2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX. 45MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY QUITS, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. AFTER MANAGING TO PULL OFF OF THE ROAD, I PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, THEN RESTARTED WITH NO PROBLEM. CALLED MAZDA DEALERSHIP. THEY WERE VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAD MANY OTHER TRIBUTE OWNERS CALLING THEM WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT HE WISHED HE COULD TELL ME THERE WAS A REPLACEMENT PART AVAILABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT HONESTLY, THERE ISN'T A FIX. MAZDA HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE DRIVING THESE VEHICLES, AND MANY OF THEM HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM I HAVE JUST DESCRIBED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD, POTENTIALLY DEADLY. BECAUSE IT RANDOMLY RE-OCCURS, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THE DRIVING SITUATION WILL BE WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. BECAUSE THERE IS NO CORRECTIVE ACTION AVAILABLE, WE ARE TOLD NOTHING CAN BE DONE, AND WE MUST CONTINUE PUTTING OUR FAMILIES AT RISK. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. I PROPOSE WE SELL OUR VEHICLES BACK TO MAZDA , AND BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SELECT A DIFFERENCT VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT POSE THIS HAZARD.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE WOULD STALL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE JERKING, PROBLEM BELIEVED TO BE THE RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. *MR THE TRANSMISSION WAS FLUSHED BUT THE PROBLEM REMAINED THE SAME. THE DEALER LATER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. (THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 45-50, BUT AFTER THE REPLACEMENT, DOWN TO 35-45 MPH. THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH NO WARNING. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED LIABILITY. *SCC *JB

VEHICLE CUT OFF ON TWO OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH. DEALER CONTACTED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT EXPRESSWAY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE SHUT OFF. *AK CONSUMER STATED THE THROTTLE BODY WAS CLEANED BUT NOT REPLACED.*JB

VEHICLE STALLED, LOST ALL POWER AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CONTACTED DEALER. CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER REPLACED AN EGR VALVE AND BOOST SENSOR, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO STALL, ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED.*JB

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ENGINE CUTS OFF, CAUSING STEERING AND BRAKES TO LOCK UP. DRIVER HAS TO LET VEHICLE SIT A FEW MOMENTS AND THEN RESTART THE IGNITION. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES AND CANT FIX IT. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT AUTOMATIC WINDOWS MALFUNCTIONED. COOLANT LIGHT CAMES ON AND DEALER DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS LEAK IN COOLANT BOTTLE. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAMES ON DUE TO EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE FAILURE. *YH

ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF WITH NO WARNING WHILE DRIVING. YOU DO NOT REALIZE IT HAS OCCURRED UNTIL YOU NOTICE YOUR POWER STEERING HAS BECOME STIFF OR YOU GO TO ACCELERATE. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES FIRST TIME 10/2001, SECOND 11/2001 THIRD 5/2002. EACH TIME IT OCCURRED WITHIN FIRST 30-45 MINUTES OF DRIVING AND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS NOT IN USE.*AK

ENGINE PERIODICALLY SHUTS DOWN AT LOW RPMS. POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAIL WHEN ENGINE SHUTS DOWN AND, AS A RESULT, THE TRIBUTE IS DIFFICULT TO STEER AND STOP. SHUTDOWNS HAVE HAPPENED AT LEAST ELEVEN TIMES - ALWAYS AT LOW RPMS (1000 RPM OR LESS). EACH SHUT DOWN OCCURRED WHEN I WAS COASTING DOWNHILL. GENERALLY, I WAS ALSO BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME. THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY DILIGENT IN THEIR EFFORTS BUT SO FAR MAZDA HAS BEEN UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDED TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I BOUGHT THE TRIBUTE IN JAN 2001 AND EXPERICED THE FIRST FAILURES BEFORE THE FIRST 3000 MILE SERVICING. THE FIRST DEALER RESOLUTION ATTEMPT WAS NOT DOCUMENTED. THE TECHNICIAN QUERIED THE ONBOARD COMPUTER BUT THERE WAS NO CODE INDICATING ANY FAILURE. ON 4/28/02, AFTER MORE FAILURES, THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A WIRING PROBLEM AND "FIXED". THREE MORE FALILURES OCCURRED BEFORE THE TRIBUTE REACHED 6000 MILES. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE BUT ON 8/8/01 ADVISED MAZDA. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. ENGINE SHUTDOWNS CONTINUED AND ON 10/09/01 AT 7,639 MILES, THE DEALER REMOVED THE BYPASS AIR CONTROL VALVE AND CLEANED THE PASSAGEWAY - AS ADVISED BY MAZDA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. THE TRIBUTE THEN RAN FINE FOR EIGHT MONTHS. THEN IN JUNE 2002, THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED AND THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. DEALER STILL HAD SEEN NOTHING FURTHER FROM MAZDA CONCERNING RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM AND CONTACTED THEM ONCE MORE FOR ASSISTANCE. SUGGESTION WAS TO "RE-PROGRAM" THE ONBOARD COMPUTER THE NEXT TIME THE CAR IS BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICING. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND WILL UTLIMATELY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. SO FAR, SHUTDOWNS HAVE OCCURRED WHILE I WAS IN AN UNCONGESTED AREA BUT THAT IS SIMPLY LUCK. MAZDA AND FORD HAVE A REALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND RESOLUTION. SO FAR I HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING FROM MAZDA LETTING ME KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRIBUTE. GUESS THEY FEEL IT IS NOT A PROBLEM AS LONG AS IT CAN BE IGNORED.

ENGINE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH ON CITY STREET. WAS ABLE TO RESTART ENGINE AFTER STOPPING. DEALER REPROGRAMMED ENGINE COMPUTER.*AK