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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.

A '70s F1 car and a first-gen Miata make an amazing lovechild

For no apparent reason, this artist asked what if Mazda built an MX-5-based F1 car? And what if it were from the 1970s, the glory days of James Hunt and Niki Lauda? Here's what it'd look like. Look at it! Look at its adorable little eyes and the huge tires. And the intake! The rendering is by YasidDesign and was done live in front of Facebook followers in a Facebook Live session. It borrows heavily from 1970s F1 cars – it looks like a March 741 served as the basis for the open-wheel portion – and blends it effortlessly with MX-5 styling cues. It all came together in about 90 minutes. Watching the process is remarkable, especially considering YasidDesign is doing the bulk of the work live while taking comments and advice from people on Facebook. Check out the video and YasidDesign's other works on his Facebook page. Related Video:

Las Vegas reporter makes literal street food

A reporter in the American Southwest did a test to see just how hot it was this week, and received her just deserts. With a promised high of 115 degrees in the Las Vegas Valley on June 20, Caitlin Lilly and Kira Terry of the Las Vegas Review-Journal decided to find out if they could bake cookies and cook breakfast using just the ambient heat of the day and some handy flat surfaces. First, the pair attempted to bake a couple dozen pre-mixed cookies on the dashboard of a Mazda. Starting around 1:00 pm, they left the cookies on a sheet tray propped up beneath the car's un-tinted windows. By 5:00 pm the cookies were done and, according to various R-J staffers, quite delicious. While the cookies were baking, they decided to make themselves something a little more substantial, something to justify the desert they had baking in the Mazda. They found a nice patch of parking lot and tried to fry an egg, some bacon, and a handful of shrimp. The shrimp cooked quickly, as shrimp are wont to do, but after 20 minutes the bacon only browned at the edges while staying raw in the middle. The egg remained uncooked, unfortunately, since even the hottest asphalt isn't hot enough to actually fry an egg. Record high temperatures are baking the American Southwest and Southern California as the region suffers the effects of a weather phenomenon called a " heat dome." Highs of over 100 degrees were reported throughout SoCal, Arizona, and Nevada, which is surprising for mid-June. The threat of wildfires is already astronomical, and people are suffering from heat-related illnesses. Recent Video: