10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
54,369 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #10

Mar 262010

Tribute

  • 89,286 miles
The air bag light on my 2003 Mazda Tribute went on. I took it to the Mazda dealer of orange ca. They had claimed to my face that this has been a recurring issue with the Mazda Tributes lately. I was shocked to find out that this serious problem is happening with many of the Tributes not just mine. Why has Mazda not fixed the problem if they are aware of it" they claimed that the issue was with the electrical wiring of the seat belts that connected to that air bag. The seat belts would not lock if we were ever in a crash. Is that safe? does a death need to happen to get attention about the problem" because the car was not under warranty, I paid $486 out of my pocket to fix a defect that was not caused by normal wear and tear. After the repair the technicians could not get the air bag light to turn off. I asked if there may be a bigger problem that was overlooked. They said no the air bag light still periodically turns on and off. If I or any of my family members gets injured in an accident because of this safety negligence issue, I will sue Mazda. This seriously needs to be looked into to protect people from injury.

- Orange, CA, USA

problem #9

Aug 032009

Tribute

  • miles
The air bag light on my 2003 Mazda Tribute went on. I asked the local mechanic see why during a routine oil change. He says Mazda has a "technical service bulletin" out for wiring repairs under the seat. He says they know they have this wiring problem. Since my car has 100,000 miles Mazda says it is out of warranty and they won't cover it even though this is their wiring issue. The dealer wants to charge me $700 to fix their wiring problem which is very wrong.

- Mountain View, CA, USA

problem #8

Feb 082008

Tribute

  • 29,900 miles
2003 Mazda Tribute, purchase new. ABS light keeps blinking and then stays on and then goes off. Three separate trips to white plains Mazda at a good cost to us and telling us it was corrected - drive a 1/2 mile from the dealer and the light goes on again. Corrected again and a week later it goes on again! additionally, we have an incident in a parked position with motor running (10/13/08) where the car's RPM jumped to 7,000, the car rumbled and completely shut down. Car could not be restarted. Had to have it towed at a substantial cost to me including a separate charge to try and jump the car and now is at Mazda white plains again. Please contact me. I have called customer service number and they are to be in touch with my dealer. Please advise.

- Irvington, NY, USA

problem #7

Jul 212008

Tribute

  • miles
The airbag light has been repaired at least four times within the last two years. The last time was on July 10, 2008 at clippinger Mazda F, 2539 East garvey avenue North, West covina, ca 91791. Yesterday, July 21, the airbag light has been consistently on. I am concerned about my safety because the bag could deploy unexpectedly, or in the case of an accident, not deploy at all. I am driving a car that feels like having a hand grenade with the pin pulled.

- Pasadena, CA, USA

problem #6

Oct 292007

Tribute 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 64,755 miles
(1) airbag light illuminated on 2003 Mazda Tribute dashboard during return trip home from family gathering. (2) trouble codes identified at Mazda dealership where car was purchased: B1994 driver-side side air bag module circuit resistance high B1998 passenger-side side air bag module circuit resistance high informed by dealership that airbags may deploy at any time or may not deploy in case of a collision. Repairs necessary for proper airbag function. (3) as per tsb 0800205 and service kit 1L84-14293-aa problems addressed by dealership technician and airbag light no longer illuminated. Charge $338.37 parts and labor. Mazda and it's dealerships have profited by repairing, with Mazda certified parts, a known safety issue that could endanger the lives and safety of Mazda owners and their passengers if not addressed. There is a tsb and service kit designed to address this exact problem. This indicates Mazda is aware of the problem and is prepared to repair it at the cost of it's customers. When buying a product (a vehicle especially) safety is assumed. When there is a known safety hazard caused by the product, due to malfunction or negligence, it is the manufacturer's to correct the hazard. Not the customer.

- Albany, NY, USA

problem #5

May 012007

Tribute 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Mazda Tribute. The contact received recall notice # 07V157000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module). He took the vehicle to the dealer to inspect the air bags because the indicator light continued to illuminate on the instrument panel. He believes this failure is similar to the failure stated in the recall. The Mazda dealer will not do anything because the manufacturer must issue the recall. Mazda will not issue a recall unless they are pressured to do so by NHTSA. The contact has to pay $375 for the air bag indicator light. The mechanic replaced the wiring harness. When the light was illuminated, the air bags would not deploy due to the failed connection. The engine size was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 50,000.

- Beuamont, TX, USA

problem #4

Jul 192005

Tribute 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 28,500 miles
During the last 30 days, my airbag light has lit up. Mazda first replaced the passenger side restraint. The second time they replaced the control modular for the SRS. The third time, they claim a cable was loose, they tightened it. The dealer tells me it is an ongoing problem they have had with the 2003 and part of 2004 Tributes. However; they have offered me a free oil change so I wouldn't file a complaint.

- Worcester, MA, USA

problem #3

Oct 152004

Tribute

  • miles
Consumer states that her air bag lights stays on all of the time. She states she has taken this vehicle back to the dealer 6-7 times, and has been told several different things that causes this problem. Once she says she was told that something is wrong with the retentioner, and they went in and reset the computer.

- Kapaa, HI, USA

problem #2

Apr 102004

Tribute 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Air bag light comes on and staying on for over a period 6months even with several services calls with this problem the air bag will not evn work in an accident situation.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #1

Aug 192003

(reported on)

Tribute

  • miles
While traveling at 50 mph vehicle traveling in front came to a dead stop, which resulted in a rear ended collsion. Upon impact, none of the airbags deployed.

- Fresno, CA, USA