‘I just watch the speedometer go down’: Driver stuck on highway when Mazda powers down by itself. Her mechanic doesn’t know why

A driver went viral on TikTok after sharing a story-time of her last 48 hours. In short, Kristine Kapow (@kristinekapow) said she dealt with difficult—and seemingly random—car issues that caused her immense stress over the course of several days. As of Wednesday, her clip had amassed more than 1.7 million views. 

“My life has been a whirlwind… and I would like to catch you up,” Kapow said, noting that her friends and family are “tired of hearing [her] vent.”

What happened to her Mazda? 

Kapow was driving to work several days ago, which she admitted is a “bit of a commute.” But on this particular day, she said, it took her longer than normal to reach her workplace. 

“I was, unfortunately, trapped in traffic for two-and-a-half hours,” Kapow said. Then traffic died down, and she thought she was in good shape. Kapow even put her car on cruise-control at 80mph. 

Then her Mazda's check engine light came on. 

“I just watch the speedometer go down,” Kapow said, “and I’m like, ‘What is happening?’” 

Even with her weight on the accelerator, Kapow said she couldn’t get her car to go faster than 40mph. What made her situation worse, she added, is that she lives in Massachusetts. She said the Massachusetts Turnpike, the state’s main highway, is a nightmare for broken-down cars. 

“You can only have the pike-towing people come out. Other AAA services won’t come out,” she said.

Kapow said she tried to get her car off the interstate by way of a nearby exit, but quickly realized she wouldn’t make it. 

“I’m at 10mph now, pretty much a crawl,” she said. But then her luck started to turn around. “I make it around the bend and, thank goodness, it becomes a hill. Her car, then, started to slide down a hill and the subsequent momentum it picked up from that allowed her to go up another hill before she landed in a parking spot. 

@kristinekapow Stay until the end for the full effect #ThisIs30 ♬ original sound - Kristine

“It was perfect; it was glorious,” she said. Kapow noted, however, that she was already one hour late to work.

In the comments, Kapow said it was a Mazda 3. Introduced in 2003, these sedans are one of the Japanese automaker's longest-running and most popular cars. It's unclear what year her Mazda 3 was.

Having some downtime to spare, Kapow said she arranged for a tow truck to get her Mazda, and for an auto repair shop to look at it. She also called her in-laws, who she said planned on meeting her at her job with an extra car so she could drive home. 

Then, two hours late to her shift, Kapow said her workday was insanely busy. To make matters worse, there was an issue with her left contact lens that started affecting her vision. 

“To recap, my car is mysteriously blown up… I have to work until 2a.m. after being two hours late to work. I have to drive a vehicle I’m unfamiliar with back home. And I now have to do so visually impaired,” she said. 

Kapow thought her bad luck might be behind her, but when she got off of work, at 3:30a.m., and began driving home, she said it started raining. She said she didn’t get home until 5:15a.m.

Did the Mazda ever get repaired?

The following day, Kapow said she was nervous because she didn’t know whether she’d have to buy a new car or whether her Mazda was repairable. Paralyzed by fear, Kapow said she spent the day “doom scrolling” and waiting for a call from the mechanic, which she said never came. 

The next day, though, she took matters into her own hands and called the mechanic herself. She was shocked to learn, however, that the mechanic “couldn’t figure out” what was wrong with her car. In fact, the mechanic said that Kapow’s car appeared to be operating “just fine.” That news, however, startled Kapow even more.

“If you can’t find anything to fix,” she said she told the mechanic, “I’m still getting a new vehicle because… it’s terrifying it [my car] can just do that.”

Kapow held out hope that the mechanic would find something wrong—and that it would be a cheap fix. But, if not, she worried she’d have to finance a car at 7% or 8% “because that’s what the economy is right now.” She also added that her efforts to get a raise at work hadn’t gone anywhere so far. 

“So my brain is about… close to exploding,” Kapow said. 

In a follow-up video, Kapow said that the mechanic eventually figured out what’s wrong with her car. Apparently she has to replace some engine coils, spark plugs, and upgrade her tires—which all cost roughly $2,500. 

While the overall cost wasn’t cheap, Kapow said she was grateful that the mechanic was able to fix her car. In the end, she said, $2,500 is less expensive than what it would cost to buy an entirely new vehicle. 

In the comments, viewers praised Kapow for her resilience in the face of numerous challenges. 

“I’m so sorry you’ve had a rough week,” one user said. “On the positive side you’re a fantastic story-teller.”

“This felt like being on facetime with that one friend who’s just so unlucky all the time,” another quipped.

“Bestie, we’re living in the same universe right now,” a third commenter added. “Praying you find your solutions before your brain chooses combustion.”

The Daily Dot has reached out to Kapow via TikTok comment and to Mazda PR.

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