2002 Mazda Tribute Steering Problems

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 is a 2002 but this doesn't mean it was ever fixed has several other issues also the front lower control arm which is also on a recall and does not show on the car fax the entire front end on the passenger side sounds like it's really loose and could break and my tire come loose as others have reported when filing same complaint. This has happened more than once to me. I call it now a death trap I need help to get this safe to drive thank you.

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 safely back to his residence. The vehicle was not taken to the local dealer. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V174000 (Structure) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

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 THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST MAZDA DEALER TO HAVE THE RECALL COMPLETED. AFTER ABOUT 1 WEEK, THE SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED AND TOLD ME THAT MAZDA WAS REFUSING TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. I CALLED MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE TO GET AN EXPLANATION AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL ONLY INVOLVES INSTALLING A "REINFORCEMENT" BRACKET, NOT REPLACING THE SUBFRAME. I INFORMED THEM THAT I HAVE COPIES OF BOTH THE OWNER LETTER AND THE ENTIRE RECALL PROCEDURE WHICH BOTH CLEARLY STATE THAT IF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM HAS BECOME SEPARATED DUE TO CORROSION THE SUBFRAME MUST BE REPLACED AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. THEY TRIED TO TELL ME THAT "CORROSION" DOES NOT MEAN "RUST" AND THERE IS NOTHING MORE THEY COULD DO FOR ME. THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP, MAZDA OF WOOSTER IN WOOSTER, OHIO. *TR

HARD TO TURN IN SOUNDS LIKE MY LOWER CONTROL ARM IS ABOUT TO COME OFF.

WAS PARKING CAR, AND SOMETHING SNAPPED. FRONT WHEELS ARE NOW POINTING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, AND THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE. LUCKILY THIS HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED, AND THE ONLY DAMAGE IS TO THE CAR. *TR

2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW IN FEB. OF 2002 FOR MY WIFE TO DRIVE WITH OUR CHILDREN. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS MY WIFE TOLD ME THAT THE STEERING WHEEL FELT LOOSE. I DROVE THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL DEALER AND THEY FOUND THE RETAINING BOLT LOOSE. THEY SAID THAT IT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED CORRECTLY FROM THE FACTORY, AND SAID THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS THEY COULD SEE. IN MARCH 2007 MY WIFE CALLED AGAIN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. WE TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND AGAIN THEY FOUND THE RETAINING BOLT LOOSE. I TALKED WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER ABOUT THIS AND SHE COULD NOT OFFER ANY ADVISE SO SHR REFERRED ME TO THERE MASTER TEC. HE ASSURED ME THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS AND THAT HE PERSONALLY WORKED ON THE CAR. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE BOLT WAS LOOSE AND HE TIGHTENED IT TO SPEC. AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE AND PROBLEMS. NOW IT IS MAY 2007 AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOOSE AGAIN. WHAT SHOULD I DO? *TR

MY MECHANIC FOUND THESE PROBLEMS FOR ME WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR OIL CHANGE, SO FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. HERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEMS AS DESCRIBED TO ME: 1) FAILURE OF MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER. IT WAS SPEWING BRAKE FLUID. THIS WOULD HAVE LED TO FULL FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. BOTH THE MASTER CYLINDER AND RIGHT FRONT HALF-SHAFT WERE REPLACED. 2) RIGHT FRONT KNUCKLE HOLDING WHEEL TO AXLE WAS UNSAFE. THERE WAS A FRACTURE OF THE METAL HOLDING THE PINCH BOLT THAT IS USED TO FASTEN THE WHEEL TO THE LOWER BALL JOINT. A RUPTURE OF THIS FRACTURE WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE WHEEL TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE BALL JOINT. MY MECHANIC FELT LIKE THIS WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY THE FACTORY TIGHTENING THE PINCH BOLT TOO MUCH WHEN ASSEMBLED. THE KNUCKLE WAS REPLACED. IT WAS ALSO MENTIONED TO ME THAT A SIMILAR MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER PROBLEM WAS REPORTED ON A FORD ESCAPE WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME VEHICLE AS MY MAZDA TRIBUTE.*JB

NHTSA RECALL 04V583000 ON THE ACCELERATOR CABLE. APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AFTER HAVING THE ACCELERATOR CABLE REPLACED THE PROBLEM RECURRED. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND COLLIDED INTO A LIGHT POLE. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO SUSTAIN MINOR INJURIES AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *JB THE BATTERY WAS INOPERATIVE DUE TO A BROKEN CABLE AND A FRAYED MAIN BELT HAD COME OFF AND THE STEERING WAS IMPAIRED. *SC *JB

