2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

VEHICLE IS SOMETIMES HARD TO START AND IT STALLS FREQUENTLY IN TRAFFIC. A TUNE-UP WAS DONE, FUEL SYSTEM PARTS REPLACED. DEALER RECENTLY REPROGRAMMED THE PCM WITH NO CHANGE IN PERFORMANCE. NEAR ACCIDENT THIS MORNING WITH A SCHOOL BUS. VEHICLE JUST CUT OFF AS I SLOWED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. *JB

FRONT DRIVER SEAT ASSEMBLY MOVES 1/4 INCH TO 1/2 INCH ON SEAT TRACK WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION. DURING ACCELERATION SEAT ASSEMBLY MOVES BACKWARDS; SEAT MOVES FORWARD DURING SLOW DOWN/BRAKING. DEALER CLAIMS THIS ONLY OCCURS IN VEHICLES WITH ELECTRIC FRONT SEATS. *JB

MY CAR HIT A TELEPHONE POLE AT AN ESTIMATED SPEED OF 36 MPH AND THE FRONT AIRBAG DID NOT OPEN. *JB

2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE 2WD V6 - BRAKES WORN AND AND ROTERS WORN AND RIPPLED BEYOND REPAIR AT 30,000 MILES. PER DEALER REP, THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM ON MANY MAZDA TRIBUTES. DEALER REP STATED IF NOT REPLACED, HIGH POTENTIAL FOR BRAKES HEATING AND CAUSING FIRE. VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ABOUT 60% CITY DRIVING AND ABOUT 40% HIGHWAY DRIVING. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ENGAGED, IF THE ACCELERATOR IS GENTLY APPLIED THE PEDAL PULLED DOWN TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND PLACED THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. WITH THE ACCELERATION SUBDUED, THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND ON, BUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL REMAINED ON THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER, BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A SECONDARY DEALER. ALTHOUGH THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AS WELL, THE DEALER REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR CABLE AND CRUISE CONTROL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN TO DETERMINE IF THIS REPAIR REMEDIED THE PROBLEM.

DURING A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE VISIT, I REQUESTED THAT THE FRONT DISC BRAKES BE INSPECTED AND SERVICED IF DEEMED NECESSARY ON THIS VEHICLE. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME WAS 38,400 AND THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS BY THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH IT WAS PURCHASED. THE SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED ME TO INFORM ME THAT THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE WORN AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED TO ENSURE THE VEHICLE REMAINED SAFE TO OPERATE. THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS ALONE. WHEN I RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE (WITHOUT THE BRAKES BEING SERVICED), I INSPECTED THE ROTORS TO FIND A VERY UNUSUAL WEAR PATTERN ON THE ROTORS. THE PADS (WHICH HAD SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES LEFT TO GO) HAD "CUT" A PERFECTLY SMOOTH/FLAT GROOVE INTO THE ROTOR SURFACES ACROSS THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE PAD SURFACE - LEAVING A RAISED EDGE ON THE INNER AND OUTER EDGES OF BOTH SIDES OF THE ROTORS ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. IT APPEARS THAT THE BRAKE PAD MATERIAL IS HARDER THAN THE ROTOR MATERIAL AND THE WEAR ON THE ROTOR WAS EQUIVALENT TO THE WEAR OF THE PADS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING HOME AT 25 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE ENGAGED AND THE KEYS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION BEFORE THE VEHICLE STOPPED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED THE ENGINE REVVED TO THE MAXIMUM RPMS. AFTER FIVE MINUTES THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND IT OPERATED NORMALLY. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME IT WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR STARTED THE VEHICLE HE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE REVVING TO THE MAXIMUM RPMS. AT THE DEALERSHIP THE MECHANIC ALSO OBSERVED THE ENGINE REVVING AT THE HIGHEST RPMS. THIS VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 04V583000 CONCERNING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL IN MARCH 2005. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT RECALL REPAIRS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. *AK

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE LX AWD - PURCHASED BRAND NEW FROM ROTO MAZDA OF ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL. ALL SERVICES LIKE REGULAR OIL CHANGES WERE DONE WITHIN THE RECOMMENDED TIME. COMPLAINT: THE VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT ANY WARNING. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FEW TIMES WHILE IT WAS IN WARRANTY (LESS THAN 36000 MILES). THE DEALER ASSURED THAT THE SAFETY RECALL FOR MAZDA TRIBUTE IS ALREADY IN PLACE. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE SUV. THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN YESTERDAY WHILE I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY (ON REVERSE) IT CAME TO A STOP AND DIED.(THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN LAST SIX MONTHS) I HAD TO RESTART THE CAR. IT STARTS IMMEDIATELY. IT STALLED TODAY. I WAS WAITING AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND WHEN IT TURNED GREEN, I STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND IT DIED. (THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 4 TIMES IN LAST SIX MONTHS) I AM AFRAID THAT ONE OF THESE DAYS I AM GOING TO GET REAR ENDED. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TWO TIMES WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY THING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. DO I HAVE A LEMON? DID YOU RECEIVE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ? MY CAR HAS 36300 MILES NOW AND OTHERWISE EXCELLENT CONDITION. THANK YOU.*JB

PURCHASED MAZDA TRIBUTE NEW NOVEMBER 2003. TWO MONTHS AFTERWARD THE CAR STALLED AND THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CLOSED DOWN. I HAD DIFFICULTY TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, IT LOCKED. AFTER FOUR EFFORTS TO CRANK THE CAR, THE IGNITION UNLOCKED AND THE ENGINE STARTED. I NOTICED THAT THE CLOCK HAD STOPPED. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT TELL WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS UNLESS IT HAPPENED WITH THEM. SINCE NOVEMBER 2003 THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES. THE SEASON NOR WEATHER CONDITIONS DO NOT APPEAR TO MATTER. THE LATEST INCIDENT WAS IN AUGUST 2005 IT WAS THE WORST. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER UNTIL AFTER FIVE TRIES, RIGHT AFTER THIS I DROVE ABOUT 50 YARDS THEN IT STALLED AND IT TOOK AN ADDITIONAL THREE TRIES TO GET THE ENGINE TO START. I DROVE ABOUT ANOTHER 200 YARDS, IT STALLED AGAIN. IT APPEARS THIS PROBLEM IS BECOMING WORSE. *JB

VEHICLE HAS STALLED IN MAJOR INTERSECTIONS ON AT LEAST 10 OCCASIONS WHEN REMOVING FOOT FROM GAS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED BY DEALER ON 4 OCCASIONS, REPLACING THE IAC VALVE WITH UPDATED MODELS ON AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS: 04V583000 AND/OR 04V175000 HAVE DEALT WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. MAZDA NORTH AMERICA IS NOW REQUIRING ME TO DO AN "EXTENSIVE TEST DRIVE ON PUBLIC ROADS IN VERO BEACH, FLORIDA WITH THEIR REPRESENTATIVE IN ORDER TO DUPLICATE MY CONCERN". I HAVE INFORMED MAZDA NORTH AMERICA BY MAIL ON TWO OCCASIONS AND BY TELEPHONE ON FOUR OCCASIONS THAT THIS VEHICLE IS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS AND WILL CAUSE INJURY TO SOMEONE. I HOLD MAZDA NORTH AMERICA RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SUCH INJURIES. RUSH D. LAWSON. I ASK THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THIS COMPLAINT AND TO INQUIRE AS TO WHY MAZDA NORTH AMERICA IS KNOWINGLY PLACING CONSUMERS AND INNOCENT INDIVIDUALS ON THE STREETS AT RISK IN A VEHICLE WHICH IS KNOWN TO BE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS. *NM *JB