1998 Mazda B-SERIES Truck

I HAVE A 98 MAZDA WHICH IS MADE BY FORD....VIN STICKER ON THE DOOR STATES SUCH. SAME AS 98 RANGER. BOTH OF MY REAR LEAF SPRING SHACKLES HAVE RUSTED OFF SO SEVERELY THAT THEY WENT THROUGH THE BED OF THE TRUCK. THE REAR END OF THE FRAME IS ROTTING OFF AND THE SPARE TIRE SUPPORT AND TIRE AS WELL. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 66,000 MILES AND RUNS GREAT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS MY REAR BUMPER COULD FALL OFF, THE SPARE TIRE COULD FALL OFF, AND THE FRAME ALREADY BROKE LETTING THE LEAF SPRINGS GO RIGHT THROUGH THE BED. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT FORD RANGERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND BEING A DANGER TO NOT ONLY THE PERSON DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND ITS OCCUPANTS, BUT ALSO THE FOLLOWING CARS WHEN THE BUMPER FALLS OFF AND SPARE TIRE TOO.

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM ENGAGED ON IT'S OWN, CAUSING SEVERE LEFT TURNS AS FRONT WHEEL LOCKS UP. HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES, EVEN THOU FIXED TWICE. THERE IS NO LOCKING HUB CONVERSION AVAILABLE FOR THIS MODEL OR THE FORD RANGER IT'S CLONE. WILL NOT DRIVE THIS ON SNOW OR ICE COVERED ROADS. FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM CONSISTENTLY DOES NOT ENGAGE WHEN YOU WANT IT TO. TRUCK BUILT BY FORD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MAZDA B4000. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 99V062002 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) AND CONTACTED THE DEALER TO SECURE AN APPOINTMENT FOR RECALL REPAIRS HOWEVER, THE PARTS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE RECALL REPAIRS HAD NOT YET BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT WHEN OR IF THE PARTS HAD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS CLOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER SERVICED UNDER THE RECALL. THE MILEAGE WAS 181,823. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

I HAVE HAD A HEAD GASKET REPLACE ON THIS 1998 MAZDA B4000 WITHIN 61,000 MILES. THE FIRST HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT WAS 1-21-2008. NOW THE SAME THING SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING AT 78,100 MILES ARE THERE ANY ISSUES WITH THIS MODEL? I ONLY DRIVE THE TRUCK TO WORK AND BACK WHICH IS ONLY ABOUT 5 MILES FROM MY HOME. ALSO THE FRONT END SUSPENSION MAKES A LOUD SQUEAKING/POPPING NOISE WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL OR HIT A ROUGH PLACE IN PAVEMENT. THE "KEY IN THE IGNITION" BUZZER KEEPS DINGING AFTER YOU TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. *TR

VEHICLES THROTTLE STICK OPEN WHEN RELEASED. CANNOT SLOW VEHICLE DOWN. ONLY WAY TO SLOW DOWN IS TO TURN IGNITION OFF. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY ARE AWARE AND HAD TSB ON THIS DURING WARRANTY. TOOK IT IN AND THEY SAID THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM. TOOK IT IN TWICE SINCE FOR SAME PROBLEM AND THEY SAY I NOW NEED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. WHEN THIS SITUATION HAPPENS, THERE IS NO CONTROL OF THE SPEED OF THIS VEHICLE.. EVEN STEPPING ON BRAKES DOESN'T HELP. I HAVE REPORTED THIS 3 TIMES TO YOU PRIOR, BUT WITH THE TOYOTA PROBLEMS, I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE MORE INTERESTED IN THIS NOW. I AM ALSO REPORTING THIS PROBLEM TO THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA, ALONG WITH A COPY OF THIS REPORT. *TR

I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT A QUALITY ISSUES ABOUT GOODYEAR'S TRACKER 2 TIRES. IN EARLY SUMMER OF 2007, I HAD 4 TIRES OF THIS BRAND INSTALLED AT WAL-MART. THESE TIRES WERE SOLD AT WAL-MART WITH CLAIMS FOR 50,000 MILES WARRANTY. BY NOW, IT HAS BEEN NOT MORE THAN 3 YEARS AND GOT CLOSE TO 40,000 MILES. ON LAST SATURDAY MORNING WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON SOUTH BOUND I-77, ABOUT 1 MILE A WAY FROM EXIT 58 IN VIRGINIA, THE TIRE ON THE BEAR DRIVER'S SIDE BLEW UP. I HAD TO CALL POLICE FOR ROAD ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO INSTALL THE SPARE TIRE. I WAS LUCKY THAT I JUST ROTATED THE TIRES ON FRIDAY NIGHT BEFORE THIS TRIP. OTHERWISE, THIS TIRE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IN FRONT. WHEN I TOOK MY PICKUP TO WAL-MART TO HAVE THE TIRES CHECKED, THEY THEN FOUND SEVERE BUBBLES AND CRACKS ON OTHER 2 TIRES, RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AND REAR. ONLY THE TIRE ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE STILL APPEARED TO BE LESS DEFECTIVE, AND BUBBLES WERE FOUND ALTHOUGH NOT AS APPARENT. WE USED TO HAVE TIRES THAT CAN RUN FOR 70,000 OR EVEN 80,000 WILES WITH A 50,000 MILE WARRANTY. NOW, THE QUALITY ISSUES SEEM INVADE INTO EVERY CORNER OF OUR DAILY LIFE. WITH THE INCIDENT I JUST HAD, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT I LEARNED A LOT. I JUST HOPE THE GOVERNMENT TIGHTENS UP OUR RULES FOR THESE COMPANIES THAT PROFIT AT THE EXPENSE OF CUSTOMERS. *TR