2002 MAZDA Tribute

Within months of buying the SUV we had it back to Crystal Auto Mall, Green Brook, NJ the problem…the steering wheel came loose, it would shift around as you drove down theroad! This was a quick repair. Starting on Sept 18,2002 we took it in to the dealer for the oil pressure light coming on, they replaced the oil sender unit, total $69.52, which was covered by warranty. On Oct 14 back for the same problem, they kept it until Oct 17, replacing all kinds of parts, oil pump, oil gasket for a total of $924.65, again covered by warranty. My husband was driving it home from this round of repairs and the same problem lit itself up again! He was almost home appox.30 miles from the dealer, hecalled on his cell phone said he was coming right back, this time they had it from Oct 18 to Oct 31, 2002. what a surprise when I heard they replaced the entire motor for a total of $4,511.17, again under warranty. Strange thing was that they would not extend the warranty on the new motor beyond the original guarantee for the truck. Now you tell me is this right? That’s not the end of it, on June 21, 2003, we brought it in for a noise coming from the front end they kept it over the weekend until June 23 and told us it needs breaks and rotors and wheel alignment which of course is not under warranty!!! Only 24000 miles on this SUV and nothing but headaches

When slowing down (approximateloy 25-35 mph) or proceeding to a stop, the car completley shuts down in the middle of the road while the engine is still running. The brakes will freeze up and the only way to stop the car is to pull up on the emergency hand brake. The car will restart again. This has always happened in traffic and is a very dangerous situation. Brought the car into the dealership the first time on May 3, 2003. Dealer said that they replaced the idle control valve. I was confident the problem was solved, however, two weeks later, the same problem occurred and car once again died completely in traffic. Brought it back to the dealer on June 3, 2002 , and the dealer said that there was improper operation and reprogrammed the PCM. The car died down a week later while slowing down in traffic on the freeway. I brought the car back to the dealer again for the third time June 19, 2003 and left the car there overnight. The technician drove the car 100+ miles back and forth to his house but they could not duplicate the problem and sent the car home. The car died again in traffic 5 days later. I brought the car back to the dealership the fourt time on July 1, 2003 and once again the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem. Technician advised me to keep driving the car until the problem worsened. This is a very dangerous situation as the car is in motion at all times when it is in traffic and needs to be addressed immediately! The car was purchased March 2002, and since then it has had a master cylinder leak, air bag circuit failure, as well as fuel system electrical wiring problems. Mazda needs to be aware of the potential risk factors involved in its Tribute models and recall the cars! I have researched and found that other 2002 Tribute owners have experienced the same problem with stalling and the car dying down!!!

This vehicle has stalled on four occassions without warning. It left the driver (me and my wife) with little time to react in heavy traffic and renders the steering system nearly inusable because of the loss of power assistance. It had stalled previously in August 2002 and we took it to the dealer which noted that only one fix had been available for it. They performed the fix (replaced the throttle body) but it keeps stalling. They still say no other fix is available. This problem can lead to possible horrific crash if left unsolved. I hate how so many others have complained about it in the NHTSA consumer complaints database but nothing has been forced to make Mazda\\Ford fix the issue! This car is unsafe and someone could lose their life because of this one problem.

There has been a smell coming from the A/C for the past 2 years I had it tested and the test came back with a high mold spore count of 332. Dealership changed all parts and had it test again and meldew/mold spore count was higher 840. Air Bags light comes on and off. Vehicle shuts off and lose all functions to operate vehicle. Vibration, suspension, radio, panels coming loose, delayed shifting/ slipping. lot of brake dust, engine runs very ruff, some kind of noise coming from rear, keyless entry, sunroof problems. rear window defroster, ticking noise, this vehicle has been in the shop 55 times in the past three years of ownership I do not feel safe in driving this vehicle due to the fact of the air bags issue and are they going to work if I need them? I can I operate this vehicle in a safe way if it keeps turning off to where you loose all functions? Mazda has taken the stand that they will not take back vehicle. My vehicle has only 32000 miles on it.

The peddle sticks when trying to accelerate

The mileage was around 20,000 when i had to replace the pads and rotors on my Tribute this was in October of last year when I had it in for the annual New York State safety and emissions inspection. I couldn\’t find the receipt for the work done but it cost around $300 to replace the parts. I kept the pads and rotors and will send them to you if you pay for the shipping or I can send you photos via e-mail. Go to mycarstats.com and search for the 2002 Mazda Tribute there you will find many others that had the same problem plus some other things that are going wrong with the vehicle. I also had a problem with the airbag light coming on and the vehicle stalled once which was a problem that there was a recall for. I have since traded mine in for a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer and I am very happy with the truck. I am still interested in going after Mazda for a refund of the repairs done I have never had to replace rotors or pads for any vehicle I owned before 50,000 miles

Shortly after the warranty expired on this vehicle the transmission stopped working without warning. Regardless of the position of the shift lever (R, D, 3,2, 1) there was is reaction whatsoever from the transmission — completely toast. Had ATF replaced at 30K miles; dealer has no idea what caused the unit to fail at 52,000 miles.

See failures

I purchased this Mazada Tribute 2002 in October of 2001. I start having problems in March of 2002 when the vehicle would not start. I reported to the dealership and they checked and said they could not find anything wrong. Three months later while driving home from my sister house the Tribute stall in the middle of the street while making a left turn through a green light. I had it towed to the dealership. They explained to me that the engine need to be replaced. Now it’s 2003 in July my anti-theft device is have problems with the alarm sounding off while driving the vehicle and when I get out of the vehicle. These are problems that should not be happening to a SUV that is not evening two years old.

Engine cut off in the middle of driving 3 times. defective battery.

Although I\’ve had numerous problems with my 2002 Mazda Tribute since I purchased it in February 2002 — many were defects with the wiring, etc, my problem today with the engine/transmission is significant and has rendered my car as \"unusable\". All maintenance and oil changes every 3 months (or 3,000 miles) has been performed yet… On Sunday, Nov 20, while driving my Mazda Tribute on I-66 my husband and I heard extremely loud noises coming from the engine. I continued to drive for about a mile further trying to get to an exit off the busy interstate. Just as I was pulling to the exit, my car made one huge \"explosive noise\" and we saw black smoke coming out of the back of my vehicle. Once pulled over, we saw the oil just draining out of the engine, and the engine was smoking. The tow truck driver couldn\’t believe that a car only 3.5 years old had this type of malfunction, especially since I had just had an oil change three weeks ago. The mechanic (Riley\’s Automotive, Manassas, VA) determined that a piston (?) had worked itself loose and while driving it shot up into the hood and rammed down punching a hole in the oil pan,thus destroying the engine. I was told unless I wanted to pay $4,000 for a USED engine to be procured and installed (used with 33k miles on it), there was nothing the mechanic could do for me. He stated that the nature of my problem was unbelievable; there is no way a truck should have experienced this problem, it was either a fluke or a manufacture defect. I\’ve had other issues with the starting, accleration, and steering (that affected the gas consumption) over the past two years, but I was told by Mazda mechanics that the problems noted in the recalls addressed these problems and they were fixed based on the recall solution. Overall I\’ve had too many problems with the Mazda Tribute to warrant putting any further money into the vehicle, so I have chosen to accept the loss of this SUV and move on to another vehicle. However, I would like to have this complaint used in whatever manner you can use it to hopefully force Mazda to address the many performance and safety issues with their product. I\’m very disappointed and angry that I have to pay the remaining $6,500 on my car loan when I\’m not getting the benefit of the vehicle to drive nor any salvage value. I have read in Mazda forums that other Mazda Tribute owners have experienced similar or the same problem. This is unacceptable and if there is a class action suit, I\’ll support it. Thank you very much!

Airbag indicator light intermittently activates service bulletin:0800205 nhtsa item number:10017557. *nm

Air bag sensor light keeps staying on. *nm

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that there was an abnormal noise heard near the front of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was indicated that they performed a manufacturer recall for the sub-frame, upper and lower control arms but the contact was uncertain if the dealer actually complied and replaced the parts. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for further inspection and diagnosis. the manufacturer recall failed to provide a solution because the contact continued to hear the abnormal noise in the front of the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available. updated 06/13/17*lj

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving approximately 25 mph, the undercarriage on the passenger side of the vehicle fractured due to severe rust. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the contact did not take the vehicle to an independent mechanic or dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 181,000.

Driving the vehicle down a city street the steering became extremely loose. upon inspection we found that the front subframe had rusted/broken and the lower control arm had separated from it. after a search we discovered that this issue is covered under the 7514d recall. a vin search confirmed that this was an open recall on this vehicle. we towed the vehicle to the nearest mazda dealer to have the recall completed. after about 1 week, the service advisor called and told me that mazda was refusing to repair the vehicle. i called mazda customer service to get an explanation and was told that the recall only involves installing a "reinforcement" bracket, not replacing the subframe. i informed them that i have copies of both the owner letter and the entire recall procedure which both clearly state that if the lower control arm has become separated due to corrosion the subframe must be replaced at no cost to the owner. they tried to tell me that "corrosion" does not mean "rust" and there is nothing more they could do for me. the vehicle is still at the dealership, mazda of wooster in wooster, ohio. *tr

I brought this car front the dealer and didn't know about the recall on the control arm and no one told me it is now 17 years old and i only had it for a year

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that when the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to stop and continued to move forward. the contact had to forcefully depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. there were no warning indicators illuminated. in addition, none of the locks functioned and the body frame was rusted. the contact also stated that the rear hatch window detached from the vehicle. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign numbers: 04v583000 (vehicle speed control), 12v357000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control), and 14v174000 (structure). the vehicle was unable to be driven and was towed to an independent mechanic. the contact called preston mazda (located at 260 boardman poland rd, boardman, oh 44512, (844) 835-0773) and was informed to tow the vehicle to their facility. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving 30 mph, another vehicle abruptly stopped in front of the owner's vehicle. the owner was not able to stop the vehicle in time and crashed into the rear of the other vehicle. the air bags deployed with force. as a result, the contact sustained crushed ribs and a broken right foot that required medical attention. the contact stated that the other driver left the scene of the crash. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,270.

Takata recall

My 2002 mazda tribute is leaking brake fluid per mazda recall my vehicle was manufactured 01/02. and it smells smoky! i didn't get a recall notice but, my tribute is having the exact problem sited on u.s. news & world report. quote: mazda recalling 52,390 tribute suvs from the 2001 and 2002 model years for a problem with their brakes. according to the national highway traffic safety administration, part of the tribute’s brake system could leak brake fluid. if the brake fluid leaks, it’s possible that the fluid can come in contact with wires that control the anti-lock brake system. corrosion may develop in the electrical connector leading melting, smoking or possible fire,” nhtsa reports. nhtsa says that owners should park their mazda tribute outside until the vehicle has been taken in to the dealership to be fixed. this is unusual compared with most vehicle safety recalls, but with the possibility of a fire occurring, owners should heed this warning. affected mazda tribute suvs were built from april 20, 2000 through july 19, 2002. you can check to see when your 2001 or 2002 mazda tribute was built by checking the sticker on the inside of the driver’s side door jamb.

We took our mazda in for the sub-frame recall 11-30-2015 and the dealership, morries mazda inver grove heights, mn, signed off that it was fine. now 29 months and 10,000 miles later there is a dime sized hole rusted through the sub-frame and both the dealership and mazda usa are refusing to pay for any of the recall repairs which will run about $4,000. the frame is a heavy piece of metal and there is no way a dime sized hole should occur in that short a period of time. i believe due to the cost of the repair mazda usa and morries refused to do the necessary recall repairs when we originally took the car in on 11-30-15 and are now refusing again to cover the costs (mazda usa ticket # 1-1249669028). this was clearly a design defect and if the sub-frame fails while driving , particularly at highway speeds it carries potential life threating injury to the occupants of the vehicle and others in the area.

I had the oil changed in pahrump, nevada at round 10 am. afterwards, i drove the vehicle around town for several hours, loading it up with belongings because i was moving 160 north on hwy 95. after stopping in beatty, nevada, my suv sputtered. i took the suv out of overdrive into drive to see if it would backfire to get the dirt or water out of the fuel line from just filling up. about a mile down the road, i heard a belt squeal. thinking my transmission maybe going out due to the fact i hadn't driven in drive for some time, i continued on my way praying the vehicle would make it to my destination. it wasn't until i reached the 88 mile marker, did the squeal happen again. then white smoke followed. i thought, well there goes the radiator too. just past the 92 mile marker, the engine locked up. i still had white smoke and no shoulder. i decided i had to get the vehicle off the road at 7 p.m. i went over into the ditch without turning over with my belongings. immediately, i noticed the oil and oil pan lights on. my headlights were still on. i called a friend who told me to get out immediately. i called 911 at 7:05 p.m. they told me to run. within a minute a small flame came shooting out of the vehicle which continued to burn for over one hour until the fire department showed up to put the fire out with foam. i have spoken to a couple of seasoned mechanics. they said it sounded like the oil filter was defective. another said after looking at what was left... only the shell, there was nothing left under the hood. the insurance company, safeco has it in their forensics lab to determine fault. i googled fires in mazda tributes 2002 and ran across a recall. i did not receive a notice and have checked the mazda website using my vin number. nothing on my vehicle ever being recalled for this fire hazard. i have pictures on my phone but lost my computer to load to site.

Takata recall, my car is having electrical problems (abs), i also have a lot so on certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.0l v6 duratec engines, during deceleration, the engine can stall

Pcm/ecm

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving various speeds, the front passenger wheel became disengaged from the vehicle and jammed into the wheel well. the failure caused the vehicle to be immobile. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and then transported to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the dealer stated that the manufacturer would not cover the repair due to the extensive corrosion. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v174000 (structure) prior to the failure, but the recall repair was not performed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 135,000....updated 09/12/16 *bf *tr

I went to buckle my son's carseat in and the buckle came out of the seat. and i moved him to a different buckle and that one came out to and then the next seat buckle came out as well.

Catastrophic failure of rubber brake hose on front passenger wheel. total loss of abs braking system during attempted stop with vehicle in motion and slowing at an intersection. made loud pop / gunshot sound, spewing brake fluid. had to engage emergency and parking brake to prevent collision.

My airbag warning light has been flashing on and off for a while now. i removed the items under the seat and the lights went off and worked for almost a month. all of a sudden the lights are now flashing again, even though there are no items below my seats. i was able to search online and see that there have been many issues with the seatbelt pretensioners and/or the connections below the seat that need to be wiggled or disconnected and then re-plugged in to make the light go out. it has happened in all situations including stationary, in motion, on the highway, or in the city.

I had been driving my mazda for about 20 minutes on a 75 degree day in south texas when turning onto a flat, unobstructed, smooth paved road through a koa park. after turning, i was only driving the 5 mile an hour speed limit through this park, when suddenly the driver's airbag exploded in my face without any warning whatsoever . there was nothing that could have even slightly indicated a collision -- not a speed bump, not a bird or animal, or anything. it was just a smooth, slow drive at 5 miles an hour on a sunny day. there was 60% humidity from prior days rain. i had my arm up to my face already when it happened, which took the brunt of the hit to my wrist and forearm. within less than 5 seconds the passenger side airbag exploded also. both rang out a shot like a pistol in the closed window car. smoke and burning smell started filling the car, and i was able to stop since only going 5 miles an hour, and get myself out of the car quickly. my arm sustained huge welts from the impact and wrist felt extremely hurt and bruised and became very stiff and hard to bend. this was all witnessed by an rv camper at the koa park who was sitting 15 feet away and was startled by the pistol fire sound of the exploding bags. he came over to help, while i let the smoke air out of the car. the driver's side explosion destroyed the center of the steering wheel, and a large chunk of 3"x5" plastic had been torn lose and propelled during the explosion. i'm not sure if that is what put the welts on my arm or the bag itself it happened so suddenly. i immediately took my car to my mechanic 3 miles away, dan's auto service of port isabel, texas, to have him inspect what happened. he indicated he could see no indication that the collision sensors had been touched to set them off, and had no idea why the both bags would trigger like that.

Hard to turn in sounds like my lower control arm is about to come off.

While driving 45 rush hour traffic the shifter cable broke

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving forward at approximately 35 mph, another vehicle made a left turn and crashed into the front driver side of the contact's vehicle. the air bags deployed. the contact sustained face lacerations from plastic fragments after the air bag deployed, which required medical attention. a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 138,000. updated 8/19/15*cn updated 9/30/2015*js........updated 12/17/15 *bf updated 10/17/2017*cn

I had just bought the vehicle feb 7 2015 from mid state auto sales and it seem to be in really good conditions til the night before the 24 it had stalled out but started back up and ran fine was told it was bad gas but then the 14th me my husband son daughter and grandson was going to the store to get a few things for breakfast so we wouldn't be late for church sunday morning made it about 4 to 5 miles down our road it started losing power really bad then smelled something then seen smoke coming from the hood we stopped in the middle of the road lifted the hood my son yelled get out its on firer so we got out as fast as we could had my 4 year old grandson in his set so it took a minute to get him out thank god my other daughter got off work early cause would of had my 9 month old granddaughter in the vehicle the daughter that was with us is 8 months pregnant but any ways my son and husband tried throwing dirt on it well i called the firer department by time they got there the whole vehicle was on firer it is a totaled loss and then found out the tribute had recalls for these kind of problems and other problems and now with out anything and out of money what can we do. *tr

I noticed a brake fluid leak under the vehicle in my garage. after checking under the hood, i noticed brake fluid splattered around engine compartment. when i checked the brake fluid,the top was loose,and the reservoir was low. this is the second time i noticed this, and when i checked my vin# against recalls, there is none for this problem for my particular vehicle. but i know there is a safety recall in effect for 2001-2002 tributes for this problem per nhtsa 12v016000. it specifically references the master cylinder reservoir cap, which i think may be my problem also. *tr

Have owned this car for 2 years, come april 2015. 8 months of those 2 years it has been sitting in the drive way broke down.was out of town when i felt the transmission slip and decrease in acceleration while i was on the freeway home. i had to get off on the nearest exit with my 1yr old daughter in the back, and there was a stop light from the off ramp to the road, it was red when i got off so of course i had to stop. well the light turned green and my car would not accelerate it jerked like the gears were trying to shift but could not. i had to get off in reverse and wait 4 hours for a tow truck. we were 128 miles from home. i have not been able to fix it, still unfortunately still paying on it. i know there have been recalls made in april of 2004 for this model car. i just want to know if mine falls under that recall and i'm i eligible even though i am the second owner. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the driver side door master switch was faulty preventing the doors from being lock or unlock. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the vehicle repaired. however, the remedy failed to repair the problem since the quality of the product used to repair was poor. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, who advised the contact that the problem was due to normal wear and tear. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 103,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the rear window latch failed to lock. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer stated the vin was not affected by nhtsa campaign number: 04v605000 (latches/locks/linkages). the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 220,000.

Tl- the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 mph, the service engine warning light illuminated and the speed reduced to 20 mph. the contact noticed there was smoke emitting from under the hood and it was discovered that the engine and wiring were on fire. a fire department was able to extinguish the fire. a police/fire report was filed and there were no injuries reported. the vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available. djr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it caught fire. the fire was extinguished by a fire department. a police and fire report were filed and no injuries were reported. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact received a notification of nhtsa campaign number: 12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt seized. the contact also stated that he attempted to switch the rear seat belt with the front passenger's side seat belt and discovered that both rear seat belts were seized as well. the vehicle was was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 166,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the abs sensor illuminated intermittently several times. the contact mentioned that the vehicle failed to restart after parking it. the contact used battery cables and was able to restart the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact was not notified nor ws the vehicle included in recall nhtsa campaign id number: 12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic), nhtsa campaign id number: 07v157000 (service brakes, hydraulic) and nhtsa campaign id number: 07e023000 (service brakes, hydraulic). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

The frame that secures the hood latch assembly rusted or corroded away and i can't secure hood to latch. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving approximately 20 mph, the front passenger side wheel unexpectedly detached from the vehicle. the contact maneuvered to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the contact experienced a failure related to nhtsa campaign number: 14v174000 (structure: frame and members). the vehicle was not repaired because the location of the dealer was far away. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the vin was invalid. the approximate failure mileage was 138,000.

Applying brakes and abs kicks in and makes the tires lock up in the back and slides the rear end of the vehicle around. seems electrical problems are occurring also. headlights have a short, reverse lights don't work,and window controls don't always work. vehicle has done all this since i have owned it. it was bought used and i have had it checked for all recalls and they are all up to date, or so the mazda dealer says they are. i have had brakes replaced along with rotors and tires and the vehicle does the same thing. *tr

Was parking car, and something snapped. front wheels are now pointing in different directions, and the car is not drivable. luckily this happened at low speed, and the only damage is to the car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving 35 mph, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the entire subframe was fractured due to corrosion. the dealer repaired the vehicle according to nhtsa campaign number: 14v174000 (suspension). the technician informed the contact that the lower control arms, both frontal struts, and the tie rod ends needed to be replaced due to excessive corrosion on the subframe. the technician added that even after the repairs were performed, the vehicle would not be safe to drive. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and refused to provide additional assistance. the approximate failure mileage was 71,000. updated 11/12/14*lj updated 8/5/2015 *js

My air bag light is staying on. i decided to leave a complaint on here because i see multiple complaints from other people regarding this issue. *tr

The airbag light has been on for about 2 months in the mazda tribute. we took the vehicle to duval mazda to ask them to reset the computer since we figured that was all that was needed. they called us later in the day and told us that to repair the car so that the light would go out, would cost $397.21. we declined since they told us they needed to rebuild the wiring for the airbags. when we picked up the car (declined the repair), the estimate for repairs stated: "b1881 stored-p/s safetybelt pretensioner circuit failure. tsb: 08-001/05 has updated connectors that are soldered in to replace and upgrade the failing ones." this sounds like it should be a safety recall item not a customer cost repair issue. or at the very least, a repair and no charge item done by the dealer since it appears to be a failure of original parts that impact the airbag system. we have not had repairs done at this point since it is a costly one and don't know who, other than the dealer will do the repairs for a more reasonable cost. the dealer did state (not listed anywhere on the itemized list of multiple repairs that they really wanted to do) that the airbag light was impacting the passenger airbag only. *tr

My airbag warning light blinks, then stays on shortly after i crank the vehicle. i had it checked and the mechanic told me that it needed a new fuse because it was shorting out. he replaced the fuse and it immediately shorted out again. he told me that my driver side airbag is shorting out and i will need to replace it. i have read several complaints about this issue on this vehicle, so i called mazda and was told that it was my problem to repair it due to the age of my vehicle. is this true? i can't believe the complacency of the man i spoke to about the issue. i need this addressed, but do not believe that i had any control in the poor condition of this part. it is not something that suffers from simple wear and tear issues, like brakes or hoses! i hope that with all of the complaints i have read about this, someone will realize that it is a real problem, before someone does get hurt or killed. *tr

The air bag dash light came on and stays on. took it to the dealer to get it fixed but the extended warranty won't cover it. also mazda has known about the problem, they said they had a bulletin on it but it expired. i don't think it's fair since we just bought the car 2 years ago and it had already expired. why didn't mazda fix it before they sold it to us? i feel this is a safety issue and it's their issue, not something we contributed too. i was also told if we don't fix it we won't pass safety inspection. this is crazy that they can sell things that they willingly know have a safety issue but then want to charge us for the manufactures error. p.s. this car was bought from the same dealer as the original owner bought it and had all the service work done. that's why i can't understand why the bulletin didn't get done. *tr

I was pulling into a parking lot and my vehicle accelerated as if i was pressing the gas. however, i wasn't pressing the gas, i was pressing the brakes. i had previously taken my vehicle to the dealership to get a recall done involving this issue. prior to the, alleged repair done to the vehicle, i hadn't had any problems with that issue. i had received a few letters in the mail stating i needed to have to recall done and i decided to go ahead and take it to have the stated recalls done. anyway, i called the dealership the following day of the incident and told them what happened. first, the guy asked me if the vehicle was in cruise control when it happened and i told him "no". the he told me that the vehicle would have to be in cruise control in order for it to do that but my recall letter stated that it did not have to be in cruise control for this to happen. i took the vehicle back to the dealership the day after i spoke to the guy over the phone. my vehicle stayed at the dealership for about 3 days. when i went to get my vehicle, the guy in the service department said that the recall had been done and that the throttle cable was worn and needed to be replaced. anyway, my complaint with this is, that prior to the recall being done, i had no problem with the vehicle accelerating on its own. so if there was an issue with the throttle cable itself, i would imagine this would have been an issue prior to them doing whatever they claimed they did. *tr

While driving home from work the vehicle started to accelerate on its own . quickly i shifted the vehicle to neutral and stepped on the brakes. after the vehicle came to a complete stop the engine started to idle (to about 5 rpm) on its own. i had to shut off the engine in the middle of the street around 5 am in the morning because the idling wouldn't stop. lucky for me it turned back on. now i've read the stories about the recalls back in 2004 about the defective accelerator cable. a couple years later another recall due to the repair the first time not being done correctly. i just took the tribute to mazda to repair two more recalls for the same thing. why is it still happening? mazda plans to charge me for a diagnosis fee of $95.00 tomorrow. (really?) i think this vehicle should be taken off the roads. ya like that's going to happen. wait maybe if it happens to me again and the throttle gets stuck and i lose control of the vehicle and die, well just maybe this problem that started back in 2004 will finally get resolved once and for all. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the abs warning indicator began to illuminate until the engine was turned off. in addition, the brakes emitted a strong burning odor. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 07v157000 (service brakes, hydraulic) in 2012 however, the failure recently recurred. the manufacturer was notified and they informed the contact that the owner would be responsible for the diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

2002 mazda tribute. unable to open the door to exit the vehicle. i had to open the window and stick my arm out the window to unlock the door from the exterior door handle. in addition, the rear lift gate would not remain closed or locked and would stay open while the vehicle was in motion. *tr

Air bag light would stay illuminated had it looked at by dealer back in 2005 problem was temporarily fixed started to come back on months after i had the dealer fix it know the light will not illuminate when initial start and there is a beeping sound it beeps 5xs stops then starts again while driving.i feared that while driving to work that the airbag would deploy or if i was in an accident it may not deploy this seems to me like a serious safety issue. *tr

Dealer disconnected cruise control and has not notified of replacing the part and a ford dealer i know can get the part in 1 week. why hasn't the recall been accomplished by this philadelphia mazda dealer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that brake fluid was leaking from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was advised that the brake fluid reservoir housing was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 154,000 and the current mileage was 188,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that while driving in reverse at approximately 5 mph, the engine stalled without warning. the contact was able to restart the vehicle within minutes however, the failure recurred whenever the gear shifter was moved into reverse. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number 04v175000 (power train) but the vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000. the vin was unavailable.

The rear window glass door would not snap into lock position -- there was a recall for exactly the same by mazda for 2001, 2002, 2003 2004 & 2005 tributes. but they insist that my vin is not one of them. i think it should have been and should be. following is the info on 2001-2005 recall --- recall date: dec 22, 2004 recalled vehicles: 2001 mazda tribute 2002 mazda tribute 2003 mazda tribute 2004 mazda tribute 2005 mazda tribute component: latches/locks/linkages:hatchback/liftgate:lock. manufactured by: mazda north american operations affected vehicles: 49,800 recall summary: certain 2004-2005 sport utility vehicles and certain 2001-2003 sport utility vehicle having rear liftgate components serviced with 2004 equivalent components fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 206, 'door locks and door retention components. ' the rear liftgate latching system does not meet the inertia load requirement in one direction. consequence: if the liftgate is left unlocked, there is the potential that it may open during a crash. how to fix: dealers will replace the rear liftgate latch release rod, the release rod attachment clip and the door handle return spring. the recall began on march 31, 2005. owners should contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500. recall notes: mazda recall no. 2804l. customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236. *tr

Bought vehicle at about 75k miles, currently has 99k miles, during this entire time the brakes have been warped and have gotten substantially worse. my driving habits are primarily city, and hwy driving, no towing, no heavy loads. brakes should be fine but are warped so bad that when braking medium to hard, especially before a corner, the vehicle become difficult to control from shaking and shuttering of the brake rotors. from the research i found online this appears to be a common problem among mazda tributes. i was instructed to report this here. mazda needs to confront this issue because it is so common. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that while parked the vehicle burst into flames. the contact put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. the fire department was not contacted. the contact believed the fire was caused by nhtsa campaign i.d. number 12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic: antilock: control unit/module). the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but decided to referred the contact to the dealer in order to determine if the vehicle was included in the recall. the failure mileage was 185,000.

Door handle on the passenger side does not open the door anymore. it seems that interior handle stopped working correctly by using it in a normal way. this affects safety since the passenger door can be opened only from the outside. *tr

2002 mazda tribute. consumer writes in regards to accident she had in 2004 due to sudden acceleration. *tgw not knowing there was a problem with the vehicle, she put the vehicle in reverse, and consequently, she hit a pole in her driveway. the right front bumper, fender, fog light and windshield wiper fluid were damaged. after the accident, the consumer received a recall notice, regarding rapid acceleration. the consumer also stated the transmission was defective and had to be replaced.

Front passenger door handle won't open door from inside. plastic hook inside handle assembly broke. door can only be opened from the exterior. *tr

Airbag warning light has started flashing on and off, then staying on. is now always on. dealer said it was a failure in a sensor connection under the seat(s). i have seen many, many complaints about this important vehicle safety system failure online. apparently it is a known issue. the mazda dealer wants to charge $500 to fix it. tough to do during tough economic times. guess it's food or possible fatality. which would mazda recommend? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the transmission had become inoperable. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure did not offer any assistance and referred her to the dealer. the failure mileage was 4 and the current mileage was 86,000.

There is a well documented and common problem on 2002 mazda tributes where the air bag failure light comes on. several people have documented this problem and also indicated that their air bags failed to deploy in serious accidents. my air bag failure light comes on intermittently. the mazda dealership indicated that they are aware of the problem. amazingly, no safety recall notification has been issued for this problem, although i thought it would surely be issued after all these years and reported problems. here is just one url with some of the documented problems. http://carproblemzoo.com/mazda/tribute/air-bag-problems.php one can easily find other, similar complaints on the web. i fear that my airbags will also not deploy should i get into an accident. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that vehicle caught on fire while parked. the contact called the fire department to extinguish the flames. the fire department stated that the fire was due to an electrical component. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign i.d. number 12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic: antilock: control unit/module), which stated that a fire could result from brake fluid leaking onto the master cylinder. the contact did not verify with the manufacturer if the vehicle was involved in the recall. the failure mileage was 113,000.

I've noticed in the past 2-3 months that the vehicle continues to accelerate when i take my foot off the acceleration pedal. it cause me to apply extreme pressure to the brakes to slow the vehicle down. also, the few times i have tried to use the cruise control feature on the highway it does not work. i am not able to lock it in at a given speed....say 72 mph. i have given this vehicle to my son and now i am see reports that this might cause mazda to do a recall. i would suggest that mazda must issue a recall on this problem as soon as possible before more people are injured or killed. *tr

Sudden increase of acceleration...tachometer up to 3000, engine very fast,had a hard time holding brakes until i was able to put in park and turn off the engine. another problem is loss of idle so low it will stall out if alittle gas is not applied at a stop. car bucks and jerks like its misfiring but have had a complete tune up and put on diagnostic machine with no results...or changes in how the car runs! have had all of these problems 9-15 times over the last 6.5 yrs. since purchased. its been very scary not knowing when or where it may happen again. serious problems exist even with the recall work done. *tr

The accelerator pedal sticks. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated received the recall notice associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic: anti lock: control unit/module) in february 2012. the manufacturer stated that the part was not available yet. the contact felt that the recall had exceeded a reasonable time for repair. the failure mileage was 82,000 and the current mileage was 85,000.

2002 mazda tribute. consumer writes in regards to vehicle recall *tgw the consumer stated he called mazda corporation several times during the past five months and asked what progress had been made in repairing the abs recall defect. mazda informed the consumer that pursuant to the recall, they would not be able to replace the defective part at this time. mazda recommended the consumer park his vehicle away from structures in the unlikely event, the abs module developed an electrical short. *jb

Received notice from mazda regarding safety recall #6712a in feb 2012 for our 2002 mazda tribute - recommended action was to park vehicle outdoors, away from structures to prevent unattended potential fire from spreading related to electrical short /abs module. it has now been 3 months and mazda has not provided the necessary repairs to return this vehicle to a safe condition. *tr

Got a recall notice in feb. 2012 and have not heard anything from mazda since. i did contact the co. and they said the parts to fix my car would be available in the second quarter of 2012. it is now june 13th and i still have not heard anything. do i need to be concerned? the recall is 6712a and i was told not to park close to any structures. my husband wants the car moved away from the house. i need to know if there is a real safety problem and why the co. won't get back to me about it. thank you *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact was driving 35 mph when the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated there were two seat sensors that failed on the driver and passenger front seats. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who stated that there were no recalls for the failure and offered no further assistance. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 12v016000 (service brakes hydraulic: antilock: control unit/ module) on december 12, 2012. the dealer was contacted and advised that the parts needed for the repair would not become available until the second quarter of 2012. the contact was concerned because the vehicle would not be repaired under the recall ina reasonable amount of time. the manufacturer was contacted and still advised that the parts had not yet become available. the failure mileage was unavailable.

I pulled onto a dirt road because there was smoke coming from the front of my car and when i stopped i opened the hood and there was like a small fire coming from under the hood i got scared called my mother and 2 seconds later the whole front of the car was on fire. *tr

Master cylinder cap leak caused fluid to drip on abs module causing short, now abs module motor stays on continuously even when i turn off the car, unless i disconnect the battery. (this is the 3rd oem master cylinder i have had replaced on this mazda tribute! they all have had leaky caps!) i already had the last mazda abs recall completed (which was a joke - mazda was only bound to "inspect the abs module for corrosion - and if they found none they were not bound to take any action or replace any parts). i received another recall notice within a month of them completing the first recall. this time the recall states that they must replace the leaky master cylinder cap and replace the faulty abs module at no cost. so i called my local dealership (rick case mazda) and explained that my vehicle is already showing symptoms that could result in a fire if i weren't disconnecting the battery every time i turned off and parked the vehicle. to which they said they had no parts yet from mazda to service the recall, but bring it in anyway and we'll diagnose the problem. service manager says they will ask the mazda rep what they should do in this case. i have no confidence that they will take care of the problem as they obviously did not do anything on the last recall. *js

2002 mazda tribute. consumer writes in regards to safety recall 6712a concerning abs system repairs and seeks reimbursement *tgw the dealer informed the consumer, there was nothing they could do until she received a notification letter saying the part was in stock. the consumer took the vehicle to an independent shop because the brake light illuminated on the dashboard. the brake master cylinder was replaced. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that she received notification of nhtsa campaign id number 12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module). an authorized dealer was notified on numerous occasions and the contact was informed that there was not an available release date for the necessary parts in order to make the recall repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 62,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number: 12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module ). the recall campaign was expected to begin february 2012 however, the parts needed for the repairs were not readily available. the contact believed that the time frame involved with having a recall defect repaired was unreasonable. the contact had not experienced a failure within the vehicle. the current mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving approximately 30 mph, there was a strong burning odor when smoke began to billow from the hood area. the contact maneuvered to the side of the road and inspected the fire under the hood. a fire report was not filed. the vehicle was towed to the residence and was neither diagnosed nor repaired. prior to the fire, the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 07v157000 (service brakes, hydraulic: antilock: control unit/module). the dealer was contacted in order to secure an appointment for recall repairs but the dealer advised that the parts needed for repair were not available. in addition, the technician assured the contact that the vehicle was safe to drive however, the contact experienced the recall consequence before the recall repair could be performed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 132,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute.the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number:12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module) and was informed by the manufacturer that the parts needed to perform the recall repair would take three months to be manufactured. the contact stated that the time period for the recall repair was unsatisfactory. the current and the failure mileages were 60,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the front passenger door malfunctioned and as a result, she unable to unlocked or open the door. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 150,000 and the current mileage was 152,000. the consumer stated brake fluid leaked which caused her to not have any brakes. as a result, the consumer had an accident and hit a pole. the consumer also stated the vehicle has electrical problems. updated 04/25/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for unrelated repairs where the mechanic advised the contact that the master cylinder was leaking onto the abs pump wiring. the wiring was melted and the pump was no longer functioning. the abs and brake warning lights were also illuminated. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module ) but was advised by the manufacturer that the vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that she was unable to open the door to exit the vehicle. he contact had to open the window and stick her arm out the window to unlock the door from the exterior door handle. in addition, the rear lift gate would not remain closed or locked and would sporadically open while the vehicle was in motion. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 04v605000 (latches/ locks/ linkages: hatchback/ liftgate: lock) but was advised by the dealer that the vehicle was not included in the recall. the manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was unknown and the failure mileage was 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module), but noticed that the services would not be performed until the second quarter of the year. the contact was also advised not to drive and to park the vehicle away from buildings until the repair could be performed. the dealer and the manufacturer were notified, but denied any assistance to a solution to the issue. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was dissatisfied with the time delay in having the repairs performed when a safety defect existed. the failure and the current mileage was approximately 185,000.

My son has driven this vehicle since 2008, when we purchased it for him to use while in college. he was driving onto campus and when approaching the parking lot, he noticed abs and airbag lights coming on and off on the dashboard. as he parked he realized there was smoke coming from under the hood. he opened the hood, saw a fire, and called 911 immediately. they arrived quickly and successfully put the fire out. firemen told him it appeared to have been electrical and he was lucky they got there as quick as they did. insurance claim adjuster took it to a ford shop (closest) where they had it for a week and said they couldn't get parts, but were aware of a recall coming on the area the fire had occurred in (the wiring harness and abs module). it was then sent to a mazda dealer, that had it for 10 days, and finally said the needed parts were obsolete and they could not repair the vehicle. claims adjuster checked with another ford and another mazda dealer, getting the same answers from both. by the way, when they checked on the vin, they said it was not on any mazda recalls. this was at the end of january/beginning of february 2012. so after all this, they had to total a vehicle that only had about 77,000 miles on it and was in excellent condition otherwise. the day i get home from having documents notarized for the insurance company, in my mailbox is a recall from mazda....this very one 6712a, which i had already found online days prior to the mazda dealers denying our vin was included. the recall letter states the work from a prior recall in 2007 regarding this issue had been done. we are very grateful this fire did not cause an accident or more serious emergency situation. and we are grateful our insurance company isn't holding things up due to mazda's lack of help. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the engine and the abs warning lights remained illuminated, and the engine released a burning odor. in addition, the contact stated that there was an increase in braking distance. the contact had the radiator, heater coil and the brake pads replaced but the failure was not corrected. the engine continued to release a burning odor and there was a continual increase in braking distance. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 115,000.

While braking for a stop light, the engine suddenly revved up and the vehicle began to accelerate, even though i was applying maximum force to the brake. i quickly shifted into neutral and brought the vehicle to a stop, fortunately without crashing into stopped vehicle ahead of me. my right foot was being used for braking and was no where near the accelerator pedal. i turned off the ignition, restarted the car, and drove slowly home without further incident. i have not driven since, and had made arrangements to bring the vehicle into a garage for service monday morning (tomorrow.) *tr

I have had to replace the brake master cylinder 4 times in the last 2 years on my mazda tribute. it constantly leaks and eventually needs to be replaced. i called mazda today and they told me that my vehicle is not currently on the list of the recall but i requested a confirmation # of my call just in case i have an accident due to brake failure. i told them that currently my brakes are not working properly and the gentlemen on the other side stated that there was nothing he could do now but that i should park my car on the outside. what kind of answer is this? *tr

Leaking reservoir cap on the master cylinder. i'm aware that ford is recalling 01 and 02 escapes for this issue. i have a mazda tribute that is identical to the ford escape and was assembled in the same factory as the escape. will the recall for the leaking reservoir cap extend to the tribute as well? i found my reservoir cap leaking a few years back after the warranty had expired and applied a fix at the time with cardboard but don't feel that it's a safe fix. i would hope this recall will also extend to the 01 and 02 tributes as they are the identical in every way to the ford except for a slightly different body style. i have owned the vehicle since new. in a separate issue i have experienced seal leaks in the rear differential on multiple occasions in both rear axles and the pinion seal. my tribute is a 4x4. i feel this is unsafe as the leaks were severe enough that if the level of fluid were low enough could have caused the rear differential to cease up while driving. i have recently (1\2012) had to have both rear axle seals, pinion seal and pinion flange replaced because of this issue. i also had a rear axle seal replaced by the dealer i had originally purchased the vehicle from shortly after the warranty had expired about 3.5 years into ownership. this last time when the leaks occurred it was spraying differential fluid underneath the vehicle while driving and leaking onto the ground while parked. if the fluid had sprayed on a hot exhaust while driving it can also pose a fire hazard. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that she smelled a burning odor upon exiting the vehicle. the contact also stated that the anti lock braking light would intermittently illuminate and the anti lock braking system would engaged. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the anti lock braking system was faulty. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 07v157000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 90,000.

