Problems · NHTSA complaints

2001 Mazda Tribute problems

Owners filed 564 complaints about the 2001 Mazda Tribute with NHTSA between Sep 2000 and Jul 2024. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (167).

Complaints
564
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
21
Reported by owners
Fires
13
Reported by owners
Injuries
15
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling167
  2. Electrical system80
  3. Power train67
  4. Latches/locks/linkages59
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic46
  6. Structure45
  7. Vehicle speed control40
  8. Steering35
  9. Fuel system, gasoline31
  10. Visibility25
  11. Air bags22
  12. Suspension19
  13. Tires11
  14. Service brakes8

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200018
2001117
2002110
200356
200456
200526
200624
200726
200830
200922
201013
20115
201218
20136
20149
20159
20164
20175
20183
20192
20202
20211
20221
20230
20241

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

167 reports4 fires1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2001 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling and occasionally while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle would stall with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ECM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referenced an unknown recall that had since been expired. The failure mileage was 132,923.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 18, 2022Engine and engine coolingODI 11457256

Electrical system

80 reports4 fires
“THE CAR STALLS ALOT AND THE OIL AND BATTERY LIGHT FLASHES WHEN COMING TO A STOP THEN U DRIVE AGAIN AND IT GOES OFF. IT WILL DO IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS THEN STOP THEN START UP AGAIN. HAS TO BE SOME TYPE OF WIRING ISSUE HAD THE OIL CHANGE SO THATS FINE AND THE BATTERY TESTED AND THATS ALL GOOD. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 10, 2015Electrical systemODI 10704986

Power train

67 reports1 related recall
“PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND COULD NOT GET IT OUT OF REVERSE. STEERING TOTALLY LOCKED UP. I LOOKED ON GOOGLE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING QUITE A BIT AND A FEW YEARS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECALLED. I WAS IN A CVS PARKING LOT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. BLOCKED TRAFFIC AND PEOPLE WERE NOT HAPPY.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 15, 2016Steering, Power trainODI 10849747

Latches/locks/linkages

59 reports1 related recall
“THE DOOR LATCH ON THE DRIVERS DOOR WON'T OPEN AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE. IF SOMETHING HAPPENED AND I HAD TO GET OUT, I WOULD BE IN TROUBLE. A FRIEND RECENTLY TAUGHT ME HOW TO OPEN THE DOOR BY PUSHING THE LATCH BACKWARDS. IT HAS TO BE DONE BY REACHING ACROSS MY BODY WITH MY RIGHT HAND AND PUSHING THE LOCK BACKWARDS (EX: LIKE YOU'RE PINCHING SOMETHING). THERE ARE TOO MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE CONCERNING THIS SAME PROBLEM. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM??? THE ONLY BENEFIT FOR THIS IS IF SOMEONE STEALS MY VEHICLE AND CAN'T GET OUT, RESULTING IN BEING CAUGHT. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 9, 2010Latches/locks/linkagesODI 10369788

Service brakes, hydraulic

46 reports4 crashes6 fires3 related recalls
“2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO THE VEHICLE SUBFRAME CORROSION RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN EARLY JUNE. HOWEVER, SHE HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE REPAIRS. SO, SHE SUBMITTED A REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT, ALONG WITH A SYNOPSIS OF THE TROUBLE SHE EXPERIENCED. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER OF DENIAL FROM MAZDA, STATING THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED OR SERVICE COMPLETED, WERE NOT CONSIDERED COVERED ITEMS UNDER THE SUBFRAME CORROSION RECALL. ON DECEMBER 26, 2012 WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CONSUMER NOTICED A DECREASED CONTROL OVER THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE FISH-TAILED MULTIPLE TIMES IN LIGHT SNOW, WHICH HAD NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE. DUE TO HER STEERING DIFFICULTIES, SHE DROVE AT 30 MPH, YET STILL SPUN OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND SHE ONLY HIT A MEDIAN WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHT AND BODY DAMAGE. AT THE TIME, SHE ATTRIBUTED THE INCIDENT TO WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, IT MADE FAR MORE SENSE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RECALL. IN JANUARY 2013, SHE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE STEERING PROBLEMS. SHE ATTEMPTED TO GET AN ALIGNMENT, BUT RAN INTO PROBLEMS DUE TO THE SUBFRAME;…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 7, 2014Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulic, StructureCrash reportedODI 10619575

Structure

45 reports3 crashes1 related recall
“I WENT IN THE STORE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND I CAN OUT AND THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR AT ALL IT SHIFTED OUT OF PARK AND ALL IT DID WAS THE SHIFTER JUST STOPPED AND WAS LOOSE IT WOULD NOT INGAGE IN ANOTHER GEAR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 1, 2020StructureODI 11315447
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.