Mazda Tribute Structure Problems
Owners have filed 291 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the Mazda Tribute across 11 model years. The 2005 model year has the most (126). The words owners use most often: “wheel well” (35% of reports).
- 291structure complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 8mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 20%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Wheel well: mentioned in 101 of 291 complaints (35%)
- Rear passenger: mentioned in 43 of 291 complaints (15%)
- Door handle: mentioned in 33 of 291 complaints (11%)
- Shock mount: mentioned in 25 of 291 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 232 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 291 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 8 an injury.
Mazda Tribute structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Tribute | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2010 Tribute | 2 | 5% | 48,100 |
| 2009 Tribute | 2 | 6% | 110,372 |
| 2008 Tribute | 1 | 0% | 42,500 |
| 2006 Tribute | 13 | 10% | 104,683 |
| 2005 Tribute | 126 | 33% | 125,131 |
| 2004 Tribute | 45 | 29% | 136,000 |
| 2003 Tribute | 29 | 15% | 130,000 |
| 2002 Tribute | 26 | 7% | 110,000 |
| 2001 Tribute | 45 | 8% | 94,931 |
| 2000 Tribute | 1 | 20% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Structure:frame and members
Model years: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Problem: 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 forward attachment of the lower control arm.
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Passenger rear shock mount toatly rusted through. A big hole!
The contact owns a 2004 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stopped and noticed there was rust on the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it…
The rear wheel well was completely rusted out while the other side is fine. The shock broke loose causing the vehicle to drop down. I have a 17 year old that is not an experienced driver and this could have resulted in her getting seriously hurt. From what I read they recalled the vehicle to to…
The passenger subframe is rusted and broke the axel when driving. Glad im okâ¦.So dangerous and the driver side is fine so bad design by ford (the tribute is like the escape)
owned since day one, bought brand new, religiously maintained, perfect shape other than completely rusted wheel house back left passenger side. Shock went through rusted area all the way to trunk. Mazda recalled models 2003 to 2004 for this problem yet so many 2005 Mazda Tribute owners are having…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Mazda Tributes have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 291 owner complaints about structure for the Mazda Tribute. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Mazda Tribute structure?
Yes: 1 safety recall list structure. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about structure problems on the Mazda Tribute?
The most frequent phrase is “wheel well”, in 101 of 291 complaints, followed by “rear passenger” (43).
Other Mazda Tribute problems
See all Mazda Tribute problems.