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2002 Mazda Tribute electrical problems

41 complaints (11% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 55,000. 2 crashes reported.

owner complaints
41
of this car's complaints
11%
typical mileage
55,000
crashes
2
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Ignition
    5
  • Wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
    3
  • Wiring: interior/under dash
    2
  • Wiring
    2
  • Ignition: switch
    2
  • Ignition: module
    2
  • Wiring: front underhood
    1
  • Alternator/generator/regulator
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Mazda Tribute electrical problems in other years

2001200220032004200520062008200920102011

Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Mazda Tribute electrical

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Fire or smoke 16

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2002 Mazda Tribute owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Oct 13, 2023 路 Brakes, Electrical 路 GA

My car has had a abs engine code for a year that I have spent a lot of money trying to get it off because, I can鈥檛 renew my tag because it failed emissions vehicle safety test . So I was notified by my insurance company that my vehicle was under recall. I read it and called Mazda and it was confirmed and I went to the shop and I waited 6 hours for the installation of a new abs module and wire harness. Hennesy Mazda of morrow Georgia bypassed the abs system but replaced my voltage regulator with out my consent. The recall recommended repair is to replace the abs module and harness. The dealership refused to comply and neither offered a tow back to Newnan Georgia where I live. So they placed me and others at risk by failing to comply. I have been ignored even after speaking with 3 customer service representatives and I was given a call [XXX] 10/11/23. I was told that I had to get it to Marietta Jim Ellis Mazda and that they would contact me but know one has called. I need your help to resolve this serious violation of the recall and the altering of my vehicles abs by bypassing it 馃槼馃檮. I have lost a total of $2,367 in parts lost wages and anguish due to their lack of compliance of the recall of my 2002 Mazda tribute es abs module and harness. The abs module and wiring to ECM gets the voltage regulator hot and causes abs engine light to illuminate and malfunction. This my work vehicle I need it to make a living. The abs module and harness wasn鈥檛 changed but was bypassed 馃槼. The recall clearly states the issue and recommended repairs by vehicle manufacturer or authorized dealer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Dec 9, 2017 路 Driver assistance, Electrical 路 187,000 miles 路 MA

Pcm/ECM

Filed Feb 10, 2015 路 Electrical 路 103,000 miles 路 TX

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. The contact stated that the driver side door master switch was faulty preventing the doors from being lock or unlock. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the vehicle repaired. However, the remedy failed to repair the problem since the quality of the product used to repair was poor. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, who advised the contact that the problem was due to normal wear and tear. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 103,000.

Filed Dec 23, 2014 路 Electrical 路 NJ 路 fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it caught fire. The fire was extinguished by a fire department. A police and fire report were filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received a notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v016000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Oct 7, 2014 路 Brakes, Electrical 路 165,000 miles 路 WV

Applying brakes and ABS kicks in and makes the tires lock up in the back and slides the rear end of the vehicle around. Seems electrical problems are occurring also. Headlights have a short, reverse lights don't work,and window controls don't always work. Vehicle has done all this since I have owned it. It was bought used and I have had it checked for all recalls and they are all up to date, or so the mazda dealer says they are. I have had brakes replaced along with rotors and tires and the vehicle does the same thing.

Filed Jun 3, 2012 路 Brakes, Electrical 路 FL

Received notice from mazda regarding safety recall #6712a in feb 2012 for our 2002 mazda tribute - recommended action was to park vehicle outdoors, away from structures to prevent unattended potential fire from spreading related to electrical short /ABS module. It has now been 3 months and mazda has not provided the necessary repairs to return this vehicle to a safe condition.

Filed Feb 28, 2012 路 Brakes, Electrical 路 150,000 miles 路 AL 路 crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. The contact stated that the front passenger door malfunctioned and as a result, she unable to unlocked or open the door. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 150,000 and the current mileage was 152,000. The consumer stated brake fluid leaked which caused her to not have any brakes. As a result, the consumer had an accident and hit a pole. The consumer also stated the vehicle has electrical problems. Updated 04/25/12