When pulling out of a parking lot, i applied the brakes. the engine completely stalled. i started it back up and everytime i applied the brakes, the engine stalled. after letting it sit for 1/2 hour, it ran fine. two days later, it happened again. the mazda dealership and an independant auto shop ran diagnostic and said the car was fine. it stalls like this every 3-4 days with no warning. you will be driving down the highway and have to brake and it stalls completely. no power to steering or acceleration. *tt

I was driving home and the front coil spring broke{the top portion} when it broke it blew out my tire and lodged a piece of it in between the brake rotor some how tearing the tire to bits. and then apx a month after that the other one broke luckily it di not do the same damage as the first time. so because of the cheaply made and wrongfully heat treated metal the spring broke. which cost me a tire of 165.00 and to replace the spring at the cost of 273.69 this should be a recall because someone is going to die after looking in to it ford explorer,and the escape which is the exact same as the mazda i found this has been a issue for alot of people. a spring of all parts of a car should never break like this. this could have and should have been prevented by not over heating the steel that the spring was made out of the is clearly neglect on ford manufacturing and needs to be addressed before someone dies.because i was able to maneuver my car so i didn't hit anyone or anything the next person may not be so lucky.... *tr

I started my car and the 'check engine' light flashed on-and-off. thinking it would go away, i drove to route 3 in south shore, ma. once on the highway, the light did not stop flashing, so i pulled over. thirty seconds after pulling over in a rest area, white smoke appeared from under the hood. 10 seconds later, black smoke came from the hood which was accompanied with a burning smell. luckily, someone from massdot was in the rest area and we determined that it was a car fire. we proceeded to step back and call 911 from a safe distance. the engine area of the car was on fire until the fire department was able to put it out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving at night, the contact stated that the headlights failed without warning. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the current and failure mileages were unknown. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving approximately 2 mph, a loud bang sounded from the front end of the vehicle and the front passenger side suddenly collapsed onto the wheel. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where both of the sub frame bars were being replaced. in addition to the repair, the trans axle and front passenger side lower control arms required replacement. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 189,000. the vin was unavailable.

My 2002 mazda tribute's abs light came on. i noticed a pulsating in the brake that got worse fairly quickly. the sensor ring for the abs, located on the axle, was cracked. first one side, and within a few months, the other side did the same thing. not a cheap fix considering the complete axle had to be replaced. i really like my tribute, so much so, i insisted my mother buy one when she was looking for a new vehicle. she opted for a 2007 ford escape. low and behold, she experienced the same problem! *kb

2002 mazda tribute lx awd axle shafts with abs sesor rings are damaged and need replacing. *tr

Intermittent abs light, sometimes with brake light. noticed a low hum from engine one night, checked for anything left on, decided it was probably normal noise i hadn't noticed before. the next morning,i was able to unlock doors, then tried to start engine. engine turned over then all lights went off. trying to start engine failed and i had to lock door manually. got a jump start and was fine running local errands, but that hum was always there with engine off. the next day, same scenario. got jump and went to mazda dealer. told no recalls for that year except seatbelts, was never asked for vin. a tech offered to look and i explained where the noise was coming from and that i thought it was the abs. he disagreed and looked around the engine. eventually he said he had to "eat his words", that it was the abs pump staying on. i asked if i could pull the abs fuse and not affect any other systems since it wasn't working anyway. he said it was fine, and took it out for me. i never had any other brake-related problems. when my car started idling low and losing power at low speed, i took it to my local shop for repair. the computer reported a slightly off fuel mix and cylinder 5 misfiring. they said they wanted to replace the ignition coil, but i wasn't confident they felt certain that was the problem. i gave myself a crash course in engines and realized the number of things it could be was huge. i authorized the repair, but went online to see if there was a common issue with this model. that was when i realized my carfax report, and the dealer had concealed recalls. i wasn't certain my vin was included until i picked up my car and the tech helped me look around the engine. right there, in bright blue, was a sticker for the abs recall campaign. at the very least, i should have had that information available when i bought it. the mazda tech could not have missed the sticker, nor the 5 or so recalls, assuming he looked them up. hoping that no fuse means no fire risk. *tr

Airbag light stays on constantly.. found out on this forum that my airbag(s) may not deploy in the case of an accident. not good. clearly mazda/ford should "man up" and acknowledge this safety problem with a recall! *tr

Drivers side door handle broke under normal use. cannot open door from inside vehicle. an alarming safety problem. when i took the panel off i found a small piece of plastic had broken off from the assembly. the door handle is constructed from ridiculously cheap plastic. this also affected the alarm system working properly as it would engage while inside the vehicle and go off when exiting the vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the seat belt wiring was faulty, causing the air bag warning light to illuminate. in the event of a crash that the air bags would not deploy. the dealer was unaware of the issue and did not offer any assistance. the manufacturer advised the contact that there were no recalls and that since her vehicle was no longer under warranty they would not be able to provide any additional assistance. a local mechanic informed the contact that a new restraining kit would need to be installed. the current mileage was 95,000 and the failure mileage was 70,000.

Fire initiated in the engine compartment, total damage to vehicle, 2 other vehicles resulted damaged. *tr

I have a 2002 mazda tribute with a flashing air bag light. it has been diagnosed as a defective seat belt pretensioner. i called the local dealer and they will charge me for the repair. i called mazda usa ( case # [xxx])and they will not help. this seems as though it is a common problem with these vehicles. there are 2 safety issues 1) the seatbelt is defective and 2)the air bag may not deploy in the event of a collision. is nhtsa going to address this safety issue and can you help me get this resolved. thank you information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Inner door handles broken from regular use. driver side door handles actually broke in half. passenger front door handle broke as well internally. neither door handle opens from inside. as for driver side door handle i replaced it with back passenger door handle as i did not feel i should have to pay for a defect like this. front passenger door handle remains to be fixed. we all need to call mazda and report this problem. this has been a huge problem with many of these vehicles. mazda needs to know about it. 1800-222-5500. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while the contact was driving approximately 35 mph, the engine completely stalled without warning. the vehicle restarted and continued traveling. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the technician informed the contact that the failure was related to the power control module. the vehicle was repaired under the service warranty. the same failure reoccurred four to five years after the replacement of the power control module. there was a recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v175000 (power train:automatic transmission:control module tcm, pcm). the contact was in the process of notifying the manufacturer to determine whether the vin was included in the recall defect. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint.the failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving at 35 mph, the vehicle abnormally accelerated. the contact applied the brakes and although the vehicle began to decrease in speed, there was an excessive increase in engine rpms. the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility but the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. the failure recurred within two weeks. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was able to locate a recall for the failure yet when contacting the dealer, he was advised his vin was not included in the recall (nhtsa campaign id number: 04v583000, vehicle speed control: cables). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 130,000 and the current mileage was 133,000.

Mazda tribute died on a busy road during a rainstorm, would not crank, windows and gauges on dash intermittently worked as we waited for a tow -- towed to a shop,engine still won't crank. the local repair shop tech believes it is tsb: 01-047/06. looking like a $1,200 bill coming (pcm, labor to troubleshoot and repair...and a new battery)..went to mazda and they say the tsb helps a tech troubleshoot a problem.. my question is that if mazda has had enough of these issues to write up a tsb then it must be a widespread issue caused by a mazda design defect, so why is mazda not backing it up and fixing for free as a recall or reimbursing if the fix is performed by an independent repair shop? (the part alone is ~$700)? need vehicle so having it fixed and will ask for the replaced part (powertrain control module - pcm). *tr

Drivers door latch stopped working in may 2008, have to open door by rolling down the window and opening from outside. didn't get repaired. now front passenger door has same issue. *tr

Driver side door handle stopped operating. drivers door will not open from inside....outside handle works ok. it stopped working without warning. i am not able to open this door unless i put the window down and operate the outside door handle. nothing occurred other than normal daily use prior to breaking. vehicle is driven only by adults. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the vehicle was parked when the vehicle brake fluid leaked onto the antilock brake module connector which resulted into a fire. the failure occurred twice and was extinguished with a fire extinguisher. also, after the second occurrence there was a disconnection of the battery. the vehicle had been previously serviced for the recall remedy, associated with nhtsa campaign id number 07v157000 (service brakes, hydraulic: antilock: control unit/module). the dealer was notified of the failure and informed that the vehicle had prior recall remedy performed and was unable to provide further assistance. the failure and current mileages were 100,000.

Veh.was just fixed by mazda 3 weeks earlier for throttle damage cable damage/ iac valve def. &wide open "see ref #10289784 10/26/09" when same issue occured. throttle stuck and car raced forward hitting parked car and ripping guard rail 2 ft out of ground. car floored distance approx.15 ft. wife was injured and taken by amb to hosp. police/fire called by witnesses. car taken back to same mazda dealer where they called mazda hdqtrs for help. car sat untouched for 9 days before mazda declined to show @ dealers,telling them to total car. i got mad w/dealer and had car towed to another mazda dealer who said they would have mazda rep look into trbl. after 3 days mazda declined to come out again stating car had been totaled and would not look any further. insurance co. sent independent invest out who said car /scene had been disturbed and reports vary . case appears to be comp by insurance .mazda insists that i am only person in entire u.s. to complain about this problem. recall for exact same defect was done 2/05 and repaired,never to come back. they put back same type/model parts every time but still refused to look into failure after two mazda dealers called to report. *tr

2002 mazda tribute. a recall was ordered by nhtsa on 95,000 vehicles. mazda recall #07v15700 in april 2007. the recall, according to mazda did not include my vin#. however the cause of the recall has played out with my daughters vehicle and now it appears that i am going to be stuck for the cost to repair. the result of this equipment failure did not result in bodily harm but it will result in over $2,000 in repair costs. how did nhtsa arrive at the conclusion that the problem had been resolved by the manufacturer? why would my daughters vehicle not be included in the recall. the problem is that the anti-lock brake control module fails resulting in a failure of the cars electrical system including the anti-lock banking system. the same smoking and electrical draw that necessitated the recall referenced above was observed by my mechanic. we live in a fairly rural area and this defect which led to a failed battery and a failed alternator could easily have placed my daughter in a bad situation. mazda denied that this vehicle is included in the recall. *tr

My car was parked for two days when a fire started in the engine compartment. the fire started on the abs module and burned the wire harness attached to the abs module. i was able to put the fire out before the fire did major damage was done, however, i had to cover the deductible and insurance had to cover the rest of the cost. this car had been recalled for the abs and i had taken it to the dealership when recalled. after service, i continued to receive recall notices, thought i was told there was nothing that needed to be serviced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the air bag light is on since the wiring needed to be replaced; therefore, the air bag is inoperable in the event of a crash. the dealer informed the contact that she needed to replace the wiring in the vehicle. the mazda manufacturer stated that there was nothing they can do to assist with the repair. there were no recalls or warranties for the air bags. the failure mileage was 68,900.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated the abs module connection is corroded and causing no abs brakes and the warning lights stays on continuously. the vehicle was repaired previously under recall nhtsa# 07v157000, component: service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module. the failure mileage was 55,000. contact stated the vehicle is having the same problems again. he took the vehicle back to the dealer and was told he would have to pay a diagnostic fee of $125 to check the vehicle and if it is the same issue as the recall he would have to repair the vehicle to a cost of $1,200. contact has not call the mazda manufacture. the current mileage is 70,000. updated 1/11/09 *cn the abs and service service brake warning lights came on and stayed on. updated 01/14/10

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the vehicle suddenly accelerated when the driver attempted to park which caused her to lose control. she was unable to stop the vehicle, crashed into the parking lot wall and two parked vehicles. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that the accelerator cable was stuck between the engine control motor. the dealer replaced the accelerator cable, gasket, and the iac valve. the repair cost was $4,100. the manufacturer was notified. the manufacturer stated that the failure was repaired in 2005 under recall 04v583000 vehicle speed control: cables; therefore, they would not offer any assistance. the driver was taken to the hospital. the crash caused her hear heart to race and go into shock. a police report is available. the current and the failure mileage were 89,000.

Interior driver door handle disengaged (broken cable attachment), handle no longer opens door. must lower window and open door from exterior handle, not safe in cases where passengers (driver) need rapid egress. weak door handle assembly at point of cable attachment seems like a design flaw/shortcut. this issue was common on the web-based repair sites with over 50 owners reporting issues on 1 site alone. factory certified repair is $350! consequently a work around has been posted on the internet that is dangerous. involves drilling a hole in the handle base and rerouting the cable to this new (less efficient) location. the poor design, weak break-strength and critical nature of the component (door handle assembly) almost ensures this component will fail. the outrageous cost to replace almost guarantees a steady reliable source of income for mazda dealer rare dept. the fact that this component failure degrades the rapid egress in the event of an accident, it seems like an important issue for your agency to address. *tr

I own a 2002 mazda tribute with only 47,475 miles on it. in the past 6 weeks i have noticed when stepping on the brakes on dry pavement the antilock brakes kick in and the pedal goes to the floor unless i pump them. this has become very dangerous as it is happening more frequently. i had my son look at the brakes to make sure it wasn't the pads and he found a broken tooth on the driver's side front abs ring which is causing the problem. i did some research on the web to find if there are any recalls and found no recalls for this trouble but i did find others who are experiencing the same problem. i will have to have the car serviced at an approximate cost of $800.00. i feel that this must be a problem that needs to be looked into. a car with 47,475 miles should not have these problems. please let me know if anything can be done to have mazda cover this cost or if i have any other recourse. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the front brakes pulsated when the brake pedal was depressed. the failure occurred intermittently when driving above 15 mph. in addition, the brakes made a loud clunking sound when applied. the dealer performed a diagnostic, which did not produce any error codes. the control module and all the sensors were checked, but no failures were found. the rotors were replaced and a thorough inspection was performed on the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were less than 95,000. updated 07/28/09. *lj the consumer traded the vehice. updated 07/31/09.*jb

The vehicle lurched out of control while stopped in the driveway. it was very difficult to control while trying to brake and ended up pinned under the garage door. this happened two times within four days of each other. had the been at a stop light it would have gone right through the intersection. *tr

2002 mazda tribute 6 cyl. abs brake failure and fire. brake fluid from master cyl dripped on abs pump wire connector. all wires for abs and cruise burnt from connector back about 10". replaced master cyl. a lot of rewiring is yet to be done. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the master cylinder was leaking brake fluid. as a result, the vehicle fails to stop when the brakes are applied. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 07e023000. the contact feels that the failure could cause a crash. the current mileage was 74,000 and failure mileage was 35,000.

I have a 2002 mazda tribute, in late 2005 i received a recall notice on the accelerator cable, and i took my car to the dealer and they replaced the recalled cable. now i am having the same problem with the accelerator cable, the engine is revving in the idle position. i believe they replaced the original recalled cable with another defective part. i'd like to know if i am the only owner with the same recurring problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while accelerating from a stop, the accelerator pedal became stuck and caused the vehicle to gain speed. the speed reached 65 mph and the vehicle ran two traffic lights. the contact attempted to depress the brake pedal, but there was no response. she then attempted to apply the parking brake, but the vehicle continued to accelerate. after several attempts, she was able to place the vehicle into park and it slammed forward. the contact exited the vehicle and noticed a burning odor coming from the brake system. she called a tow company to tow the vehicle and the driver had to dislodge the throttle cable in order to start and tow the vehicle. the throttle cable was replaced on october 6, 2008 according to nhtsa campaign id number 04v583000 (vehicle speed control:cables). the contact is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and notifying the manufacturer. the failure and current mileages were 73,000.

2002 mazda tribute i have had to replace all 4 door locks, at my expense. has happened again to both front doors. mechanic said that mazda skimped on the rod mechanism and instead of installing two separate rods, one for the locks and one for the handles, the one rod cannot support all the doors. these doors will not open from the inside or the outside resulting in very expensive labor costs to remove the door panel to replace a $3.00 part. here's what i don't understand. what is mazda going to do when someone sues them for not being able to exit their vehicle in an emergency. i cannot comprehend why this is not a recall. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact was involved in a head on crash and the air bags failed to deploy. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to a body shop. the manufacturer stated that they were not responsible for the air bags not deploying. the contact sustained major chest injuries. a police report was filed. the speed was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 110,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact noticed that the front air bag indicator remained illuminated. he took the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic, and error codes were produced for the front passenger air bag retractor circuit and the seat belt light device. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 107,000 and current mileage was 108,640. updated 02/05/09 *bf updated 02/09/09. *jb

The spark plug in my mazda tribute 2002 blew out of the socket causing me to hunt down a valve cover. the mechanic said i didn't tighten it enough which is false i believe there is a equipment defect with the compressing somehow. i purposefully retightinened the remaining two that i could get at and the mechanic said the very next day that they where loose. i used a torque specified wrench to the manuals description is there a problem with that years ford made mazdas. a fire could break out or an explosion. *tr

Driver's door can no longer be opened from the inside. the interior handle no longer actuates the latch. one has to roll down the window and use the exterior handle. in the event of an emergency, this could be a safety issue - especially with electric windows. it is my understanding that this can only be fixed by replacing the interior handle unit where a plastic part has broken. *tr

2002 tribute from the first week there have been problems. 1st the driver side interior door handle stopped working. plastic piece that allows handle to open the door had broken. repaired $$$ paid! 2nd the driver side electric windows stopped working. motor had to be replaced. repaired $$$ paid! *** we are now faced with the passenger side interior door handle not working, the master cylinder leaking brake fluid, an issue with the 5 and 6 spark plugs falling out for the 3rd time in 4 months, the battery cables staying corroded and slow to start, there is some sort of knocking in the front passenger wheel. i have replaced the rotors and had other similiar issues with this vehical that seem to be very common problems. i have spent the last 4 hours doing my research and see that there are complaints of this same nature on almost every web site. i don't know how long the average person will wait on an 'issue' to become a recall. i don't have the patience to unroll the window every time i want to exit the vehicle. not to mention having to ask my passenger to let themselves out in the same manner. i am not going to pay another penny on fixing this vehicle. i have paid for so many maintenance issues that now that i think mazda should have fixed. when do these complaints become recall reality? what is my next option? i can't imagine how bad it would be to have my family in the car, the engine fouls out because of the spark plug issue, the brakes won't work because of the master cylinder leak, the battery cables corroded and preventing the windows being able to let down to out. i will contact my dealer tomorrow and work out the recalls i was not aware of, hopefully we can get our door locks fixed too! *tr

2002 mazda tribute driver's side door handle will not open from inside the vehicle when the car is unlocked and it doesn't matter if the key is in or out of the ignition locking the driver inside the vehicle. *tr

2002 mazda tribute inner door handle broke. very poor plastic design. seems to be a common problem with these vehicles. dealer wants over $100.00 for the cheap plastic replacement. *tr

2002 mazda tribute inner door handle broke. very poor plastic design and from reading the internet a very common problem with these vehicles. dealer wants over $100.00 for the cheap plastic replacement. also had plastic radio knob crack dealers wants almost $20 for spare part. *tr

Interior door handle on driver's side is broken. have had to open the window to get out of the car, (open by exterior handle). repair costs over $150.00 due to manual labor involved. also, steering became very noisy with screeching on turning at slow speeds. the outer tie, tye (spelling?) rods had to be replaced because the one's on there could not be re-greased. cost: $210.00. *tr

Interior door handle broke which opening the door from the inside. *tr

Went to open the door and the handle had no type of tension on it the handle wound not open from the inside drivers position had to open from the outside. *tr

May 4, 2008 my 2002 mazda tribute (purchased new- and had 60,000 miles) experienced an air intake explosion for no apparent reason and without warning.. i've had regular maintenance and had no problems starting the vehicle prior to the explosion. mazda can't tell me why this occurred and can't tell me if it will occur in the future. i feel this is a very dangerous thing to occur for no apparent reason. the explosion occurred under the hood, plastic pieces broke and tried to go through the hood of the car and the explosion was very loud and black smoke billowed out from under the hood. mazda was not willing to cover the cost of the explosion and didn't seem concerned when i reported this incident to them. i wrote the ceo of the company but rec'd a response from his subordinate that didn't address my safety concerns at all. after my second correspondence, mazda told me that they would consider that my last correspondence on this matter. i had the damage repaired at the dealership and they checked out the car and could not find a cause for the explosion. after the repair, the dealership said they found nothing further wrong. *tr

Both the inside handles of my 2002 mazda tribute have malfunctioned causing extreme difficult in getting out of the vehicle. this could result in a very dangerous situation in the case of an accident or fire along with various other incidents. it is my understanding from internet searching that this is a common problem, however, i have never heard of other vehicles having this problem. *tr

While driving 45 and going to 55 there is a knocking in the overdrive. this occurs all the time now trans fluid is full and clean. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. when the contact started the vehicle, she smelled burning plastic inside the passenger compartment. after driving a short distance and stopping, she noticed smoke underneath the hood. the contact opened the hood and saw flames. nhtsa campaign id number 07v157000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module) was referenced. the fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed to the towing company's parking lot and has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 68,214.

