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2003 Mazda TributeProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 199 owner complaints about the 2003 Mazda Tribute, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-174 the manufacturer reports only 20% of affected cars repaired.

2003 Mazda Tribute
45
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.2× the Tribute median · #4 of 9 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 20%Owner complaints19939 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage68kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 19, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Cutlass, CC0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Mazda Tribute has problems

199 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags355
Vehicle speed control345
Structure293
Power train241
Engine and engine cooling231
Service brakes, hydraulic215
Electrical system154
Suspension141
Service brakes100
15 other systems458

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2003 Mazda Tribute recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

20%repaired · 2015 Q3

Structure: frame and members

Recall 14V-174 · Apr 4, 2014 · 109,000 vehicles · 21,851 repaired

Risk. A separation of the lower control arm can result in a significant loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 12V-357 · Jul 27, 2012 · 217,500 vehicles

Risk. A stuck throttle may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop or slow the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module

Recall 07V-157 · Apr 10, 2007 · 95,300 vehicles

Risk. AN ELECTRICAL SHORT MIGHT CAUSE AN ABS MALFUNCTION THAT WOULD ILLUMINATE THE ABS WARNING LIGHT, AND IN SOME CASES, THE MODULE MAY OVERHEAT RESULTING IN BURNING…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Hatchback/liftgate: lock

Recall 04V-605 · Dec 23, 2004 · 49,800 vehicles

Risk. IF THE LIFTGATE IS LEFT UNLOCKED, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THAT IT MAY OPEN DURING A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
–no report yet

Vehicle speed control: cables

Recall 04V-583 · Dec 10, 2004 · 121,000 vehicles

Risk. AN UNEXPECTED INCREASE IN ENGINE IDLE SPEED MAY INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCE AND MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Mazda.

Mileage at failure

When do air bags problems start?

68kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 21 air bags complaints. 67% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
2under 30k miles14under 100k miles7100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other Tribute year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Tribute median. How we score

'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2003 Mazda Tribute safety ratings

2003 Mazda Tribute 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2003 Mazda Tribute side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Rollover: 3 stars (0.0% risk)
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
6 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Mazda Tribute, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIREDP09003 · closed Apr 15, 2009
    No recall
  2. Cruise Control CableDP12005 · closed Jul 17, 2012
    No recall
  3. Engine Compartment FireEA10002 · closed Feb 29, 2012
    Led to recall 12V-005
  4. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIREPE06048 · closed Apr 17, 2007
    Led to recall 07V-156
  5. Stuck ThrottlePE12019 · closed Feb 21, 2013
    Led to recall 12V-353
  6. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRERQ09002 · closed Jan 15, 2010
    No recall
In owners' words

What Tribute owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

EVERY TIME I START MY 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE AND EVERY 30 MINUTES OF OPERATION THEREAFTER, THE CAR MAKES 5 SETS OF 5 BEEPS. AN INTERNET SEARCH TOLD ME THAT THIS IS BECAUSE OF A MALFUNCTIONING INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT TO INDICATE THAT THE AIRBAGS ARE ALSO MALFUNCTIONING. A MAZDA MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT…
Complaint 11132802 · Oct 1, 2018 · 64,000 miles
TAKATA RECALL, LIGHT CONTINUES TO FLASH WHILE DRIVING AND SITTING IN PARK, GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY OR CITY STREETS.DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE CAR STOPPED PULLING WITH TRAFFIC SPEED OF 65 MPH HAD TO MANEUVER OFF THE HIGHWAY. WOULDN'T PULL IN ANY GEAR, SHIFTER ONLY HAD ONE GEAR IT WOULD SIT IN WILL…
Complaint 11114420 · Jul 29, 2018 · 135,440 miles
STRUCTURE CROSS BRACKET FOR LOWER CONTROL ARM. ACCELERATOR CABLE.CRUISE CONTROL CABLE THROTTLE BODY STICKS EVEN AFTER THE RECALLS THE DRIVER AIR BAG DOES NOT WORK LIGHT ON DASH IT'S THE PLUG AT WIRE HARNESS MASTER CYLINDER LEAKS LOSE BRAKE FLUID ENGINE STALLED WHEN ON HWY105 WAS ABLE TO GET IT…
Complaint 11071847 · Feb 8, 2018 · 104,000 miles

Own a 2003 Tribute?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.