Ford Escape Mazda Tribute Maintenance and Repair

audia8q · February 2002

Where do you get the idea that sweeping something under the rug would benefit me?? I get paid for service work...I should be thrilled about service problems. So your theory doesnt work. It isnt hurting sales either the Escape/Trib is the best selling small SUV int he world.

We are well into the hundreds of escapes and tributes sold. So far we have had 1 mazda with the stalling issue and 3 Escapes. All cases fixed the first time. We carry a high line japanese brand that has a car with some problems that are affecting a large percentage of buyers, unlike the tiny percentage of Escape/Trib buyers, but I dont see the flury of misinformation and half truths that I've seen posted on this board...

So everyone take a deep breath, stop getting all emotional and let's try to report actual facts so people with the problem can get it fixed quickly and painlessly. To continue to report the half truths will do nothing but hurt yourselves.

suvshopper4 · February 2002

I have an answer for your initial question, above.
And we could go round and round on this some more.
But, I'll take you up on your suggestion of a deep breath.

Let the weekend begin.

canadiancl · February 2002

kkcymru · February 2002

Just out of curiosity, on those 4 stalling problems was it all the same problem or was it different problems causing the stalling? Is it safe to assume Ford tracks all these fixes.

When I get a car, I expect to have some problems (though stalling without warning is not one I really want). As long as they can be fixed and there aren't too many, I drive away happy. If the dealer tells me the problem can't be replicated, as seems to be the case with several of the posters, then I begin to worry. I know you can't blame a dealer for not being able to find an intermittent problem, but that still won't make me feel better about my car. If this is a single recurring problem, it's going to be up to Ford/Mazda to convince people they've found a solution. Otherwise you're going to have people leaving the service department not knowing if the stalling problem has been fixed or if it is just a matter of waiting until their intermittent problem occurs again.

As far as how common this problem is, Ford and Mazda are the only ones in a good position to judge this. Your dealership could be having much better or much worse luck than average. You may be in a much better position than the typical poster to judge the extent of the problem, but from a statistical point of view, the record of one Mazda and one Ford dealership with several hundred sales of the vehicles in questions leaves a lot of room for uncertainty. This is especially true if the "bad" ones show up more frequently in certain production runs rather than being distributed randomly or uniformly.

audia8q · February 2002

yes, all mfg track problems. they do this via warranty claims.

We have access to all of our mfg nationwide service related claim info...This allows us to know about vehicle problems in almost any statistic possible combinations and detail. All the way down to color of the vheicle...This covers every unit under warranty in the US.

Sometime, I will post how the internal process works with a dealer and the mfg when a problem pops up with an unknown fix..its very interesting and maybe help to understand why the fix takes so long and sometimes two or three tries.

canadiancl · February 2002

The more I read here the more I wonder if that post of mine you deleted should have been left on

stever · February 2002

Now be nice - dealers are people too.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

carseeker4 · February 2002

Found On Road Dead... heard that one in the '80's
I admit I shuddered when I told my brother to
buy a Tempo - normally we steer away from Fords
(no pun intended). His Tempo (1992) is still
running fine (though he's been thru 2 radiators!
...may have something to do with leaving it
parked outside) with over 90K miles and no major
problems... the Tribscape may be a problem..
I would like to buy a Trib, since it has the best
features, power and looks of any of the mini-SUVs out there. However, reading about all these issues, especially the stalling issue, makes me very wary. If the CRV had a V6, it would be in my driveway right NOW!!

rfruth · February 2002

Found on road dead (old one) The Escape is a good vehicle IMO, can hardly wait till the hybrid http://www.hybridford.com version hits the street

rfruth · February 2002

Fix Or Replace Daily - First On Race Day, guess it depends on how you look at it. Bring on the hybrid Escape !