The front drivers side door lock and latch system failed. the door will not open from outside the vehicle. the actuating rod broke away from the latch. mazda seemed to have this same problem in the late 1980's with the 626 and 929; recalls were performed then. problem is i can't seem to find parts available to fix it. i have gotten away with gluing it for the past year. now there is nothing left to attached the actuating rod too. i have been on the internet and have noticed several other complaints of this happen on the same vehicle (2002 mazda tribute lx). *tr

Interior door handle failure. *tr

Drivers side door handle broke, will not open from the inside. this is the second time this has happened. *tr

1. increased vibration and noise coming from the wheel area. vibrations transmitted up through steering wheel and even through brake / acceleration pedals. vehicle had approx 70k miles on odometer. 2. the failure was in the left front wheel spindle bearings. 3. both front wheel spindle and bearings replaced. *tr

Purchased 2002 mazda tribute. has been driven respectfully with on harsh driving conditions as well as having regular maint. performed at suggested intervals. original rotors have warped through normal driving. luckily i was able to notice the difference in the way the brakes felt or the eventual failure could have resulted in a crash due to extended stopping distances. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle stalled and was towed to the nearest dealer. the dealer stated that a new transmission was needed. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 30,000.

Driver side interior door handle on 2002 mazda tribute is inoperable. failed after vehicle was parked and driver was attempting to open door. is a safety hazard if quick egress is required. currently searching on-line to find replacement part. *tr

I purchased a madza tribute in 2003. i began to hear a faint noise when driving. i began to hear the noise a little more. i took my car to the madza dealer on auth way and they could not dulpicate the problem. i took my car back 2 times before my warranty ran out about the noise/grinding when i press on the accelerator. i even took it back for the same noise even after my warranty ran out to be told that they could not do anything about it because they did not hear it. well, now i'm having to pay for a new transmission. when i took the car in after talking with madza the tech was able to dulpicate the problem and stated that they should have been able to the same. because my warranty has ran out, madza will not help me in any way. my car was purchased with 16 or 19 miles on it. it should not have making that noise. the same day, a lady came in with the same problem with her new 2007 madza. same symtoms that i tried to relay to the dealer when i first purchased my car. the dealer opened her an "open ticket" for her new car in case something happens down the road. as far as i'm concerned madza failed to assist me in any way when i was under warranty. it has cost me time and frustration to even deal with madza and their staff. i am seeking legal advise in this matter. i have witnesses who will state in a court of law that this problem has been going on a long time and now it is worst because madza failed to properly diagnose the problem which has lead me to have to pay for a rebuilt transmission . it is not fair. it has taken me almost 4 years and this has now come to a head. if they would have done what they were suppose to do then i bought the car we would not be having this conversation. the dealer on auth road lied and said that i had never brought my car in during my warranty for anything. that's a lie. i have the papers to prove it. *tr

I have had numerous issues with all 4 doors that become suddenly broken. i have had both rear door locks replaced, and both front door locks replaced. now the same issue has occurred once again on both front doors. there is obviously a defect with this model. not only is this costly but extremely dangerous. my mechanic has no explanation for this problem, but it seems to stem from a small plastic componet in the lock panel. the parts cost $3.00 the labor is another story. after reading other peoples complaints on this issue i'm appalled there has been no recall on this. *jb

Front axle abs sensor ring is broken on both sides. this causes the abs to falsely activate at 25 to 35 mph, with very harsh force, on about 10% of braking applications. in heavy traffic this caused significant vehicle instability and some pulling and is considered to be a real safety issue. dealer was unable to find or correct problem on 4 repeated visits. local shop then fixed on first try. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that her vehicle makes a grinding noise when accelerating. the noise occurs at any speed. the noise began infrequently, but is now heard at least four times per day. she took the vehicle to the dealer and they could find nothing wrong. the grinding noise has become more frequent and louder. updated 08/14/07. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving 65 mph, the contact heard a flapping sound that only occurred when the accelerator pedal was depressed. she then noticed smoke and flames coming from the engine compartment. the dealer has not inspected the vehicle. recall number 07v157000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module) was referenced. the insurance inspector stated that the cause of the fire was due to the recalled item. however, the inspector is waiting for a second opinion. a police report was filed. the current and failure mileages were 47,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the abs light illuminated. after paying for the repair, he received a recall notice stating that he could be reimbursed once the proper paperwork was mailed. mazda did not comply with that reimbursement agreement. the current mileage is 57,000 and failure mileage was 56,690.

I was stopped at a stoplight in a busy intersection. i went to proceed trhough the intersection when the light turned green and the car was acting like it was stuck in neutral. i had to push down hard on the accelerator to get through the intersection and pull over onto the shoulder safely. the car would not move, except to go in reverse. there was no warning that something was going wrong with my car. i had the car towed to the transmission shop, where it wa s going to have a new transmission installed. *ak

2002 mazda tribute. we bought this car new in feb. of 2002 for my wife to drive with our children. after several months my wife told me that the steering wheel felt loose. i drove the car to our local dealer and they found the retaining bolt loose. they said that it must not have been tightened correctly from the factory, and said that there were no problems they could see. in march 2007 my wife called again with the same problem. we took the car back to the dealer and again they found the retaining bolt loose. i talked with the service manager about this and she could not offer any advise so shr referred me to there master tec. he assured me that there were no problems and that he personally worked on the car. he explained that the bolt was loose and he tightened it to spec. and i should not have and problems. now it is may 2007 and the steering wheel is loose again. what should i do? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 madza tribute. the current and failure mileage were 49000. three recalls have been received for the vehicle and it is becoming an inconvenience to take the vehicle back to the dealer for repair. the overall performance of the vehicle is disappointing to the contact. it is the fact that her vehicle is constantly being recalled that is upsetting and frustrating.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the brake pedal must be completely depressed to the floorboard in order for the vehicle to stop. the failure has previously occurred at least 5 times , and no warning lights illuminated to indicate a malfunction. a mechanic diagnosed the failure as a leak in the master cylinder seal. the contact stated that neither weather nor speed were factors. on march 20, 2007, a mechanic flushed the brake system and replaced the master cylinder. no brake failures were reported since. the current and failure mileage were 70000.*ak update 5/5/08 *cn the consumer stated even though it stops very slowly/gradually to the point of being dangerous it feels as if the brakes are failing. updated. 05/05/08 *jb

Brake pads and rotors are badly deteriorated. no lights came on and no squeaking occurred to notify me of this occurrence. the only indication was a bad grinding when the brake pedal was depressed. replacement will cost approximately $450. people at risk because of mazda's negligence: a mom, dad, and two small children. *jb

Airbag indicator light intermittently activates service bulletin:0800205 nhtsa item number:10017557. *nm

I read in the paper that nhtsa was investigating abs module fires on ford escapes and mazda tributes. i am reporting that my 2002 tribute's abs module also caught fire! *nm my 2002 mazda tribute started having abs problems around april of 2004. the abs warning light would activate intermitently, sometimes staying on for several driving cycles before clearing. some time thereafter, the motor on top of the abs assembly would spontaneously start running with the engine off, key removed, parked in the garage! i discovered this motor running because of the noise under the hood. on two occasions, i was able to reset it to a normal condition by disconnecting the battery for a period. the third time the motor was running, it would not reset following a battery disconnection, but would resume running with restoration of power. this was in february 2005, at which time i disconnected the abs motor's electrical connector from the control module underneath it. thereafter, the abs warning light was always on (as would be expected.) in march 2005, with about 50,000 miles showing, my mechanic diagnosed the abs module as bad, but i chose not to replace it immediately due to the very expensive repair estimate. in july 2005, this module spontaneously caught fire while parked in my garage, filling the space with smoke. upon discovery of the smoke, my wife called the fire department for fear the house was on fire. the mazda dealer refused to work on the car due to the fire damage, and directed me to an auto electric shop. the shop eventually repaired the wire harness and replaced the module with a new unit that i purchased from the dealer. it has since functioned normally. i estimate that this defective brake module ultimately cost me very close to $1,000 and a considerable amount of fuss and inconvenience, including loss of use of my car for over a week. i do not have the original defective part.

I have a 2002 mazda tribute with less than 30,000 miles on it. the dealership says that i need new front brakes and rotors. i took the car to another garage, and they said that the mazda tribute was built with sub-standard rotors that wear out quickly. i researched this on the internet, and i have found other mazda tribute owners with the same issues. if this is a systematic engineering defect in an important safety system, then i think this is something that should be recalled. the second garage said that if the rotors get too thin, which they are prone to do, that the brake calipers can come out, leading to a complete loss of brake fluid. this seems like a serious issue that should be looked into.*jb

Dt*: the contact stated upon starting the vehicle, it would not accelerate. the vehicle was towed to the dealership, who determined the ignition coils were burnt out. the ignition coils were replaced.

2002 mazda tribute. on 10/12/2006 while my wife was driving the mentioned vehicle it accelerated by itself to speeds in excess of 55 miles per hour, while she was in a target store parking lot. it did not brake or stop until it hit an stop sign and my wife was able to turn the ignition off. the police dept. of the city of davie was called, they verified it was some mechanical problem with the accelerator. no tickets were issued. we called the aaa and the driver informed us that the throttle cable was stuck and that produced the acceleration. we called the mazda dealership where the vehicle was purchased. they stated that there was a recall for the throttle and to bring the car in for service. my wife and son brought the car in under the impression that they will take care of this problem. they said when the car was ready it cost $157.20 and it had to be paid or the car would not be released. said that my son authorized the charge. had to pay to have car released. mazda should pay. *nm

Clock/radio does not work until car is running up to 30 minutes or more. dealer replaced entire unit which worked approx. 2 months before the issue re-appeared. recently clock/radio has not worked for more than 1 week. the issue has been ongoing for more than 1 year with the dealer denying any electrical issue. as of today, vehicle at dealer again who now says it is an electrical issue. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling in hot weather, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle stopped. the vehicle restarted after the transmission was shifted into park, and the ignition was turned off, then turned on. the dealership was unable to determine the problem. the fuel pump and crank shaft position sensor was replaced. updated 10/30/06. *jb

While driving our 2002 mazda tribute on the highway, a fire started under the car - we suddenly noticed engine started to stutter and then saw smoke coming out of the back of the car and then the exhaust pipe fell out of the rear. within a minute or so as we were trying to pull over, both the steering wheel and the brake failed. we finally brought the car to stop on the shoulder of the exit ramp close by, by decelerating and using the parking brake. when we got out, we saw active fire under the car toward the back. the fire was put out almost immediately by a person who stopped to help us with a fire extinguisher. all of this took less than 5 minutes. the fire men who arrived at the scene within minutes opened up the hood and said there was no engine oil. the police was present at the scene. the car was purchased new 4 years ago and we've had no major problems for the last 55,000 miles. the engine oil was filled 5 days before that and the car ran fine for the 450 mile trip right up to that point. the low engine oil warning light did not come on until after the vehicle came to a stop. aaa adjuster suspected an engine problem and his theory was that engine shaft broke and punctured the oil pan from inside but no forensic inspection was carried out by the insurance company. the car was towed to a mazda dealer shop for inspection at our request but the dealership refused to offer a conclusive explanation or carry out a forensic inspection. the car is currently parked there and it has not been fixed (and the old parts are still in the car). both the insurance company and the mazda are refusing to pay for the engine repair and we're considering our options. we have filed a claim to mazda to no avail. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the air bag light illuminated consistently and flashed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined upon investigation that the air bag and seatbelts were affected and needed to be replaced because the air bag would not deploy in the event of a collision.

Traveling on july 3, 2006 on a return trip to vermont with 3 grandchildren . i was going approximately 55/60 mph on an upgrade and attempted to pass in the passing lane, my car would not engage into passing gear, the rpm revved up and the motor was racing , there was no more power the car could offer me. i pulled back in the right lane and was approaching a flat stretch, the car seemed okay. later on at a traffic light, again on an slight upgrade the car would not shift out of 1st gear, again the motor was racing, once again as i got on a flat stretch the car seemed okay, i could smell a burning odor and passed it off that the car ahead of me was causing it. a few times on this trip i felt the car was in a wrong gear. it didn't feel right. i was able to get the vehicle into the dealership where i purchased it on july 5th, they tested the car and said the transmission was gone and needed to be replaced. they advised me it was not safe to drive my car back home. my warranty was 36 months or 50,000 miles, i never pulled anything with the car and took very good care of it. i was quite upset with this news and as a "good will gesture" mazda offered to pay for half of the transmission, still leaving me with a balance of $2,100.00,. when i further complained at a number i called in california, they apologized for my problem and offered to pay for my rental car until repairs were completed. i am baffled i have such a serious problem with this vehicle with this low mileage. i would better understand it if the car had a 139,000 miles, i am retired and find this expense a hardship. my wife and i now feel we were fortunate to safely return our 3 grandchildren back home. i also want to mention that i found a recall for a transmission problem for 2002 mazda tribute, nhtsa campaign id #04v175000, i'm not sure if this affected my car and if so, i never received any notice. i appreciate any assistance you may have to offer. thank you. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at any speed and under normal braking conditions, the brakes pulsated and the vehicle pulled to the left. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who determined both front brakes rotors were warped due to excessive ware and needed to be replaced again. the brake rotors were replaced at 17,000 miles. the manufacturer has been alerted. the consumer stated it was the second set of rotor that were repalced. updated 06/20/06. *jb

I have a 2002 mazda tribute an in august 2005 the air bag light began to blink and then remained on. after a few days of trying to diagnose the issue the problem was identified, the seat belt pre-tensioner needed to be replaced. since the part had to be shipped via ground service due to (explosive) materials contained in the part i was told i could pick up my car. i was also told by the dealership that i should not worry about the air bag deploying on its own but that if i were to get in an accident that it may not deploy. after having my car for 10 days the problem was resolved and i got my car back. fast forward to may 2006, my air bag light came on again. another issue with the airbag but this time on the passenger side. i am very concerned that i have been told flat out that my air bag may not work if i were to get in an accident. what is even more concerning is that this is apparently not the first issue like this and ford escape cars in the same make year have had the same issues. *nm

The rotors and brakes failed again for the 2nd time with only 75k miles on the vehicle. the dealer is going to replace the rotors using a dsa credit, i am going to have to pay for the brakes. dealer said mazda is aware that braking system is undersized for vehicle, but mazda would rather replace rotors using a dsa credit than do a full scale redesign and recall. *nm

Make : mazda model : tribute year : 2002 manufacturer : mazda north american operations nhtsa campaign id number : 04v605000 recall date : dec 22, 2004 component: latches/locks/linkages:hatchback/liftgate:lock potential number of units affected : 49800 i contacted mazda about the recall stated above. my rear latch does not lock with the keyless remote as well as when i start the car. all other locks are functioning properly. mazda searched in their database using my vin number and replied with my vehicle not having the recall. my complaint is the rear latch of my vehicle is not functioning properly with a consequence if the liftgate is left unlocked, there is the potential that it may open during a crash. if my vehicle has all the symptoms described and potential dangers, mazda should replace defect. please contact me with your advice. *jb

After 3 yrs and 30k miles the transmission would vibrate(torque converter) when shifting to overdrive. dealership : tranny fluid oxidized and should change since 30k though manual stated change every 30k under extreme driving conditions, and 3 yrs 30k doesn't qualify. so far so good at 40k but mazda forums show many of the same complaints. *nm

My mechanic found these problems for me when i took the vehicle in for oil change, so fortunately, there was no accident. here is a description of the problems as described to me: 1) failure of master brake cylinder. it was spewing brake fluid. this would have led to full failure of the brake system. both the master cylinder and right front half-shaft were replaced. 2) right front knuckle holding wheel to axle was unsafe. there was a fracture of the metal holding the pinch bolt that is used to fasten the wheel to the lower ball joint. a rupture of this fracture would have caused the wheel to break away from the ball joint. my mechanic felt like this was most likely caused by the factory tightening the pinch bolt too much when assembled. the knuckle was replaced. it was also mentioned to me that a similar master brake cylinder problem was reported on a ford escape which is essentially the same vehicle as my mazda tribute.*jb

Air bag sensor light keeps staying on. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds the abs activates intermittently while the brakes are applied. the activation extends the stopping distance of the vehicle. upon inspection the dealership determined the gear ring on the front passenger side axel is broken. the broken gear ring causes the abs sensor to obtain an improper reading. the axel is going to be replaced.

