2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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.

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