2002 Mazda Tribute problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline (60) · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine (30) · Air Bags (28)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mazda Tribute model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
210 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Suspension:front:wheel Bearing 2015-06-03 · campaign 15E045000 · 576 vehicles
Defect: The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service parts on 2001-2012 Ford Escape, 2001-2011 Mazda Tribute, and 2005-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles. The affected wheel bearings have incorrect dimensions of a 42mm bore, 76mm outer dimension, and 39mm width, instead of a 42mm bore, 78mm outer dimension and a 45mm width.
Risk: Use of an incorrectly sized wheel bearing can adversely affect the braking and steering of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Timken has begun notifying distributors who will offer purchasers replacement wheel bearings, free of charge. The recall began on May 21, 2015. Owners may contact Timken customer service at 1-866-984-6536.
Structure:frame And Members 2014-04-04 · campaign 14V174000 · 109,000 vehicles
Defect: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2004 Tribute vehicles manufactured May 22, 2000, through December 19, 2003, originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. These vehicles may experience excessive corrosion at the
Risk: A separation of the lower control arm can result in a significant loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will install a newly designed reinforcement cross-brace, free of charge. The recall began on May 29, 2014. Owners may contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 7514D.
Vehicle Speed Control:cables 2012-07-27 · campaign 12V357000 · 217,500 vehicles
Defect: Mazda is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2006, and 2008, Tribute vehicles equipped with 3.0L V6 engines and speed control. Inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the speed control cable connector could result in a stuck throttle when the accelerator pedal is fully or almost-fully depressed. This risk exists regardless of whether or not speed control (cruise control) is used.
Risk: A stuck throttle may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop or slow the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles by increasing the engine cover clearance, free of charge. Remedy parts are now available. The safety recall began on September 13, 2012. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-222-5500, option #6.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2012-01-20 · campaign 12V016000 · 52,390 vehicles
Defect: MAZDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2001-2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 20, 2000, THROUGH JULY 19, 2002. THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR CAP CAN LEAK BRAKE FLUID. IF BRAKE FLUID LEAKS, IT COULD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) MODULE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR.
Risk: CORROSION MAY DEVELOP IN THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR LEADING MELTING, SMOKING OR POSSIBLE FIRE.
Fix: MAZDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR CAP AND MODIFY THE ABS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FREE OF CHARGE. UNTIL THE REPAIR HAS BEEN PERFORMED, VEHICLE OWNERS SHOULD PARK THEIR VEHICLES OUTSIDE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 22, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAZDA AT 1-800-222-5500, OPTION 6.
Service bulletins (150)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-20 · SA-055-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
product quality information (pqi) description service information mt-041/12 is no longer valid. it has been unpublished and superseded by the field quality information report (fqir) reporting system.
Visibility/Wiper 2026-07-29 · 09-022-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. the changes are noted in red text. 09-042/04 12/10/04 description some vehicles may exhibit inoperative electric rear window defroster grid lines, integral antenna concerns causing radio reception issues or terminal tabs pulled
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-21 · SA-029-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this service alert supersedes the previously issued sa listed below: the changes are noted in red. sa-011/24 02/12/24, 06/06/24, 07/29/24 description mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. mazda recommends dealers follow the sch
Unknown Or Other 2024-08-08 · 09-038-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
in accordance with federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. note: tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by federal, and state laws. it is the dealer’s responsibility to comply with federal, state, and local laws concerning odometer
Unknown Or Other 2024-07-29 · SA-011-24b · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. services performed outside of mazda's factory scheduled
Unknown Or Other 2024-06-07 · SA-011-24a · Other
mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. services performed outside of mazda's factory scheduled
Showing the 6 most recent of 150 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2023-11-22 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 162,000 mi“the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was shifting erratically and made an abnormal rumbling sound. the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to respond and was jerking upon depressing …”
2023-10-13 · Service Brakes“my car has had a abs engine code for a year that i have spent a lot of money trying to get it off because, i can’t renew my tag because it failed emissions vehicle safety test . so i was notified by my insurance company that my vehicle was under recall. i read it and called mazda and it was confirmed and i went to the shop and i waited 6 hours for …”
2022-12-16 · Vehicle Speed Control“my vehicle took off and accelerated without me depressing the gas pedal and it was very scary and hard to get stopped i was doing almost 80 mph. it had a safety recall for the throttle cable for this but you show no open recalls yet mazda does and told me if recalls we're taken care of they would show up on the car fax which they do not my vehicle…”
2022-03-01 · Steering:column · 95,000 mi“the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel felt as if it was detached from the steering column. additionally, there was a grinding noise coming from the passenger’s side front wheel well. the contact did not notice any warning lights. the contact was able to drive the vehicle saf…”
2021-09-17 · Power Train · 230,000 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owned a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, a pop noise was heard, the vehicle had unintended acceleration; the engine revved and sped up to 80 - 90 mph, inadvertently, and the brakes failed to engage after the contact had depressed with both feet on the brake pedal. the contact made a turn into a park a…”
2020-05-21 · Suspension · 82,000 mi“driving the vehicle down a city street the steering became extremely loose. upon inspection we found that the front subframe had rusted/broken and the lower control arm had separated from it. after a search we discovered that this issue is covered under the 7514d recall. a vin search confirmed that this was an open recall on this vehicle. we towed …”
2019-09-16 · Visibility · 150,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. the contact stated that when the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to stop and continued to move forward. the contact had to forcefully depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. there were no warning indicators illuminated. in addition, none of the locks functioned and the body frame was rus…”
2019-09-16 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“tl* the contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2002 mazda tribute. while driving 30 mph, another vehicle abruptly stopped in front of the owner's vehicle. the owner was not able to stop the vehicle in time and crashed into the rear of the other vehicle. the air bags deployed with force. as a result, the contact sustained crushed ribs and a brok…”
2019-08-10 · Suspension · 100,000 mi“i brought this car front the dealer and didn't know about the recall on the control arm and no one told me it is now 17 years old and i only had it for a year…”
2018-11-28 · Unknown Or Other · 223,095 mi · 🔥 fire“i had the oil changed in pahrump, nevada at round 10 am. afterwards, i drove the vehicle around town for several hours, loading it up with belongings because i was moving 160 north on hwy 95. after stopping in beatty, nevada, my suv sputtered. i took the suv out of overdrive into drive to see if it would backfire to get the dirt or water out of the…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.