WITHIN MONTHS OF BUYING THE SUV WE HAD IT BACK TO CRYSTAL AUTO MALL, GREEN BROOK, NJ THE PROBLEM...THE STEERING WHEEL CAME LOOSE, IT WOULD SHIFT AROUND AS YOU DROVE DOWN THE ROAD! THIS WAS A QUICK REPAIR. STARTING ON SEPT 18,2002 WE TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER FOR THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT COMING ON, THEY REPLACED THE OIL SENDER UNIT, TOTAL $69.52, WHICH WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY. ON OCT 14 BACK FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, THEY KEPT IT UNTIL OCT 17, REPLACING ALL KINDS OF PARTS, OIL PUMP, OIL GASKET FOR A TOTAL OF $924.65, AGAIN COVERED BY WARRANTY. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING IT HOME FROM THIS ROUND OF REPAIRS AND THE SAME PROBLEM LIT ITSELF UP AGAIN! HE WAS ALMOST HOME APPOX.30 MILES FROM THE DEALER, HE CALLED ON HIS CELL PHONE SAID HE WAS COMING RIGHT BACK, THIS TIME THEY HAD IT FROM OCT 18 TO OCT 31, 2002. WHAT A SURPRISE WHEN I HEARD THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE MOTOR FOR A TOTAL OF $4,511.17, AGAIN UNDER WARRANTY. STRANGE THING WAS THAT THEY WOULD NOT EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THE NEW MOTOR BEYOND THE ORIGINAL GUARANTEE FOR THE TRUCK. NOW YOU TELL ME IS THIS RIGHT? THAT'S NOT THE END OF IT, ON JUNE 21, 2003, WE BROUGHT IT IN FOR A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END THEY KEPT IT OVER THE WEEKEND UNTIL JUNE 23 AND TOLD US IT NEEDS BREAKS AND ROTORS AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT WHICH OF COURSE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY!!! ONLY 24000 MILES ON THIS SUV AND NOTHING BUT HEADACHES

WITHOUT WARNING MY BRAND NEW MAZDA TRIBUTE STALLED ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE POWER BRAKES AND STEERING BOTH GO OUT CAUSING IT TO BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STOP AND PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAVE BROUGHT MY VEHICLE INTO THE SERVICE CENTER TWO TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND THEY TELL ME THAT THEY'RE PRETTY SURE THEY HAVE IT TAKEN CARE OF THIS TIME. THE SERVICE MANAGER ALSO TOLD ME THAT "MAZDA IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM." MAZDA IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, THEY ARE UNWILLING TO RECALL THIS VEHICLE UNTIL THEY FIND A DEFINATE FIX. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT I BELIEVE MAZDA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBLITY FOR BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED FROM THEIR CARELESS WAYS. MR

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THE WHOLE SYSTEM FAILED. ALL LIGHTS ON DASH LIGHT, LOST BRAKES AND STEERING. WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY.

WHILE TRAVELING 40MPH ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE STALLED, AND ELECTRICAL POWER BRAKES/ STEERING , AND LIGHTS WERE LOST. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

ON NOVEMBER 2 DRIVING 40MPH WITH NO WARNING MY ENGINE SHUT OFF AND I LOST POWER TO MY STEERING AND BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AFTER APPLYING ALL MY WEIGHT TO THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL. I MISSED AN ONCOMING CAR AND A TREE BY LUCK. I TOOK THE TRIBUTE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THIS WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THEY WERE GOING TO PUT ME BACK IN THE TRIBUTE UNTIL MONDAY WHEN THEY HAD AN OPENING. I REQUESTED A RENTAL CAR BECAUSE I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR UNTILL THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. THE MANAGER ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE TRIBUTES THAT HAVE BEEN REPAIRED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT PORBLEMS. I RETURNED HOME AND CALLED THE MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM. THEY ASSURED ME THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND GET BACK WITH ME, THIS NEVER HAPPENED. ON NOVEMBER 6TH I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY CAR WAS READY. I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH THE SEVICE MANAGER WHO INFORMED ME THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND I COULD PICK UP MY CAR. I TOLD HIM I WOULD NOT PICK UP THE CAR UNTIL THERE WAS A SOLUTION TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND THE CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. HE INFOMED ME THAT HIS HANDS WERE TIED AND TO CONTACT MAZDA. I CONTACTED MAZDA AND THEY CONTACTED THE SEVICE MANAGER WHO HAD ALREADY CONTACTED THE REGIONAL MANAGER. I WAS TOLD I WOULD BE CONTACTED BY HIM TOMORROW NOVEMBER 7TH. I HAVE A 15 YEAR OLD SON WHO HAS HIS LEARNERS PERMIT AND WHO I STRONGLY BELIEVE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP. MY TRIBUTE IS THE FIRST 2002 THAT THEY HAVE SEEN WITH THE PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY THIS SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS CONTINUES.*AK

WITH 500 MILES ON ODOMETER, THE OWNER FOUND A RED FLUID ON GARAGE FLOOR. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ENTIRE STEERING SYSTEM FROM THE COLUMN ALL THE WAY TO THE FRONT TIRES. *AK *SCC

ON FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES THE VEHICLES POWER STEERING LEAKED FLUID FROM ENGINE WHICH CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE FOUR TIMES BUT NOW THE VEHICLE IS ON IT'S FIFTH. *NLM *TS