2006 Mazda Tribute

POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED AS I WAS LEAVING OUR DRIVEWAY ONTO THE STREET. NO WARNING AT ALL OF ANY PROBLEM - CAR HAD JUST BEEN INSPECTED BY TWO AUTO SHOPS LAST WEEK AND NO STEERING PROBLEMS NOTED. STEERING WAS STILL POSSIBLE BUT VERY,VERY HARD TO TURN WHEEL - TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH TO TRY TO TURN. IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE IT NOW. CAR HAS 127,500 MILES.

WHEN DRIVING, THE CAR IS ALL OVER THE ROAD. I HAVE CHANGED THE TIRES, AND IT STILL WAIVERS..ITS LIKE THE STEERING COMPONENT IS LOOSE, OR THE STABILITY CABLE IS LOOSE. STEERING WANDERS BACK AND FORTH AND IT HARD TO CONTAIN EVEN MORE WHEN WINDY. PULLS TO THE RIGHT ALL THE TIME. I HAVE ALSO DONE WHEEL ADJUSTMENTS AND ALIGNINGS, AND DOESN'T HELP. I ONLY HAVE 56,000 ON THE CAR. *TR

PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 4/7/06 AND ON 4/8/06 I OBSERVED THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS. VEHICLE PRODUCES A NOTICEABLE WHINING/HUMMING NOISE AND VIBRATION THAT IS FELT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL DURING THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS: 1) WHEN THE CAR IS INITIALLY STARTED, 2) WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS SLIGHTLY PRESSED WHILE THE GEAR IS IN THE PARK POSITION 3) WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COMING TO A STOP WITH OR WITHOUT PUSHING ON THE BRAKES, 4) WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED EITHER TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. UPON NOTICING NOISE AND VIBRATION, I TOOK IT TO BACK TO THE DEALER ON 4/10/06. I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AT 8:30 A.M ON 4/11/06. AT 3:30 ON 4/11/06, THE DEALER CONTACTED ME AND SAID THAT THE TECH NOTICED THE NOISE AND VIBRATION BUT DID NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT. DEALER TESTED ANOTHER VEHICLE OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AND SAID THAT BOTH VEHICLES WERE MAKING THE SAME NOISE AND THAT IT WAS JUST PROBABLY NORMAL ENGINE NOISE. UPON ARRIVING AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE TECH TOOK ME TO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND WE LISTENED TO THE ENGINE. I INDICATED TO THE TECH THAT THE TEST VEHICLE WAS NOT BEHAVING SIMILARLY AS MY VEHICLE AND SO I WAS REFERRED TO THE ASST. SERVICE MANAGER. THE ASST. SERVICE MANAGER TESTED THE VEHICLE AND SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THE NOISE WAS NOT NORMAL AND THAT HE COULD FEEL THE VIBRATION FROM THE ENGINE TO THE STEERING WHEEL. HE SAID THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME GRINDING OCCURRING WHEN THE ENGINE WAS THROTTLING DOWN BUT THAT HE COULD NOT TELL PRECISELY THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE OR VIBRATION AND THAT HE WOULD CONTACT MAZDA ENGINEERS TO SEE IF THE NOISE AND VIBRATION WERE INHERENT TO THE VEHICLE. ON 4/12/06, THE ASST. SERVICE MANAGER CONTACTED ME AND SAID THAT HE CALLED THE MAZDA HOTLINE AND THAT THERE WERE NO INCIDENTS OF NOISE OR VIBRATION REPORTED. HE SAID THAT HE COULD NOT FIND ANY REASON FOR THE NOISE AND THAT IT MUST JUST BE NORMAL ENGINE NOISE CAUSED BY THE VEHICLES POWER STEERING. *NM