Mazda Tribute News

Mazda’s slogan might be “zoom zoom” but it took seven days longer than Ford to announce an identical recall for a jammed throttle -- for a car made on the same production line.Mazda is recalling 26,000 Tribute SUVs made between December 2000 and February 2007 because, according to the Federal Government’s recall website, “the engine be stuck at full power when the accelerator pedal is fully or almost-fully depressed.“A throttle that is stuck fully or almost fully open may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop or slow the vehicle. This risk exists regardless of whether or not cruise control is being used.” Only models powered by the 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine are affected. There may be inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the cruise control cable, the safety bulletin says.Mazda spokesman Steve Maciver told News Limited: “The reason we took longer was to make sure we had the repair procedures in place … and ensure we had enough parts to supply. “We have sold more than triple the number of cars than Ford in that period.”Ford Australia last week announced a recall of 8798 Escape SUVs built between November 2001 and February 2006. Ford and Mazda, longtime joint venture partners, built the same cars on the same production line in Japan, although the last 2000 Mazda Tributes caught up in the recall in Australia came from a factory in Taiwan. Both Mazda and Ford say there are no reports of cruise control or accelerators jamming on in Australia.In North America, where the recall originated, Ford is recalling 484,000 Escape models while Mazda is recalling 217,000 Tribute SUVs. Both companies say the free repair work takes less than one hour but customers may need to leave their cars for longer to cope with the log-jam.Meanwhile Jeep is recalling more than 900,000 Cherokee 4WDs, including up to 11,000 in Australia sold between 2002 and 2004, because the airbag could go off unintentionally. Safety authorities report there have been more than 200 instances of Jeep airbags going off without warning.The latest recalls pale compared to Toyota’s famous 2010 recall of 9 million cars in North America – the biggest in the automotive industry – because of concerns of stuck accelerator pedals and/or jammed floormats. In May that year, Ford Australia recalled 5000 sets of floormats for its Territory SUV for a similar issue.'

...that could jam the engine onto full power.The notice has been given for 3.0-litre V6 Tributes sold here between December 2000 and February 2007 with factory fitted cruise control. The Tribute, which was discontinued in Australia in 2008 and replaced by the Mazda CX-7, is a rebadged version of the Ford Escape that was recalled over a week ago in numbers close to 9000 here and 485,000 in the US with the same defect. The vehicles may have inadequate clearance between the engine cover and cruise control cable, allowing the throttle to become stuck, regardless of whether or not the cruise control is being used.There have been no incidents reported yet of the problem causing throttles to jam in Australian Tributes, Mazda spokesman Steven Maciver says. “The alert was raised in the United States, and we don’t have exactly the same set-up for the Tribute here, but it’s similar so we made the decision to recall. “The fix is fairly straightforward and takes about an hour. We’ll be contacting owners shortly – we’re just waiting for confirmation of parts supply,” he says.Tribute owners are advised to avoid near or full-throttle pedal pressure to reduce the risk of the dangerous problem occurring. If you experience a stuck throttle, you should firmly and steadily apply the brakes without pumping the brake pedal, shift to neutral, steer the vehicle to a safe location and switch the engine off after the vehicle has completely stopped. 

Thousands of motorsport fans paid their final respects to the fallen racing legend Peter Brock at the Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama.

Skaife today overcame the emotion of having Bev Brock, Peter's former wife, in his garage during the top ten shootout to blast his way to pole position for the fifth time in his career at Mount Panorama. Only Peter Perfect, with six front row starts, has a better record. With a moving tribute to Brock planned ahead of tomorrow's 10am (AEST) race start, Skaife said his own memories of the nine-time Bathurst winner would help him overcome the emotion of the final farewell. "I know it's going to be difficult in the morning ... but Brocky would say, 'Skaifey, get on with it and go and have a red hot go'," said Skaife. Skaife, and co-driver Garth Tander, have driven like men on a mission this weekend. Their Holden Racing Team Commodore has posted the fastest times every day with Ford's Jason Bright and Holden's Rick Kelly the only other real contenders to matching their pace. Skaife grabbed pole position with a time of two minutes 07.4221 seconds - a clear three tenths of a second faster than CAT Ford Performance Racing driver Bright (2:07.7292), with Kelly (2:07.7919) third in the HSV Dealer Commodore. Holden's Jason Richards was fourth today with a time of 2:08.0657 in his Tasman Motorsport Commodore, but the rest of the field are miles behind the leaders - including sixth placed Craig Lowndes (2:08.5403) who is over a second off the pace in the Betta Electrical Falcon. Skaife said it was clear that HRT, FPR and HSV were the standout favourites for the 161-lap enduro. "The three cars here are the cars to beat," said Skaife. "Craig Lowndes has proven over the year that he is able to be consistent and their team have got a good race package. Maybe they have a stronger race car than a qualifying car. "Some cars up and down pit lane will be a little bit stronger in the race than on one hot lap. "(But) after qualifying I am more confident we have got a good race package and ultimate speed than there was before. "Fast cars are what you need to have at the end of the race." Kelly agreed, but said qualifying meant little tomorrow and the race can be won from anywhere on the grid. Former champions Lowndes, Steven Richards (who qualified fifth), Greg Murphy (eighth) and Russell Ingall (ninth) all have potential to cause an upset. "Bathurst is split into two sections, qualifying and the race, and in a lot of cases the two don't go hand in hand," said Kelly, who'll race with older brother Todd. "You don't have to be on pole or the top ten even to win the race. "The first section of the weekend is over but we are pretty confident we've got the car to be in the race. "This is not a place to finish second or third. We are aiming for the win here." Of the top three qualifiers, only Mark Winterbottom in the FPR Falcon hasn't won at Mount Panorama. Although Winterbottom is within overall championship calculations, he has given teammate Bright the green light to chase Bathurst glory. "We have got to win the race to close the (championship) gap," said Winterbottom. "To win Bathurst would be the biggest moment of my career." AAP

There were black bonnets and the body of a blank silver VZ Commodore in pit lane at Bathurst, with moving personal tributes on banners around the track. The bonnets are a mark of respect at the Holden Racing Team, Brock's home for much of his racing career and his most memorable victories. Fans are being invited to sign the silver Commodore this weekend in a tribute to their hero. It has been supplied by Holden Special Vehicles and will eventually be housed in a museum, perhaps with most of the Holden classic collection at Norwell in Queensland. Brock was the talking point yesterday, even though the V8 Supercars are hitting the track this morning to begin the fight for Australian motor sport's biggest prize. "Being at Bathurst brings a lot of the Brock aura back to the fraternity," driver Mark Skaife said yesterday. "Everywhere you go, up on the hill, there are notes from people and best wishes from people who want to pay their homage to Brock. "Almost every question today has been about what the event means with Peter here. So it's very much at the front of our minds. "Apart from the funeral and the memorial at Sandown it has been hard to rationalise. But now we're here it is front of mind." Still, Skaife is at Bathurst to race and he and co-driver Garth Tander are one of the top choices for the great race, alongside Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup in the best of the Falcons. "When you climb on board you have a job to do," Skaife said. "There is a lot of tribute stuff that will be happening just before the start, but it is our job. And Brock wouldn't want it any other way. "He wouldn't want it to be an obituary. He would want it to be a motor race."