At 50,089 miles, my transmission failed; more specifically, the torque converter malfunctioned resulting in total transmission failure. i have had numerous problems with this vehicle -- i had to replace rotors within the first year of ownership, and may have to do so again at 52,000 miles. the vehicle has trouble starting, the brakes aren't very responsive, and i've had to replace the ignition switch with an unattractive and impractical replacement, because the dealership reported that the type that came with my vehicle wasn't available. the rear window has leaked. needless to say, the warranty expired just before my transmission failed. *jb

Dt: the contact state the gear shift position indicator stuck in reverse. this problem occurred without any prior warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealership. the dealer stated the automatic transmission will had to be replaced. *ak

Noise from front end thought to be from brakes occurred intermittently since 2003. eventually became worse during summer of 2005. finally diagnosed as right front drive axle - either bent or misaligned. when finally found vehicle was 'out or warranty. *jb

Egr valve blew out, replaced, replacement valve blew out within 24 hours of repair and within 30 total minutes of vehicle operation from repair. *nm

Dt: the consumer said that the vehicle stalled while being driven at 25 mph. the vehicle would not start after that. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. the dealer replaced the alternator and it still would not start. a mechanic told the consumer that the problem was electrical . the dealer said that the problem was electrical. the manufacturer said that the dealer would be responsible for replacing the alternator. the consumer said that she had to pay for the replacement. the dealer had the vehicle for a week. *ak (12/01/05) the vehicle would make a noise when being driven up to 40 mph and a loud hissing noise would become noticeable when applying the brakes. *sc

There is a persistent problem with the airbag system in my mazda, tribute car. the first time it occurred at 23854 miles. the mazda dealer looked into it and stated on its report "checked and found wire harness going to seat belt pretensions buckle broken-wire yellow and red stripe located at h15". the problem was rectified at the time. however, the car now reached 38,000 miles and the airbag indicator light went on again. my car is out of manufacturer's warranty now and the dealer refuses to fix the problem. i believe, that this problem is a manufacturer's defect and must be fixed at the expense of the manufacturer. especially, when the same problem recurred during the warranty coverage. as you aware, a malfunction of airbag system can lead to serious injuries or death in case of a collision. as per my local former mazda dealer, mazda knows about existence of this airbag issue. however, the problem has been ignored and no recalls have been indicated to correct the problem. *jb

1). three recalls on my vehicle: 1st - power train control module re-calibration recall 1904d. 2nd - b4000 dpfe sensor warranty extension program special service program (ssp) 59. 3rd - accelerator cable recall 2704l. completed all recalls; last on 3/2/05. 2). 2/2005 i started experiencing intermittent problems with my vehicle: - the car stops running usually when slowing down for a stop sign or red light. the car has stopped in the middle of traffic, in the height of rush hour. the car stopped exiting a post office backing up traffic causing motorist to seek another exit. have had various other stops but have been lucky not to cause any accidents. - the car will not start; usually upon short trips. after waiting 3 - 5 minutes have been able to start the vehicle. have encountered this numerous times. i limit driving at night due to the unpredictability and lack of confidence in my vehicle. 3) i have had my car service at oakland mazda (510)893-7282 (3/2/05-recall, 4/9/05, 4/19/05, 5/11/05, & 6/20/05) and have discussed the problem with the serv advisor, ken miller & service manager. the dealership informed me they thoroughly checked-out my car each time they serviced it. they have repeated the recall which mostly describes my symptoms (re-calibration recall 1904d) at least twice. they also contacted the mazda headquarters service center for documentation on how to check out my vehicle. i also contacted the mazda customer assistance center at (800)222-5500 in may of 2005, they told me that if necessary they could dispatch a service technician to fly in and repair my vehicle; they also sent a report to the oakland district mgr. i contacted the mazda cust assist center again on 7/14/05 , they told me that they would not be able to help me further with my car problem. 7/15- i contacted the dealership in fremont (where i bought the car) explained my problems and asked if they would consider taking a look at my car but the serv mgr never called me back. *jb

Consumer states she received a recall letter notice in the mail in 1-05 regarding the accelerator cable. there was no recall # available. she took it in to a dealer and they either replaced/or repaired the cable, she was not sure. she has noticed an extreme change in the accelerator pedal since then. the gas pedal seems to be too lose; she says there seems to be no tension in the pedal. she took it back to the dealer and he told her that was normal; that there was a different cable in the car and that was what she was feeling. she does not agree. she has not yet reported this to the manufacturer. she wants the dealer to replace the cable they say they replaced. *jb

2002 mazdatribute manual driver door handle ceased to work. only way to open driver door from inside was to open power window and pull outside handle. dealer said they'd had several like this. if a systemic problem, poses safety hazard. in event of emergency, if car is not running, windows cannot be opened. driver could be trapped and unable to exit vehicle.

Consumer suggestion for safety for all vehicles.*mr the consumer suggested the brake lights should be connected to the side of both fenders. *jb

Dt: contact states the motor mount needs to be replaced. in addition,, having problems with the sway bar on the driver's side. also, the front lower control arm bushing needs to be replaced.*ak

Dt: vehicle shuts off completely during movement. it also speeds up without the accelerator pedal being depressed. also, transmission does not change gears.*ak

While backing out driver heard a clanking noise coming from the front of the vehicle. the vehicle was unable to be moved, and the driver had the vehicle towed to the dealer. mechanic determined that transmission needed to be replaced. *ak consumer's vehicle failed to accelerate smoothly, do to delayed shifting. gas mileage have been off for several weeks and is making the vehicle sluggish.*sb

After starting the vehicle air bag warning light illuminated while the vehicle was being operated. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.*ak *nm

Contact states: the accelerator is sticking. received a recall letter, and took the letter to the dealer, who did not fix the problem. accelerator sticks mainly in the winter...when taking foot off the pedal for a few seconds and trying to hit the accelerator again vehicle speeds up and it jumps. *ak *jb

Purchased new in 2002-with 85000 highway miles-transmission failed- while driving on i-84 in connecticut-vehichle went into the passing gear on its own then stopped -my husband was able to coast off to the shoulder of the road. it was our luck he was past the construction zone and he was going down hill. there was no prior notice that the transmission would fail.*ak

Turning the wheel, particularly, the driver's side, results in a squealing noise. the dealer said it was the left rack and pinion and that it is not a safety issue. he also stated that "it may work itself out" or you can have it repaired for $810. several days later i receive this "special service reminder" requring my immediate attention and saying that the "following repair and/or service needs to be performed on your vehicle." a couple of weeks prior to the incident, the dealer had performed a recall to replace the cruise cable.*ak

I had several emmision repairs done within 60 highway miles on my mazda tribute 2002. now have a complete transmission failure needa new transmission. and only have 65 000highway milage. nworsw vechile i had my vechile keep loosing power and jump into over drive suddenly onthe freeway i had to put my flassher and exited. 3 days ago

Airbag light- the "trib" has been to 2 dealers 3 times for the airbag light; it will go in for the 4th time to once again get "band-aided". each time their answer was to shove the passenger side wire back under the seat. i've been told it is due to me storing things under the seat, which i am not, that is making the wire come down. i assume what is happening is that either the force of someone sitting down in the front passenger seat, or if a passenger in the back seat kicks the front passenger seat, while getting in or sitting, it will eventually make the wire come off of the seat resulting in the airbag error. i am able to & have put the wire back up under the seat approx. 4 times myself, but why should i have to keep doing this? a week ago, i was cleaning the interior listening to a cd with the motor off. when i pulled down the front passenger window, the music started going on and off (losing power). if i rolled the window up it was fine, as soon as it was partially down, it intermittently lost power again. the trib ended up losing all power & unfortunately, i didn't have a battery tester to test the battery. i decided to put a battery charger on it, and after 10 minutes i tried to start it and it turned over. i wish i did have something to test the battery to see if it was the battery or a short. i have no clue if this is related to the airbag light, but it happened at the same time. i am guessing that there is perhaps an electrical short, since it really makes no sense to me why the airbag light would go off by the wire coming off of the seat to begin with. let me add that i love my trib, except for this annoying and possibly life threatening airbag problem.*ak

Nhtsa recall campaign 04v583000 concerning accelerator cable. owner received recall notification from the manufacturer, and was informed by the dealer that parts needed to make the repairs were unavailable. owner later contacted the manufacturer. *ak

Nhtsa recall campaign 04v175000; mazda issued an engine stalling recall. this vehicle was included in the recall, but engine would not startr aftere recall repairs. *ak

Approximately a week and a half after having the throttle cable serviced on a recall, was travel at 75 mph when the vehciles rpms started to revving at a high rpm, but no increase in speed. vehciles engine shut off and i managed to pull the side of the road. after having the wehcile towed to the dealer, i was told the entire engine needed to be replaced, they could not tell me what caused the problem, vehcile was 4 months out of warrenty, with 34,700 miles. mazda only helping with a small percentage of the repair bill of approx. $ 5,500.00. have had no luck in contacting anyone at mazda who can help. i'm convinced that the replaced throttle cable failed or become stuck, but the dealer claims that it had nothing to do with what happened. until this had no problems with vehicle. *ak

I've owned this vehicle for a little over 2 years and it has been to the dealer for repairs 7 times now. no one can seem to find the reason why the check engine light stays on, why the fuel consumption is so poor, why the vehicle shifts constantly and for no reason at all, or why the vehicle "shudders" when the engine is on. the check fuel cap light has come on twice and the same part replaced twice. the canister close valve and idle air control valve have both failed. i have spent money on a fuel induction service because it was recommended by the service dealer. i had the transmission flushed because of a technical service bulletin for the torque converter - a problem that had to be identified by aamco and told to mazda before they would try to fix the problem. i have called mazda customer service and got anything but customer service. my problems began long before the warranty had expired; however, mazda could care less about their lack of ability to fix ongoing problems. this vehicle is a life-safety hazard and needs to be recalled completely, not part by part. i will never buy a mazda again. this is my third and last. the tribute is by far the worst thing ever manufactured by mazda. they should be embarassed to have this model on the road!*ak

Headlights go out. *ak

2002 madza tribute with 68,000 needs a new transmission. just had a value job done on the engine approx. 4 months ago. madza warranty- including drive train - up at 50,000 miles. *jb

Nhtsa recall 04v583000 on the accelerator cable. approximately two years after having the accelerator cable replaced the problem recurred. while driving 2 mph, the vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. the driver applied the brake pedal and the vehicle continued to accelerate. the driver was not able to maintain control of the vehicle and collided into a light pole. this caused the driver to sustain minor injuries and was taken to the hospital. the vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection. *jb the battery was inoperative due to a broken cable and a frayed main belt had come off and the steering was impaired. *sc *jb

Intermittently while driving there was a screeching noise that sounded as if the ignition was re-engaging itself. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership. the failure occurred in their presence: also in acc mode, the vehicle started by itself. the dealership kept the vehicle for a week, performed diagnostic test, but no failure code was found they were unable to identify the cause of the failure. a week later the noise recurred but worse. the following day the starter burned out while attempting to the start vehicle. the vehicle was towed back to the dealership. the starter was replaced, but the vehicle is still at the dealership, because they indicated that the starter will burn out again unless they can find and fix the cause of the failure. a factory rep,. from the ca bureau of automotive repair is going to inspect the vehicle. *jb

We have a 2002 mazda tribute ls. while on vacation the passenger side door became permanently locked. the door would not unlock using the remote keyless entry or manual button. this presented a serious safety hazard in the event one would need to use the door to exit the car following a crash, and also created an incredible nuisance for the passenger. we took the car to the dealer and after destroying the side panel, replacing the entire lock mechanism and charging us nearly $600 we can open the door again. this is obviously a defective part, but mazda nor the dealership was willling to assist in the repair of a problem that was in no way due to our negligence or mis-use. the car is extremely well cared for and driven only by myself and wife (mature adults). subsequently, mazda issued a recall for the back hatch locking mechanism. we feel these locks are defective and that we should not have had to pay for the replacement of a defective part. at this point we have paid $600 and the door works again, but we are serioulsy considering getting rid of the vehicle as we don't trust that it won't happen again.*ak

Won't start - hard start - clicking noise, tarter replaced - still has hard starts. *ak

The air bag light continuously illuminated for no apparent reason. the consumer had the vehicle inspected twice, but the mechanic was unable to determine a cause. *jb

While backing out of a parking space the back bumper slightly bumped the light pole. when the consumer shifted the vehicle into drive it commenced to accelerate at high speed, lurched forward and ran into a center block wall. no injuries were reported. the insurance company totaled the vehicle, and they notified the dealer and the manufacturer.*ak

Brakes were shaking and making noise when being applied. there was excessive wear on the rotors when the vehicle was taken for inspection. dealer will repair at consumer's expense.*ak

I have owned my vehicle for a little more than two years, it currently has 45,000 miles on it. i have had to replace the brakes on it twice now, and this time when i went to do the brakes there was no wear on the shoes and no grooves in the drums on either side. these are the origonal shoes. i had this problem with the grand prix. i have tested the brakes with the drums off and it looks as though they would assist, but by the amount of wear present i would have to say that all of my breaking is coming from the front. i took pictures of the drums and the shoes and it is clear there is no wear. there wasn't even any dust.*ak

While driving, the srs light flashed on and remained on the dashboard. *jb

I own a 2002 mazda tribute. i am continually taking the vehicle to the dealership for the air bag light. the light stays on, then goes off for a day or so, then back on. i have visited the dealership on four occassions for this problem. the last time the vehicle was in for the air bag light, they said that there was a loose wire under the driver's seat. well, guess what? as soon as i drove it home from the dealership, the airbag light came on again. i have noticed several complaints on the same problem. i am concerned that if or when i need the airbag, it won't work. please check into a recall on this problem.*ak

While driving at 30 mph consumer's vehicle was involved in a front end collision. upon impact, neither the air bags did deployed, no warning light appeared prior to the crash. *ak

6 months after i purchased the vehicle, the coolant light came on. after that, the check engine light kept coming on and needless to say, the biggest problem i've had has been the airbag light. this vehicle has been to the service dept. for the airbag light being on @ 7 times w/in the last year. sometimes the airbag light comes on and off by itself w/out me having to take it to the dealer. this is an ongoing problem.*ak

Rim failed on front driver's side tire.*mr while driving the rim failed on the driver's side front of the vehicle which caused a sudden and total loss of air from the tire. the driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle after the failure. upon inspection the driver noticed a one inch wide by 3 inch long crack along the inside of the rim. the rim was taken tot he dealer to request a warranty repair. after the rim was inspected they concluded that the consumer probably hit something to cause the damage. at that point the consumer was told that the dealer wasn't going to honor the warranty. the vehicle was taken to another facility to be inspected. they determined the rim was indeed the cause of the failure. based on the independent evaluation the consumer request that mazda honor the warranty. *nm

I was driving up 101 north at 45-50 mph when the driver's front tire blew out. i immediately firmed my grip on the steering wheel, and braked in a safe manner, but then the car started violently shaking, and veering towards the left to the point where i could not control it, even though the car had slowed to around 20 mph. i grazed the center median, scratching the side of the car, then was able to regain control. i then had to pull over on the freeway going about 5 mph. i then got out of the car, called aaa, and looked at the damage. to my amazement, three of the five spokes on the rim had cracked severely, and the wheel was wobbling badly. a chp officer stopped at the scene, and was likewise amazed at the broken wheel. he checked the road for debris, but found none, confirming that the tire had blown on its own. the tow truck driver then arrived, and helped put the spare on, which also wobbled and was unsafe to drive on. it turns out that some suspension components had broken along with the wheel. he later towed the car to mazda of marin, where they blamed us for the damage. the bottom line is that wheels don't just break from blououts, and that wheels like this pose a threat to motorists.*ak

The axle separated and fell off vehicle while driving. this resulted in the consumer losing steering control of the vehicle and crashing into the side of the bridge. *ak

The air bag light goes off in the car. the service department at the dealership informed me that meant the air bag does not work. i have had it repaired 5 times and it continues to go on. *la

Continental tires, model contitrac suv. size p235/70r16. both front tires showed signs of excessive wear. vehicle had very low mileage. consumer reported to the manufacturer and dealership, but did receive a satisfactory response from them.*ak

2002 mazda tribute power control module re-calibration.*mr . the consumer received a recall notice on may 7 regarding the powertrain control module re-calibration. four days after the notice was received the consumer's vehicle shut down while driving 60 mph. the consumer had made an appointment for may 13 but unfortunately that was too late. *nm

Front disc brakes - allegedly worn out at 22,000 miles and now at 34,000 miles. 2 different dealers have looked at problem and declined to make a warranty claim. now being told by 2nd dealer that rotors are "throw away" and need to be replaced along with disc pads. i've never had to replace brakes on any car with less that 60,000 miles. *la

When the brake pedal was applied, it went to the floor. the consumer pressed down on the brake pedal hard in order to stop and a squeaking nose was heard coming from the rear. the consumer was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and the mechanic determined that both front rotors needed to be replaced due to corrosion. *ak on 02/04/03 the brakes, rotors and pads had to be replaced 11 months after purchase, 03/10/04 the rotors and pads had to be repaired a year later, 05/27/04 brake squealing 2 months after repair the front rotors were replaced and pads sanded, 06/13/04. *sc *jb

Within months of buying the suv we had it back to crystal auto mall, green brook, nj the problem...the steering wheel came loose, it would shift around as you drove down the road! this was a quick repair. starting on sept 18,2002 we took it in to the dealer for the oil pressure light coming on, they replaced the oil sender unit, total $69.52, which was covered by warranty. on oct 14 back for the same problem, they kept it until oct 17, replacing all kinds of parts, oil pump, oil gasket for a total of $924.65, again covered by warranty. my husband was driving it home from this round of repairs and the same problem lit itself up again! he was almost home appox.30 miles from the dealer, he called on his cell phone said he was coming right back, this time they had it from oct 18 to oct 31, 2002. what a surprise when i heard they replaced the entire motor for a total of $4,511.17, again under warranty. strange thing was that they would not extend the warranty on the new motor beyond the original guarantee for the truck. now you tell me is this right? that's not the end of it, on june 21, 2003, we brought it in for a noise coming from the front end they kept it over the weekend until june 23 and told us it needs breaks and rotors and wheel alignment which of course is not under warranty!!! only 24000 miles on this suv and nothing but headaches

I own a 2002 mazda tribute and upon taking my vehicle in for the state safety inspection it was noted that my brakes and rotors would not pass. i then brought the vehicle to mazda for inspection and they agreed that the brake pads were wor, yet not completely gone, but more seriously the rotors needed to be replaced. our service rep stated that he has seen this problem on many tributes, yet mazda has not authorized them to repair the problem under warranty. in all my years of car ownership and with everyone i have talked to, rotors should not have to be replaced on a two year old car.*ak

When driving at an undetermined speed vehicle stalled. this caused consumer to drift to the side of the road. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealership on three separate occasions. however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem. *ak

The vehicle shutdown suddenly while driving 50 mph. there was no warning and no indicator lights illuminated to indicate a problem. as a result the vehicle had no power steering or no brakes. the driver had to use both feet to apply the brakes so that the vehicle would come to a stop. *ak

Our 2002 mazda tribute is currently going through a period of stalling, where total power is lost in the vehicle and the vehicle shuts off. six months into owning the car, my wife took it in for a chip upgrade and this was supposed to solve the problem. well, a month ago, it happened again. my wife had the vehicle scanned and it came up with nothing. again, this morning, the vehicle stalled. it is unacceptable that a two year old car should have these problems, and no one can solve it! i am frustrated, and could use some guidance on where to go with my problem. my wife drives it daily for work, and i fear that it will kill out when she is doing 65 on the interstate. help please. *jb

While driving 60 mph vehicle stalled. consumer managed to pull over and restart the vehicle. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

2002 mazda tribute lx 4wd suv, 3.0 l engine: my wife's car stalls for no apparent reason periodically while in drive. returned vehicle to local mazda dealer service shop twice over past two months, and am told that car checks out and is fine. latest incident happened yesterday.*ak

While driving at 25 mph the vehicle stalled with no warning which caused the lost of the power steering and braking. rolled off side of the road. passengers shaken but not injured. vehicle was able to be restarted. dealer notified. *jb

Vehicle cuts off at low speed (<35) mph, no engine light. also vehicle hesitates when accelerator pushed.*ak

While driving @ 50 mph on interstate @ rush hour traffic my madza tribute 2002 stalled without warning! caused loss of steering and brakes. put on emergency flashers and was able to restart engine not before vehicles behind me were hitting brakes and trying to avoid hitting me. one vehicle had to go into median to avoid hitting me. taken to dealer and he placed what was stated in tech bulletin 01-04-02r, but can't assure me this will resolve problem. why has not this problem been a recall!!! according to this website this seems to be a major and dangerous problem with the tributes. i have only 26,000 miles on tribute but after reading all the complaints my husband has suggested we trade it in. we have enjoyed our previously mazda's (3) but my next vehicle will not be a mazda due to the fact mazda seems to be indifferent to this defect and recalling all vehicles involved. will take numerous deaths and lawsuits before mazda fixes this problem?*ak

Rear bumper bracket broke through the bumper on minor impact less than 3 mph. i have seen many other mazda tributes with the same exact problem in the rear bumper. * cb

I have a mazda tribute which i bought brand new from mazda and i just had to put new plates on, so it is exactly 1 year old in driving time. my problem is that at 16,000 miles the service department told me that i would soon need new brakes and rotors i thought that was strange as i have owned a number of new cars and never had to replace my rotors and never needed brakes on any car this early. now at 20,000 miles they are saying they have to be replaced and my husband looked and said the rotors are all worn but that my brakes hardly look worn at all. mazda dealership says this is a common situation with this particular car. my husband and i would like to report this because if a person were to be driving this make and model and not be taking it in regularly for the warrenty checks the rotors could go out and cause major problems.*ak

Vehicle has suddenly stalled in traffic several times. was travelling at approx 35-45mph. this happened twice. veh was taken to dealer, who re-programmed the computer. several months have passed without incident, problem has occurred again. very concerned that when engine stalls, i lose power steering and may not be able to turn off the road before being struck from the rear. each time this has occurred i have been able to pull into the median or a side street. but i wonder what will happen if i am in the middle lane???*ak

Engine stalls while driving at various speeds. loss of steering and braking. very serious and scary situation. *la

Mazda tribute 2002, had lower engine replaced after 4000 as it totally died on the highway. 20 months later i am having the engine replaced, this time it is out of warranty. the cams weren't getting an oil for some reason and they are shot, the lifters were also broken and the head is warped. service rep said the engine is in good shape and can see that there is little wear on the engine.*ak

While driving approximately 35 mph, the engine stopped without warning causing a suddent loss of power steering. i pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the engine. this is the second time this has happened.

