2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED, LOSING POWER STEERING, BRAKES, AND CLUTCH. COULD NOT RESTART, SO THE DEALERSHIP PICKED ME UP. DEALERSHIP STATED THE CLIP ON THE CLUTCH HAD BROKEN. THIS PROBLEM HAS ONLY HAPPENED THAT ONE TIME, HOWEVER ON SEVERAL OTHER OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE'S IDLING HAS GONE CRAZY AND JUMPED AND THE VEHICLE ACTED AS IF IT WERE GOING TO CUT OFF. THIS LASTED SEVERAL MINUTES AND SUBSIDED. I WAS FOUR MONTHS PREGNANT WHEN THIS OCCURRED AND WAS ALMOST HIT BY SEVERAL VEHICLES BECAUSE I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD. I AM NOW DRIVING AROUND WITH A SIX WEEK OLD CHILD. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A "SAFE" VEHICLE FOR MY SON. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT IT IS!*AK

ENGINE STALLED GOING DOWNHILL BETWEEN 45-50 MPH. DASH LIGHTS CAME ON, NO RPMS, COULD NOT RESTART WHILE COASTING. PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD, PLACED INTO PARK AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY THE NEXT DAY. *AK

FLYING DEBRIS (SAND, GRAVEL, STONES ETC.) FROM FRONT TIRES DO FLY AT SEVERAL SPEEDS TOWARDS THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE AND DAMAGE THE CLADDING SERIOUSLY. FURTHERMORE BECAUSE OF THIS DESIGN THE BIGGER OBJECTS CAN FLY FURTHER INTO INCOMING AND PASSING TRAFFIC AND DAMAGE AND ENDANGER LIFE AND PROPERTY. TO AVOID THIS USUALLY THE CAR MANUFACUTURER INSTALLS OR OFFERS TO INSTALL MUD FLAPS OR SPLASH GUARDS TO THE VEHICLES. UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF REPORTS THAT THE MAZDA TRIBUTE DOES NOT OFFER THIS SAFETY ADVISE AND DOES NOT MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO MAZDA TRIBUTE OWNERS. DAMAGE ON THE CARS IS IGNORED, BUT PROOF EXISTS THAT MAZDA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT DOES NOT DO ANYTHING FOR THESE VEHICLES ON THE MARKET. BUT MAZDA CONFIRMS THAT THE DESIGN WILL BE CHANGED FROM THE 2004 MODEL ON, BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW IF THAT FAR AWAY IMPROVEMENT WILL BE COMAPTIBLE TO THE TRIBUTES NOW ON THE MARKET. APPROACHED ALMOST EVERY AFTER MARKET PRODUCER OF MUD FLAPS EVERYONE IS UNABLE TO SUPPLY FRONT MUD FLAPS FOR THIS VEHICLE. EVEN WARNINGS TAKE PLACE N O T TO USE OTHER MUDFLAPS AS THEY HAVE TO BE INSTALLED ON THE FIBERGLASS CLADDING AND THAT CAN PRODUCE FLYING FIBERGLASS PARTS OFF THE VEHICLE FROM TORN CLADDING. THERE IS NOT SOLUTION ON THE MARKET AND THE SAFETY IS BESIDES THE DAMAGE ON THE BRANDNEW VEHICLES A BIG CONCERN. MAZDA OFFERED MYSELF TO INSTALL MUDFLAPS FROM THE BROTHER MODEL FORD ESCAPE BUT AFTER TRYING TO INSTALL THOSE ONES STOPPED THIS ATTEMPT AFTER ADMITTING THAT THEY DO NOT FIT! LOTS OF UNSATISFIED AND WORRIED TRIBUTE CUSTOMERS WAITING FOR A SOLUTION WHICH WAS DECLINED WITH E-MAIL FROM MAZDA AS THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE DAMAGE AND SAFETY IN THIS REGARD. *AK

THERE IS A LEAKAGE FROM CENTER AREA OF EXHAUST PIPE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER.*AK

VEHICLE WOULD WANDER WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, A LOUD SQUEALING SOUND WOULD COME FROM STEERING WHEEL OR COLUMN WHEN MAKING A TURN, ON COLD MORNINGS, THERE IS AN EXHAUST LEAK NOTICED FROM THE UNDERSIDE CENTER, CONTINENTAL TIRES SIZE #16, DOT #A3084531901, WEARING ON THE INSIDE EDGES. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING RACK, HOWEVER STEERING CONTINUES TO BE LOOSE. *YD

TIRES ON VEHICLE DO NOT HAVE GOOD TRACTION IN WET WEATHER OR SNOW. CONTACTED GOODYEAR. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FOR A 2001, MAZDA, TRIBUTE. *AK TIRE SIZE P215/70R12 AND DOT # E13027888. *YH

BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARE DESIGNED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED DRIVER CAN VERY EASILY HIT GAS PEDAL AS WELL. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

THE TRIBUTE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. WHEN I GOT IT RESTARTED, THE TRIP ODOMETER WAS RESET AND THE RADIO STATION PRESETS WERE LOST. I ALSO HAVE INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS STARTING THE CAR - IT MAKES A RATTLING SOUND AND THE BATTERY LIGHT GOES ON.

THERE IS A FUEL ODOR COMING INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE VENTS. IT SEEMS TO GET STRONGER AS I RUN THE AIR OR HEAT AND EVENTUALLY GETS TO THE POINT OF SMELLING SO BAD, I HAVE TO ROLL THE WINDOWS DOWN TO GET FRESH AIR. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND IT SEEMS SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. IT OCCURS EVERYTIME I USE THE VEHICLE. I HAVE GONE BY THE DEALERSHIP AND REPORTED THIS ISSUE AND THEY SAID THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. THEY SAID IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY TAKING MY VEHICLE TO OTHER PLACES TO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED AND THEY MAY HAVE SPILLED OIL ON THE ENGINE. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A VALID COMPLAINT SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IT GETS SO STRONG SOMETIMES, I GET A HEADACHE FROM THE FUMES. THIS CAN NOT BE GOOD TO BREATHE IN THESE FUMES. I HOPE SOMEONE CAN GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED SOON. *AK

THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE STALLED, LOSING CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND THE BRAKES. I HAD TO COAST TO A STOP IN THE CENTER TURNING LANE. AFTER THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP, I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND RESTARTED THE CAR WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. IF THERE HAD NOT BEEN A TURNING LANE, I WOULD HAVE CRASHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IF I HAD BEEN PASSING A CAR AT THE TIME, I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME, BUT FROM RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, IT IS APPARENT THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY PEOPLE. I TOOK THE TRIBUTE TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT OCCURING WITH MY VEHICLE, BUT WITH THE 2.0 LITER ENGINE TRIBUTES. HE IMPLIED THAT I MIGHT HAVE HIT THE KEYS IN SOME WAY AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF. I GOT NO SATISFACTION FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, SO I HAD NO OPTION BUT TO VOICE MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE.*AK