Investigator Alun Mills said finding a cause of the tragedy has been made harder by the fact Brock's highly skilled driving showed little variation at critical stages. Brock's braking, acceleration and use of gears - among other indicators - were remarkably similar at comparable places throughout the Targa West Rally stage outside Perth. Sen-Constable Mills, of West Australia's major crash investigation section, said Brock took corners similar to that on which he died within a 1km/h range of speed. "It's not like he's gone into the other corners at 40km/h and done this one (the fatal corner) at 80km/h," he said. Sen-Constable Mills said the exact cause may never be known and his office may need to present the coroner with a range of scenarios. "It's like a computer driving the car. You're trying to find something that's not normal in his driving and it's not there," Sen-Constable Mills said. The case shapes as one of Australia's most detailed crash investigations. Data from the high-powered coupe's black box recorder, which logged every performance indicator, is still being retrieved as investigators try to get a more precise picture of what happened. Video footage shot from within and outside the Daytona on September 8 is also being utilised. Police are yet to receive the results of a survey they did of the corner where Brock lost control and slammed into a tree. Sen-Constable Mills said the survey's detailed recording may help find answers to why Brock crashed at a speed at which he safely negotiated other corners.

Peter Brock's daughter Alexandra said her father was fallible. Bev Brock, the mother of his two children, said he had betrayed her when he left her for another woman. The man himself said he was a provocateur. But to the thousands of fans at the Bathurst 1000 this weekend, the late Peter Brock will be revered as the King of the Mountain, Peter Perfect. The dignitaries and politicians paid their respects to Brock at his state funeral in Melbourne last month and 10,000 of his heartland fans honoured the 61-year-old at Sandown raceway three days later. It's Bathurst's turn this weekend. Mt Panorama is where the legend was born and grew and the mountain is where it will be celebrated with the most vigour. Following Brock's death in a West Australian rally crash on September 8, New Zealand driver Jason Richards lamented the huge hole his passing would leave at Bathurst. ``It just won't be Bathurst without Brock,'' Richards said. But Brock will be inescapable this weekend. Rarely silent and not known for their piety, this year's expected Bathurst crowd of 60,000 will hear a homily for Brock from V8 Supercars chaplain Gary Coleman on Sunday followed by a minute's silence. Before the race, big screens around the track will show a video montage of Brock's near 40-year career. Like an empty chair at the dinner table, there will still be a place for him on the track - the front row of the grid will be left vacant. His cars will still crest the mountain - the nine Holdens in which he won the race, from the 1972 Torana to the 1987 Commodore, will be driven on a tribute lap. And his name is now indelibly linked to the race and not just in the record books - the winner will receive the newly commissioned Peter Brock Trophy. With so much emphasis on paying homage, dual winner Rick Kelly, one of the favourites to be the first name on the $75,000 trophy, acknowledges the shadow Brock casts over Bathurst 2006. ``To win it this year would be quite special,'' Kelly said. ``There's going to be a lot of emotion up at the mountain this year with the passing of Brocky and knowing what he's done for that event and motor sport in general in Australia. ``We have to be a little bit careful we don't let that get in the way of winning the race. ``We've all been touched by Peter and his achievements so it will be tough to keep that out of our minds and go up there and do the job.'' V8 Supercars Australia chief Wayne Cattach said this weekend's Bathurst tributes were the most appropriate way to farewell the first superstar of Australian domestic motor racing. ``The most befitting place for a tribute is Bathurst,'' Cattach said at the time of Brock's death. ``He forged his name in motor sport on that mountain, I think the fans will come to expect something special and we will provide that.'' Bathurst council will also provide a permanent memorial with plans to erect a statue of the man who built his first race car in a chookshed. He made such a name for himself driving that Austin A30 in sports car events, he was invited by Holden to drive in the Bathurst 500 in 1969. Thus began an unparalleled career in domestic motorsport and an enduring place in the hearts of Australian motorheads. But even those who didn't know their twin cam shaft from their carby knew Peter Brock. He earned the Peter Perfect tag as much for his persona off the track as for his nine Bathurst wins and three touring car triumphs. He was the rockstar of the sport - married to a former Miss Australia, charismatic, good looking, drove fast cars, won lots of trophies. Every bloke liked him and plenty of women fancied him. The women were a weakness, but he had many strengths. Mark Skaife, Brock's successor as Holden's No.1 driver, said he was ``someone we all aspired to be.'' ``He had flair, he had a flamboyance, he had determination and he had creativity.'' But he was also well grounded and humble - the sort of bloke the lads camped out on Mt Panorama could relate to. He was always happy to stay behind and sign autographs and was generous with his time and advice to young drivers. AAP

