE INDICATING ANY FAILURE. ON 4/28/02, AFTER MORE FAILURES, THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A WIRING PROBLEM AND "FIXED". THREE MORE FALILURES OCCURRED BEFORE THE TRIBUTE REACHED 6000 MILES. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE BUT ON 8/8/01 ADVISED MAZDA. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. ENGINE SHUTDOWNS CONTINUED AND ON 10/09/01 AT 7,639 MILES, THE DEALER REMOVED THE BYPASS AIR CONTROL VALVE AND CLEANED THE PASSAGEWAY - AS ADVISED BY MAZDA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. THE TRIBUTE THEN RAN FINE FOR EIGHT MONTHS. THEN IN JUNE 2002, THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED AND THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. DEALER STILL HAD SEEN NOTHING FURTHER FROM MAZDA CONCERNING RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM AND CONTACTED THEM ONCE MORE FOR ASSISTANCE. SUGGESTION WAS TO "RE-PROGRAM" THE ONBOARD COMPUTER THE NEXT TIME THE CAR IS BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICING. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND WILL UTLIMATELY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. SO FAR, SHUTDOWNS HAVE OCCURRED WHILE I WAS IN AN UNCONGESTED AREA BUT THAT IS SIMPLY LUCK. MAZDA AND FORD HAVE A REALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND RESOLUTION. SO FAR I HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING FROM MAZDA LETTING ME KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRIBUTE. GUESS THEY FEEL IT IS NOT A PROBLEM AS LONG AS IT CAN BE IGNORED.