2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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