2001 Mazda Tribute problems & reliability
563 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Mazda Tribute, alongside 13 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
12 complaints report injuries (15 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Mazda Tribute vehicles were involved in 10 fatal crashes with 9 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 167 | 30% |
| Electrical System | 81 | 14% |
| Power Train | 69 | 12% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 59 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 46 | 8% |
| Structure | 45 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 40 | 7% |
| Steering | 35 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 31 | 6% |
| Visibility | 25 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 70,000 miles (middle 50% between 38,500 and 109,500 miles), based on 227 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Corroded Subframe led to almost complete separation of drivers side control arm, 72k original miles, took my problem to Bergery Mazda where no one cared. If the part was already replaced in 2014 how is it possibly broken already.”
Suspension · filed Jul 24, 2024
“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…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Mar 18, 2022
“The gas pedal is the issue that I have with my 2001 mazda tribute you can hardly push the gas pedal and it accelerates very hard. It is very non safe. What can be done. This should be a recall on this problem.”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jan 26, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Stuck Throttle
Preliminary Evaluation PE12019 · opened Jul 17, 2012 · closed Feb 21, 2013 · led to recall 12V357000
- Cruise Control Cable
Defect Petition DP12005 · opened Jul 17, 2012 · closed Jul 17, 2012
- Engine Compartment Fire
Engineering Analysis EA10002 · opened Jan 14, 2010 · closed Feb 29, 2012 · led to recall 12V016000
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
Recall Query RQ09002 · opened Apr 15, 2009 · closed Jan 15, 2010
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
Defect Petition DP09003 · opened Apr 14, 2009 · closed Apr 15, 2009
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
Preliminary Evaluation PE06048 · opened Oct 30, 2006 · closed Apr 17, 2007 · led to recall 07V157000
- SAFETY BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE03030 · opened Jul 14, 2003 · closed Dec 31, 2003 · led to recall 03V515000
- ENGINE STALLING
Engineering Analysis EA02027 · opened Sep 10, 2002 · closed Apr 15, 2004 · led to recall 04V175000
Technical service bulletins
179 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Mazda Tribute. The 10 most recent:
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…
09-038-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 8, 2024
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…
SA-011-24b · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
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…
SA-011-24a · Other · issued Jun 7, 2024
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…
SA-011-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 12, 2024
Speedometer replacement procedure
09-016-23 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 28, 2023
Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the…
02-004-22a · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2022
In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer.
09-024-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2022
This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost…
01-006-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 22, 2022
Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the…
02-004-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 24, 2022
Accessory instructions can be found on OneMazda under Dealer Resources - Parts & Accessories.
SA-014-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 29, 2022
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2001 Mazda Tribute has 13 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Mazda Tribute?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 70,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.