The Mazda Navajo was a 2-door SUV introduced in 1991, and Mazda's very first off-roader. Also, the Navajo was Mazda's only truck-based SUV. Available only as a four-wheel drive, two-door vehicle, the Navajo was essentially a rebadged Ford Explorer Sport. It was marketed in the United States only as Mazda Canada did not want to market an SUV. All Navajos were built in Louisville, Kentucky, where the Explorer was built. Automakers, also known as carmakers, automobile manufacturers, motor manufacturers, or the automobile industry are companies that design and manufacture automobiles. ... “Ford” redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Louisville redirects here. ... The Mazda Tribute is a small crossover SUV based on the front-wheel drive Mazda 626 platform. ... Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ... In automobile design layout is the place where both the engine and driven wheels are. ... A front-mounted engine describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of or on the front axle. ... Rear-wheel drive (or RWD for short) is an engine/transmission layout used in automobiles. ... This article is about the class of vehicles. ... The Ford Essex V6 engine V6 and V-6 redirect here. ... “Gearbox” redirects here. ... The automatic gear selector in a Ford Five Hundred vehicle An automatic transmission (commonly abbreviated as AT) is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, thus freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually (similar but larger devices are also used for railroad... A manual transmission (also known as a stick shift, straight drive, or standard transmission) is a type of transmission used in automotive applications. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Ford Explorer is a mid-size sport utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990. ... The Ford Ranger name is used on two distinct and unrelated pickup truck lines by the Ford Motor Company The Ford-designed compact pickup truck (documented here), which is sold in North America, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. ... 1986 Mazda B2000 extended cab Mazda has sold two entirely different compact pickup trucks under the B-Series name. ... The Ford Aerostar was Fords first attempt at building a minivan, and was introduced as a 1986 model in summer 1985. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... This article is about the class of vehicles. ... Badge engineering is a term that describes the rebadging of one model of car as another. ... The Ford Explorer is a mid-size sport utility vehicle sold mostly in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990. ... Mazda Motor Corporation ) (TYO: 7261) is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. ... Louisville redirects here. ...

To set the two apart, the Navajo had a different grille, taillights and wheels. Inside, it was even harder to tell one from the other, as seat fabrics, type face on the instrument cluster (but the same design) and the steering wheel hub were the only apparent differences. Two trim levels for the Navajo were offered, base and LX. The base version offered power windows, power locks and power mirrors as standard. The LX added features such as extra interior illumination and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. An optional premium package loaded up the Navajo with luxuries including air conditioning, a stereo system with cassette deck, cruise control, sport seats with power lumbar adjustment and a pop-up/removable moonroof.

A rear-wheel drive Navajo was available for 1992, geared towards people who liked the sporty image of an SUV, but did not need four-wheel drive. Base models were now called the DX, more in keeping with the Japanese manufacturer's way of referring to their base versions (such as Mazda's own 626 DX). Rear-wheel drive (or RWD for short) is an engine/transmission layout used in automobiles. ... The Mazda 626 is an automobile produced by Mazda for the export market. ...

Otherwise, the Navajo changed so little that most of the photography used in the 1991 brochure was reused for the 1992 brochure. As expected, the 1993 Navajo picked up the same mechanical upgrades as the Explorer, such as increased power for the V6 engine and four-wheel anti-lock brakes. Unlike the Explorer, however, the only other change was an optional CD player. New five-spoke alloy wheels for the Navajo LX were the only change for 1994, which was the Navajo's last year. Sales were poor, and the Navajo was eventually replaced with the Mazda Tribute (based on the Ford Escape) in 2001, seven years after the Navajo was discontinued. The Navajo was Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year for 1991. An anti-lock braking system (commonly known as ABS, from the German name Antiblockiersystem given to it by its inventors at Bosch) is a system on motor vehicles which prevents the wheels from locking while braking. ... The Mazda Tribute is a small crossover SUV based on the front-wheel drive Mazda 626 platform. ... The Ford Escape (designated U204) is a compact SUV sold by the automaker Ford Motor Company beginning in the 2001 model year and priced below the Ford Explorer. ... Motor Trend is one of the oldest automotive magazines still publishing. ... Car of the Year is a phrase usually considered to have been invented by Motor Trend magazine in the 1950s for their annual award for best automobile. ...

Firestone Tire Controversy

Main article: Firestone vs Ford Motor Company controversy

In May 2000, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) contacted Ford and Firestone about the high incidence of tire failure on Mazda Navajos, Mercury Mountaineers, and Ford Explorers fitted with Firestone tires. Ford investigated and found that several models of 15 in (381 mm) Firestone tires (ATX, ATX II, and Wilderness AT) had very high failure rates, especially those made at Firestone's Decatur, Illinois plant. In May 2000, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) contacted Ford and Firestone about the high incidence of tire failure on Ford Explorers fitted with Firestone tires. ... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, often pronounced nit-suh) is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government, part of the Department of Transportation. ... The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. ... The Decatur Transfer House in the background with a newly completed fountain in the foreground. ...

The failures all involved tread separation—the tread peeling off followed often by tire disintegration. If that happened, and the vehicle was running at speed, there was a high likelihood of the vehicle leaving the road and rolling over. Many rollovers cause serious injury and even death; it has been estimated that over 250 deaths and more than 3,000 serious injuries resulted from these failures.

Ford and Firestone have both blamed the other for the failures, which has led to the severing of relations between the two companies. Firestone has claimed that they have found no faults in design nor manufacture, and that failures have been caused by Ford's recommended tire pressure being too low and the SUV's design. Ford, meanwhile, pointed out that tires manufactured by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company to the same specification had a spotless safety record when installed on the SUVs. Ford's conclusions were confirmed by NHTSA in their report into the tire failures, published in October 2001. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. ...

Many outside observers tend towards blaming both parties; Firestone's tires being prone to tread separation and failure, and the vehicles being especially prone to rolling over if a tire fails at speed compared to other vehicles. However, a subsequent NHTSA investigation of real world accident data showed that the SUVs were no more likely to roll over than any other SUV.

A product recall was issued, allowing Mazda Navajo, Ford Explorer, Ford F-150, Ford Ranger, Mazda B-Series, and Mercury Mountaineer owners whose vehicles came with the Firestone tires in question to exchange them for other tires. A product recall is a request to return to the maker a batch or an entire production run of a product, usually due to the discovery of safety issues. ... The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company sold for over 5 decades. ... See Mazda B-Series (International) for the non-North American version From the first B-Series pickup truck, Mazda has used the engine displacement to determine the name. ... The Mercury Mountaineer is a luxury SUV manufauctured by the Mercury brand name, owned by the Ford Motor Company. ...

A large number of lawsuits have been filed against both Ford and Firestone, some unsuccessful, some settled out of court, and a few successfully. Lawyers for the plaintiffs have argued that both Ford and Firestone knew of the dangers but did nothing, and that specifically Ford knew that the SUVs were highly prone to rollovers. Ford denied these allegations.

Car and Driver magazine tested a first generation Explorer with a built-in rollcage and a special device that would flatten the tire at the push of a button. The Explorer did not flip in any of the numerous tests, and that was mostly because the driver managed to stay calm. Everyday Explorer drivers taken by surprise by a tread separation or loss of tire pressure in high speed traffic situations may have panicked and swerved violently, resulting in a significant portion of reported rollovers. Cover of Car and Driver from age of psychedelic lettering Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. ... Rollcage is a racing game published by Psygnosis and developed by Attention to Detail. ...