CARSguide reader Adam Pawlowski let us know that he was keen to share his YBROCK plated ute with other fans, so he is the inaugural entrant. Send us your favourite memorabilia and we'll preserve it in our Peter Brock Memorabilia gallery. Keep your files under 2MB, which means you'll need a compression program such as Winzip. You can send as many pieces as you'd like to: feedback@NOSPAMcarsguide.com.au. Remove NOSPAM from that email address. We get a bit of spam here, so we ask that you put in the subject line Peter Brock Memorabilia, otherwise it might get lost and not featured on the site. Also tell us your favourite Brocky moment at Mount Panorama. Click on the Feedback to the side and let rip.

There is a clear-cut champion in the compact four-wheel-drive class.It is the Subaru Outback, which does easily the best job for the majority of shoppers who want the size, comfort and command driving position of a soft-roader but don't plan to do much of the rough-and-tough weekend work in the bush.The Outback is a high-riding and tougher-looking Subaru Liberty wagon, which means it is a new-age station wagon for people who are convinced that four-wheel-drives are the best bet for the 21st century.But it's not the only way to go in a class which is as varied as any in Australian motoring.The all-paw smalls are a split-personality line-up which ranges from serious bush buddies to suburban shopping trolleys, with everything in between.Some talk the talk, but don't go remotely close to walking the wilderness, and others are surprisingly capable despite their soft-form looks. And looks aren't always the best – or easiest – way to make a choice.The Daihatsu Terios has the high-rider style you expect to see in a serious four-wheel-drive, but it could have come just as easily from the world's best-selling carmaker – Matchbox.The Suzuki Jimny is much the same, though it can really romp in the rough and is priced from just $17,990.At the other end of the action, there are several contenders which push past $40,000, including the over-priced and under-done Land Rover Freelander.The compact class also opens the options between "all-wheel-drive" vehicles focused on blacktop work and "four-wheel-drive" vehicles with serious off-road grip and dual-range gears, in a battle which rages all the way to the $100,000-plus machines in the luxury four-wheel-drive world.The split between the soft-road and hard-rock vehicles means it's important to split the winners, with the Nissan X-Trail taking top honours for real off-road work and the Subaru Forester and best-selling Toyota RAV4 – now with a punchier 2.4-litre engine – scoring on the soft side. The Outback was completely updated last year and picks up the five-star safety and top quality from the latest Subaru Liberty.But it also gets a tougher look, extra ground clearance, rough-road tyres and all the other gear you need for weekend expeditions.The price is pretty rich in a class where most of the action is below $30,000 – the H6 engine can lift it from $31,180 to more than $50,000 – but it's the one to recommend to friends and family if they can afford it. The Nissan Patrol is a heavyweight four-wheel drive star and you can see and feel the family connection to the X-Trail.It has the stumpy looks of a serious off-roader and backs it with a 2.5-litre engine hooked to a grippy drivetrain and a tough body.Nissan has also created a funky cabin for the X-Trail, with all the right stuff for twentysomething owners.It's not cheap, with pricing from $31,990, but the price is right for the class and the competition. The Forester, like the Outback, was developed for rougher roads than the regular all-paw Subaru family wagons.So the Forester sprang from the Impreza, as the Outback did from the Liberty, but with a much bigger change to the body.The Forester looks like it will work off the bitumen and it does, provided you recognise its limits.It also comes with a punchier turbo engine, though it's not WRX, and Subaru Australia has just rejected a Forester STi which would have really rocked the compact four-wheel-drive scene.