2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

PASSENGER SIDE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE WILL NOT OPEN DOOR. WINDOW MUST BE RUN DOWN & OUTSIDE HANDLE USED TO OPEN. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TO DEALER WHO WILL REPAIR @ MY COST APPROX. A YEAR AGO THE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED AT ALL MANUALLY OR ELECTRONICALLY FROM THE OUTSIDE ONLY FROM INSIDE IT WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER MY COST $149.00. PART NUMBER ECTT-58-412C. *NM

THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES ON BOTH SIDES (IN THE FRONT) ARE INOPERABLE. THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THE CAR IS TO OPEN THE WINDOW AND OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. IF THE EVENT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

I HAVE JUST FOUND THIS WEBSITE AND REALIZED THAT AN EXISTING PROBLEM THAT I HAD BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT IN MY CAR. THE DEALER CLAIMED THE PROBLEM DIDN'T EXIST ,EVEN AFTER THE FIRST RECALL. I BROUGHT IN TO FIX. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE POWER TRAIN RECALL THE MANUFACTURER NEVER INFORMED ME OF THIS PROBLEM AT ALL NOR THE DEALER. I'VE BEEN AN OWNER FOR 6 YEARS. AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, I AM APAULED AT THE WAY MAZDA FORD DEALERS HANDLE THERE CUSTOMERS AFTER REPEATEDLY TELLING THEM OF THIS PROBLEM. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO AT THIS POINT BUT TO ENGAGE A PETITON TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY NOT TO BUY THIS PRODUCT FORD MAZDA. I THINK THIS IS WRONG ON YOUR PART WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS PROBLEM NOW THAT IT'S GETTING WORST . YOU'VE PUT MY LIFE AND MY FAMILIES LIFE AT RISK KNOWING THAT IF MY CAR STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING WHICH IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. THE LAST INCIDENT WAS COMING HOME FROM PEEKSKILL NY AND THE CAR STALED ON ME 6TIMES. PLEASE LET THE DEALER KNOW THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM. *NM

WHILE DRIVING ON THE MASS. TURNPIKE ON 04/23/06, MY VEHICLE WAS SUDDENLY ENGULFED IN THICK GRAY SMOKE. IT WAS DETERMINED BY MY INSURANCE AGENCY THAT IT WAS A "MECHANICAL FAILURE', WHICH RESULTED IN MY VEHICLE NEEDING A NEW ENGINE. I WAS UNABLE TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE, AND WAS REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE FROM MAZDA USA AND DEALER VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM. VEHICLE HAS 45,000 MILES ON IT. *NM

NOVEMBER 2, 2006 MAZDA NORTH AMERICA OPERATIONS ATTN: CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER PO BOX 19734 IRVINE, CA 92623-9734 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: OUR SERVICE ADVISORS TONY AND BRIAN, AGAIN AT EL CAJON MAZDA, DID A LITTLE RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE ONLY FACTORY ROTORS FOR THE MAZDA TRIBUTE ARE THROW-AWAY. OTHER THAN BUYING AFTERMARKET PARTS, WHICH WE PREFER NOT TO DO, WE WOULD HAVE THIS THROW-AWAY DILEMMA. MY HUSBAND CALLED MAZDA NORTH AMERICA AND SPOKE WITH TODD IN CUSTOMER SERVICE. HE TOOK THE INFORMATION AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED US BACK. (I HAD ALREADY TRIED DOING WHAT MY HUSBAND DID, SPOKE WITH BRUCE, AND WAS TOLD TO GO TO ANOTHER MAZDA DEALERSHIP FOR A SECOND OPINION, THERE WAS NOTHING MAZDA COULD DO.) TODD SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND OUR FRUSTRATION WITH THIS WHOLE SITUATION AND CALLED TONY AT EL CAJON MAZDA AND AUTHORIZED FOR OUR ROTORS TO BE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE, WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PADS AND LABOR AGAIN. SO OUR BRAKES ARE NOW REPLACED, BUT WE ARE STILL FEELING A LITTLE FUNNY ABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION. WE WERE TOLD THAT IF THE PADS ARE CHANGED WITH 50% LIFE LEFT ON THEM, THEN THE ROTORS MAY BE ABLE TO BE TURNED. WELL, THAT SEEMS PRETTY CRAZY TO US TO HAVE TO GET NEW PADS WHEN THEY ARE STILL HALF THERE! WE REALLY WANT TO STICK WITH GENUINE MAZDA PARTS, BUT IN THE FUTURE FEEL THAT FINANCIALLY WE MAY BE BETTER OFF JUST BUYING AFTERMARKET SO WE DON'T HAVE TO REPLACE THE ROTORS EVERY 3 YEARS! NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE ARE SOMEWHAT FRUSTRATED WITH THE APPARENT DESIGN FLAW OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON OUR 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE, AND CERTAINLY HOPE WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS WITH OUR 2005. HOPEFULLY THIS SYSTEM HAS BEEN IMPROVED UPON. *JB

