Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
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Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Mazda Tribute submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
CAR STALLED WHEN SLOWING TO STOP IN LEFT TURNING LANE DOING AROUND 45MPH, APPROACHING THE LIGHT IN A BUSY INTERSECTION AND VEHICLES APPROACHING MINE FROM BEHIND. IT WOULD NO LONGER START IN PARK OR MOVE IN DRIVE, TO GET OUR OF THE WAY AND OFF THE STREET I HAD TO WAIT AND THE MOVE IT IN REVERSE. GOT TOWED HOME AND IT STILL SITS.
I WAS DRIVING AROUND 50MPH AND COMNG UP TO A STOP LIGHT, AS I BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN IN THE LEFT TURNING LANE FOR THE RED LIGHT GOING LEFT, MY TRIBUTE SUDDENLY STALLED.THE LIGHT THEN OF COURSE TURNED GREEN AND THIS WAS NOT GOOD, CAUSE ALL THE CARS COMING UP FROM BEHIND ME WERE NOW INTENDING TO NO SLOW DOWN AND BEGIN TO SPEED UP, TO CARRY ON THROUGH THE VERY BUSY INTERSECTION. WHICH ALMOST CREATED A PILE UP, BEGINNING AT MY REAR BUMPER, OR ANOTHER SUDDEN COLLISION NEAR BY. LUCKILY ALL THE CARS HAD EITHER SWERVED AROUND MINE, OR MANAGED TO STOP BEHIND ME. I THEN PUT MINE IN PARK AND TRIED TO START IT, THE ENGINE STARTED BUT I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK. SO I SHUT IT OFF, PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND TRIED STARTING IT, IT STARTED AND SHIFTED OUT OF PARK BUT WOULD NOT MOVE WHILE IN DRIVE. SO I TRIED IN ONE OF THE LOWER GEARS AND IT VERY SLOWLY, ABOUT 5 MPH BEGAN TO MOVE, GETTING ME OFF THE MAJOR ST AND ON TO A SIDE STREET. I THEN CHECKED REVERSE, WHICH WORKED JUST FINE AND ALLOWED ME TO PULL INTO A NEARBY STORE TO WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK. I PUT IT IN PARK AND SHUT IT OFF, TOO WAIT FOR IT TO BE TOWED HOME. THE NEXT DAY I TRIED TO USE IT, BUT STILL NOTHING IN DRIVE, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND ITS BEEN PARKED EVER SINCE, ABOUT 5 MONTHS NOW.
I WAS COMING UP TO A STOP LIGHT AND AS I SLOWED DOWN MY 03 MAZDA TRIBUTE STALLED, LEAVING ME STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF 5 LANES. AS THE LIGHT WAS TURNING GREEN & THE CARS NEARING MY REAR, HAD TO SWERVE AROUND TO AVOID A COLLISION. I HAD PLACED MY SHIFTER INTO PARK AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART MY VEHICLE, BUT IT STILL WOULD NOT MOVE AFTER SHIFTING INTO D(DRIVE). SO I SHIFTED INTO ONE OF THE LOWER GEARS, TO SLOWLY GET OFF THE STREET AND INTO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT. I PARKED AND SHUT MY VEHICLE OFF, MADE SURE ALL WAS INTACT THEN RESTARTING MY VEHICLE. I SHIFTED INTO R(REVERSE) AND BACKED UP NORMALLY, I THEN SHIFTED INTO D(DRIVE) BUT MY CAR ONLY ROLLED AS THOUGH IT WAS IN N(NEUTRAL). SO I SHIFTED INTO R(REVERSE), BACKED DIRECTLY INTO MY PARKING SPACE AND CALLED MY ROADSIDE ASSIST. TO BE TOWED HOME.
TAKATA RECALL, LIGHT CONTINUES TO FLASH WHILE DRIVING AND SITTING IN PARK, GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY OR CITY STREETS.DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE CAR STOPPED PULLING WITH TRAFFIC SPEED OF 65 MPH HAD TO MANEUVER OFF THE HIGHWAY. WOULDN'T PULL IN ANY GEAR, SHIFTER ONLY HAD ONE GEAR IT WOULD SIT IN WILL SLIDE FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE 2. COST $224.00 TO TOW WHICH I HAD TO BORROW.