prairieboy2 · February 2002

I find it interesting that everyone is referring to these problems as Ford's problems. The last time I checked, Ford only owned 33.4% equity in Mazda, and I can find no evidence suggesting that has changed. The Tribute/Escape is a Japanese engineered vehicle, with a Ford engine. That is Fords biggest contribution outside of assembly of the vehicle. Ford does not own Mazda as far as I can see, and if they do, I would like to know where there is proof of that. They have numerous business relationships with Mazda, and the Tribute/Escape project is one of the biggest. Can anyone shed more light on this?

windowphobe6 · February 2002

Under Japanese corporate law, Ford owns just enough of Mazda to have effective controlling interest; Ford can override the Mazda board, should it so desire. (DaimlerChrysler owns a similar percentage of Mitsubishi Motors, and Renault owns a chunk of Nissan in this same general range.) The last two Mazda presidents have been Ford guys, and the trend is toward more platform-sharing and other joint ventures.

As regards the Tribscape, well, it is mostly a Mazda design, but all LHD versions are assembled by Ford. (RHD versions, for Japan and presumably the UK, are built by Mazda in Japan.) Until someone comes up with some credible information that the Mazda-built vehicles are suffering the same problems, Ford will continue to get the blame, at least in fora like these.

canadatwo · February 2002

yes i tell people they were initital recalls.

Quote#1198
"1. 6 recalls in the first 6 months"

Can't wait for the latest copy of the Lemon-Aid on SUV's

The Escape/Tribute should be a doozy.

BTW, I had a 4x4 XLT V6 Escape. Got rid of it.

Also, nobody ever suggested any of the above problems would happen with EVERY Escape. It would be actually better if they did, then Ford could fix them.

The issue is that the problems effect a minority of Escapes, but too much for someone trying to avoid an unreliable vehicle.

richh735 · February 2002

Town Hall SUVs Mazda Tribute/ Ford Escape problems
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Mazda Tribute/ Ford Escape problems
1215 messages,Last post on Feb 04, 2002 at 08:29 AM

Msg#

[beginning of discussion][scroll up 20 messages] (1195 previous messages)
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#1196 of 1215 tbay by tincup47 Feb 01, 2002 (07:48 am)
BON is hardly an unbiased forum since one of the founders left. Robert Lane IMO is one step away from Weekly World News in his journalistic integrity. His stories are full of holes and filled with half truths.

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#1197 of 1215 audia8q hysterical by suvshopper4 Feb 01, 2002 (08:26 am)
audia8q: "Having both Mazda and Ford franchises qualifies me, much more than most, to speak with actual information and real world experiences of hundreds of Escape/Tribute's."
-Also gives you plenty of incentive to sweep problems under the carpet, doesn't it?

"The engineers come up with a fix, they transmit it to the dealers who try it and it works....problem gone..if not try plan B. if that dosnt work try plan C. "
-So, is there a fix yet?

Like kkcymru wrote, the "only" 100+ complaints to NHTSA are probably just the tip of the iceberg, with 90% submerged.

"But I'll be glad to let the hysterical types rave on. Remember, some people dont let the facts get in the way of their opinions."
-And some people don't let the facts get in the way of their own profit.

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#1198 of 1215 Mass Hysteria by canadatwo Feb 01, 2002 (08:51 am)
Reason enough not to buy the Escape.

Lets see:
1. 6 recalls in the first 6 months.
2. Fuel smell issue
3. Stalling nightmare
4. Failing differentials
5. Oil light going on for "no reason"
6. Engine light going on for "no reason"
7. Failing transmissions
8. Failing motors (2 in my neck of the woods alone)
9. Failing steering assemblies
10. Creeks & rattles
11. Heavy brake dust (from soft pads)
12. Air bags failing to go off in frontal collisions
13. what else did I forget?

you be the judge.

FIX THE ESCAPE, FORD!
FIX THE TRIBUTE, MAZDA!

