Less than 24 hours after Ford issued a recall of close to 500,000 Escape V6 SUVs from the 2001-2004MY to repair stuck throttles, Mazda followed suite today and announced its own recall of 217,500 examples of the Tribute V6 for the same problem. The two models are mechanically related and were built together by Ford.
The Japanese carmaker’s recall covers more model years of the Tribute fitted with a 3.0-liter V6 engine and cruise control than the Ford, including the 2001-2006MY and some vehicles from the 2008MY (as pointed out by the Detroit News, the SUV was not built in a 2007MY).
Ford said that the problem exists because of inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the speed control cable connector, which can result in a stuck throttle when the accelerator pedal is fully or almost-fully depressed. The Blue Oval notes that the risk exists regardless of whether or not speed control (cruise control) is used.
The recall came into light after the government safety agency recieved 99 complaints from owners of both the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute SUVs with V6 engines, including reports of 13 crashes, 9 injuries and one fatality, a 17-year old girl who died in a crash in Arizona in the beginning of the year.
While Mazda has yet to announce the recall on the NHTSA website, Ford went ahead and posted details saying that, the safety recall is expected to begin on, or before, August 6, 2012.
“Until then, dealers will disconnect the speed control cable as an interim remedy, if parts are not available at the time of an owner’s service appointment,” said Ford.
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