1993 Mazda Navajo Problems & Complaints

I JUST RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE ON A TIRE RECALL FROM YEARS AGO. I BOUGHT A NEW MAZDA NAVAJO IN 1993 AND IT HAD FIRESTONE ATX TIRES. THEY FAILED WAY BEFORE ANY RECALL SO I REPLACED THEM AT MY COST WITH THE SAME. THESE TIRES FAILED ALSO SO I REPLACED THEM WITH SOMETHING ELSE. 2 SETS (10 TIRES) AT MY COST. WHEN THE RECALL CAME OUT I GOT NOTHING. IN FACT, I DIDN'T EVEN OWN THE VEHICLE ANYMORE. MY COMPLAINT IS...WHEN IT TAKES SO LONG TO IDENTIFY A PROBLEM, WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAD PROBLEMS BEFORE THE RECALL? THEY CAN FIND ME 10 YEARS LATER, BUT WHY DON'T I HAVE ANY RECOURSE TO GET COMPENSATED FOR RISKING MY LIFE AND PAYING OUT OF POCKET? *NM

THE HEADS WERE SEVERLY CRACKED. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE THERE HAVE , NOT ONLY BEEN SO MANY INSTANCES BUT MANY TIMES, AS WITH THIS CASE THE HEADS WERE SO SEVERLY CRACKED THAT ONLY COMPLETE REPLACEMENT IS ACCEPTABLE. *AK

THE HEADS WERE SEVERLY CRACKED. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE THERE HAVE , NOT ONLY BEEN SO MANY INSTANCES BUT MANY TIMES, AS WITH THIS CASE THE HEADS WERE SO SEVERLY CRACKED THAT ONLY COMPLETE REPLACEMENT IS ACCEPTABLE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC SPARE TIRE CABLE HAD SNAPPED AND CAUSED TIRE TO COME LOOSE. HAVE NOT BEEN TO A DEALERSHIP.*AK

THE VEHICLES TIRES EXPERIENCED MANY FAILURES PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE, THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE PURCHASED PRIOR TO JANUARY 1, 2000 (FIRESTONE ATX P235/75R15). NLM

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE LIFTGATE BRACKET REPAIRED PER RECALL NOTICE 99V-310, DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR BRACKET FREE OF CHARGE CLAIMING THAT THE RECALL NOTICE EXPIRED, AS A RESULT CONSUMER HAD THE BRACKET REPLACED BY ANOTHER COMPANY, HOWEVER SINCE THE ORIGINAL BRACKET BROKE THE TAILGATE DOES NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY, THIS IS ALLOWING EXHAUST FUMES TO ENTER THE VEHICLE. NLM

THESE TIRES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ALL WEATHER STREET TIRES (PER SALESMAN), BUT THESE TIRES CAUSE MY CAR TO SKID OUT OF COMPLETE STOP ON WET PAVEMENT AND SKID AND SLIDE IN SNOW OR SLUSH. HAD AN INSTANCE WHERE ON A WINDY AND WET DAY WHERE THE VEHICLE SLID ACROSS A LANE AND A HALF OF TRAFFIC NEARLY HITTING A TANKER TRUCK. ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THESE TIRES DO NOT HUG THE ROAD VERY WELL AND ENDANGER THOSE IN THE VEHICLE. NOTE THAT I REPLACED 4 OF THE WILDERNESS STYLE TIRES WITH THESE TIRES A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO (AND STILL HAVE A RECALLED WILDERNESS AS A SPARE). I NOTIFIED FIRESTONE VIA E-MAIL AND GOT A COMPLICATED, CANNED RESPONSE THAT DID NOTHING TO SATISFY MY PROBLEM. I HOPE THAT THE NUMBERS I PULLED OFF THE TIRE ARE CORRECT (LTP235/ 75R15 M//S ; 22433UR BMO2528). *AK( DOT NUMBER: 22433UR TIRE SIZE: 75 R15 )

HEADING SOUTH ON I-95 OUTSIDE SAVANNAH, GA, TIRE EXPLODED CAUSING TREAD TO PEEL AND FLY OFF PUTTING CAR IN DANGEROUS SITUATION AND DANGER TO OTHER CARS. WE WERE ABLE TO BRAKE AND WEAVE TO AVOID IMPACT AND OVERTURNING BEFORE COMING TO A STOP OFF HIGHWAY. IN ADDITION TO A LOST TIRE, THE EXPLOSIONAND RUBBER PEELING IN THE AREA OF THE GAS TANK RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE MUFFLER AND UNDERSIDE OF CAR. WE REPLACED TIRE, ($101.74) HAD THE MUFFLER REPAIRED (UNDER WARRANTY). DAMAGE REMAINS TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. THE ESTIMATE TO REPAIR IS $703.84. PLEASE ADVISE IF YOU WISH TO VIEW DAMAGE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75/R15 )

CONSUMER FELT A VIBRATION IN FRONT END OF VEHICLE BUT BEFORE HE COULD SLOW DOWN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING HIM TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, HIT THE MEDIAN AND ROLLED OVER 3 TIMES. THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE APPEARS TO HAVE SEPARATED, THE OTHERS WENT FLAT ON IMPACT(FIRESTONE ATX P235/75R15). NLM

CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA RECALL 94V169000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 94S91 CONCERNING EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE: MECHANICAL. PARKING BRAKE FAILS SO THAT IT WILL NOT ENGAGE. DEALER PUTS "WEDGE" IN MECHANISM TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, BUT THE WEDGE DOES NOT LAST-- IT BREAKS AND FALLS OUT. MAZDA CLAIMS THAT THERE IS NOTHING ELSE THAT THEY CAN DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM SINCE THIS IS WHAT NHTSA HAS INSTRUCTED THEM TO DO. *AK.ET.