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#1199 of 1215 canadatwo by scape2 Feb 01, 2002 (09:14 am)
you are one of the persons that are pushing this "mass hysterai". Now you have listed problems yet you don't list links backing up your allegations that EVERY Tribute/Escape is going to have these problems... you are going by what you are reading only here at Edmunds. You are bias against Ford/Mazda. You keep beating these issues over and over again yet you don't provide any proof. Once again the recalls, do you tell people that they were in intial production? Do you tell people to go look for themselves on the NHSTA site to see the recalls are limited to certain build dates and lots? Of course not, you don't want people to know this information..... Do you tell people there are NO recalls for the Escape 02 model?

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#1200 of 1215 canada 2 again by winbro Feb 01, 2002 (09:35 am)
you got it all right except for one thing

FIX THE ESCAPE, FORD
FIX THE TRIBUTE, FORD

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#1201 of 1215 Acronym for Ford by canadiancl Feb 01, 2002 (01:01 pm)
Fix Or Repair Daily.

I first heard this term in the early '70's. So don't hold out too much hope that Ford will fix the Tricape any time soon.

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#1202 of 1215 suvshopper by audia8q Feb 01, 2002 (02:04 pm)
Where do you get the idea that sweeping something under the rug would benefit me?? I get paid for service work...I should be thrilled about service problems. So your theory doesnt work. It isnt hurting sales either the Escape/Trib is the best selling small SUV int he world.

We are well into the hundreds of escapes and tributes sold. So far we have had 1 mazda with the stalling issue and 3 Escapes. All cases fixed the first time. We carry a high line japanese brand that has a car with some problems that are affecting a large percentage of buyers, unlike the tiny percentage of Escape/Trib buyers, but I dont see the flury of misinformation and half truths that I've seen posted on this board...

So everyone take a deep breath, stop getting all emotional and let's try to report actual facts so people with the problem can get it fixed quickly and painlessly. To continue to report the half truths will do nothing but hurt yourselves.

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#1203 of 1215 audia8q by suvshopper4 Feb 01, 2002 (02:26 pm)
I have an answer for your initial question, above.
And we could go round and round on this some more.
But, I'll take you up on your suggestion of a deep breath.

Let the weekend begin.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#1204 of 1215 But remember to breathe out though, as Faith Hill would say

by canadiancl Feb 01, 2002 (06:08 pm)

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#1205 of 1215 question for audia8q by kkcymru Feb 01, 2002 (07:18 pm)
Just out of curiosity, on those 4 stalling problems was it all the same problem or was it different problems causing the stalling? Is it safe to assume Ford tracks all these fixes.

When I get a car, I expect to have some problems (though stalling without warning is not one I really want). As long as they can be fixed and there aren't too many, I drive away happy. If the dealer tells me the problem can't be replicated, as seems to be the case with several of the posters, then I begin to worry. I know you can't blame a dealer for not being able to find an intermittent problem, but that still won't make me feel better about my car. If this is a single recurring problem, it's going to be up to Ford/Mazda to convince people they've found a solution. Otherwise you're going to have people leaving the service department not knowing if the stalling problem has been fixed or if it is just a matter of waiting until their intermittent problem occurs again.

As far as how common this problem is, Ford and Mazda are the only ones in a good position to judge this. Your dealership could be having much better or much worse luck than average. You may be in a much better position than the typical poster to judge the extent of the problem, but from a statistical point of view, the record of one Mazda and one Ford dealership with several hundred sales of the vehicles in questions

maltb · February 2002

Ford is responsible for the manufacturing of the North American Triscape, therefore they choose the component suppliers for the vehicle and are responsible for QC. Mazda does have a QC presence at the Kansas city plant but their voice(mostly in a foreign tongue) is often overlooked.

varmit · February 2002

I understand that a number of people have fixed the stalling issue by replacing an electrical component. Here's my question. What is so different about the new one? Is it a different design, or is it just a matter of unreliable parts from the supplier? Some work, but others don't.

maltb · February 2002

It's a modified IAC (idle air control) valve. I wouldn't put it past Visteon to put out a few loose spec parts every now and then.

bri66 · February 2002

..........Driver Returns On Foot. My 2001 Escape is running great, no problems at all. Sometimes it just depends on how you treat them.

stever · February 2002

lol bri66, haven't heard that one before.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

my1stsuv · February 2002

Attention high mileage Tribute and Escape owners - I have 30,000 Km (20k Miles) and the front brake pads need replacement and the rotors are wearing too (feel step on edge of rotor through the wheel). Any other owners having the same problem and what is the dealer or Mazda/Ford doing for you.

canadatwo · February 2002

not unexpected as the Escape has fairly soft pads.

