1998 MAZDA B-SERIES TRUCK Complaints

THROTTLE STICKS WIDE OPEN ON MY 1998 MAZDA B2500 TRUCK. ONLY RECOURSE IS TO TURN ENGINE OFF TO SLOW DOWN. HAVE HAD IT IN TO MAZDA SHOP TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. FIRST TIME UNDER WARRANTY, COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM SECOND TIME, MAZDA SAYS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD A TSB FOR THIS PROBLEM. I DON'T WANT TO BE A FATAL STATISTIC, BECAUSE OF YET ANOTHER VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS FAILURE TO ACT. *TR

INTERIOR LIGHT STAY ON AFTER IT RAINS OR MOISTURE IS IN THE AIR. HAD DOOR SWITCH REPLACED, WORK FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND THEN RECUR AGAIN. THE INTERIOR LIGHT CAN ONLY BE SHUT OFF BY TAKING OUT THE FUSE. THE INTERIOR LIGHT GET SHOOT THAT IT CAN BURN YOUR HAND IF TOUCHED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A ONGOING PROBLEM WITH1998 MAZDA B2500 TRK. AND FOR RANDERS. IT COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE A INTERIOR FIRE. *TR

I OWN A 1998 MAZDA PICKUP, 2500 MODEL. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FLORIDA VEHICLE. I DID A FRONT END SUSPENSION CHECK, AND FOUND ALL 4 BALL JOINTS WITH DEEP RUST, NO RUBBER SEALS LEFT OTHER THAN BRITTLE AND CRACKED REMAINS OF THE RUBBER BOOT AROUND THE JOINTS. THE RUBBER BUSHINGS ON THE FRONT STABILIZER ASSEMBLY WERE ALSO EITHER TOTALLY DISINTEGRATED OR MISSING. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THE CONDITION HAD BEEN PRESENT FOR SOME TIME, THE BALL JOINTS WERE BADLY WORN, AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN MONTHS. THIS VEHICLE WAS BUILT BY FORD. I BELIEVE THE QUALITY AND DURABILITY OF THE RUBBER BOOTS PROTECTING THESE VITAL PARTS WAS DEFECTIVE. ACCORDING TO SOME OTHERS I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH, ROTTED BOOTS ARE NOT UNCOMMON. IN THE PAST I HAVE KEPT VEHICLES FOR OVER 20 YEARS WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM WITH BALL JOINT AND STEERING KNUCKLES GREASE COVERS. REQUEST THIS BE INVESTIGATED AS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. THANKS IN VIEW OF THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS, THIS NEEDS FOLLOWUP. *TR

MAZDA RECALL LETTER SAID TO TAKE VEHICLE TO CLOSEST DEALER FOR FREE REPAIR WORK STATING DEALERS HAD PARTS TO MAKE MY TRUCK SAFE. DROPPED TRUCK OFF FOR REPAIR ON OCT 9, 2008 AT AROUND 4:00PM. WAS TOLD I COULD PICK UP MY TRUCK ON THE 10TH AT AROUND THE SAME TIME. TOOK THE NEXT DAY OFF FROM WORK TO BE AVAILABLE WHEN THE DEALER CALLED TO PICK UP MY TRUCK. AT AROUND 3:00PM ON THE 10TH, I RECEIVED A MESSAGE TO CALL THE DEALER. SINCE I WAS TOLD TO BE AT THE DEALERS AT 4:00PM, I WASN'T NEAR MY PHONE WHEN THE MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED. AT AROUND 4:15PM I ARRIVED TO PICK UP MY TRUCK. I WAS TOLD THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND COULD I MAKE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. I TOLD THE SERVICE REP THE RECALL LETTER SAID THE DEALERS HAD THE PARTS TO COMPLETE THE JOB. HE THEN SAID WHEN THE TRUCK WAS BROUGHT INTO THE SHOP, THERE WERE NO PARTS TO DO THE JOB. I SAID " YOU'VE HAD MY TRUCK FOR 24 HOURS AND IT'S STILL NOT REPAIRED." I'M VERY UNHAPPY WITH MAZDA'S HANDLING OF THIS SITUATION AND HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MAZDA B2500. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO DECELERATE, THE CONTACT MUST PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN TURN OFF THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE OVERPOWERS THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE STOPPED BY APPLYING THE BRAKES. IN ADDITION, THE THROTTLE STICKS AND REMAINS OPEN. THE BRAKE FAILURE HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP THREE TIMES REGARDING THE FAILURE, BUT NO FAILURE WAS IDENTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

THROTTLE STICKS AT BETWEEN 2500-3500 RPM. ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IS TO TURN ENGINE OFF AND RESTART. *TR

WITH 80K ON THE TRUCK THE LEAF SPRING MOUNTS HAD BECOME OXIDIZED TO THE POINT OF FAILURE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED MY SPRING CAME THROUGH MY BED. THERE IS NO BODY RUST, OR BED RUST. AFTER READING FORUMS I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THE PROBLEM. WITH 90K ON THE TRUCK THE FRAME RUST THROUGH AND CRACKED. THERE WAS NEVER A LARGE PROBLEM WITH FRAME RUST BEFORE 98 AS I HAVE TWO BRONCO IT'S. FORD MUST HAVE CHANGED STEEL BECAUSE THERE ARE PLENTY OF GUYS PUZZLED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME STANLEY SHAFFER *TR

WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THE 89 MADZA B-2500 WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. THIS MODEL WAS MADE BY FORD ALONG WITH THE RANGER PICKUPS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. THEY REPLACED THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE WHEN THE RECALL WAS OPEN. *TR

I HAVE HEARD THAT FORD HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CRUISE CONTROL SWITCHES. I HAVE A 1998 MAZDA 2500 PICKUP, SO MY TRUCK MAY HAVE SOME OF THE SOME PROBLEMS. LAST YEAR THE CRUISE CONTROL "ON" AND "OFF" BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL, WHICH ARE BACK LIT, BECAME VERY HOT WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON, REGARDLESS OF THE CRUISE CONTROL BEING ENGAGED OR NOT. THE CONTROL LIGHTS HAVE SINCE BURNED OUT. THIS IS A MINOR INCONVENIENCE IF IT IS ONLY A BURNED OUT LIGHT. IF THIS IS A PART OF A LARGER ELECTRICAL PROBLEM I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AND IF OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *JB

DT: CONSUMER WAS PULLED OVER FOR THE BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING. HE CHANGED THE FUSE. WHEN CHANGING THE FUSE HE NOTICED SMOKE, AND FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE SWITCH. THE SWITCH WAS CORRODED. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING. THE DEALER HAD NOT LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH AS STATED IN THE FORD RECALL EVEN THOUGH HIS VEHICLE IS NOT A FORD, HOWEVER FORD DID MANUFACTURER THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 12/07/05. *JB