COIL FAILURE, REPLACED AND SAME COIL FAILURES REOCCUR. PCM FAILURE CAUSING COIL FAILURE. *TR
ON JUNE 25, 2013 @ 11:00AM I CALLED MAZDA CORPORATION (REFERENCE CALL NUMBER: [XXX]) ABOUT RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH MY MAZDA TRIBUTE 2003 AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALLS WERE NOT ASSIGNED TO THE VIN NUMBER OF MY VEHICLE. THE MAZDA REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT ONLY THE SEAT BEAT ADJUSTMENT HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO MY VEHICLE AND THAT I DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL. MAZDA WILL NOT HONOR THE RECALL. I BOUGHT THE TRIBUTE IN 2010 FROM A DEALERSHIP; THUS, WAS NOT AWARE OF THE RECALLS. I HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE AND HAVE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY TRYING TO FIX IT. I HAVE A 13 AND 14 YEAR OLD GIRLS AND AM A SINGLE PARENT. ACCORDING TO THE RECALL, THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE. I CANNOT AFFORD RIGHT NOW TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE. I AM ONLY ASKING MAZDA TO HONOR THE RECALLS. PLEASE SEE THE RECALL NOTICE BELOW FROM MAZDA: 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE RECALL ITEM AFFECTED: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) DATE ANNOUNCED: 4/14/2004 DESCRIPTION OF RECALL: ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L V6 DURATEC ENGINES , DURING DECELERATION, THE ENGINE CAN STALL. ACTION NEEDED TO FIX IT: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE POWER CONTROL MODULE (PCM) WITH THE APPROPRIATE CALIBRATION. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 3, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
MY WIFE WAS IN THE PARKING LOT AT CHURCH WAITING FOR A CAR TO PULL AWAY SO SHE COULD PARK. THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL FORWARD SO SHE STEPPED HARDER ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR LURCHED AHEAD CRASHING INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER. MY WIFE IS QUITE SURE SHE HAD HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE. AS SHE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS I STARTED REMEMBERING AN EVENT. THIS CAR HAD BELONGED TO MY FATHER WHO HAS SINCE PASSED AWAY. HE PURCHASED IT NEW. I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE OF THE DATE, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. HE WAS PARKING AT A HOSPITAL WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKING OFF AND PUSHING THE CAR IN FRONT OF HIM. I FIGURED HE WAS HAVING A SENIOR MOMENT AND HAD HIS FOOT ON THE WRONG PEDAL. I DID SOME QUICK RESEARCH TODAY AND FOUND THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. MAYBE MY FATHER WAS DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS AND IT REALLY WAS THE CARS FAULT. I ALSO SEE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ON THIS MATTER. I'M NOT SURE IF ANY OF THESE ISSUES WERE ADDRESSED WHEN MY FATHER HAD THE CAR, BUT I WILL BE CHECKING IT OUT. I HOPE YOU WILL BE CONTINUING TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS. THIS IS A SCARY AND DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT DESERVES YOUR ATTENTION. WHEN THINGS START EFFECTING YOUR DRIVING RECORD, INSURANCE COSTS, AND MAKE YOU PAY DEDUCTIBLES WHEN IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE! *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
MY 03 MAZDA TRIBUTE ES ABS LIGHT CAME ON AT 80K. UPON INSPECTION THE LEFT FRONT DRIVE AXLE ABS SPEED SENSOR RING WAS BROKEN. THE RING IS NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE AND MAZDA TOLD ME THE SHAFT WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE PART ALONE $325. PLUS LABOR. THE MAZDA PARTS PEOPLE TOLD ME IT'S A SHAME THAT YOU CAN'T JUST REPLACE THE RING. AND THAT THERE KNOWN FOR BRAKING. IT DOES EFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKES. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE SHAFT YET STILL LOOKING FOR THE RING. *TR
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
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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