STARTING 2006 COULDN'T GET TRUCK INTO REVERSE AND IT WAS HARD TO FIND THIRD GEAR AND WOULD BE STUCK WINDING BETWEEN GEARS ON THE ROAD AND ON HIGHWAY CAUSING POSSIBILITY OF BEING STRUCK FROM SUDDENLY BEING UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. DEALER HAD CAR FOR OVER A WEEK AND FINALLY ENDED UP REPLACING A CABLE FOR THE COST OF $760.00. TWO WEEKS LATER THE TRUCK IS POPPING OUT OF THIRD GEAR WHILE DRIVING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DE-ACCELERATE QUICKLY WHILE STRUGGLING TO FIND THE GEAR OR NEXT GEAR. BROUGHT TRUCK BACK IN THEY SAID IT NEEDS A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION FOR $5,800.00 BECAUSE IT WOULD BE CHEAPER THAN TAKING IT APART AND FIXING INDIVIDUAL GEARS. TOTAL NEW VALUE OF VEHICLE 19,700 BEFORE TAXES. KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE ON THIS YEAR IN EXCELLENT CONDITION ONLY 5,700. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 57,000 MILES ON IT NOW. JUST MADE LAST PAYMENT TWO WEEKS BEFORE PROBLEM STARTED. *JB

MAZDA TRIBUTE 2001. WHILE STOPPED IN DRIVE (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; CRUISE CONTROL OFF) WITH FOOT ON BRAKE, ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED TO 4000 RPM. HAD TO USE HARD, FULL BRAKING PLUS EMERGENCY BRAKE TO KEEP SUV FROM MOVING FORWARD AND HITTING CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IN NEUTRAL, ENGINE REVVED AT 4000 RPM. TURNED ENGINE OFF AND RESTATED -- SITUATION HAS NOT REPEATED YET. *NM

ON 11/07/05 VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN DUE TO STALLING WHEN SLOWING AND STOPPING. THE ENGINE SENSOR WAS REPLACED. ON 11/08/05 VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT BACK STILL STALLING. AC GASKET AND IDLE VALVE WERE REPLACED. WE WERE TOLD OUR ENGINE WAS DAMAGED AND DEALER WOULD NOT FIX. THE DAY I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE IT STALLED AT 60 MPH. THREE DAYS LATER IT WOULD NOT START. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO LOCAL MECHANIC, FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS UNDRIVABLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. *JB

INSIDE DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE BROKE UNEXPECTEDLY AND UNDER NORMAL USE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS 2001 TRIBUTE. HAD TO REPAIR AT MY EXPENSE...OBVIOUSLY A COMMON PROBLEM AND UNACCEPTABLE. *JB

SHUTTER OF THE TRANSMISSION/TORQUE CONVERTER WHEN TRAVELING AROUND 45 MPH. PROBLEM FIRST REPORTED ON THE VEHICLE AROUND 30,000 MILES AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID PER TECH ASSISTANCE REF. 272101. DEALER DETERMINED "NO PROBLEM FOUND" WHEN THE SHUTTER WAS REPORTED AGAIN AT 48,000 MILES. WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS REPORTED AT 51,000 MILES, DEALER AGAIN FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION AND REFLASHED THE PCM. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AT 56,000 MILES AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER DETERMINED THE TRANSMSSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT 58,500 MILES. PROBLEM DISCOVERED AGAIN AROUND 88,000 MILES; AGAIN, DEALER FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION. PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AT 98,500 MILES AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE TORQUE CONVERTER. *NM