The vehicle stalled while decelerating. dealer informed. the dealer reflashed pcm and replaced the following components: air control valve, throttle body and engine sensor. *jb

The consumer stated the rims cracked, which caused the tires to lose air. *jb

We have a 2002 mazda tribute es 2wd. on several occasions, the vehicle has stalled at slow speeds (so far). the stalling has occurred when shifting from park to reverse, reverse to drive, and it also happened when we drove over a speed bump. the mazda dealership has made three unsuccessful attempts to fix the problem so far. the vehicle is at the dealer at the moment for the fourth attempt. if this is unsuccessful, we are going to pursue a refund under the north carolina lemon law.*ak

While driving the vehicle at any speed and without any prior warning vehicle will stall. consumer made contact with the dealer on four separate occasions, but problem still occurs.*ak

While driving approximately 35-40 mph the engine stalled, the panel lights to include the check engine light came on and i had difficulty braking and steering my vehicle. after much difficulty i was able to stop the vehicle off the road. i then was unable to turn the vehicle off in order to restart it again. i called the dealer and sent mazda an email and both organizations said they were not aware of anyone else having this problem and if i took it in the dealer might be able to find out what happened but there is no guarantee. this is the 2nd time this has happened. i am afraid to drive the vehicle because it happens without notice and i am afraid of someone hitting me from behind when it stalls.

Consumer states that while driving at any speed and with no warning , the vehicle shut off, which caused the consumer to pull over. it was hard to hard to get the vehicle started again. dealer notified. *ak when the engine stalled, the vehicle lost power steering and brakes. the consumer used the hand brake along with both feet on the pedal to stop the vehicle. the second incident occurred during city driving. *scc *jb

While driving at any speed and with no warning the vehicle stalled and caused the consumer to pull off the road. the dealer inspected the vehicle and was unable to duplicate the problem. *ak *scc *jb

Vehicle experienced sudden acceleration while driving at the parking lot, and vehicle collided with a brick wall, smashing the front. dealer notified. *ak

While traveling about 10 mph and without prior warning rear tire tread separated from vehicle. contininental tires, p23570r16. *ak

Then engine on my 2002 mazda tribute died while i was driving downhill at 35 mph. my steering wheel locked and braking was difficult. *ph

While driving down the grape vine on i-5 my husband herd an engine noise. we pulled over and my husband checked under the hood. it appeared to be a noise coming from the fan belt. he shut off the engine and checked the oil and it was fine. we tried to make it to our destination of monrovia,ca. the engine noise got louder so we had to stop at the nearest exit and luckily there was a gas station at the corner. my husband checked under the hood again and this time he thought it might be coming from the engine. he rechecked the oil and it was fine. we called mazda and they towed the vehicle at the nearest mazda dealership. the following day, a person from mazda called my husband and said we had engine problems. mazda wanted oil change receipts from us. we told them that we are not from the area and we were on vacation and have to go back home and look for receipts. the person from mazda stated that the car was not maintained therefore, mazda will not cover the warranty. he also said that the engine was a quart low on oil and the oil was black. my husband checked the oil at a gas station before we went up the grape vine. he checked it again twice when we pulled over each time and it was fine and the color of the oil was brown not black. we bought the car new and changed the oil every 5000 miles. the car has about 35,700 miles and the engine should not break down like that. we had no type of warning and the engine oil light should go on if the oil was low and it did not go on because the oil was not low. when we returned home from our vacation, i faxed the receipts to mazda and mazda declined the repairs. the car has been to the dealership before and mazda claims that it was electrical problems. after this repair, the alarm would sound while driving. it has stalled on my husband while going down a hill at about 35 mph but luckily, he was able to put it in neutral and restart the car and stop the vehicle. what can we do because we feel we have a lemon.

2002 mazda tribute v6 engine stalls while driving, can't control steering or brakes. this happened a few times 9 months ago, brought it to the dealership, they said the problem had been corrected by "reflashing the computer". now it has happened again. although there have been no injuries so far, this could cause a very serious accident.

Since i purchased the auto in april 2002, there has been a burning smell coming from the engine. every time i took the auto in for an oil change (every 3000 miles) i asked them to take a look at the engine because of the smell and every time they said they couldn't find anything except excess oil on the engine. if it is a brand new auto why is there oil on the engine?? no answer from the service dept. finally after a year of complaining they actually looked at the engine and found a cracked block. the service dept said it must of happened when the engine was factory installed. i was told it was still ok to drive. they would get back to me when the "part" was in. also they didn't believe me that something was wrong with the brakes. once again everytime i took it in for an oil change i told them the brakes didn't feel right. i would have to pump the brakes to stop sometimes and other times sitting a light they would depress to the floor. surprising nothing was found until the service dept actually drive the auto around (for the above problem) did they discover that i needed a new master cylinder!!! this is unbelievable, i have had both problems since the auto was purchased. luckily it never stalled on me. what the heck it up with this model year??? *ak

We recently had a second harrowing experience in our 2002 mazda tribute es-v6. we were so taken aback by the audacity of mazda having knowledge of the stalling issue in the tribute and not taking into their best interest to recall the vehicle that we traded the vehicle in for a different make. in forward motion, at approximately 35mph+, the vehicle stalled. in the process of stalling, all power to the power assisted steering and brakes were lost. my wife had extreme difficulty in stopping the vehicle. it happens at such a range of speed (~40mph) that restarting the car is not an immediate option. the problem is intermittent, yes, and mazda claims to have adjusted their flash bios to adjust for the fault. they also state that the 2003 does not have this reported stalling while in forward motion issue. thats fine, but what about the 1000's of people out on the road that have not received a recall notice of any sort for this vehicles problem with stalling. i even talked to the dealer i bought my mpv from, and he stated that a tribute 2002 had stalled for him while in forward motion while showing it to a prospective new owner! i find it appalling that a company knows about a fault of this nature and has not for the best interest of those that have bought their vehicle, and those that drive on the highways alongside said vehicle have not recalled and fixed the architecture of the equipment involved : not just a flash bios update, that in reading many many cases online in tribute/escpae message boards did not fully fix the fault.something must be done about this make/model/year vehicle before people start submitting these complaints with injury listings.*ak

While driving dash light suddenly illuminated, and vehicle engine died. consumer almost had an accident. *ak

Wife's vehicle stalled without warning on busy highway. was taken directly to dealer where another customer had the same problem. dealer informed us that this is a known problem and that they know how to fix it. this vehicle is a safety hazard and should be recalled.*ak

Vehicle stalled intermittently while driving. *ak the vehicle was restarted after it shut down abruptly. *scc *jb

2002 mazda tribute 4x4 loss of brakes loss of steering had to stop by way of e-brake luckily no one was hurt notified from the dealer that there is a problem with the eprom on the main computer that needed to be reflashed. also notified by dealer that they knew of this problem. i was never informed of this. this could have been a deadly accident that could be avoided by informing consumers to have repair done on vehicle. do we have to wait for people to die before anything is done???????? *jb

When slowing down or proceeding to a stop, the car completely shut down in middle of the road while the engine is still running. the brakes will freeze up and the only way to stop the car is to pull up on the hand brake. the car will restart. this has always happened in traffic and is a very dangerous situation. brought the car into the dealership the first time on may 3, 2003. dealer said that they replaced the idle control valve. two weeks later, the same problem arised where the car completely died in traffic. brought it back to the dealer on june 3, 2003, they said there was improper operation and reprogrammed the pcm. the car died down again a week later while driving slowing down in traffic on the freeway. again brought it back to the dealer for the third time june 19, 2003. left the car overnight and had the technician drive the car 100+ miles home, but they could not duplicate the problem and sent the car home. car died again in traffic. brought the car back to the dealership the fourth time on july 1, 2003, and once again dealer was unable to duplicate the car. advised me to keep driving the car until they problem worsened. this is a very dangerous situation as the car is in motion at all times when it has died and in traffic. a potentional dangerous and fatal situation that needs to be addressed immediately! the car was purchased in june 2002, and since then it has had a master cylinder leak, air bag circuit failure, as well as fuel system electrical wiring problems. mazda needs to be aware of the potential risk factors involved in its tribute models and recall the cars.*ak

Engine stalls while driving with no warning. we have taken the car into the dealer twice before for the same thing, each time they said it was fixed. *ak

Since i purchase my mazda tribute in april 2002, i have complained to dealer about sqeeky brakes. my brake light ofter does not go off. they said it was a bad brake cylinder cap and replaced it. my brakes still grind and again my brake light is staying on. they added fluid and it went off. they are saying that i'm probably getting ready for new front brakes. i came onto this site today to see if there are any other problems in this area. what i read astounded me. my car has never stalled. i cannot believe the reports abouts stalling and lack of control and that your organization as well as mazda is not doing anything about it. i am now afraid to drive my car. does someone have to die before you people say oops!!!!!!!!!*ak

While driving, the check engine light illuminated on the dash board. *jb. the dealer replaced a faulty coil, spark plug, and upper intake manifold gaskets. ph *jb

While driving, the air bag light illuminated on the dash board. *jb ph *jb

The vehicles brake pedal went to the floor. the consumer had to pump the brake and use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. *nlm

2002 mazda tribute v6 stalling while driving. *nlm

The vehicle caught on fire while parked. *jb

Consumer called complaining about having problems with the engine. vehicle completely stopped on the highway while driving at 35 mph. dealer was contacted, and stated that vehicle was tested and some wiring had to be replaced. also stated that she was having problems with the brake rotors. while driving she heard a real loud noise metal to metal noise, and when she took the vehicle to the shop the rotors were completely woren out. dealer had no explanation as why it happened.*ak *cb

Engine stopped while driving about 35 mph. this is the second time. loss of all power steering and power brakes. took car into the dealer and supplied the dealer with 34 pages of identical nhtsa complaints filed by other owners of 2002 mazda tributes. *nlm

My 2002 mazda tribute seems to have an inordinate amount of brake dust. we were told that this was normal on the tribute by the dealer. however, we have to clean the front wheels constantly because they are black with heavy dust within one week of washing. we have noticed other new vehicles do not appear to get as much brake dust in a short time period. we are wondering if large amounts of brake dust is a normal occurrence or if there is a defect in the braking system. *nlm

On four different times the vehicles power steering leaked fluid from engine which caused loss of control. the dealer has repaired the vehicle four times but now the vehicle is on it's fifth. *nlm *ts

The vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, and none of the air bags deployed. *jb

Both fog light lenses have shattered for no apparent reason while highway driving. mazda tribute is 8 months old. taken to dealer for repair after first one broke, and shop man said they have replaced about six of them. the lenses are glass, and obviously very fragile glass at that. was told that warranty would not cover as it is due to road hazard. shop man also said at the time, that it would cost about $190. to repair, and i might want to hold off until there are some after market products available that would be less expensive. since that time, the second lens shattered, also during highway driving. i have notified mazda usa, and let them know i am disappointed in the less than adequate quality of the lenses. *jb

While driving 40 mph the vehicle stalled which made it difficult for the consumer to control the vehicle. *nlm

Driver of vehicle 1 ran red light at an approximate speed of 40-45 mph and hit passenger door of vehicle 2 causing severe damage to passenger side of vehicle 2 and totally front end of vehicle 1. we own vehicle 2. it is a mazda tribute 4 door sports utility vehicle with dual front air bags and option air bag 2 which is front-side air bags. we have digital pictures of vehicle 2 that we can send you. our concern is that given the violence and location of the impact to the passenger door, why did the passenger side airbag fail to activate?

Throttle sticks when accelerating from complete stop due to build-up on throttle plate. owner has provided maintenance and fuel as specified in manual, yet was told mazda does not cover under warranty. problem appeared with less than 15000 miles. cleaning (at owner cost) provides only short-term remedy. *nlm

On march 5 i was driving down a slight hill at approximately 40 mph when the engine stalled with no warning. i lost use of my power steering and had very little time to steer my car onto the shoulder of the road to avoid being rear-ended. *jb

The exhaust system emitted bad fumes.*jb

While driving downhill at about 30 mph, the engine stalled without warning. power steering froze. i was able to stop and restart the engine. i took it to a dealer, where some kind of computer was reprogrammed, but i was also told that mazda has no fix for this problem, only a checklist of things that they try. this is an extremely dangerous defect, and i can't believe there is not some kind of immediate recall on this problem. someone is going to get hurt! short of a fire, major structural failure, or tire blowout, i can't think of anything more dangerous, or i should say equally dangerous, than to be suddenly left without any power or ability to steer. with traffic, highway speeds, or curve roads (which a bound mountains home state), this is a disaster waiting to happen. *ts *jb ***dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12-12-02 cut over to artemis***761982

My 2002 mazda tribute stalled on me today while drive 40 mph. i have 14,890 miles and just had mazda perform my 15000 mile service this past weekend. this is my second incident of this complaint. i filed an earlier complaint from a 09/30/2002 incident with an odi # 767970. at that time mazda performed service bulletin 01-014/2r. *jb

The engine stalled without warning. *jb

On 7/31/02 my tribute died while going down hill to a 4 way stop. at first i wasn't sure what to do, then i put my vehicle in park and tried to restart it. this was successful and i drove immediately to the dealer. i was given a rental for 2 days and when i went to pick it up was told that it could have been spider webs or something in the computer system area, so they cleaned out the vapor vent tubes. i was very nervous to be driving a car that could die in the middle of the road, i was just glad there was no accident. i thought that the problem was resolved until 4/01/03 when tribute died while driving again. this time i was going uphill to a 4 way stop and was able to steer into a driving using all my force b/c the steering once again went out. both times there was no warning, the dash lights were all on after it stalled. once again i restarted my vehicle and drove immediately to the dealership where they reflashed pcm to latest calibrations, replaced the dpfe sensor, the mass air flow sensor and the idle air control valve. i am wondering if someone has to die before mazda or the government will call a recall. if this is the case, both should be very ashamed for their lack of concern about the consumers.

I have a 2002 mazda tribute and the car stalls for no reason while driving at about 40 m.p.h. engine just quits and lose power steering. have to pull over and restart car. this is a very dangerous situation. i have been lucky the 5 times this has happened. dealer has been unable to fix. *jb

The vehicle stalled on several occasions.*jb

While driving on freeway @ 65 mph tensioner broke off and serpentine belt to come off causing loss of stearing and power system down. on jan.9,2003 water pump broke,jan. 29,2003 gear stuck between reverse and neutral.

2002 mazda tribute shuts off automatically while driving. locking the steering wheel and giving you no control of the vehicle. it has been in for repair several times. i am working on a lemon law package now. major safety issue. this has happened over 10 times in 10 months of leasing this vehicle .

The brakes failed on 11/22/02 at 16,714 miles. the dealership changed the master cylinder as defected. on 1/03/03 at 19,632 miles the brakes failed again. again the dealer changed the master cylinder as defective. i questioned whether this was the cause since it happened twice and didn't feel this was the root cause. on 1/10/03 at 20,634 miles the brakes failed again. in all three cases the brake pedal goes to the floor and will not stop the vehicle. the daelership now says its an abs problem. the emergency brake does not stop the vehicle either.

Tire jack will not raise vehicle high enough so that rear wheel can be removed

This is the second time vehicle has stalled. it was almost impossible to get pulled over because lack of power assistance! was travelling along a flat road at about 40 mph when it stalled. took nearly 10 minutes for it to start again. i have taken it to the dealer the first time it stalled and they replaced the throttle body and a few sensors related to air intake. i will be taking it in again on monday for this stall. i have not seen a solid fix for this yet and cannot believe how slow the nhtsa is taking to investigate this dangerous problem! it is strike two on ford motor company one more and i am taking them to court!

Consumer notice while traveling 40-45 mph driver side out side mirror start vibrating . dealer has been contacted. please provide further information. ts

Consumer states that while driving at any speed and no warning the vehicle will shut off causing consumer to pull over and it will be hard to get the vehicle back started. dealer notified. ts

While driving fuel cap light comes on, which is an indication that cap is off,but it wasn't. consumer afraid this might be caused by a shortage in electrical system.*ak

Vehicle was parked on grass, engine running, after vehicle was moved consumer noticed a 2 square foot area of grass was burned where vehicle was parked. this happened twice. vehicle was taken to dealer, mechanic stated they knew this was happening, but offered no solution. *ak

Vehicle has stalled 4 times at speeds of 15-30 mph, dealer has been unable to remedy the problem. mr

Vehicle shut down with no warning at least four times. it was taken to dealership, and they replaced some computer components and sensors. dealerships felt there was a "tower interference" with computer board. dealership could not guarantee that this would resolve shutdown failure. please describe details. *ak

Consumer states that while driving at any speed without warning the vehicle will stall and it will be hard for the consumer to control the vehicle. dealer notified. *mr

Vehicle was going approximately 55mph on a exit ramp and passenger's rear window shattered inside vehicle. no passing vehicles were on that side. seat was occupied, no injury. dealer was notified. please provide more information.*ak

Truck will stall without warning while in motion interrupting all the mechanics of the truck. owner has taken the truck to the dealership which informed him that they can not replicate the failure. please describe details

While driving at 35mph on flat surface and with no warning vehicle will shut off, and will be hard to start back up. dealer notified. *ak

While driving vehicle will pull to the left,unable to drive straight. if vehicle is on a highway and the road is curved not straight it will make a left turn. contacted dealer. they sad this was normal.*ak

Car was in park with engine running and vehicle suddenly started to back up and hit a metal fence. please provide any further information. *ak

While driving engine cut off, causing loss of power brakes, and power steering without any warning.this happened 4 times. on 4th time had an accident. contacted dealer several times.cause unknown.*ak

While driving down hill at 35mph and with no warning vehicle stalled and caused consumer to pull over. dealer notified. *ak

With 500 miles on odometer, the owner found a red fluid on garage floor. the dealership replaced the entire steering system from the column all the way to the front tires. *ak *scc

On two different occasions while driving 40 mph engine shut down with no warning. ricart automotive has worked on truck, checking codes and egr system. second time they replaced pass air control valve and associated gaskets. *akthe first time the dealer replaced the air control valve. the second incident, the computer was reprogrammed. *jg

While driving at 30-40 mph vehicle shut off, which caused the power steering and brake system to fail. contacted dealer.*ak *yh

While driving noticed that firestone, wilderness ht tread separated from tires. please submit size and dot#. *ak

The truck suddenly died out with no warning when owner was driving through toll booth. please describe details. *mr consumer states that the vehicle stalled again and without warning.ph 09-dec-2002

While driving up or down a hill at 40mph vehicle will stall,causing consumer to pull emergency brake in order to stop. dealer notified.*ak*the first incident happened in january as the vehicle was being test driven.* four incidents have occured with in six months of owning the vehicle. the vehicle stalls out and looses power to the braking and steering components. mazda cannot pinpoint the cause. the vehicle usually starts up with the exception of the last incident where consumer had to wait 10 min. *jg

Vehicle has stalled out while consumer was driving. steering wheel locked up, then engine shut down. consumer has had this problem fixed twice before. *ak stalling of the vehicle caused brake and steering failures. the vehicle stalled several times. dealer replaced mass air flow sensor and dpfe after third incident, also consumer stated vehicle was pulling to the right, the dealer perfomed an alignment. *yh

While driving at 20-25 mph and without any warning vehicle stalled out and everything shut down. contacted dealer, and the dealer could not find cause of problem.*ak

Vehicle stalled twice at 40 mph. dealer reset idle speed, which did not remedy the problem.*ak *scc

Vehicle stalled at 25-30 mph. dealer could not find cause.*ak

When driving on highway in snowy or rainy weather windshield wipers loses adhesion to windshield, causing wipers to skip over particles on windshield, and making it difficult for driver to see.*ak

While placing vehicle in reverse and accelerating vehicle will stall, and accelerate forward a couple feet. dealer has been notified, and has been aware of problem for 2nd time.*ak

While driving 45 mph battery light and oil light illuminated on dashboard, resulting in engine to stalling. *ak

