2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

MAZDA TRIBUTE 2003 ONLY 30,300. MILES TOOK IN FOR GENERAL SERVICE TO BE INFORMED MY BRAKES & ROTORS NEED TO BE REPLACED AT ONCE COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. ROTORS HAD UNUSUAL WEAR PATTERN & PADS WERE WORN SMOOTH. I UNDERSTAND THE TWO MATERIALS ARE NOT WORKING TOGETHER AND PADS ARE HARDER THAN ROTOR MATERIAL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH COULD RESULT IN BRAKE FAILURE OR FIRE. *JB

JUST BOUGHT A 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE FROM TOYOTA OF NICHOLASVILLE 3 WEEKS AGO. WENT OUT TO THE GARAGE TO START IT THIS MORNING AND THE THING CAUGHT FIRE. PUT IT OUT WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE AIR FILTER AREA IS BURNED AND MELTED. MY WIFE NO LONGER FEELS SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE(ISN'T REPAIRED YET), WITH OUR YOUNG CHILD STRAPPED IN THE CAR SEAT. I SUSTAINED SMALL BURNS TO MY HANDS PUTTING THE FIRE OUT. *JB

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE ES (AWD & 4WD) WITH 100,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING AND WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANY FORWARD GEAR. ONLY REVERSE WAS FUNCTIONAL AND APPARENTLY NOT AFFECTED BY FAILURE. HAD SUV HAULED ON FLAT-BED TO DEALER WHO INITIALLY INDICATED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE LINKAGE, BUT THEY COULD NOT GET IT TO SHIFT INTO ANY FORWARD GEAR EITHER (ONLY REVERSE). UPON FURTHER INSPECTION DEALER INDICATED TRANSMISSION WAS BLOWN, REQUIRING A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT, COSTING ALMOST $4K. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE REAR HATCH, THE LIFT GATE WAS DIFFICULT TO LOCK INTO PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE LIFT GATE LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V605000, REGARDING THE LIFT GATE LOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A HUMMING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM UNDER THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE FOR TWO MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE FRONT BEARINGS.

ON 8-25-2006 MY TRIBUTE WAS TOWED TO STAR MAZDA OF GLENDALE. THE PCM WAS RECALLED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED, BUT THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR WHERE RUINED. ROUGHLY TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO TODAY, THESE TWO ITEMS HAD BEEN REPLACED AT A COST OF $900. THESE REPAIRS WHERE MADE BY MY MECHANIC WITHOUT MY AUTHORIZATION, WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO VERIFY THE WARRANTY ON THE TRIBUTE. ONCE THE VEHICLE ARRIVED AT STAR MAZDA, I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO AUTHORIZE AN EIGHTY FIVE DOLLAR EXAMINATION FEE BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS NOW DEAD. AN EXPLANATION INDICATED THAT THIS FEE WAS APPLIED BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS NOT A MAZDA BATTERY AND HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED BY A MAZDA MECHANIC. AN EMPLOYEE THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY, I WAS GOING TO BE CHARGED $1,100 TO REPLACE BOTH THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR. ON TOP OF THAT I WAS TOLD THAT THE PCM WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNTIL THE NON-MAZDA PRODUCTS WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED. FOLLOWING THAT LAST BIT OF NEWS, I WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS NOT ENTITLED TO A RENTAL. I AM OUTRAGED OVER THE FACT THAT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY WEST COVINA MAZDA OF THESE RECALLS! THEY ARE CLEARLY SERIOUS DEFECTS AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A COLLISION. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE FAULTY PCM DESTROYED A BRAND NEW ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. *JB

AT 38,800 MILES, I HAD TO REPLACE MY BRAKES PAD AND ROTORS, NOW AT 49,785 I WILL NEED TO REPLACED MY ROTORS AGAIN. I BELIEVE THESE ROTORS ARE DEFECTED. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE. *JB

2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE RAN HEAD ON INTO A TELEPHONE POLL AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30 MPH, WITH ACCELERATOR PRESSURE APPLIED, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL PULLED TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DISENGAGE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BY PUMPING THE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE VEHICLE SLOWLY RESPONDED TO BRAKE PRESSURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK. WHILE PARKED, THE ENGINE REVVED UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE CASING ON THE CRUISE CONTROL CRACKED WHICH CAUSED THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE TO STICK, ALTHOUGH THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ENGAGED AT THAT TIME. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CRUISE CONTROL CASING AND CABLES WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE VALVE COVER AND GASKET WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 07/07/06

I HAVE HAD MY FRONT BRAKES REPLACED 3 TIMES AND ROTORS ONCE IN 50K MILES. IT STARTED AROUND 15K MILES WITH LOAD RUBBING NOISE WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. *JB