The benefit is very short stopping distances.

Over 50 feet shorter 60-0 than the Liberty.

purpy · February 2002

I wouldn't be here if My Mazda hadn't
stalled out 3 times which was finally
fixed on the 3rd time. There is a big
problem with the Mazda's unless they fix it.
I knew of 2 other people it happened to.
I would take this problem seriously.

jmltrib · February 2002

Ok all...looking for some advice,

My Tribute is nearing the one year mark and has less than 6000 miles on it. It has been into the shop going on 11 times. The first time was for a retaining clip in the dash that had been damaged on assembly and was making very loud squeaking noises. After taking the entire dash apart (steering column, air bags, gauges, everything, the dealer was able to fix the problem. Since then there have been so many rattles and squeaks, I am about ready to loose my mind. The latest is a sound coming from the back hatch which sounds like two pieces of metal striking each other. Now mind you, I have not had MAJOR issues like others have had with stalling, etc, but maybe those of use who have Tributes with higher mileage can give me an idea of how their vehicles are faring in this respect and if I should bail from this now. The sad thing is that after saving for awhile and waiting forever to take delivery of this vehicle which I really do love, it is just a major disappointment. Anyway, any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks much!

scape2 · February 2002

11 times for rattles and squeaks? I own an Escape and so far so good for me. My complaints are wind noise. I am an engineer and have been contemplating on how to remedy this problem myself. Basically I am going to add gasket material around the door sealing areas and insulate my door panels more. Sorry to hear about your 11 times to the dealership. Its going to have to be your choice as to whether you keep the vehicle or not. I would get around the net and visit other chat rooms. Overall the Trib/Escape are proving to be reliable, contrary to popular belief... There are thousands of happy Trib/Scape owners out here.....

gromoe · February 2002

I totally sympathize with user "jmltrib". I have owned my Tribute DX_V6 about 15 months and been back to the dealership for repairs about 15 times. I have had a headlight replaced 3 times due to condensation collecting under the lens. (Faulty seals?) Also, took about 3 or 4 attempts to get rid of the squeaking inside the dashboard. I guess it was also the retaining clip. Then I also experienced the "gas smell". Turns out that was a faulty intake valve. To top it all off, I had to have the entire dashboard replaced due to improper sealing of the finish layer to the foam padding underneath. This has been an absolutely aggravating experience. I will never buy another Ford product! It's no wonder that company is on the financial ropes right now. The quality is so inferior to the Japanese products out there. I have been in communication with the Mazda Consumer Compliance department, but so far nothing concrete has been done other than that they extended my warranty to 5 years as a gesture of good faith. I want them to buy the car back. I have been shopping for another SUV, but deep down I just don't want to let Mazda off the hook that easily. One more headlight replacement and I will qualify under the North Carolina Lemon Law. If you are thinking about buying a Tribute/Escape, I would highly advise against it...or any other Ford product for that matter! FORD SUCKS!!!!!!

scape2 · February 2002

I feel for you. But, to advise againts buying a Ford/Mazda product?? There are thousands upon thousands of happy Trib/Escape owners out here, (me for one). I have had my Escape in the snow, on logging roads to my favorite fishing areas, towing my jet skiis and its been a wonderul, reliable vehicle. Ford is not all to blame for your problems either. Mazda had a huge influence on the design/build of the Escape/Trib, Mazda is Japanese. Also, I realize your angry and upset over your lemon, but to claim Japanese have all the quality/reliability wrapped up is wrong. Please visit www.msn.com and see the reliability data for all models/years and compare, also have you read about the huge "sludge" problems on Toyota's?? Toyota has acknowledged this problem... All car makers have thier problem children... Get out on the net, visit other chat rooms, there are plenty of angry/upset owners of Toyotas/Honda's, Nissans, BMW's, Mercedes...Peace...

