U.S. public vehicle records

2002 Mazda TRIBUTE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

384 owner complaints analyzed

7 distinct recall campaigns

68,557 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 210 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline is the most frequently named component, appearing in 67 of 384 complaints (17.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	128	33.3%
Engine operation	98	25.5%
Steering behavior	57	14.8%
Electrical and battery issues	35	9.1%
Transmission and shifting	26	6.8%
Fuel system concerns	1	0.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Air Bags

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Latches/Locks/Linkages

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	67
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	33
Air Bags	32
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	31
Vehicle Speed Control	26
Electrical System	24
Engine And Engine Cooling	21
Latches/Locks/Linkages	18

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 67; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 33; Air Bags: 32; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 31; Vehicle Speed Control: 26; Electrical System: 24; Engine And Engine Cooling: 21; Latches/Locks/Linkages: 18

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 42; 25,000 to 49,999: 41; 50,000 to 74,999: 34; 75,000 to 99,999: 27; 100,000 to 149,999: 39; 150,000 and above: 27

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (42). 174 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2001: 9; 2002: 88; 2003: 54; 2004: 29; 2005: 27; 2006: 19; 2007: 12; 2008: 18; 2009: 15; 2010: 12; 2011: 13; 2012: 33; 2013: 10; 2014: 12; 2015: 12; 2016: 4; 2017: 3; 2018: 5; 2019: 3; 2020: 1; 2021: 1; 2022: 2; 2023: 2

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 128 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 98 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 57 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10002895 · 2003-01-18 (January 18, 2003)

THE BRAKES FAILED ON 11/22/02 AT 16,714 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP CHANGED THE MASTER CYLINDER AS DEFECTED. ON 1/03/03 AT 19,632 MILES THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN. AGAIN THE DEALER CHANGED THE MASTER CYLINDER AS DEFECTIVE. I QUESTIONED WHETHER THIS WAS THE CAUSE SINCE IT HAPPENED TWICE AND DIDN'T FEEL THIS WAS THE ROOT CAUSE. ON 1/10/03 AT 20,634 MILES THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN. IN ALL THREE CASES THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND WILL NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DAELERSHIP NOW SAYS ITS AN ABS PROBLEM. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DOES NOT STOP THE VEHICLE EITHE…

Owner-reported narrative. 16,714 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002895 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10014330 · 2003-04-13 (April 13, 2003)

ENGINE STOPPED WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME. LOSS OF ALL POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. TOOK CAR INTO THE DEALER AND SUPPLIED THE DEALER WITH 34 PAGES OF IDENTICAL NHTSA COMPLAINTS FILED BY OTHER OWNERS OF 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTES. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014330 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003413 · 2003-01-26 (January 26, 2003)

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME VEHICLE HAS STALLED. IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET PULLED OVER BECAUSE LACK OF POWER ASSISTANCE! WAS TRAVELLING ALONG A FLAT ROAD AT ABOUT 40 MPH WHEN IT STALLED. TOOK NEARLY 10 MINUTES FOR IT TO START AGAIN. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER THE FIRST TIME IT STALLED AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AND A FEW SENSORS RELATED TO AIR INTAKE. I WILL BE TAKING IT IN AGAIN ON MONDAY FOR THIS STALL. I HAVE NOT SEEN A SOLID FIX FOR THIS YET AND CANNOT BELIEVE HOW SLOW THE NHTSA IS TAKING TO INVESTIGATE THIS DANGEROUS PR…

Owner-reported narrative. 14,591 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003413 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007179 · 2003-02-12 (February 12, 2003)

THE VEHICLE STALLED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007179 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002703 · 2003-01-15 (January 15, 2003)

2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE SHUTS OFF AUTOMATICALLY WHILE DRIVING. LOCKING THE STEERING WHEEL AND GIVING YOU NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR SEVERAL TIMES. I AM WORKING ON A LEMON LAW PACKAGE NOW. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER 10 TIMES IN 10 MONTHS OF LEASING THIS VEHICLE .

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002703 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10009340 · 2002-05-16 (May 16, 2002)

WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL AT ABOUT 30 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. POWER STEERING FROZE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND RESTART THE ENGINE. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER, WHERE SOME KIND OF COMPUTER WAS REPROGRAMMED, BUT I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT MAZDA HAS NO FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM, ONLY A CHECKLIST OF THINGS THAT THEY TRY. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DEFECT, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE IS NOT SOME KIND OF IMMEDIATE RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT! SHORT OF A FIRE, MAJOR STRUCTURAL FAILURE, OR TIRE BLOWOUT, I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING MO…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10009340 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10021819 · 2003-07-28 (July 28, 2003)

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. VEHICLE COMPLETELY STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS TESTED AND SOME WIRING HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALSO STATED THAT SHE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE ROTORS. WHILE DRIVING SHE HEARD A REAL LOUD NOISE METAL TO METAL NOISE, AND WHEN SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP THE ROTORS WERE COMPLETELY WOREN OUT. DEALER HAD NO EXPLANATION AS WHY IT HAPPENED.*AK *CB

Owner-reported narrative. 13,112 miles reported. Look up ODI 10021819 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10025642 · 2003-07-08 (July 8, 2003)

WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR PROCEEDING TO A STOP, THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN IN MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHILE THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING. THE BRAKES WILL FREEZE UP AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE CAR IS TO PULL UP ON THE HAND BRAKE. THE CAR WILL RESTART. THIS HAS ALWAYS HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC AND IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP THE FIRST TIME ON MAY 3, 2003. DEALER SAID THAT THEY REPLACED THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM ARISED WHERE THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED IN TRAFFIC. BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DE…

Owner-reported narrative. 26,540 miles reported. Look up ODI 10025642 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10036975 · 2003-09-01 (September 1, 2003)

WE HAVE A 2002 MAZDA TRIBUTE ES 2WD. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED AT SLOW SPEEDS (SO FAR). THE STALLING HAS OCCURRED WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO REVERSE, REVERSE TO DRIVE, AND IT ALSO HAPPENED WHEN WE DROVE OVER A SPEED BUMP. THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP HAS MADE THREE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM SO FAR. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER AT THE MOMENT FOR THE FOURTH ATTEMPT. IF THIS IS UNSUCCESSFUL, WE ARE GOING TO PURSUE A REFUND UNDER THE NORTH CAROLINA LEMON LAW.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10036975 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10112043 · 2005-02-23 (February 23, 2005)

I'VE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR A LITTLE OVER 2 YEARS AND IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS 7 TIMES NOW. NO ONE CAN SEEM TO FIND THE REASON WHY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON, WHY THE FUEL CONSUMPTION IS SO POOR, WHY THE VEHICLE SHIFTS CONSTANTLY AND FOR NO REASON AT ALL, OR WHY THE VEHICLE "SHUDDERS" WHEN THE ENGINE IS ON. THE CHECK FUEL CAP LIGHT HAS COME ON TWICE AND THE SAME PART REPLACED TWICE. THE CANISTER CLOSE VALVE AND IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE HAVE BOTH FAILED. I HAVE SPENT MONEY ON A FUEL INDUCTION SERVICE BECAUSE IT WAS RECOMMENDED B…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10112043 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10169885 · 2006-10-03 (October 3, 2006)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING IN HOT WEATHER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTED INTO PARK, AND THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF, THEN TURNED ON. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. THE FUEL PUMP AND CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 10/30/06. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 107,362 miles reported. Look up ODI 10169885 at NHTSA ↗