2002 Mazda Tribute: doors won't lock, open or latch

Filed Aug 9, 2013 · Body · 149,000 miles · TX

2002 mazda tribute. Unable to open the door to exit the vehicle. I had to open the window and stick my arm out the window to unlock the door from the exterior door handle. In addition, the rear lift gate would not remain closed or locked and would stay open while the vehicle was in motion.

Filed Apr 1, 2013 · Body · 50,000 miles · PA

The rear window glass door would not snap into lock position -- there was a recall for exactly the same by mazda for 2001, 2002, 2003 2004 & 2005 tributes. But they insist that my VIN is not one of them. I think it should have been and should be. Following is the info on 2001-2005 recall --- recall date: dec 22, 2004 recalled vehicles: 2001 mazda tribute 2002 mazda tribute 2003 mazda tribute 2004 mazda tribute 2005 mazda tribute component: latches/locks/linkages:hatchback/liftgate:lock. Manufactured by: mazda north american operations affected vehicles: 49,800 recall summary: certain 2004-2005 sport utility vehicles and certain 2001-2003 sport utility vehicle having rear liftgate components serviced with 2004 equivalent components fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 206, 'door locks and door retention components. ' the rear liftgate latching system does not meet the inertia load requirement in one direction. Consequence: if the liftgate is left unlocked, there is the potential that it may open during a crash. How to fix: dealers will replace the rear liftgate latch release rod, the release rod attachment clip and the door handle return spring. The recall began on march 31, 2005. Owners should contact mazda at 1‑800‑222‑5500. Recall notes: mazda recall no. 2804l. Customers can also contact the federal safety agency's auto safety hotline at 1‑888‑327‑4236.

Filed Nov 19, 2012 · Body · 110,000 miles · MI

Door handle on the passenger side does not open the door anymore. It seems that interior handle stopped working correctly by using it in a normal way. This affects safety since the passenger door can be opened only from the outside.

Filed Oct 4, 2012 · Body · 120,000 miles · FL

Front passenger door handle won't open door from inside. Plastic hook inside handle assembly broke. Door can only be opened from the exterior.

Filed Feb 23, 2012 · Locks · 120,000 miles · MO

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mazda tribute. The contact stated that she was unable to open the door to exit the vehicle. He contact had to open the window and stick her arm out the window to unlock the door from the exterior door handle. In addition, the rear lift gate would not remain closed or locked and would sporadically open while the vehicle was in motion. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v605000 (latches/ locks/ linkages: hatchback/ liftgate: lock) but was advised by the dealer that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. No repairs were performed. The current mileage was unknown and the failure mileage was 120,000.

Filed Jun 18, 2011 · Body, Locks · 111,948 miles · WA

Drivers side door handle broke under normal use. Cannot open door from inside vehicle. An alarming safety problem. When I took the panel off I found a small piece of plastic had broken off from the assembly. The door handle is constructed from ridiculously cheap plastic. This also affected the alarm system working properly as it would engage while inside the vehicle and go off when exiting the vehicle.

Filed Sep 30, 2010 · Body, Locks · 100,000 miles · FL

Inner door handles broken from regular use. Driver side door handles actually broke in half. Passenger front door handle broke as well internally. Neither door handle opens from inside. As for driver side door handle I replaced it with back passenger door handle as I did not feel I should have to pay for a defect like this. Front passenger door handle remains to be fixed. We all need to call mazda and report this problem. This has been a huge problem with many of these vehicles. Mazda needs to know about it. 1800-222-5500.

Filed Jun 13, 2010 · Locks · 75,000 miles · TX

Drivers door latch stopped working in may 2008, have to open door by rolling down the window and opening from outside. Didn't get repaired. Now front passenger door has same issue.

Filed May 20, 2010 · Body, Locks · 129,827 miles · WI

Driver side door handle stopped operating. Drivers door will not open from inside....outside handle works ok. It stopped working without warning. I am not able to open this door unless I put the window down and operate the outside door handle. Nothing occurred other than normal daily use prior to breaking. Vehicle is driven only by adults.

Filed Oct 18, 2009 · Locks · 90,122 miles · AZ

Interior driver door handle disengaged (broken cable attachment), handle no longer opens door. Must lower window and open door from exterior handle, not safe in cases where passengers (driver) need rapid egress. Weak door handle assembly at point of cable attachment seems like a design flaw/shortcut. This issue was common on the web-based repair sites with over 50 owners reporting issues on 1 site alone. Factory certified repair is $350! Consequently a work around has been posted on the internet that is dangerous. Involves drilling a hole in the handle base and rerouting the cable to this new (less efficient) location. The poor design, weak break-strength and critical nature of the component (door handle assembly) almost ensures this component will fail. The outrageous cost to replace almost guarantees a steady reliable source of income for mazda dealer rare dept. The fact that this component failure degrades the rapid egress in the event of an accident, it seems like an important issue for your agency to address.

Filed Mar 17, 2009 · Locks · 76,000 miles · NC

2002 mazda tribute I have had to replace all 4 door locks, at my expense. Has happened again to both front doors. Mechanic said that mazda skimped on the rod mechanism and instead of installing two separate rods, one for the locks and one for the handles, the one rod cannot support all the doors. These doors will not open from the inside or the outside resulting in very expensive labor costs to remove the door panel to replace a $3.00 part. Here's what I don't understand. What is mazda going to do when someone sues them for not being able to exit their vehicle in an emergency. I cannot comprehend why this is not a recall.

Filed Dec 15, 2008 · Body · 54,825 miles · FL

2002 mazda tribute driver's side door handle will not open from inside the vehicle when the car is unlocked and it doesn't matter if the key is in or out of the ignition locking the driver inside the vehicle.