jmltrib · February 2002

I appreciate the feedback. I take my 2001 Tribute ES in for the 12th time tomorrow. I figure I will give them one more chance to fix this and if they can't get it right, I'm trading it off. I understand that there are many thousands of satisfied owners out there, and I am glad for them. From my point of view however, this level of quality in the year 2001 is inexcusable. I'm well aware that there are problems with any brand of vehicle out there; however, I don't think it's OK to be content saying..."Well Toyota has this many problems and so do we, so that's OK". (i.e. their build quality is just as crappy as ours but that's just the way it is) But again, that's just my opinion. Any further feedback would be appreciated. Thanks again!

gromoe · February 2002

Tha bottom line Scrape2, is that the Tribute is manufactured and assembled in KC, MO in a Ford plant, by Ford employees, using parts and accesories(ie. headlights, clips, dashboards, intake valves) also manufactured by Ford. My personal experiences tell me to buy Japanese next time. My last car, a '92 Toyota Paseo(also a first year model) was still running like a top with 130,000 when I traded it in.(Yes, I feel foolish!) I can count on 1 hand the number of times I had to take it to the dealership. Twice, I believe! Also, my wife drives a '96 Honda Civic with about 70,000 miles on it. Purchased new, and been back to the dealership just once! Quality and reliability like that has never come out of American car plants, I hate to say. I wish it did.

baggs32 · February 2002

Purpy,
Our Escape stalled for the first time last week, and I'm planning to take it to the dealer because they told me that they are fixing them by upgrading the engine computer program (ECU, ECC, something like that). They've only had two or three of them come in with the stalling problem so I was wondering if that's how they fixed your Tribute too? They seemed pretty confident that it would work, and they are not replacing any of the other parts (IAC, etc.) because they had been unsuccessful in doing so with the others. Anyone else have any advice? Except for you gromoe. I just wanted to tell you that we too have a 96 Civic EX which has been to the shop several times for small (but expensive) problems and recalls. $400+ to replace the window track in the driver's door that just decided to break one snowy day does not fit into my definition of high quality. You see, Honda's have problems too. I think you should also know that your Civic (and most other Japanese cars) was built in the USA where, according to you, quality and reliability do not exist. I don't want to start a "which one do you think is better" war here. I just thought everyone should see the other side of the story too.

carseeker4 · February 2002

I'm curious how many miles you had on the Escape before the stall and under what circumstances? You ought to report that to the NHTSA site...

baggs32 · February 2002

carseeker4,
We stalled going down a hill like everyone else with about 832 miles on the odo. I'm glad you reminded me to report it to the NHTSA because I went to do it one day at work, but didn't have the VIN # on me. Since then, I have forgot to do it because the dealer said they could fix it with an engine computer program update. I'll report it tonight. I don't really see it as a huge problem like, but I would like to see it fixed right. It is still a probelem after all.

Thanks!

carseeker4 · February 2002

Thanks for the info.... this is getting worse by the hour. I have a post in the Mazda Tribute board in answer to someone with a muffler rusting problem AT THE VERY DEALER which I am considering buying a Trib (not anymore!).

