Brake Abs Warning Light problems of the 2002 Mazda Tribute

My son has driven this vehicle since 2008, when we purchased it for him to use while in college. He was driving onto campus and when approaching the parking lot, he noticed abs and airbag lights coming on and off on the dashboard. As he parked he realized there was smoke coming from under the hood. He opened the hood, saw a fire, and called 911 immediately. They arrived quickly and successfully put the fire out. Firemen told him it appeared to have been electrical and he was lucky they got there as quick as they did. Insurance claim adjuster took it to a Ford shop (closest) where they had it for a week and said they couldn't get parts, but were aware of a recall coming on the area the fire had occurred in (the wiring harness and abs module). It was then sent to a Mazda dealer, that had it for 10 days, and finally said the needed parts were obsolete and they could not repair the vehicle. Claims adjuster checked with another Ford and another Mazda dealer, getting the same answers from both. By the way, when they checked on the VIN, they said it was not on any Mazda recalls. This was at the end of January/beginning of February 2012. So after all this, they had to total a vehicle that only had about 77,000 miles on it and was in excellent condition otherwise. The day I get home from having documents notarized for the insurance company, in my mailbox is a recall from Mazda. . . . This very one 6712a, which I had already found online days prior to the Mazda dealers denying our VIN was included. The recall letter states the work from a prior recall in 2007 regarding this issue had been done. We are very grateful this fire did not cause an accident or more serious emergency situation. And we are grateful our insurance company isn't holding things up due to Mazda's lack of help.

The contact owns a 2002 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that the engine and the abs warning lights remained illuminated, and the engine released a burning odor. In addition, the contact stated that there was an increase in braking distance. The contact had the radiator, heater coil and the brake pads replaced but the failure was not corrected. The engine continued to release a burning odor and there was a continual increase in braking distance. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 115,000.

My 2002 Mazda Tribute's abs light came on. I noticed a pulsating in the brake that got worse fairly quickly. The sensor ring for the abs, located on the axle, was cracked. First one side, and within a few months, the other side did the same thing. Not a cheap fix considering the complete axle had to be replaced. I really like my Tribute, so much so, I insisted my mother buy one when she was looking for a new vehicle. She opted for a 2007 Ford escape. Low and behold, she experienced the same problem!.