Vehicle stalled at 40-45 mph, was towed to dealer, computer was reprogrammed and throttle was replaced.*ak *yh

While traveling 40mph on highway and without prior warning vehicle stalled, and electrical power brakes/ steering , and lights were lost. dealership was aware of problem. *ak

While driving, vehicle experienced total loss of electrical power, resulting in a breakdown. vehicle had been seen by dealer.*ak dealer checked all grounds, wiring harness to pcm, ecu relay and reprogrammed pcm however problem still exists. *tt

While driving 40 mph, engine check light came on, then vehicle stalled. vehicle restarted and taken to dealer for inspection. *ak repairs per dealer: completed repair procedures per bulletin. the control unit already contained the latest programming. the engine idle speed was reset and the throttle sensor voltage. relearned the idle and rechecked. *jg

Vehicle has stalled 5 times at 30-40 mph at slight down grades. dealer could not find a problem with vehicle.*ak

Consumer states that the vehicle will intermittenly shut off with out any warning. contacted dealer and the dealer is not willing to do anything.*jb

Vehicle stalled twice identical to first time. vehicle stalled while going 45mph down hill without warning before brakes were applied. there was a loss of brakes and steering. dealer notified. please provide more information.*ak

While in traffic vehicle stalls without prior warning. dealership is aware of problem.*ak

Vehicle stalled at 60 mph, at dealership at this time. nlm

While traveling on highway and without prior warning vehicle shut down and stalled. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

Consumer states while traveling at 65 mph without any indication vehicle losses all power causing consumer to pull over. dealer has been contacted. nlm

While traveling down a slight hill vehicle will stall. thereis a delay in brakes and steering, very dangerous. consumer is able to restart engine. dealer could not duplicate problem. *ak

Instrument panel is dark, and consumer cannot see anything on it. dealership is aware of problem.*ak

While driving 45mph the engine stalled out without warning causing a sudden loss of power steering. driver pulled over and restarted the ignition to get vehicle running again. nlm

While driving 55 mph engine stalled without warning. lost all power . cause unknown dealer contacted.*ak the engine stalled two more times the dealer had repaired the vehicle. *yh

Pe 01 043/engine stalling: while driving 40-50 mph vehicle stalls without warning. vehicle can be restarted. dealer notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

While driving engine stalled, consumer has contacted dealer, and they were aware of problem, and waiting to hear from manufacturer. consumer feels unsafe driving vehicle.*ak *slc

While driving about any mph engine would stall. this could happen without prior warning. dealer was contacted, and could not indicate what was causing the problem. please provide more information.*ak

While driving 65 mph consumer heard a noise, stopped vehicle to check and oil had leaked out of vehicle. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer indicated a new engine was needed.*ak *slc

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving approximately 25 mph, the front passenger side tire turned inward without warning. the driver observed that the lower control arm fractured. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v174000 (structure). the failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

2002 mazda tribute. consumer writes in regards to unexpected high speed acceleration crash. *smd the consumer stated she crashed into her garage door. the door was completely demolished;damage was done to the structure of her home;the vehicle plunged through a barrier beam in the garage throwing it on top of the vehicle. the consumer suffered a swollen knee. *jb

I have a 2002 mazda tribute. i have had the car since new and it has been in a garage the whole time. recently the air bag light went on and i took into a mazda dealer to have checked out and repaired. the cause of the malfunction was because of corroded connectors found under the front seat of the car. the resulting repair was over $500.00. of the repair $127.40 was parts and the balance was labor. i feel that is a safety device that your life could rely on and feel it is totally negligent of the auto manufacture of the auto manufacture to provide a system that involves safety that is not 100% reliable for the life of the vehicle. this suv has 84,000 miles on it and failed. i have other cars that have 250 thousand miles on them with no problems. in searching on the internet i find that this is a problem with the tribute and the ford explorer and feel that the manufacture should be required to do a recall on the cars and this part replaced with one that is 100% reliable. i think a consumer should feel comfortable that if needed this product would function was it is expected and sold to function. *tr

The car is stalling while in motion. this is my second incident in 3 weeks. this almost caused a head on accident in the second incident, because power steering is lost when the car stolls, and i was going around a corner. it was a good thing i drive with 2 hands on the wheel.*ak

Consumer had the speed control function on. while driving at 75 mph vehicle suddenly accelerated up to 90 mph. brakes were applied to decelerate vehicle which deactivated the cruise control. *ak

Vehicle shut off without prior warning. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

Vehicle stalled while backing up at slow speed. vehicle was towed to dealer. cause unknown at this time. please add further details. *ak

Consumer stated the engine has stopped running on 4 separate occasions, when this happens power brakes and steering are no longer operative, the dealer has been unable to rectify the problem.*jb

This is the 5th time that the car has shut off while driving various speeds, it has also been fixed by the dealership once already. problem is the vehicle shuts off at any speed and steering wheel locks. luckily no accidents to date. my pregnant wife and my 3yr old girl went off of the road yesterday. i want this vehicle gone now. it is not safe for my family nor yours. dt

Engine quit running while going down hill in 'drive' at 35 mph. approached busy intersection without power assisted steering or brakes due to engine stall. narrowly avoided hitting stoppped vehicle in left turn lane. dt

Vehicle has stalled out, twice, at 40mph. didn't know it had stalled until i tried to apply brakes,to make a turn, and they were not working very dangerous. dt

Engine stalls x 7 occasions, despite 4 dealer attempts to repair. returned to dealer today after 7th incident. dt

I took my new mazda tribute in 3 times before my second payment was due. on 6/27/02, the engine stalled while driving and i had no brakes or acceleration control. i had to turn the key 3-4 times to get it to start again. on 8/16/02, i took the vehicle in to have the taillights and dashboard lights repaired. on 8/20, the car stalled as i was approaching a major intersection during 5 o'clock traffic. i had to turn the key 4-5 times to get it to start. i am scared to drive this vehicle due to the repetitive safety malfunctions. stan olsen has told me that it will cost me if i want a different vehicle.*ak

Engine suddenly stalled while coasting down hill.*ak

While driving vehicle the whole system failed. all lights on dash light, lost brakes and steering. while on the highway.

Engine quit with no warning while driving approximately 40 mph. was able to restart after pulling over. this is a very dangerous situation for an intermittent engine failure in high traffic situations. mr

The tribute was taken in on 8-22-02 for stalling for the third time since we had bought the car in janurary. this time i even contacted mazda and reported the stalling problem they told me that one of their engineers would get with the service people at the mazda dealer where i had taken it to get it fixed they sent out for 5 new parts and called me and told me that is was fixed we asked it the engineer who was out to look at it could certify that this would fix the problem the engineer could not certify it and we had to pick it up knowing that this could happen again. i am very concerned about putting my son in this car knowing that it stalls with no warning at the speed of 40mph .*ak

Engine failed at 11,114 miles. mazda claiming non warranty due to water ingestion. vehicle had been running at highway speeds for almost ten hours. the weather was clear and dry and a portion of failed lower rod cap was recovered. dt

Engine stalled going down slight incline at 30-35 mph. lost power steering and power brakes. narrow road with no place to pull off. difficulty stopping vehicle safely. very scary incident. after vehicle stopped put gear shift in park and vehicle restarted without difficulty. proceeded to destination without further problems. vehicle currently at dealers for repair. dealer had advised there were problems with 2001 models but problem was fixed on all 2002 models. obviously not true in my case!!*ak

The light on the instrument panel indicating a door is open comes on by itself anytime it's hot outside. i am unable to keep the overhead interior lights on in the vehicle. there have been three attempts to fix this. the master cylinder clutch has also gone bad at 8k miles...

Engine has stalled out a total of 3 times. the 1st time was on 6/16/02 after completing a 80 degree turn on a 2 lane road. had no power brakes or power steering. was able to make it off the road. engine started immediately. very scary experience. the 2nd time was on 7/29/02. took car to the dealership. they ordered some parts. on 8/14/02 took car back to dealership to replace the engine sensor, air flow sensor, and map sensor. on 8/19/02, the car stalled out for the 3rd time. on 8/20/02, took the car to dealership and picked up a loaner car. as of 9/02/02, i have not heard a word as to when my car will be fixed. according to the dealership, they are waiting for mazda corporation to post new software to correct the stalling problem. mazda needs to take care of this problem. in the 2001 models, this stalling problem has been going on for almost 2 years. in the 2002 models, it has been almost a year. mazda needs to recall these cars before someone is seriously injuried or is killed.*ak

Engine stalled on freeway. all electronics including brakes shut down. unbelievable that a vehicle so new is having this problem. after more research, i'm finding many more people with the same problem. don't wait until a fatal crash before you fix the problem.*ak

Car stalls out and drivers loses power steering and brakes. dealer contacted. factory contacted. dealer reports factory knows of proble, but does not know what or how to fix. i am concerned about ongoing prpblem and mazda's inability to find a fix. i bought a ynew mazda based on it being a nice product and having a good warranty. thus far, i am disappointed.*ak

Power driver's seat shifts when brakes applied or around turns. *ak

Without warning my brand new mazda tribute stalled on 5 separate occasions. the power brakes and steering both go out causing it to be extremely difficult to stop and pull off to the side of the road. i have brought my vehicle into the service center two times for the same problem and they tell me that they're pretty sure they have it taken care of this time. the service manager also told me that "mazda is well aware of the problem." mazda is well aware of the problem, however, they are unwilling to recall this vehicle until they find a definate fix. this is a serious safety issue that i believe mazda should take responsiblity for before someone gets seriously injured or killed from their careless ways. mr

Coasting down hill and entering a turn to the left when vehicle stalled, causing reduced steering and braking ability. having read about this vehicle problem, i was able to quickly put the transmission in neutral and restart the vehicle before an accident happened. mr

Had car less than 2 months, engine has cut out *3* times-no warning.*ak

While driving on a curvy road at around 40 mph my tribute suddenly stalled and lost all power steering and power brakes. this resulted in a hard stop in the oncoming lane, which was fortunately not occupied by an oncoming car. the car restarted immediately with no hesistation and i travelled home 5 miles with no further incident. i am now afraid to drive my car as i live on top of a mountain and must drive curvy roads to work. the dealership has been closed this weekend and i will contact them immediately monday morning. *ak

Engine quit running with no warning lights, etc. restarted with no problem.*ak

Engine quits running without notice returned to dealer may 6, 2002, was told it was a computer problem and that they had reprogrammed the computer and that the problem was fixed. i have a appointment for june 19, 2002 iwith the mazda dealer in chattanooga for a replacement of a part in the computer that they now say is the fix. my wife was extremely lucky to get this car to the side of the road in rush hour traffic with out any power and not getting hit by another car. all owners of this car should be warned of the problem that mazda has with the mazda tribute thanks for what help you can give to this safety hazard.*ak

This is the third time vehicle has stalled while driving at approx. 35-40 mph since purchase last fall; previously reported problem last fall (odi id: 754924); problem was thought to be fixed with resetting of idle and throttle settings late last year; while it has been a while since the problem last occurred, apparently the problem has not been fixed. *ak

Stalled going down hill @ 35 m.p.h. about time for an investigation and/or recall?*ak

The engine has stalled while driving on 3 different occasions. power steering and brakes are very diffiicult to use.*ak

Mirror vibration is unacceptable. dealer handling this problem. unacceptable. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

This vehicle was taken in for problems with the engine missing, "firing" and vehicle bucking- at any speed and gear. a leak in the transmission was discovered (almost all of the transmission fluid was gone) and i was told it was a manufacturer's defect. they fixed this problem, but the vehicle continues to run the same way. i have been told that all of the tributes run like this and it is normal... i have contacted the mazda customer assistance center and have a case number...*ak

Engines stalling on these vehicles, looks like another tire problem that is going to take years to resolve i have submitted questions to you before but nobody wants to take responsibility for looking into this issue i have been told to file complaints or call i think with all the reports on your web site you would be looking into this issue before we are checking to see how many people are killed in these suv

Engine stalled at 40 mph, causing power steering and power brake loss.*ak

While driving down a hill and then going back up my vehicle completely shut down. the engine was still running, but the power brakes and steering no longer worked. i never turned the wheel enough to find out if it would lock completely. i tried to turn the ignition off and then restart which did not work. more than likely i was in drive at this point still. (there was a lot of traffic so i wasn't documenting my actions at the time) i then stopped in my lane (there was no shoulder), and put the vehicle in park. then i turned the ignition off and restarted it. at that point in worked fine. during the shut down though it could have been very dangerous if i wasn't going perfectly straight. i will provide the rest of the information requested (vin, etc) at a later time when i have it all in front of me, but i figured it more important to tell about this now instead of waiting.*ak

Day before incident an oil change was done. the following day it rained and water entered the front passenger side of the vehicle. nlm

Vehicle stalled going down hill at about 35 mph. this could have turned into a deadly situation had conditions been different. i pulled over, parked, took key out of ignition. interior light turned on by itself. after a minute, i restarted the car and drove immediately to the dealership. they said they had received a bulletin about this problem. i wonder why they didn't fix it if they knew about it! i was almost ready to use the 72-hour return clause. they claimed to know what the problem was and to start fixing it on monday. in the meantime, they gave me a loaner vehicle. i have lost a lot of confidence in the vehicle and mazda. after this occured, i looked for problems similar to this on line. see carreview.com. there are other reports of this happening. there should be a recall on the part(s) or system causing the problem. i was on a date when this happened. it may have scared her away!*ak

The 2002 tribute has stalled on me twice - once after 1200 miles and the second time after 4800 miles. both times i was going down a hill at about 35 mph. am taking the car into the dealer. this problem needs addressed!*ak

Vehicle taken for service at roger beasley mazda north (austin, tx) service advisor states that problem with vehicle turning off while driving has been reported by other tribute owners and that the exact diagnosis has not been made yet. service dept replaced throttle body as this is what has been determined to be the fix at this time.

Was driving about 40 miles per hour and the engine quit. .pulled over to side of road and engine started back up and drove home. *ak

Believed to be related to nhtsa defect investigation action number pe01043. engine stalls totally unexpectedly. dealer contacted, thinks they have a resolution but will not give any assurance. manufacturer contacted, unaware of problem in 2002 mazda tribute, unable to give any assurrance of problem resolution steps and procedures. extreme safety hazard if engine stalls in traffic. *ak

Parking lights are integrated with an engine off headlight timer. lights will extinguish after approximately 90 seconds. dearlership reports there is no known way to override this timer.vehicle cannot be parked with illumination for more than approximately 90 seconds.*ak

Proceeding on a slight downhill at roughly 40 mph my new vehicle's engine stalled/died. i imediately slipped the transmission into neutral and re-started. this allowed me to continue. power brakes and steering were non-operable during this time. had i been proceeding at a faster speed or not reacted quickly this could have been a very dangerous situation. i have heard this has been an issue with these vehicles.

Vehicle shut down w/o warning. *ak

Tribute was purchased while "at sea." 48 hours after tribute was rolled off the delivery truck the engine shutoff without prior warning while traveling u-hill at 45mph. it shut off again six days later without warning. according to edmunds.com web site, many other tribute and ford escape owners are having the same stalling problem. hennessey mazda had 3 tributes returned to their dealership for same problem prior to my purchase date of 10/30/01. both hennessey and mazda corp have refused to give any type of certification or guarantee that the corrective repairs performed on my tribute on 11/8/01 are the permanent fix. *ak

Vehicle has completely stalled on two separate occasions within past month while driving between hills (coast down first hill and go to accelerate to take second hill, but vehicle has no power); mazda dealer in conjunction with mazda hotline were unable to locate problem after first occurrence on 10/25/01; mazda has had similar reports of problem in other areas of u.s., but has not been able to locate problem; problem occurs while driving 25-30 mph. *ak

I was driving up hill with the speed around 35mph and the car stalled. i lost all power without warnning. the car just died. there were traffic coming from both directions (down hills and up hills) and it was very dangerous! apparently there are a lot of cases as such in the last year. please do something before someone get hurt. if this happened at the intersection by my house, i could be dead! please pass on any information that can help to resolve this problem to all tribute/escape owners. thanks. *ak

On november 2 driving 40mph with no warning my engine shut off and i lost power to my steering and brakes. i was able to get the car to the side of the road after applying all my weight to the brakes and steering wheel. i missed an oncoming car and a tree by luck. i took the tribute to the dealership and was told by the service manager that this was an ongoing problem. they were going to put me back in the tribute until monday when they had an opening. i requested a rental car because i did not feel safe driving the car untill the problem was resolved. the manager also told me that the tributes that have been repaired for this same problem have been different porblems. i returned home and called the mazda customer service department and reported the problem. they assured me that they would look into it and get back with me, this never happened. on november 6th i received a call from the dealership that my car was ready. i asked to speak with the sevice manager who informed me they could not find anything wrong and i could pick up my car. i told him i would not pick up the car until there was a solution to correct the problem and the car was not safe to drive. he infomed me that his hands were tied and to contact mazda. i contacted mazda and they contacted the sevice manager who had already contacted the regional manager. i was told i would be contacted by him tomorrow november 7th. i have a 15 year old son who has his learners permit and who i strongly believe would not have been able to avoid what could have been a fatal accident. the car is still at the dealership. my tribute is the first 2002 that they have seen with the problem. obviously this serious safety problems continues.*ak

While at a traffic light, consumer took foot off of the brake to accelerate once the light had changed but to no avail. the vehicle was no longer running. the instrument panel was lit, the cd player was still playing and the air conditioner continued to blow. consumer thinking too many electrical devices were in use, shut the vehicle off waited and restarted vehicle. this same incident happened again. this time consumer took vehicle for service. there was yet another incident. the vehicle stalled again. this time the steering was far worse than the two previous failures. consumer wants mazda to repurchase this vehicle. *jlg.

The vehicle has stalled a total of 3 times, the problem has not been remedied. *slc

The battery died and 3 sensors have been replaced. *slc

Consumer states that the security light flashes even when the alarm is not set. dealer found this was normal. *tt

Consumer states that the vehicle stalls when driving. dealer reprogrammed pcm with updated calibration. checked base idle and found engine to stall when iac valve is disconnected. cleaned throttle camber. reinstalled and set base idle to 29 percent. replaced air flow meter and dpfe sensor. *tt

Consumer states that front two doors have a lot of wind noise at about 25 mph. dealer inspected door seals and adjusted. found normal wind noise. the seal between the windshield and the dash is coming out. dealer stated should have been removed during pdi and removed seal. *tt

Consumer states that the clock radio will not come on until car has been running for about 20 minutes. system found losing power at audio unit connector yellow with white tracer wire. dealer replaced bad connection at fuse panel assembly. *tt

While driving, the vehicle stalled with out warning due to a defective pcm. also, the main bearing in the transmission failed. *yh

On july 8, 2012, the center for auto safety has petitioned nhtsa to open defect investigations on model year (my) 2002 – 2004 ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles with certain cruise control cables.the center for auto safety has also petitioned for a hearing to address whether ford motor company (ford) and mazda north american operations (mazda) met their obligations to notify owners and correct a defect in certain ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles.the petitions to open investigations are denied as unnecessary and the petitions to conduct hearingsare denied.odi ids referenced above are: 10109921, 10116267, 10116574,10121108, 10125928, 10128545, 10130133,10137520, 10153327, 10155295, 10155817, 10159048, 10164205, 10165007, 10177337, 10184382, 10195378,10199728, 10201424, 10203178, 10204179, 10207677, 10214472, 10218668, 10222869, 10229600, 10255417,10256387, 10258046, 10259777, 10260591, 10266150, 10273613, 10291508, 10303282, 10303434, 10316154,10321828, 10323339, 10325817, 10331278, 10334038, 10335779, 10341773, 10342450, 10345004, 10363982,10370338, 10379444, 10432635, 10451652, 10466261, 891605, 10053779, 10125132, 10146998, 10149101,10160004, 10161052, 10170988, 10178811, 10204780, 10215610, 10222996, 10239609, 10252790, 10253666,10262773, 10264280, 10280669, 10289784, 10294932, 10312464, 10316440, 10343662, 10354530, 10413665,10461195

In a letter dated july 25, 2012 ford motor company (ford) submitted a defect information report (dir), nhtsa recall no. 12v-353 to nhtsa identifying a safety defect involving inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the speed control cable connector, which could result in a stuck throttle condition.the vehicles involved are model year (my) 2001 through my 2004 ford escape vehicles equipped with 3.0l v6 engines and speed (cruise) control.a redesigned engine cover was implemented in production beginning in my 2005, which provided additional clearance of the speed control cable to the engine cover.similarly on july 26, 2012 mazda north american operations (mazda) on behalf of mazda motor corporation of hiroshima, japan submitted a dir to nhtsa, nhtsa recall no. 12v-357, identifying the safety defect described above in my 2001 through my 2006 and my 2008 mazda tribute vehicles (no tribute vehicles were produced in my 2007) equipped with 3.0l v6 engines and speed control.unlike the ford escape recall scope, the mazda tribute scope is broader as mazda tribute vehicles incorporated a similar engine cover design as related to the clearance to the speed control cable in mys 2001 through 2006 and my 2008.the failure report summary above reflects reports identified by odi in review of data submitted to the office of defects investigation (odi) and reports submitted to ford and to mazda.odi identified 44 reports likely related to the safety defect described in the dirs; 39 involving ford escape vehicles and 5 involving mazda tribute vehicles. this preliminary evaluation is closed.the odi report cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/searchnhtsaid under the following identification (odi) numbers: 10116267, 10128545, 10128681, 10137520, 10153327, 10165007, 10199728, 10234846, 10335779, 10466261, and 10468307.