THE PIPE THAT YOU PUT GASOLINE IN FROM THE OUTSIDE THAT CARRIES THE GASOLINE TO THE GAS TANK CORRODED AND RUSTED AT 36,000 MILES WHEN THE CAR WAS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD. IT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN MARCH 1995. THE REPLACEMENT PART IS NOW CORRODED AND RUSTED. HAVE BEEN TO DEALERSHIP AND MET WITH FACTORY REP AND THEY WILL NOT FIX IT SINCE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. ALL AGREE THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE OCCURING BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. RECOMMENDED THAT I CONTACT YOU TO SEE IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IF A RECALL IS INSTITUTED, THEY WILL THEN FIX THE PROBLEM. AT THE TIME OF MY MEETING WITH THE FACTORY REP, THERE HAPPENED TO BE ANOTHER PROTEGE (1990) IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR ANOTHER PROBLEM AND IT ALSO HAS A CORRODED/RUSTED FUEL LINE. ISN'T THIS A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF THE CORROSION/RUST AFFECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE METAL AND THEREFORE BE A FIRE HAZARD WHEN GASOLINE IS PUT INTO THE CAR? MYSELF AND FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE HAD NUMEROUS CARS OVER THE YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE OR HAD THIS PROBLEM. MANY MECHANICS CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM AND AGREE THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE OCCURING AND IT COULD VERY WELL BE A SAFETY HAZARD AS WELL AS A HAZARD TO THE ENGINE IF A PIECE OF THE CORROSION BREAKS OFF AND TRAVELS INTO THE ENGINE. WONDER HOW MANY OTHER PROTEGE'S HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IF SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT? FEEL IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED ONCE, MUCH LESS A SECOND TIME. FEEL THE QUALITY OF THE METAL PIPE USED IS NOT SUFFICIENT AND THEREFORE COULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN IF THE INGEGRITY OF THE METAL BECOMES INVOLVED WHEN ENOUGH CORROSION/RUST DEVELOPS.

WHILE DRIVING AT 70MPH TRANSMISSION FROZE UP, LOCKING THE REAR WHEELS. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

AFTER COMPRESSOR FAILED @35000MI. AND WAS REPLACED, REFRIGERATOR LEAKS OUT IN ABOUT 2 MONTHS,NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO FIND LEAK,INCLUDES DEALER AND INDEPENDENT GARAGES, THEY RE FILLED IT, LEAKS OUT . *AK

WHEN I TURN ON THE HEATER, THERE IS A SMELL OF BURNING MATERIAL INSIDE THE VEHICLE. RECENTLY I PAID THE DEALER TO CLEAN LEAVES FROM THE HEATER. THEY SUGGESTED I NOT PARK UNDER TREES. SINCE THIS VEHICLE WAS MADE BY FORD, ANY RECALL FOR DEBRIS IN THE HEATER WOULD APPLY.

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE RESULTING IN TIGHTENING ITSELF OVER CONSUMER'S BODY.

ANTI LOCK BRAKES EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE.

STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN DEFECTIVE, CAUSING VIGOROUS VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND VEHICLE.

MOTOR MOUNTS FAILED.

CONSUMER INJURED FINGER IN DOOR LATCH, DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE DOOR LATCH.

SUN ROOF: WAS IN THE PARKING LOT, SITTING IN VEHICLE AND THE SUN ROOF COMPLETELY SHATTERED. *AK

BRAKES.

CV BOOTS/JOINTS REPLACED 3 TIMES.

HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS INOPERATIVE.

VEHICLE VIBRATES SEVERELY WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 50-70MPH, A TSB WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM FEB,1996, A KIT TO REPLACE ENGINE MOUNTS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT WAS CREATED TO ALLEVIATE THIS CONDITION.*AK THE PROBLEM HAS SINCE BEEN FIXED BY DEALER.*JB

DEALER DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS FOR RECALL NO 95V164000, OWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE ON 12/95, AND CONTACTED DEALER THE SAME DATE. *AK

ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *SD

REAR BRAKE DRUM BROKE, CAUSING DEEP GOUGES/EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO BRAKE PADS. *SD

4 WHEEL DRIVE MOTOR CORRODED DUE TO IMPROPER SEALING, CAUSING WATER DAMAGE/COMPUTER SHORTAGE. *SD

VEHICLES ABS BRAKING SYSTEM IN BUMPY ROADS VEERS AND IN WET WEATHER HAS LONG AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES.WHEN HOLDING PEDAL HARD IT VEERS. TT

EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE MECHANISM DOES NOT PROPERLY ENGAGE. RECALL RELATED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT