2001 Mazda Tribute Powertrain & Transmission Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO THE DRIVE POSITION AND FAILED TO MOVE FORWARD. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE RPMS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BECAME INOPERABLE WHILE GEAR SHIFT WAS IN THE REVERSE POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

MY CAR HAD BEEN STARTING OFF VERY SLOW FROM A COMPLETE STOP.ONE DAY PRIOR IT WOULD GO INTO REV. THE NEXT DAY I AM SITTING AT A STOP SIGN AND WITHOUT TOUCHING ANYTHING THE SUV SWIFTED INTO REV ON ITS OWN AND I COULD NOT PULL OFF FROM THE STOP SIGN. IT WOULD REVEARSE . SO I HAD TO DRIVE IT IN REV DOWN A LONG CURVY ROAD BACKWARDS HOPING SOMEONE WOULD NOT HIT ME OR ME HIT ANYONE. NOW IT IS PARKED CAUSE I CANT DRIVE IT. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR THREE MONTHS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 3 MPH AND PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER WHERE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE AND LEVER WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,154 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 39,283. UPDATED 07/14/2010. *LJ UPDATED 07/28/10*JB

THIS COMPLAIN CONCERNS THE POWERTRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE CAR, WAS PARKED DURING THE DAY IN A STANDARD PARKING SPOT. WHEN I LATER TRIED TO BACK UP, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. IT HAD WORKED PERFECTLY THAT MORNING! THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THEY STATED THAT REVERSE, DRIVE AND SECOND DID NOT FUNCTION. THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION WHICH HAD BEEN INSTALLED BY THIS MECHANIC IN THIS TRIBUTE! IT HAD ONLY 39,000 MILES. IT WAS INSTALLED IN 2007. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 110,000 MILES. THE MAZDA CORPORATION WOULD NOT ADMIT TO A PROBLEM WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS AT THE TIME THE SECOND ONE (A MAZDA TRANSMISSION BOUGHT DIRECTLY FROM A MAZDA DEALER)WAS INSTALLED). THE MECHANIC, IN GOOD CONSCIOUSNESS, WILL NOT REPLACE THIS A THIRD TIME. SO WE ARE LEFT WITH A PERFECTLY GOOD BODY, NEW TIRES, AND A CAR THAT IS JUNK. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS TRANSMISSION IS POORLY DESIGNED. ALL WE CAN DO NOT IS DONATE IT OR PART IT OUT. WE BOUGHT THE CAR, USED, FROM CARMAX IN ROSEVILLE, CA, IN 2006. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE. IN JUNE OF 2009, THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AUTOMATICALLY FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE LIGHT. THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AS WELL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SOLENOID KIT FOR THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT PAID FOR THE REPAIR, BUT WOULD LIKE THE ISSUE INVESTIGATED BECAUSE SHE FEELS IT WAS DUE TO A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

MY 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE'S TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. UNFORTUNATELY I'M HAVING TO HAVE IT REBUILT. PER MAZDA CONSUMER MESSAGE BOARDS THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL SITUATION. THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILS WITH LITTLE TO NO NOTICE. 2ND GEAR DISAPPEARS AT CERTAIN TEMPERATURES, AND THERE IS NO GEAR GRINDING WHICH IS COMMON WITH A STRIPPED GEAR. THERE IS ALSO AN ISSUE WITH TRANSMISSIONS GETTING STUCK IN REVERSE AND NOT COMING OUT. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING ISSUE AS THE REMAINING GEARS DISAPPEAR ALTOGETHER. EVERYTHING I'VE READ ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS I HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST WEEK WITH MY VEHICLE AND AS THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY NO RECALL WAS ISSUED? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE A SERIES OF GRINDING NOISES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES AND THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE ADJUSTED THE LINKAGE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

ON JULY 9, 2007, I PAID TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION REBUILT AFTER A TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN OUR 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE, (ES-V6 4WD), RESULTED IN STRANDING MY WIFE AND YOUNG DAUGHTER ON A BUSY ROADSIDE, 45 MILES FROM HOME, IN SAN LEANDRO. AT THE TIME OF THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE THE CAR HAD 93,782 MILES ON IT. I PURCHASED THE MAZDA NEW IN 2001 FROM THE ALMADEN MAZDA DEALERSHIP IN SAN JOSE. (NOW CAPITOL MAZDA). THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR INVOLVED TOWING THE CAR TO A SHOP AND REBUILDING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE REBUILD INCLUDED REPLACING THE TORQUE CONVERTER, SOLENOIDS, DIRECT DRUM, SHELL, PISTONS, AND A VALVE BODY UPGRADE AMONG OTHER PARTS. THE REPAIR COST WAS $3085.00 PLUS TOWING CHARGES. THE INCIDENT ALSO RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF USE OF THE CAR FOR 1 WEEK. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND I CONSIDERED MYSELF AN UNFORTUNATE VICTIM OF UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. HOWEVER, SINCE THAT TIME I'VE LEARNED THAT TRANSMISSION FAILURES IN THE 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE AND THE CD4E AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ARE AN ALL TOO COMMON OCCURRENCE AND THAT MY EXPERIENCE IS NOT RARE AT ALL. IN FACT, REPORTS ON THE INTERNET SUGGEST THAT THE OCCURRENCE OF SIMILAR TRANSMISSION FAILURES AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE, BETWEEN 50,000 AND 100,000 MILES, IS ALARMINGLY COMMON IN THE MAZDA TRIBUTE. *TR

2 COMPLAINTS: I TOOK THE CAR TO A MAZDA DEALER 5 TIMES STARTING BACK IN 2003. 3 TIMES FOR RECALLS ,AND ON EACH OCCASION HAD BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE E THAT THE RPMS WOULD JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN GO UP RAPIDLY, AND THE ONLY WHY TO STOP IT WAS SHUT IT OFF. OF COURSE THIS WAS ALWAYS WHILE WAITING AT LIGHTS WHEN I WOULD FIRST START THE CAR IN THE MORNING BUT NOW WAS AT LEAST ONE WEEK. THEY PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER BACK WHEN IT FIRST STARTED AND SAID IT WAS THE PCM MODULAR. T WAS ALSO REPLACED ALONG WITH THE FIRST RECALL . THE CAR WAS OKAY FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND THEN STARTED DOING IT AGAIN THE SAME THING, THE RPMS RAPIDLY CAME UP- THIS TIME WAS ALREADY A RECALL SO THEY FIXED IT AGAIN WITH ANOTHER NEW PCM, BUT ONCE AGAIN IT DID THE SAME THING AFTER ABOUT 8 MONTHS. I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN WITH ANOTHER RECALL ON A DIFFERENT MATTER, SEAT BELT ASSEMBLED, AND TOLD THEM THE SAME THING WAS HAPPENING. BY THIS TIME THE WARRANTY WAS OUT BUT BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN IN BEFORE FOR THIS THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE MAZDA TO COVER THE PART AGAIN, $1200. THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN AND I COULD NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THIS PARTS AGAIN. I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS DIAGNOSED CORRECTLY FROM THE BEGINNING. NOW IT STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE STEERING AND EVERYTHING LOCKED BECAUSE OF LOSS OF POWER THIS HAPPENED ON A REGULAR BASES. . I HAVE HELD OFF ON COMPLAINING, BUT THIS HAS GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL. I THOUGHT MAYBE I JUST GOT A LEMON, THEN I READ THE OTHER COMPALINTS OF THE SAME THINGS. I AM A SINGLE MOM AND NEED THIS FIXED FOR GOOD. I DIDN'T BLAME THE DEALER FOR THE CAR TROUBLES I BLAMED MAZDA FOR A POORLY MADE SUV. I HAVE LOW MILEAG EON THE CAR, BUT I HATE DRIVING IT FOR FEAR OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT.*AK

2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE ES-4WD. AT 39K MILES THE CD4E TRANSMISSION HAD CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN. THE COST IS EXPECTED TO BE AROUND $3.5K TO REPLACE WITH A REBUILT UNIT. WHEN WE DID OUR RESEARCH NO MENTION OF THIS PROBLEM WAS RAISED BY CONSUMER REPORTS ETC... YET AFTER THE FAILURE I CONDUCED RESEARCH AND FOUND THIS FAILURE IS NOT ONLY COMMON IT HAS BEEN OCCURING POST WARRANTEE AT LOW MILES FOR YEARS AND MAZDA AND FORD HAVE DONE NOTHING TO EFFECTIVELY REMIDY OR COMPENSATE THEIR CUSTOMERS. THEIR ONLY CONSEQUENCE IS THEY ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY AND APPEAR TO HAVE EARNED IT. DON'T GET RIPPED OF LIKE WE DID BUY BUYING A FORD OR MAZDA THAT WILL FAIL. BUY A BETTER CAR PRODUCT WITH BETTER WARRANTEE AND RELIABILITY.

THE AUTTOMATIC TRANSMISION OF MAZDA TRIBUTE SUDDENLY STOPPEDRKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE 495 WASHINGTON AREA BELTWAY. *AK

I HAVE A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE. HAD BEEN FAITHFUL IN DOING REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR HAD 84,000 CURRENTLY AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHED AT 60,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS FILLED EVERY 5,000 MILES WHENEVER I HAD A OIL CHANGE. ALL OF A SUDDEN ON APRIL 30, 2007, THE CAR COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO REAR GEAR AND THE DEALER INDICATED I NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

I DRIVE A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE THAT HAS ABOUT 75,000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HAS ALWAYS BEEN A RUST-COLORED AND WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT JUST HAVE TO DO WITH THE DEALERSHIPS WORK. I WAS DRIVING IT ONE DAY AND NOTICED THAT WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE RPMS WERE IN THE "RED ZONE" SO I BROUGHT IT IN FOR REPAIRS TO LEARN THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB

MAZDA 2001 TRIBUTE SUDDENLY STOPPED MAKING A STRANGE NOISE. THEN GEAR BOX DID NOT WORK AT ALL. SO, I HAD TO CALL A TOWING COMPANY TO TOW THE CAR TO A MAZDA DEALER SHOP. OAK TREE MAZDA DEALER INSPECTED THE CAR AND ASKED ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPLACE WHOLE TRANSMISSION. AT THE TIME, MAZDA TRIBUTE RECORDED ONLY 45K MILE. I ASKED ANOTHER MACHINE SHOP TO INSPECT THIS CAR. HE HAS NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. IT SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN PROBLEM OF MAZDA TRIBUTE. *JB

STARTING 2006 COULDN'T GET TRUCK INTO REVERSE AND IT WAS HARD TO FIND THIRD GEAR AND WOULD BE STUCK WINDING BETWEEN GEARS ON THE ROAD AND ON HIGHWAY CAUSING POSSIBILITY OF BEING STRUCK FROM SUDDENLY BEING UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. DEALER HAD CAR FOR OVER A WEEK AND FINALLY ENDED UP REPLACING A CABLE FOR THE COST OF $760.00. TWO WEEKS LATER THE TRUCK IS POPPING OUT OF THIRD GEAR WHILE DRIVING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DE-ACCELERATE QUICKLY WHILE STRUGGLING TO FIND THE GEAR OR NEXT GEAR. BROUGHT TRUCK BACK IN THEY SAID IT NEEDS A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION FOR $5,800.00 BECAUSE IT WOULD BE CHEAPER THAN TAKING IT APART AND FIXING INDIVIDUAL GEARS. TOTAL NEW VALUE OF VEHICLE 19,700 BEFORE TAXES. KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE ON THIS YEAR IN EXCELLENT CONDITION ONLY 5,700. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 57,000 MILES ON IT NOW. JUST MADE LAST PAYMENT TWO WEEKS BEFORE PROBLEM STARTED. *JB

SHUTTER OF THE TRANSMISSION/TORQUE CONVERTER WHEN TRAVELING AROUND 45 MPH. PROBLEM FIRST REPORTED ON THE VEHICLE AROUND 30,000 MILES AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID PER TECH ASSISTANCE REF. 272101. DEALER DETERMINED "NO PROBLEM FOUND" WHEN THE SHUTTER WAS REPORTED AGAIN AT 48,000 MILES. WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS REPORTED AT 51,000 MILES, DEALER AGAIN FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION AND REFLASHED THE PCM. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AT 56,000 MILES AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER DETERMINED THE TRANSMSSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT 58,500 MILES. PROBLEM DISCOVERED AGAIN AROUND 88,000 MILES; AGAIN, DEALER FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION. PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AT 98,500 MILES AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE TORQUE CONVERTER. *NM

THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF (ENGINE STOPPED) WHEN COASTING DOWNHILL TOWARD CONSTRUCTION BARRELS. WAS ABLE TO AVOID BARRELS BY TURNING INTO UNOCCUPIED TURN LANE. POWER STEERING HAD GONE OUT. POWER BRAKES HAD GONE OUT. HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR THREE WEEKS. OCCURRED ONCE. NOTICED THAT A RECALL (CAMPAIGN ID # 04V175000) THAT REQUIRED REPROGRAMMING OF THE PCM MODULE, AND THE SYMPTOMS OF WHICH EXACTLY DESCRIBED THIS PROBLEM, EXISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE MODEL YEAR. MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER TO CHECK THE CAR THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE SO I DECIDED TO PAY FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TEST UNCOVERED THAT THE PCM MODULE DID NEED THE REPROGRAMMING WHICH THE DEALER DID, BUT THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE CAR NEEDED ADDITIONAL PARTS TO COMPLETELY RESOLVE THE PROBLEM WHICH I HAD TO PAY FOR. FROM WHAT I CAN TELL THE RANGE OF MY VEHICLE ID DOES FALL WITHIN THE RANGE OF VIN NUMBERS AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL AND THE ASSEMBLY DATE(12/00) ALSO FALLS WITHIN THE DATE RANGE FOR THIS RECALL. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE DEALER DOES NOT SEE THIS AS A VEHICLE THAT SHOULD HAVE AN 'OPEN RECALL' AND WHY THE ENTIRE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF TO REMEDY THIS. WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF THE DRIVER HAS NO CONTROL AND THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

I DRIVE A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE 4X4 WITH 67,000 MILES ON IT, AND A FEW WEEKS AGO, DURING TAKEOFF THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO HESITATE. OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT A WEEK, IT GOT WORSE. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO JIM ELLIS MAZDA OF MARIETTA AND THEY INFORMED US THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING ON THE VEHICLE, AND THAT MAZDA WOULD POSSIBLY PAY FOR HALF. THEY CONTACTED MAZDA, BUT MAZDA WOULD ONLY PAY 1/3 BECAUSE THEY SAID THERE WERE NO MAINTENANCE RECORDS ON MY TRANSMISSION. THERE AREN'T ANY RECORDS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HASN'T NEEDED ANY. AFTER KEEPING MY CAR FOR OVER A WEEK, THEY PHONED ME TO INFORM US THAT THE TRANSMISSION MAZDA CORPORATION SENT THEM WAS BAD AS WELL. CONSIDERING THE LOW MILEAGE AND THE SECOND TRANSMISSION HAD DEFECTS, I'M NOW CONCERNED THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN ALL THE 2001 TRANSMISSION, AND MAKES ME WONDER HOW MANY OTHER 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTES HAVE HAD TO BE REPAIRED. *JB

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *NM

I OWN A 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE VEHICLE STALLS UNPREDICTABLY. THE MAZDA DEALER AND MAZDA CORPORATE ARE SUGGESTING THAT THE TWO POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULES (THE ORIGINAL) AND THE REPLACEMENT MODULES ARE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. IF THIS IS CORRECT, THEN THERE MUST BE SOME INHERENT DEFECT WITH THESE PCMS THAT MUST BE INVESTIGATED. *NM