2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

WE OWN A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE ES V6 [XXX] . SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IN AUGUST 2001 THERE HAVE BEEN THREE INCIDENCES OF THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLES BECOMING NON-FUNCTIONAL AND CREATING A HAZARDOUS CONDITION WHERE THE DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE (SOMEONE MUST OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE OR YOU NEED TO OPEN THE WINDOW AND REACH OUT TO USE THE EXTERIOR HANDLE TO OPEN THE DOOR). THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS CONDITION SHOULD THE CAR BE INVOLVED IN A FIRE OR ACCIDENT WHERE THE OCCUPANT MUST QUICKLY EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE PLACES A GREAT DEAL OF SHEAR FORCE ON A SMALL PLASTIC PIN THAT CONNECTS THE DOOR LEVER TO THE LATCH/LOCK/ACTUATOR. THE DRIVER'S SIDE HANDLE HAS BROKEN TWICE SINCE 2001 AND THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE THIS WEEK. I LOOKED AT THE DRIVERS SIDE AND THE HANDLE IS SHOWING SIGNS OF FATIGUE (STRESS CRACKS) IN THE PLASTIC PIN, SO I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THAT BEFORE IT BREAKS DURING A POTENTIAL EMERGENCY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ON SATURDAY, MAY 15, MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE TRAVELING IN OUR 2001 MAZDA SE LX. IN ST. PAUL, MN. MY 22-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING. WE WERE SITTING AT A STOP-LIGHT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL SLOWLY DROPPED TO THE FLOOR. THERE WAS MINIMAL BRAKING POWER LEFT, BUT ENOUGH TO GET HOME. ON MON, MAY 15, VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO OUR REPAIR GARAGE AND DIAGNOSED WITH TWO FRONT BRAKE HOSES (ADJACENT TO WHEELS) THAT HAD "EXPLODED " AFTER INVESTIGATION, WE LEARNED THAT BRAKE-HOSE FAILURES OF FORD ESCAPES AND MAZDA TRIBUTES OF THAT ERA WERE EXTREMELY COMMON. IN A 2 - 3 WEEKS, WE'RE REPLACING THE REAR HOSES FOR SAFETY. I DO NOT KNOW WHY MAZDA HAS FAILED TO ISSUE A RECALL WITH RESPECT TO THIS ISSUE.. WHILE THE VEHICLE HAS HAD MORE REPAIR ISSUES THAN ANY OTHER I'VE OWNED, THIS ISSUE IS POTENTIALLY LETHAL, PARTICULARLY IF ONE IS TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY. A RECALL SHOULD BE REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY ON THESE HOSES. I HAVE ASKED FOR MAZDA'S ASSISTANCE IN ADDRESSING A COMPLIMENTARY REAR-HOSE REPAIR. THEY EXPRESSED DOUBT ABOUT TRYING TO HELP BECAUSE OF VEHICLES AGE AND MILEAGE -- 9 YEARS, 117,000 MILES, HOWEVER VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL-MAINTAINED. MAZDA CS INDICATED THEY WOULD CONTACT REGIONAL PERSONAL TO PROVIDE ME WITH A RESPONSE BUT WERE NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THEIR RESPONSE. REMEMBER: THIS FAILURE PROBABLY COMMON. OUR BRAKE HOSE RUPTURED AT A STOP LIGHT. HAD IT OCCURRED ROUGHLY FIVE MINUTES LATER, WE MIGHT HAVE RISKED OUR OWN LIVES AS WELL AS THOSE AROUND US. TRIBUTES ARE NO LONGER MANUFACTURED BY MAZDA. MY MODEL HAD AT LEAST 6 RECALLS AND 30+ IN-WARRANTY REPAIRS. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE FRONT DOOR HANDLE STOPPED WORKING, WINDOW NEEDS TO BE DOWN IN ORDER TO OPEN DOOR. IF IN AN ACCIDENT OR FIRE DRIVER WILL NEED ASSISTANCE IN EXITING CAR. THIS IS PROVEN BY ALL OTHER COMPLAINTS TO BE COMMON WITH THIS VEHICLE AND IN HAZARDOUS SITUATIONS POTENTIALLY FATAL UNLESS GOVERNMENT STEPS IN AND DEMANDS RECALL. DEALER WANTS $300.00+ TO FIX, HAVE ALREADY SPENT $3000.00+ AT DEALER ON COMPUTER FAILURES AND LEFT SIDE DRIVER DOOR WINDOW ASSEMBLY FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 3 MPH AND PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER WHERE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE AND LEVER WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,154 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 39,283. UPDATED 07/14/2010. *LJ UPDATED 07/28/10*JB

2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE - BOTH INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES BROKE OFF COMPLETELY WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF ONE ANOTHER. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY THERE IS NO WAY TO EXIT WITHOUT ROLLING DOWN THE WINDOW AND REACHING TO THE EXTERIOR HANDLES. *TR

2001 TRIBUTE WAS IN CRUISE CONTROL CRESTING A HILL WHEN TRAFFIC SLOWED, I APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT SOON REALIZED THAT NOT ONLY WAS THE CAR STILL IN CRUISE, BUT THAT THE ENGINE WAS BEGINNING TO RACE AND I WAS HAVING TO BRAKE HARD. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND PLACED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL WHEREUPON THE ENGINE REVVED SO HIGH THAT IT SHUT ITSELF DOWN. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I FEARED THE WORST BUT SOME SYSTEM SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN BEFORE IT SELF-DESTRUCTED. *TR

THIS COMPLAIN CONCERNS THE POWERTRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE CAR, WAS PARKED DURING THE DAY IN A STANDARD PARKING SPOT. WHEN I LATER TRIED TO BACK UP, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. IT HAD WORKED PERFECTLY THAT MORNING! THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THEY STATED THAT REVERSE, DRIVE AND SECOND DID NOT FUNCTION. THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION WHICH HAD BEEN INSTALLED BY THIS MECHANIC IN THIS TRIBUTE! IT HAD ONLY 39,000 MILES. IT WAS INSTALLED IN 2007. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 110,000 MILES. THE MAZDA CORPORATION WOULD NOT ADMIT TO A PROBLEM WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS AT THE TIME THE SECOND ONE (A MAZDA TRANSMISSION BOUGHT DIRECTLY FROM A MAZDA DEALER)WAS INSTALLED). THE MECHANIC, IN GOOD CONSCIOUSNESS, WILL NOT REPLACE THIS A THIRD TIME. SO WE ARE LEFT WITH A PERFECTLY GOOD BODY, NEW TIRES, AND A CAR THAT IS JUNK. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS TRANSMISSION IS POORLY DESIGNED. ALL WE CAN DO NOT IS DONATE IT OR PART IT OUT. WE BOUGHT THE CAR, USED, FROM CARMAX IN ROSEVILLE, CA, IN 2006. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF, MAZDA SAYS IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE SAFETY BELT PRETENSIONER. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE WITH THE FRONT DOORS NOT PROPERLY OPENING WHEN THE HANDLE IS PULLED TO OPEN THE DOOR. I FEEL IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY IT IS HARD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR STARTED THE PROBLEM ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TODAY AND THEY SAID IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER 200.00 TO FIX, AND THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO ORDER THE PART. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS EXCLUDED FROM RECALL # 04V605000(LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HATCHBACK/LIFT-GATE:LOCK); HOWEVER, THE LIFT-GATE ON THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 165,000