2003 Mazda Tribute Fuel system Problems

NHTSA report 7.19.2015 July 19, 2025 NHSTA Report This is what happened to me [XXX]: I was at an off ramp stop waiting for cars to pass. I eased forward to see if everyone had passed. The car accelerated on its own and I tried to stop. When I braked it accelerated faster. I had both feet on the brakes and tried to stop, but each time the car accelerated. It accelerated three times until I crashed. I crashed into a utility trailer and the wheel well of the trailer caught on my front left bumper on the driver's side. I was drug along the road around 60 miles per hour until the bumper bent and I could pull over onto the side of the road. The car was a total loss. The attached notice from Mazda matches the uncontrollable acceleration of my car. I contacted Mazda Corporation on the same day ([XXX]) and was told there is no VIN record of the car since I owned it. Additionally, they told me it was repaired in 2005 as a throttle recall. But there is a subsequent notice attached dated July, 2012 and no record of that recall repair. I called WA state Dept of Licensing to see if there is a new owner. They do not have a record of such. I contacted Copart in Arlington WA today to find out if the car was there for parts so nobody would buy the accelerator cable. Copart told me today they sold the car in 2024 but cannot release the name of whoever bought it. They said my insurance company would know. Whoever owns the car now needs to know there is a faulty accelerator cable causing a accident and they need to have it examined and replaced correctly. Please help find who owns this car and remedy a potential crash. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11674766

Incident

Jun 17, 2023

THE ACCELATOR IS STUCK AT 4,000 RPM. JUST ARRIVED IN DRIVEWAY AND PUT IN PARK.

NHTSA ID

11097980

Incident

May 25, 2018

Mileage

134,000 mi

STRUCTURE CROSS BRACKET FOR LOWER CONTROL ARM. ACCELERATOR CABLE.CRUISE CONTROL CABLE THROTTLE BODY STICKS EVEN AFTER THE RECALLS THE DRIVER AIR BAG DOES NOT WORK LIGHT ON DASH IT'S THE PLUG AT WIRE HARNESS MASTER CYLINDER LEAKS LOSE BRAKE FLUID ENGINE STALLED WHEN ON HWY105 WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN BUT WHILE TURNING CAR STARTED TO ROUGH IDLE AND STARTED TO DIE AGAIN. IDLED TO A STOP CAR WAS SHAKING AND WOULD RUN. HAD TO SIT AROUND 20 MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD RUN AND STAY GOING. CAR HAS BEEN REGISTERED IN MINNESOTA AND CANADA BOTH HAVE RECALLS FOR THIS CAR.

NHTSA ID

11071847

Incident

Jul 1, 2012

Mileage

104,000 mi

COIL FAILURE, REPLACED AND SAME COIL FAILURES REOCCUR. PCM FAILURE CAUSING COIL FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10611220

Incident

Jul 8, 2014

Mileage

147,302 mi

JUST BOUGHT A 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE FROM TOYOTA OF NICHOLASVILLE 3 WEEKS AGO. WENT OUT TO THE GARAGE TO START IT THIS MORNING AND THE THING CAUGHT FIRE. PUT IT OUT WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE AIR FILTER AREA IS BURNED AND MELTED. MY WIFE NO LONGER FEELS SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE(ISN'T REPAIRED YET), WITH OUR YOUNG CHILD STRAPPED IN THE CAR SEAT. I SUSTAINED SMALL BURNS TO MY HANDS PUTTING THE FIRE OUT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10175677

Incident

Dec 9, 2006

Mileage

37,162 mi

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH LESS THAN 600 MILES ON THE CAR DUE TO A HOSE CLAMP NOT BEING SECURED DURING MANUFACTURE. EVER SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR HESITATING AND ALMOST STALLING WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP JUST AFTER STARTING THE CAR. IT ALSO HAPPENS MORE OFTEN IF THE CAR IS NOT LEVEL AT THE TIME, EITHER ON AN INCLINE OR DECLINE. IF I LET THE CAR WARM UP FOR A FEW MINUTES, I GENERALLY DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE GAS PEDAL FEELING LIKE IT STICKS OR IS CATCHING ON SOMETHING, I HAVE NOTICED THIS PROBLEM MORE OFTEN WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 75 DEGREES. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR FINALLY ACTIVATES, THE CAR GENERAL LUNGES FORWARD OR WILL SPIN THE TIRES, I HAVE LEARNED TO LET MY FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER CONTROL. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR SHIFTING ABRUPTLY BETWEEN GEARS, BUT THIS HAS SUBSIDED QUITE A BIT. I HAVE ALSO FELT A VIBRATION IN THE CAR AROUND 45 AND 70 MPH. I DON'T FEEL THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL, IT FEELS LIKE IT IS COMING FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR, MORE IN THE TRANSMISSION/DRIVETRAIN AREA. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED A BALANCED 3 TIMES AND ALSO HAD THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED, BUT THE VIBRATION STILL OCCURS. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY ALWAYS SAY THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEMS. I HAVE RESEARCHED ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS AND RECALLS FOR THE TRIBUTE AND THE FORD ESCAPE, SINCE THEY ARE BASICALLY THE SAME VEHICLE, AND THERE ARE QUITE A FEW SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I THINK THE HESITATING PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE RECALL FOR THE "STALLING" PROBLEM, I THINK THE PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN THEY THOUGHT OR THE FIX FOR THE RECALL DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM ENTIRELY.*AK

NHTSA ID

10090701

Incident

Sep 9, 2004

Mileage

567 mi

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE CONCERNING FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. SERVICE MANAGER BRIAN SHELTON. *AK

NHTSA ID

10071507

Incident

Apr 23, 2004

AFTER SITTING FOR 2 DAYS IN FEBURARY OF 2003, MY 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE HAS A HARD START AND EXTRAME HESITATION WHEN DRIVING. LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MAZDA DEALERSHIP WHO SAID IT WAS CAUSED BY BUSTED SPARK PLUG. I OKED A TUNE UP. IN MARCH 2003 AFTER SITTING TWO DAYS, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THEY FOUND A CALLAPSED HOSE. I HAVE NOT ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO SIT FOR 2 DAYS AGAIN BUT DID NOTICE A SLIGHT HESITATION OFF AND ON AND IT IS NOW DECEMBER 2003 AND THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE. AND LIKE OTHER COMPLAINTS, IT STARTS AT ELEVATION BETWEEN 45-50 MPH. AFTER 55 IT'S FINE. IT DOES THIS ALL THE TIME. AS OF 1-2-04 I HAVE A SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH NO WARNING HOWEVER, I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER WITH NO PROBLEMS. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES THE VEHICLE STARTED WITH NO PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10051474

Incident

Feb 12, 2003

Mileage

50,000 mi

AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO LEAKING GASOLINE ON THE MANIFOLD. *AK *TS *JB

NHTSA ID

10034439

Incident

Aug 4, 2003

Mileage

2,450 mi