baggs32 · February 2002

carseeker4,
If you haven't already, I think you need to look at this a different way. This board represents a very small percentage of Escape/Tribute owners. Think about it, over a quarter of a million Escapes/Tributes were sold so far, and how many of them are posting on this board? 100-200 maybe? Take into consideration that a few of those have never even driven one let alone own one (they are just Ford haters who have nothing better to do with their time) and the percentage continues to shrink. How many of them are like me? I had read about the stalling problem before I bought the Escape, but didn't really start posting or really looking for it until it happened. My point is, people usually don't come to these boards to say something nice. They are here to research something odd that has happened to them, or they are trying to make the vehicle sound really bad so car shoppers like you will stay away and then join in their anger for no reason. The Escape/Tribute twins really are great automobiles and should not be removed from your shopping list because of other people's problems. If you do buy one, and do happen to experience one of the problems that you have read about, you don't have to take it back to the selling dealer for service. You can take it to ANY Ford, Lincoln/Mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin dealer in the world for service. You're not going to find any small SUV that doesn't have problems. The designs are all too new and have not been through every real world scenario yet, and there's only so much the engineers can test before the first one is sold. I'm not trying to get you to buy one of these (even though it does kind of sound that way) for I am not a salesman or a Ford employee, I just want you to see that you will be taking a chance with any brand, so choose the one you like the most. I read somewhere on this board, and in others that CR-V's and Liberty's are stalling too. Neither is recall free either. I hope this helped.

tincup47 · February 2002

You cannot take your vehicle to Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston-Martin, or Volvo dealer for warranty service. They are not authorized to perform warranty service for Ford branded vehicles. They do not have the parts, service facilities, or training to service the vehicle. Ford treats their brands as stand alone entities for warranty purposes. I doubt if a Mazda Dealer can do warranty work for an Escape, as their system requires a Mazda VIN to pay them for warranty work and vice-versa.

baggs32 · February 2002

I wasn't sure about that one. I just remember hearing that info somewhere and didn't think to look it up. Oil changes and other scheduled maintenance can still be done at the others though, right? Maybe that's what I was thinking of.

tincup47 · February 2002

can be done at any facility that is equipped to do them. If you do have them done at independents, save the records (a good idea even if you have them done at the dealer). You may be required to provide proof of maintenance on future warranty claims. Manufacturers do not tend to take your word you had the maintenance performed.

carseeker4 · February 2002

Thanks for the encouragement baggs32, but I have not heard of CRVs or Liberties stalling. I know the Liberties have some tipping problems (its why the Lib did not make it past first base!), but I have not heard stalling. Neither in the CRV (although I have heard some people complain about the harsh transmission shifts and are concerned). And I don't see a "CRV problems" board (though it may be a bit early yet).

baggs32 · February 2002

The CR-V stalling, as I read it, was being caused by a faulty valve timing part (can't remember the exact name), but Honda does know about it and is fixing it before they leave the lots. You probably aren't hearing much about it because it's already been caught before a lot of them were sold. I was wrong about the Liberty stalling (although tipping was something that I was concerned about as well, didn't make it past first base with us either), the Santa Fe is the other one that is stalling due to an improperly manufactured engine part. I believe they are being recalled very soon. Just don't fall into that "Japanese cars are perfect" mindset. Our other car is a 1996 Civic, and another family member just bought a 2001 CR-V in Aug. of last year. Both have had their fare share of annoyances, and are far from perfect. As a matter of fact, the CR-V doors already sound like they are going to fall off when you close them. They aren't all as tight as everyone thinks. I know that was one of your concerns with the Tribute. Sorry to go off on that tangent.

rep62ar · February 2002

I haven't posted or looked at this board in a long time. I originally posted after being terrified after my 2001 Tribute stalled with my baby in the backseat. The dealership said there was no 'fix' as they could not replicate the problem. Since that time, a friend with a Tribute which had stalled at about 14k miles has stalled again at 22k miles. Same dealership that I went to acted like they had never heard of the problem. She was in rush hour traffic and narrowly avoided a serious accident. Another friend test drove the Tribute anyway last month- salesman acted like she was nuts when she mentioned the stalling problem - and it stalled while she was test driving it! Salesman tried to blame it on her. I have turned the problem into NHTSA and recommended friend to do the same. Do you get any kind of response from NHTSA when you do that? I have not. Please do not discount this problem as unimportant as we young moms are now very nervous driving these vehicles and wonder when - not if - the stalling will happen again.

