2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

EVERY TIME IT RAINS REALLY HARD OR THERE'S FLOODING IN THE STREETS THE CAR STARTS SHOWING THE BATTERY LIGHT LIKE IT IS GOING TO DIE ON ME AND AS A PRECAUTION I TRY TO PULL OUT OF THE STREET TO ANY PLACE AND WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THE CAR LOOSES POWER AND THE WHEELS WON'T TURN. DRIVING NO MORE THAN 5MPH WHILE SLOWING DOWN FROM A NORMAL 35MPH WITHOUT WARNING MY ENGINE SHUT OFF AND I LOST POWER TO MY STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO OFF THE ROAD AFTER APPLYING ALL MY WEIGHT TO THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL. I MISSED AN ONCOMING CAR AND A TREE BY AN INCH. I DECIDED TO DO SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AND IT SEEMS I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM WITH A MAZDA TRIBUTE 2003. I AM VERY WORRIED BECAUSE IT HURRICANE SEASON HERE IN FL AND THE RAIN IS NOT SOMETHING I CAN PREDICT, BESIDES IT SEEMS ABSURD THAT I WOULD EVEN HAVE TO WATCH THE WEATHER TO SEE IF I SHOULD OR NOT DRIVE THE CAR. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN!! I DRIVE MY 2 YEAR OLD EVERY DAY AND IT IS NOT RIGHT THAT MAZDA WOULD HAVE CARS WITH THIS ISSUES OUT IN THE STREET. IF FEELS LIKE BY SIGNING A PURCHASE CONTRACT ON IT. I HAD SIGNED A DEATH WITH IT. PLEASE DO SOMETHING. I HAVEN'T FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

THE FIRST 2 TO 4 TIMES THE ACCELERATOR IS USED (NOT PUSHED HARD), THE CABLE STICKS. WE HAVE TO PUSH HARDER ON THE PEDAL, THEN IT SUDDENLY RELEASES. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO JUMP IN THE DIRECTION CHOSEN. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SMOOTHLY BACK OUR OF THE GARAGE OR PARKING SPACE. THEN THE ACCELERATOR IS SLOW TO RETURN TO IDLE. IT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME ISSUE AS RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN #04V583000 FOR 2004 TRIBUTES, BUT OUR VEHICLE WAS BUILT AT THE END OF 2003. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT DECELERATE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY REPEATED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STOP AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AND THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ADDRESSING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

WHILE ENTERING PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF BUILDING, ACCELERATOR RACED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HIT CONCRETE POLE IN FRONT OF BUILDING. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE THE ACCELERATOR RACED LIKE THIS; ONCE AT A RED LIGHT, WHERE I HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, AND ONCE AT A STOP SIGN WHERE FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND. *TR

THE RPM ON THIS VEHICLE JUMPS EVEN IF I AM AT A FULL STOP SOMETIMES IT RACES EVEN IF THE CAR IS IN PARK TOOK THE CAR TO SEVERAL SHOPS HAD SEVERELY PARTS REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA TRIBUNE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE BRAKING TO A STOP, THE BRAKE LINE FAILED. THE BRAKE LINE FRACTURED AND ALL OF THE FLUIDS LEAKED OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE BRAKE LINES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

MY 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE WAS RECALLED IN MAY 2007 FOR ABS VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL. I TOOK IT IN THAT SAME MONTH AND THE DEALER DETERMINED MODULE CONNECTOR DID NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED. ON MARCH 15, 2012 ABS LIGHT CAME ON FOR NO REASON AND STAYED ON FOR AN HOUR. TOOK IT TO HAVE IT CHECKED ON MARCH 17, CODE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. UPON INSPECTION EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD THE ABS LIGHT COME ON AGAIN. TWO DAYS LATER, ON MARCH 19, 2012 I HAD BEEN AT WORK FOR AN HOUR WITH MY CAR PARKED WHEN I WAS NOTIFIED THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS TOTALED DUE TO THE FIRE. ACCORDING TO THE RECALL OF MAY 2007, AN ELECTRICAL SHORT COULD CAUSE AN ABS MALFUNCTION WHICH WOULD ILLUMINATE THE ABS LIGHT AND COULD RESULT IN "BURNING ODOR, SMOKE, AND/OR FIRE. THIS COULD OCCUR EITHER WHEN THE VEHICLE IGNITION SWITCH IS IN THE OFF POSITION OR WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED." MY CAR WAS OFF WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I BELIEVE THAT HAD THE MODULE CONNECTOR BEEN REPLACED IN 2007 WHEN I TOOK IT IN UNDER THE SAFETY RECALL, THIS FIRE WOULDN'T HAVE OCCURRED. *JS

MY 2003 TRIBUTE HAS BEEN LEAKING OIL FROM THE OIL PAN GASKET BETWEEN THE OIL PAN AND ENGINE BLOCK. OF COURSE AFTER TIME IT WOULD LEAK BUT I HAVE HEARD THAT THE TRIBUTE HAS A BAD DESIGN WITH THE OIL PAN AND GASKET. THE DEALERSHIP TRIED TO SELL ME THE NEW OIL PAN REPLACEMENT FOR THE DEFECTIVE ONE AND THE NEW GASKET REPLACEMENT FOR ALSO THAT DEFECTIVE PART. MAZDA REDESIGNED THE OIL PAN WITH AN EMBEDDED O RING IN LIEU OF A GASKET. THE DEALERS WANT TO SELL THE NEWLY DESIGNED PAN INSTALLED FOR $440 + TAX (MEDFORD, NY). I WOULD THINK THAT IT IS A DEFECT AND WOULD LIKE THIS AGENCIES OPINION. IF THE DESIGN WAS GOOD FROM THE START MAZDA WOULDN'T PUT THE TIME AND MONEY INTO REDESIGNING THE OIL PAN AND GASKET, AND RECOMMENDING THE REPLACEMENT. MAZDA WILL NOT DO THE GASKET REPLACEMENT UNLESS THE NEW DESIGNED PAN AND GASKET WAS USED. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE WHEN THE CONTACT HEARD AN EXPLOSION. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FOR THE FAILURE AND DECLARED AS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V157000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTI LOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE ) IN WHICH THE CONTACT HAD EXPERIENCED SIMILAR SYMPTOMS AS THAT WHICH WAS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING ONTO THE WIRING. THE CONTACT COULD ALSO SMELL A BURNING ODOR FROM THE ENGINE WHEN DRIVING. THE BATTERY AND THE ABS WARNING LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE, BUT THE CONTACT HAD THE BRAKE FLUID CAP REPLACED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V005000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK:CONTROL) BUT DID NOT CONFIRM IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000.