The office of defects investigation (odi) received a defect petition dated march 5, 2009 alleging that the petitioner never received the recall remedy for 07v-156 and that, as a result, the petitioner's my2003 ford escape caught fire at the abs control module.in response to odi follow-up, the manufacturer verified that the petitioner's vehicle had in fact received service related to safety recall 07v156 - a fact later corroborated by the petitioner.circumstances of the fire experienced in the petitioner's remedied vehicle indicate that the remedy was ineffective.additional review by odi identified an additional 6 similar (alleged to have originated in the engine compartment at or near the abs control module ) non-crash fire incidents in subject vehicles known to have received the recall remedy.accordingly, a recall query (rq09-002) has been opened to assess the effectiveness of the recall remedy.

Ford and mazda recalled model year (my) 2001 through 2004 ford escape (07v-156) and mazda tribute (07v-157) vehicles due to non-crash fires or non-fire thermal events originating in the engine compartment at or near the abs control module.approximately 545,700 vehicles were subject to the initial safety recalls and approximately 424,700 vehicles were serviced under those campaigns. the campaigns addressed potentially damaged, missing or misplaced seals in the abs control module wiring harness electrical connector that could allow brake fluid to enter the connector, possibly resulting in corrosion, short-circuit, melting, smoke and/or fire.since the recall, the agency is aware of 260 subject vehicles that have reportedly experienced non-crash fires or non-fire thermal events originating at or near the abs control module in vehicles some time after being serviced under the campaign. the post-recall repair incident rates for my 2001 and 2002 subject vehicles are 90.9 and 126.7 (normalized per 100,000 vehicles serviced under the recall campaigns), respectively.these rates are much higher than the post-recall repair incident rate for my 2003 and 2004 subject vehicles, which are 5.0 and 3.7 per 100k, respectively.similarly, the post-recall repair key-off fire incident rates in the my 2001 and 2002 subject vehicles is 54.3 per 100k, compared to 0.5 per 100k for the my 2003 and 2004 subject vehicles.the agency is aware of 12 key-off fire incidents, all involving my 2001 and 2002 subject vehicles, where the vehicle was parked inside a structure when the fire started.in five of those incidents, the fire spread from the vehicle to the structure itself.ford has identified the brake master cylinder reservoir cap in certain my 2001 and 2002 subject vehicles as a potential source for brake fluid leaks that could affect abs module connector integrity.the reservoir caps used on the my 2003 and 2004 subject vehicles are reportedly an improved design from those used on the earlier models.by letter dated january 4, 2012, ford notified the agency that it would conduct another safety recall (identified by nthsa recall no. 12v-005 and ford recall no. 11s24) of certain my 2001 and 2002 ford escape vehicles to perform a more thorough remedy to address the risk of fire originating at the abs control module.in addition to double-checking the abs control module wiring harness electrical connector weather seal (which should have been addressed under the previous recall campaign), ford will replace brake master cylinder reservoir caps to address the leaking cap problem and reduce the risk of brake fluid entering the subject electrical connector.ford will also modify the electrical system such that the abs control module is de-energized when the ignition key is switched off to further reduce the risk of an unattended vehicle fire in units that may have sustained some small loss of connector integrity that may not be evident upon visual examination.similarly, mazda notified the agency by letter dated january 19, 2012, that it would also conduct a safety recall (identified by nthsa recall no. 12v-016 and mazda recall no. 6712a) of certain my 2001 and 2002 mazda tribute vehicles.ford estimates repair parts will be available beginning the second quarter of 2012. until recall repairs are made both ford and mazda are advising owners of affected vehicles to reduce the safety concern by parking their vehicles outdoors away from structures to prevent a potential fire from spreading.accordingly, this investigation is closed.

In letters dated march 30, 2007, ford and mazda notified nhtsa that they will conduct safety recalls to remedy a safety defect that may result in fire in a wiring connector used in certain model year (my) 2001-2004 ford escape and mazda tribute sport utility vehicles equipped with abs.recall 07v-156 involves approximately 446,450 my 2001-2004 escape vehicles manufactured from october 22, 1999 through january 23, 2004.recall 07v-157 involves approximately 95,300 my 2001-2004 tribute vehicles manufactured from april 17, 2000 through december 19, 2003. according to the manufacturers, the electrical wiring connectors to the abs electronic control module were manufactured with wire seals missing or improperly installed in some wiring harnesses used in the recall populations.this may allow environmental contaminants such as water or brake fluid to enter the abs electrical connector interface and cause corrosion of the electrical terminals.such corrosion may result in an illuminated abs telltale, an open circuit, and/or an engine compartment fire originating at the electrical connector.to remedy the defect, the manufacturers will inspect the connectors for seal integrity.if a seal integrity issue is identified the vehicle will be repaired as necessary.all vehicles will have dielectric grease applied to the connectors to further reduce the possibility of contaminants entering the electrical connectors. to date, odi is aware of 120 non-crash related fire incidents alleged to have originated in the engine compartment at or near the abs electronic control module in the subject vehicles, which represent approximately 80 percent of the recall population.of the 120 alleged fires, 6 are alleged to have occurred when the vehicle was parked inside a garage structure.in 4 incidents, complainants alleged the structure or adjoining structure(s) suffered smoke damage, while in 2 incidents, the alleged fires caused more extensive damage totaling approximately $50,000 each.there are no known injuries or fatalities related to the alleged defect.based on the ford and mazda recalls, this investigation is closed.

On july 8, 2012, the center for auto safety has petitioned nhtsa to open defect investigations on model year (my) 2002 – 2004 ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles with certain cruise control cables.the center for auto safety has also petitioned for a hearing to address whether ford motor company (ford) and mazda north american operations (mazda) met their obligations to notify owners and correct a defect in certain ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles.the petitions to open investigations are denied as unnecessary and the petitions to conduct hearingsare denied.odi ids referenced above are: 10109921, 10116267, 10116574,10121108, 10125928, 10128545, 10130133,10137520, 10153327, 10155295, 10155817, 10159048, 10164205, 10165007, 10177337, 10184382, 10195378,10199728, 10201424, 10203178, 10204179, 10207677, 10214472, 10218668, 10222869, 10229600, 10255417,10256387, 10258046, 10259777, 10260591, 10266150, 10273613, 10291508, 10303282, 10303434, 10316154,10321828, 10323339, 10325817, 10331278, 10334038, 10335779, 10341773, 10342450, 10345004, 10363982,10370338, 10379444, 10432635, 10451652, 10466261, 891605, 10053779, 10125132, 10146998, 10149101,10160004, 10161052, 10170988, 10178811, 10204780, 10215610, 10222996, 10239609, 10252790, 10253666,10262773, 10264280, 10280669, 10289784, 10294932, 10312464, 10316440, 10343662, 10354530, 10413665,10461195

On july 8, 2012, the center for auto safety has petitioned nhtsa to open defect investigations on model year (my) 2002 – 2004 ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles with certain cruise control cables.the center for auto safety has also petitioned for a hearing to address whether ford motor company (ford) and mazda north american operations (mazda) met their obligations to notify owners and correct a defect in certain ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles.the petitions to open investigations are denied as unnecessary and the petitions to conduct hearingsare denied.odi ids referenced above are: 10109921, 10116267, 10116574,10121108, 10125928, 10128545, 10130133,10137520, 10153327, 10155295, 10155817, 10159048, 10164205, 10165007, 10177337, 10184382, 10195378,10199728, 10201424, 10203178, 10204179, 10207677, 10214472, 10218668, 10222869, 10229600, 10255417,10256387, 10258046, 10259777, 10260591, 10266150, 10273613, 10291508, 10303282, 10303434, 10316154,10321828, 10323339, 10325817, 10331278, 10334038, 10335779, 10341773, 10342450, 10345004, 10363982,10370338, 10379444, 10432635, 10451652, 10466261, 891605, 10053779, 10125132, 10146998, 10149101,10160004, 10161052, 10170988, 10178811, 10204780, 10215610, 10222996, 10239609, 10252790, 10253666,10262773, 10264280, 10280669, 10289784, 10294932, 10312464, 10316440, 10343662, 10354530, 10413665,10461195

In a letter dated july 25, 2012 ford motor company (ford) submitted a defect information report (dir), nhtsa recall no. 12v-353 to nhtsa identifying a safety defect involving inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the speed control cable connector, which could result in a stuck throttle condition.the vehicles involved are model year (my) 2001 through my 2004 ford escape vehicles equipped with 3.0l v6 engines and speed (cruise) control.a redesigned engine cover was implemented in production beginning in my 2005, which provided additional clearance of the speed control cable to the engine cover.similarly on july 26, 2012 mazda north american operations (mazda) on behalf of mazda motor corporation of hiroshima, japan submitted a dir to nhtsa, nhtsa recall no. 12v-357, identifying the safety defect described above in my 2001 through my 2006 and my 2008 mazda tribute vehicles (no tribute vehicles were produced in my 2007) equipped with 3.0l v6 engines and speed control.unlike the ford escape recall scope, the mazda tribute scope is broader as mazda tribute vehicles incorporated a similar engine cover design as related to the clearance to the speed control cable in mys 2001 through 2006 and my 2008.the failure report summary above reflects reports identified by odi in review of data submitted to the office of defects investigation (odi) and reports submitted to ford and to mazda.odi identified 44 reports likely related to the safety defect described in the dirs; 39 involving ford escape vehicles and 5 involving mazda tribute vehicles. this preliminary evaluation is closed.the odi report cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/searchnhtsaid under the following identification (odi) numbers: 10116267, 10128545, 10128681, 10137520, 10153327, 10165007, 10199728, 10234846, 10335779, 10466261, and 10468307.

On july 8, 2012, the center for auto safety has petitioned nhtsa to open defect investigations on model year (my) 2002 – 2004 ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles with certain cruise control cables.the center for auto safety has also petitioned for a hearing to address whether ford motor company (ford) and mazda north american operations (mazda) met their obligations to notify owners and correct a defect in certain ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles.the petitions to open investigations are denied as unnecessary and the petitions to conduct hearingsare denied.odi ids referenced above are: 10109921, 10116267, 10116574,10121108, 10125928, 10128545, 10130133,10137520, 10153327, 10155295, 10155817, 10159048, 10164205, 10165007, 10177337, 10184382, 10195378,10199728, 10201424, 10203178, 10204179, 10207677, 10214472, 10218668, 10222869, 10229600, 10255417,10256387, 10258046, 10259777, 10260591, 10266150, 10273613, 10291508, 10303282, 10303434, 10316154,10321828, 10323339, 10325817, 10331278, 10334038, 10335779, 10341773, 10342450, 10345004, 10363982,10370338, 10379444, 10432635, 10451652, 10466261, 891605, 10053779, 10125132, 10146998, 10149101,10160004, 10161052, 10170988, 10178811, 10204780, 10215610, 10222996, 10239609, 10252790, 10253666,10262773, 10264280, 10280669, 10289784, 10294932, 10312464, 10316440, 10343662, 10354530, 10413665,10461195

On july 8, 2012, the center for auto safety has petitioned nhtsa to open defect investigations on model year (my) 2002 – 2004 ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles with certain cruise control cables.the center for auto safety has also petitioned for a hearing to address whether ford motor company (ford) and mazda north american operations (mazda) met their obligations to notify owners and correct a defect in certain ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles.the petitions to open investigations are denied as unnecessary and the petitions to conduct hearingsare denied.odi ids referenced above are: 10109921, 10116267, 10116574,10121108, 10125928, 10128545, 10130133,10137520, 10153327, 10155295, 10155817, 10159048, 10164205, 10165007, 10177337, 10184382, 10195378,10199728, 10201424, 10203178, 10204179, 10207677, 10214472, 10218668, 10222869, 10229600, 10255417,10256387, 10258046, 10259777, 10260591, 10266150, 10273613, 10291508, 10303282, 10303434, 10316154,10321828, 10323339, 10325817, 10331278, 10334038, 10335779, 10341773, 10342450, 10345004, 10363982,10370338, 10379444, 10432635, 10451652, 10466261, 891605, 10053779, 10125132, 10146998, 10149101,10160004, 10161052, 10170988, 10178811, 10204780, 10215610, 10222996, 10239609, 10252790, 10253666,10262773, 10264280, 10280669, 10289784, 10294932, 10312464, 10316440, 10343662, 10354530, 10413665,10461195

Ford's and mazda's letters to nhtsa dated april 5 and april 9, 2004, state that they will recall model year 2001-03 ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles with the v6 engine built thru september 11, 2002.dealers will adjust engine calibration in the programmable control module (pcm), which in its current setting, can cause the engine to shut down if the vehicle is decelerating at speeds below 40 mph. the engine shuts down due to "excessively rich air-fuel mixtures being sent to the engine."when the engine shuts down, drivers may notice a loss of power assist for their steering and brakes. the majority of the complainants have indicated to the agency that the stall is intermittent and can happen more than once.

On july 8, 2012, the center for auto safety has petitioned nhtsa to open defect investigations on model year (my) 2002 – 2004 ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles with certain cruise control cables.the center for auto safety has also petitioned for a hearing to address whether ford motor company (ford) and mazda north american operations (mazda) met their obligations to notify owners and correct a defect in certain ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles.the petitions to open investigations are denied as unnecessary and the petitions to conduct hearingsare denied.odi ids referenced above are: 10109921, 10116267, 10116574,10121108, 10125928, 10128545, 10130133,10137520, 10153327, 10155295, 10155817, 10159048, 10164205, 10165007, 10177337, 10184382, 10195378,10199728, 10201424, 10203178, 10204179, 10207677, 10214472, 10218668, 10222869, 10229600, 10255417,10256387, 10258046, 10259777, 10260591, 10266150, 10273613, 10291508, 10303282, 10303434, 10316154,10321828, 10323339, 10325817, 10331278, 10334038, 10335779, 10341773, 10342450, 10345004, 10363982,10370338, 10379444, 10432635, 10451652, 10466261, 891605, 10053779, 10125132, 10146998, 10149101,10160004, 10161052, 10170988, 10178811, 10204780, 10215610, 10222996, 10239609, 10252790, 10253666,10262773, 10264280, 10280669, 10289784, 10294932, 10312464, 10316440, 10343662, 10354530, 10413665,10461195

In a letter dated july 25, 2012 ford motor company (ford) submitted a defect information report (dir), nhtsa recall no. 12v-353 to nhtsa identifying a safety defect involving inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the speed control cable connector, which could result in a stuck throttle condition.the vehicles involved are model year (my) 2001 through my 2004 ford escape vehicles equipped with 3.0l v6 engines and speed (cruise) control.a redesigned engine cover was implemented in production beginning in my 2005, which provided additional clearance of the speed control cable to the engine cover.similarly on july 26, 2012 mazda north american operations (mazda) on behalf of mazda motor corporation of hiroshima, japan submitted a dir to nhtsa, nhtsa recall no. 12v-357, identifying the safety defect described above in my 2001 through my 2006 and my 2008 mazda tribute vehicles (no tribute vehicles were produced in my 2007) equipped with 3.0l v6 engines and speed control.unlike the ford escape recall scope, the mazda tribute scope is broader as mazda tribute vehicles incorporated a similar engine cover design as related to the clearance to the speed control cable in mys 2001 through 2006 and my 2008.the failure report summary above reflects reports identified by odi in review of data submitted to the office of defects investigation (odi) and reports submitted to ford and to mazda.odi identified 44 reports likely related to the safety defect described in the dirs; 39 involving ford escape vehicles and 5 involving mazda tribute vehicles. this preliminary evaluation is closed.the odi report cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/searchnhtsaid under the following identification (odi) numbers: 10116267, 10128545, 10128681, 10137520, 10153327, 10165007, 10199728, 10234846, 10335779, 10466261, and 10468307.

In letters dated march 30, 2007, ford motor company (ford) and mazda north american operations (mazda) notified the agency that they will conduct recalls 07v-156 and 07v-157, respectively, to remedy a safety defect that may result in fire in a wiring connector used in certain model year (my) 2001-2004 ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles equipped with abs.the recall campaign prescribes an inspection of the subject components, which shall be repaired or replaced only if necessary.if the subject vehicle passes the visual inspection then the recall instructs the technician to apply electrical grease (ford part number xg-12) to the abs module connector and verify system operation.to date, approximately 388,500 subject vehicles (71.7% of the total recall population) have been serviced under the recall campaign, the vast majority of which (373,985) passed the visual inspection and received only the electrical grease applied to the abs module connector. the agency is aware of at least 86 unique subject vehicles that have reportedly experienced non-crash fire incidents originating in the engine compartment at or near the abs control module some time after the vehicle was serviced under the subject recall.the manufacturer has provided some information that indicates certain vehicles were improperly serviced under the subject recall as evidenced by the factory wire tie-wrap not being removed from the wiring harness (which indicates a proper inspection could not have been performed) and by incorrect grease being applied, incorrect amounts of grease, and even instances where no grease was applied to the abs module connector.also, there remain some questions regarding the severity of the reported fire incidents.the manufacturer contends that most reported fires were actually non-fire thermal events with damage limited to the subject components and that most vehicles are repaired and returned to service.however, the trend appears to be ongoing with 5 reported incidents having occurred in the past 6 months.accordingly, this recall query has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the effectiveness of the recall remedy.

In letters dated march 30, 2007, ford and mazda notified nhtsa that they will conduct safety recalls to remedy a safety defect that may result in fire in a wiring connector used in certain model year (my) 2001-2004 ford escape and mazda tribute sport utility vehicles equipped with abs.recall 07v-156 involves approximately 446,450 my 2001-2004 escape vehicles manufactured from october 22, 1999 through january 23, 2004.recall 07v-157 involves approximately 95,300 my 2001-2004 tribute vehicles manufactured from april 17, 2000 through december 19, 2003. according to the manufacturers, the electrical wiring connectors to the abs electronic control module were manufactured with wire seals missing or improperly installed in some wiring harnesses used in the recall populations.this may allow environmental contaminants such as water or brake fluid to enter the abs electrical connector interface and cause corrosion of the electrical terminals.such corrosion may result in an illuminated abs telltale, an open circuit, and/or an engine compartment fire originating at the electrical connector.to remedy the defect, the manufacturers will inspect the connectors for seal integrity.if a seal integrity issue is identified the vehicle will be repaired as necessary.all vehicles will have dielectric grease applied to the connectors to further reduce the possibility of contaminants entering the electrical connectors. to date, odi is aware of 120 non-crash related fire incidents alleged to have originated in the engine compartment at or near the abs electronic control module in the subject vehicles, which represent approximately 80 percent of the recall population.of the 120 alleged fires, 6 are alleged to have occurred when the vehicle was parked inside a garage structure.in 4 incidents, complainants alleged the structure or adjoining structure(s) suffered smoke damage, while in 2 incidents, the alleged fires caused more extensive damage totaling approximately $50,000 each.there are no known injuries or fatalities related to the alleged defect.based on the ford and mazda recalls, this investigation is closed.