Filed Feb 19, 2012 路 Brakes, Electrical 路 WA 路 fire

My son has driven this vehicle since 2008, when we purchased it for him to use while in college. He was driving onto campus and when approaching the parking lot, he noticed ABS and airbag lights coming on and off on the dashboard. As he parked he realized there was smoke coming from under the hood. He opened the hood, saw a fire, and called 911 immediately. They arrived quickly and successfully put the fire out. Firemen told him it appeared to have been electrical and he was lucky they got there as quick as they did. Insurance claim adjuster took it to a ford shop (closest) where they had it for a week and said they couldn't get parts, but were aware of a recall coming on the area the fire had occurred in (the wiring harness and ABS module). It was then sent to a mazda dealer, that had it for 10 days, and finally said the needed parts were obsolete and they could not repair the vehicle. Claims adjuster checked with another ford and another mazda dealer, getting the same answers from both. By the way, when they checked on the VIN, they said it was not on any mazda recalls. This was at the end of january/beginning of february 2012. So after all this, they had to total a vehicle that only had about 77,000 miles on it and was in excellent condition otherwise. The day I get home from having documents notarized for the insurance company, in my mailbox is a recall from mazda....this very one 6712a, which I had already found online days prior to the mazda dealers denying our VIN was included. The recall letter states the work from a prior recall in 2007 regarding this issue had been done. We are very grateful this fire did not cause an accident or more serious emergency situation. And we are grateful our insurance company isn't holding things up due to mazda's lack of help.

Filed Oct 5, 2011 路 Brakes, Electrical 路 120,000 miles 路 MA 路 fire

I started my car and the 'check engine' light flashed on-and-off. Thinking it would go away, I drove to route 3 in south shore, ma. Once on the highway, the light did not stop flashing, so I pulled over. Thirty seconds after pulling over in a rest area, white smoke appeared from under the hood. 10 seconds later, black smoke came from the hood which was accompanied with a burning smell. Luckily, someone from massdot was in the rest area and we determined that it was a car fire. We proceeded to step back and call 911 from a safe distance. The engine area of the car was on fire until the fire department was able to put it out.

Filed Jul 31, 2011 路 Brakes, Electrical 路 126,500 miles 路 WA

Intermittent ABS light, sometimes with brake light. Noticed a low hum from engine one night, checked for anything left on, decided it was probably normal noise I hadn't noticed before. The next morning,I was able to unlock doors, then tried to start engine. Engine turned over then all lights went off. Trying to start engine failed and I had to lock door manually. Got a jump start and was fine running local errands, but that hum was always there with engine off. The next day, same scenario. Got jump and went to mazda dealer. Told no recalls for that year except seatbelts, was never asked for VIN. A tech offered to look and I explained where the noise was coming from and that I thought it was the ABS. He disagreed and looked around the engine. Eventually he said he had to "eat his words", that it was the ABS pump staying on. I asked if I could pull the ABS fuse and not affect any other systems since it wasn't working anyway. He said it was fine, and took it out for me. I never had any other brake-related problems. When my car started idling low and losing power at low speed, I took it to my local shop for repair. The computer reported a slightly off fuel mix and cylinder 5 misfiring. They said they wanted to replace the ignition coil, but I wasn't confident they felt certain that was the problem. I gave myself a crash course in engines and realized the number of things it could be was huge. I authorized the repair, but went online to see if there was a common issue with this model. That was when I realized my carfax report, and the dealer had concealed recalls. I wasn't certain my VIN was included until I picked up my car and the tech helped me look around the engine. Right there, in bright blue, was a sticker for the ABS recall campaign. At the very least, I should have had that information available when I bought it. The mazda tech could not have missed the sticker, nor the 5 or so recalls, assuming he looked them up. Hoping that no fuse means no fire risk.

Questions about the 2002 Mazda Tribute electrical

Does the 2002 Mazda Tribute have electrical problems?

Owners have filed 41 complaints about the electrical of the 2002 Mazda Tribute, 11% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2002 Mazda Tribute electrical problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 55,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2002 Mazda Tribute electrical?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Mazda Tribute have the most electrical problems?

The Mazda Tribute model years with the most electrical complaints are 2001 (81 complaints), 2002 (41 complaints) and 2005 (19 complaints).

Other 2002 Mazda Tribute problems

Engine 130Brakes 80Acceleration 37Airbags 37Transmission 36Body 26Locks 22Steering 15Suspension 13Fuel system 7Lights 6Seat belts 5Visibility 5Wheels 5Tires 4Driver assistance 2Seats 1

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