2001 Mazda Mpv

THROTTLE PEDAL WAS STICKING UPON COLD START. PEDAL HAD TO BE STEPPED ON HARDER THAN USUAL UPON START WHICH THEN CAUSED VEHICLE TO SURGE FORWARD. VEHICLE SEEMED FINE AFTER FIRST PUSH OF PEDAL. DEALER HAD TO CLEAN OUT CARBON DEPOSITS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN PAST 2 YEARS. WORRIED THAT PEDAL WOULD POSSIBLY STICK WHILE DRIVING WHICH WOULD DEFINITELY BE A SAFETY ISSUE. THESE DEPOSITS HAVE OCCURRED DESPITE USING TECHRON GAS ADDITIVE. VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT HAS ALSO COME ON MANY TIMES IN PAST - THESE ALSO MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO CARBON BUILDUP. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER TOOK HIS VEHICLE IN FOR WARRANTY WORK ON THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, SO THE DEALER DID A CHECK AND FOUND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER SAYS THAT THEY RECYCLED UNUSED GAS BACK THROUGH THE INTAKE TO BE BURNED, THIS CAUSED CARBON BUILDUP. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CARBON BUILDUP WAS TOO BAD AND COULD NOT BE CLEANED, PART HAD TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER HAD TWO OTHER MECHANICS LOOK AT THE PART AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD CLEAN THE PART AND THEN PUT IT BACK ON. THE CONSUMER SAID THE PART READ FORD BUT THE VEHICLE IS A MAZDA. CONSUMER SAYS THAT PROBLEM IS THE RECYCLED UNUSED GAS GOING BACK INTO THE INTAKE; THE CONSUMER SAYS THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. THE CONSUMER HAD THE DEALER PUT THE NEW PART ON, THEN THE CONSUMER STOPPED PAYMENT ON THE CREDIT CARD USED TO PAY FOR SERVICE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS PART. CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY DEALER THE PART WAS ONLY GOOD FOR APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES THEN IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT IF HE CLEANED THE PART, IT WOULD ONLY LAST FOR 20,000 MILES. CONSUMER SAYS THAT HE DOESN'T KNOW IF IT IS HIS FAULT OR THE DEALERSHIPS FAULT FOR TRYING TO SELL MORE PARTS. CONSUMER HAS DONE RESEARCH ON CARBON BUILD UP ON THE INTERNET AND HAS FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY INTAKE WITH THIS PROBLEM. CONSUMER SAYS THAT DEALER TOLD HIM THAT THIS IS WHY MAZDA USES A DIFFERENT MOTOR NOW. CONSUMER SAYS THAT VEHICLE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF CUT OUT ONCE IN A WHILE, BUT HE DOESN'T THINK HE CAN REALLY TELL ANY DIFFERENCE IN WITH NEW THE PART. *JB *NM

TRANSPORT CANADA HAS ISSUED TC RECALL #: 2004376 FOR A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT. MY WIFE ANDI WERE INVOLVED IN THREE SEPARATE INCIDENTS INVOLVING AN UNEXPECTED INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCES, NEARLY RESULTING IN CRASHES! IN SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES, (MINUS 25 DEGREES FARENHEIT), I ATTEMPTED TO STOP WHILE APPROACHING A LINE OF VEHICLES STOPPED AT A TOLL BOOTH. MY VEHICLE BEGAN SLOWING WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT AT AN UNEXPECTEDLY REDUCED AND INADEQUATE RATE. MY VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED VIRTUALLY ONE INCH FROM THE STOPPED VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME AT THE TOLL BOOTH! I RELAYED THIS EXPERIENCE TO MY WIFE. SHE THEN REPORTED TO ME THAT ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASSIONS, SHE HAD SIMILAR VEHICLE STOPPING PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING LOCALLY. SHE CLEARLY REMEMBERS EXCLAIMING TO MY DAUGHTER (A PASSANGER) AT THE TIME OF ONE OF THOSE INCIDENTS: "WE HAVE NO BRAKES!" BOTH MY WIFE AND I ARE VERY EXPERIENCED IN DRIVING IN "WINTER CONDITIONS," AND BELIEVE THE VEHICLE'S BEHAVIOR WAS MARKEDLY DIFFERENT FROM REDUCED STOPPING DISTANCES CAUSED BY POOR WINTER ROAD CONDITIONS. SINCE THE AFOREMENTIONED PROBLEMS MIMICKED PARTIAL 'BRAKE FAILURE,' I HAD A LOCAL GARAGE CHECK THE BRAKE SYSTEM FOR ANY PROBLEMS. ALSO, WHILE AT THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP IN SO. BURLINGTON, VT ON FEB. 11, 2005, I EXPLAINED THE STOPPING PROBLEM, AND REQUESTED AN EXAMINATION OF THE VEHICLE. BOTH NOTED THAT THE BRAKES SEEMED TO BE WORKING PROPERLY. SINCE WE: 1) OPERATE SAME VEHICLE/ MODEL/ AND ENGINE ; 2) RECURRINGLY EXPERIENCE THE IDENTICAL DRIVING CONDITIONS LISTED IN THE RECALL; AND 3) HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL NEAR-ACCIDENTS, I REQUEST THAT YOUR OFFICE TAKE ACTION SO THAT MANDATORY REPAIRS OF THIS APARENT DEFECT (A SAFETY HAZARD IN CANADA!) BE IMPLEMENTED BEFORE WINTER SET IN AGAIN! MAZDA NATIONAL CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE, AT 1-800-222-5500, ON JUNE 7, 2005 RESPONDED THAT THERE IS NO US RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE; THE RECALL APPLIES ONLY TO CANADIAN VEHICLES.