2001 Mazda MPV Speed Control & Cruise Problems

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

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.

ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STICKING AFTER PLACING THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE VAN WOULD JUMP WHEN PUSHING THE PEDAL. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP, THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY BAD THROTTLE BODY. *NM

WHEN PULLING OFF FROM A STOP IDLE NEEDLE GOES UP TO 3 RPMS, AND THEN DROPS TO 1 RPM. THERE WOULD BE A LOUD METAL TO METAL CLINKING NOISE WHEN VEHICLE HAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND MECHANIC STATED THAT MOTOR VALVES WERE BAD. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STICKING AFTER PLACING THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. *PH THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP, THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY CARBON BUILD-UP ON THE THROTTLE BODY WHICH WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND CONSIDERED A MAINTENANCE PROBLEM. *JB