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Mazda recalls 109k Tribute models for rust issue

The Mazda Tribute is being hit with a similar recall as its platform-mate the Ford Escape underwent a few weeks ago. Mazda is recalling 109,000 Tributes from model years 2001 to 2004. On the trucks, the subframe can rust from road salt, potentially causing the lower control arm to detach. If this happens, a loss of steering control could occur.
Mazda is adding a reinforcement crossbrace for added strength on the affected models. The recall covers Tributes currently registered in or originally sold in 20 northern states and Washington, DC, where road salt is used.
The reinforcement braces aren't available yet to do the repair. Mazda will send a letter in May to owners of affected vehicles that will inform them of the problem, and a second letter telling them when the parts will be ready. Scroll down to read the full recall press release.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata and saving a marriage

I've had the privilege of knowing Zach Bowman – former Autoblog scribe, now penning great things over at Road & Track – for nearly a decade. We met at the Detroit Auto Show when we were both relatively new to the business, and joked about how someday, we'd work together and eventually conquer the world as big shots in the industry (we're still figuring that last part out, by the way). Thus, I was thrilled when Zach joined Autoblog in 2010, just a couple of months after I was hired, and was equally saddened when I learned he'd be leaving us. Zach is someone I'm proud to call a colleague – nay, a friend – and I've enjoyed the voice he's brought to this line of work. I tell you this on a personal level because Zach has just published what you could arguably consider his most heartfelt piece of automotive work to date. It's a charming, emotional story about his relationship with his wife, and how they, like so many young couples, learned to make marriage work through the many ups and downs found in any solid relationship. I call this "automotive work" because Zach intertwines this tale into a story about driving his 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata across the country, his wife by his side, learning about love and life from the cockpit of a two-seat roadster. I can honestly say it's one of the best things I've read in a long while. Rather than continue to wax poetic about Zach's latest piece, I'll let his own words speak for themselves. Head over to Road & Track to read the full piece.

WAVE 2015: Metron 7 sets new record of 513 miles on one charge

Sometimes you just gotta push harder, faster, longer. Last fall, the Metron Institute team from Slovenia took their converted all-electric Mazda5 minivan on an impressive 457-mile journey from Bled (in Sloveniva) to Dubrovnik (in Croatia) without stopping to recharge at an average speed of 40 miles an hour. Today, as part of the WAVE Trophy 2015, the Metron 7 EV just finished up a drive of 826.1 kilometers (513.3 miles) on a single charge. The drive started in Berlin and ended in Karlsruhe, Germany. As you might suspect, a drive of this length on normal roads required a big battery pack. The total pack capacity was 108 kWh, thanks to the combination of the built-in 86-kWh pack that uses lithium polymer cells from Kokam and a 130-pound, 22-kWh external pack that Metron has developed that can charge the built-in pack while driving. The average speed of the 500-mile journey was 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour) through rural countryside, towns, and some time on the highway. The drivers –Andrej and Jasna Pecjak – did not use air conditioning, but the fans were running. The weather was temperate enough that AC wasn't needed anyway these last two days. The Metron 7 was a part of the last two WAVE events and has been updated since the last record was set in October 2014. On the new record journey, the minivan was loaded up with gear, but the Metron engineers made improvements to the car in the last eight months: the side mirrors are smaller and they fitted a better aerodynamic cover underneath the vehicle, for example. Andrej said that the cost for the batteries was around $50,000, since some of the cells he got were used. Today's record is unofficial, but AutoblogGreen witnessed both the sealing of the charge port in Berlin and was in the car for the last 125 kilometers today. Featured Gallery WAVE 2015: Metron 7 EV Distance Record Green Mazda AutoblogGreen Exclusive Fuel Efficiency Green Culture Electric mazda mazda5 mazda5