carseeker4 · February 2002

rep62ar, I assume you still have your Trib.
I just got done reviewing the Lemon Laws in our state (PA) and they are pretty much like every one elses! There is some protection there, but the dealer still needs 3 chances to fix. Have you asked your dealer (or maybe another dealer) about any potential fix that has arisen?

varmint · February 2002

It is true that you will see a larger number of complaints with a model that sells a larger number of units. However, Ford and Mazda are not the only ones with a sales success. Honda and Toyota have sold more RAV4s and CR-Vs over the past five years. I believe that Honda has actually sold twice as many 1st gen CR-Vs as the Escape. They've done so without the volume of problems that we read about here and at other sites.

Carseeker - Actually, there is a "problems" page in the CR-V owners area, but it isn't very active. In the past few years, other CR-V problems threads have been started, but they've all expired from lack of participation. This doesn't mean that CR-Vs do not have problems, but they seem to have a lower percentage of problems than the Escape/Tribute.

carseeker4 · February 2002

winbro · February 2002

if you all are worried about what ford has done to "cheapen" the good name mazda had; imagine what it will do with the volvo name in years to come.

baggs32 · February 2002

I too live in PA (Pittsburgh to be exact), and I have called two local dealers about a fix. Both told me that they have successfully (so far) stopped the stalling problem in 2 or 3 Escapes by updating the engine control programs with a new one from Ford. One of the updates was for the regional manager's daughter's 2001 Escape. She hasn't been back since. That was actually their third try on hers because they tried replacing a couple of other parts mentioned on this board (IAC and ECC I think it is) with no luck. I'm pretty sure I can trust them because we bought ours there on the X-Plan PIN that we got from a friend who works for Ford as their (and 15 other regional dealers) inventory manager. I doubt that they want to upset him too much. Also, our salesman was his brother, whom I did call first about the problem, and he personally went into the service dept. to ask them about it. He then put me in touch with the service manager who explained all of this to me. I plan on taking it in sometime early next month. The other dealer said pretty much the same thing (although not as much detail), but I'm not going there because they gave me some horsecrap story about not being able to service my vehicle for at least 12 months because I did not buy it there. That's another story though.

carseeker4 · February 2002

...at least that gives some reassurance...

purpy · February 2002

From purpy,
My Madza is a 2001. The first time they replaced the idling moter or computer chip. They said that
it was fixed. The second time they said that
they could'nt replicate it. The third time is they
had to reprogram the whole main computer. I also
met 2 other people who had the same stalling problem. I was unhappy with Ford/Mazda with the way they handled the problem with the way that they can't do anything until they can replicate it. They admitted to me that there was a problem
with Mazda's stalling out but they didn't seem to
know how to fix it. I resent having to put my life on the line while they were telling me to
keep driving it and see if it happens again.
I was also worried about the passengers in my car.
I also had to worry about being hit while my car
stalled out. It happened at 8000 miles and I have
13000 on it now. It hasn't happened in 5 months
but I also have to worry about it happening again.
This is a real problem.

maltb · February 2002

how is it a safety issue if your vehicle stalls on decline with closed throttle?

carseeker4 · February 2002

because all power assist is lost and if your going downhill you the car may still be accelerating and then your power brakes or steering fail, a serious accident could result. Thanks for the input purpy....

maltb · February 2002

how fast were people going when their vehicles stalled?

and does a vehicle not have residual vacuum that can stop a vehicle?

Just questions...

baggs32 · February 2002

It is my understanding that Ford issued a new engine computer upgrade sometime in mid-December 2001. I think this is the one I'm getting, and I'll let everyone know how it goes. Ever since our only stall, I've only been able to get the tach to drop under 500 RPM a couple of times, but it wouldn't stall again. I'm hoping that the upgrade will stop that. If it does not, then I think we still have a problem. Has anyone else with the most recent upgrade tried anything like this?

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