2003 MAZDA B-SERIES TRUCK Complaints

I WAS DRIVING INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF NC FROM SC. SMELLED SMOKE. REALIZED IT WAS COMING FROM IN BETWEEN TRUCK CAB AND BED. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT OUT FIRE AS IT HAD STARTED TO MELT THE PLASTIC BED LINER AND PLASTIC GAS TANK. FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A 2 FOOT BY 2 FOOT PIECE OF CARDBOARD THAT HAD FALLEN DOWN BETWEEN BED AND CAB. IT WAS RESTING ON THE GAS TANK AND LEANING TO THE SIDE ON TOP OF THE MUFFLER. I ASSUME IT CAUGHT FIRE AS WE TRAVELED SLOWLY UP THE WINDING ROAD. (HWY 276) THERE IS NO SHIELD OVER THE MUFFLER. WHEN THE TANK WAS REPLACED IT WAS REPORTED TO ME THAT THE FIRE HAD MELTED THE TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP AND HAD EXPOSED A HOLE IN THE GAS TANK. I BELIEVE THIS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH BY MAZDA. *JB

I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AND MY CAR WENT FLYING INTO THE GUARD RAIL AT ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR HEAD ON AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS SENT TO THE HOSPITAL. *NM

'03 B-3000 DUAL SPORT... 41,XXX MILES... MANUAL TRANSMISSION GRINDS WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR, AND GRINDS AGAIN, BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR, THIS HAPPENING AFTER A 10 HOUR TRIP ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS AROUND 70-75 MPH. *NM

12/07/05 ENGINE DIED ON 4 LANE HWY, 42 MILES FROM HOME IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. TOWED TO DEALER, WHO TWO DAYS LATER STATED PROBLEM WAS FUEL PUMP RELAY, AND IT WAS FIXED. 01/25/05 TRUCK DIED IN INTERSECTION AT 4:30 P.M. HUSBAND TAPED WIRES AND WIRE-TIED CONNECTOR TO RELAY. DEALER ORDERED FUEL CUT-OFF SWITCH 01/27/05 AND DID NOT INSTALL UNTIL 02/03/06, BECAUSE WAITING FOR PART. DEALER RELOCATED THE RELAY FROM FLOOR BOARD TO BEHIND THE PASSENGER KICK PANEL AND WIRE-TIED THE CONNECTOR TO THE RELAY AND SWORE THIS WOULD SOLVE PROBLEM. ON 02/10/06 THE ENGINE DIED AT 1:00 P.M., 50 MILES FROM HOME. BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS HISTORY, I MANAGED TO RESET AND CONTINUE HOME AND LEFT MESSAGE WITH SERVICE MANAGER. MY HUSBAND DECIDED TO INSPECT SITUATION, AND DISCOVERED THE WIRE CONNECTOR THAT PLUGS INTO THE RELAY IS BROKEN AND IS THE CAUSE FOR FAILURE. WE BELIEVE THIS DAMAGE WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY THE ORIGINAL LOCATION OF ASSEMBLY UNDERNEATH PASSENGER FLOOR MAT. PRESENTLY AWAITING CALL BACK FROM SERVICE MANAGER. *JB

THE TRUCK ONLY HAD APPROX 31000 MILES ON IT OVER 2 YEARS OF DRIVING. I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE PADS(MIND YOU THAT ONLY ONE PAD REALLY HAD TO BE REPLACED, IT WAS THE LEFT INNER PAD) AND THE DISCS AS THEY WERE ALREADY OUT OF THE LIMIT FOR RESURFACING.

CANNOT REACH PEDALS UNLESS SEAT MOVED ALL THE WAY FORWARD. AIRBAG IS ONLY 2 INCHES FROM STOMACH! *NM

POWER STEERING LOCKUP CAUSES VERY HAZARDOUS LOSS OF CONTROL. A BROKEN STEERING PUMP WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE PROBLEM (BUT ONLY AFTER UMPTEEN VISITS TO AN UNCOOPERATIVE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT). PUMP WAS REPLACED.

THE DEFROSTER IN MY VEHICLE FOGS UP MY WINDSHIELD WHEN VEHICLE IS IN USE THEN SHUT DOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 MINUTES OR WHILE DRIVING WITH FAN OFF THEN WHEN THE DEFROSTER IS ENGAGED IT FOGS UP MY WINDOW TO WHERE I CANNOT SEE OUT.*AK

FUEL PUMP GASKET SEAL LEAK WAS DETERMINED AFTER 567 MILES ON MY NEW MAZDA TRUCK B2300. I NOTICE THE DASH BOARD ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON, MY WAY TO WORK WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY 120(MANTECA,CA.) AND IMMEDIATELY EXITED ON THE FIRST EXIT POINT AND FIND A PARKING SPOT AND CALLED MODESTO MAZDA DEALERSHIP TO INFORMED THEM OF THE SITUATION AND TALK TO CRAIG OSMER AND DENNIS HINKLEY ABOUT IT AND TOLD ME TO CONTINUE MY JOURNEY TO WORK AND DROP THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY NOT KNOWING THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ON? SO I WENT AHEAD AND WENT TO MY WORK ON THURSDAY THE 22ND OF MAY,2003. MY CONCERN WAS THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN BLOWN-UP BY THE GAS LEAK IF SPARKS OCCUR AT ANYTIME DURING MY TRAVEL TO AND FROM MY WORK PLACE (MODESTO-FREMONT-MODESTO). I HOPE FOR AN IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION REGARDING THIS MATTER BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS HURTS DUE TO NEGLIGENCE IN THE PART OF THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER AND DEALERSHIP ALIKE. *JB

THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SURGE FORWARD AT A SPEED OF 55 MPH. *JB