2001 Mazda Tribute: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 734 complaints
734
Total Complaints
70,500mi
Median Mileage
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
Top Issue
26
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

36,000 25th Percentile
70,500 Median Mileage
109,749 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
96
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
36
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
33
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
32
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
30
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
28
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
27
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
25
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
22
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
21

Severity Assessment

26
Crashes
17
Fires
17
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE MAZDA TRIBUTE AND FORD ESCAPE ALSO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS PROBABLY A CHEMICAL BURNING OFF THE ENGINE - THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. THE SMELL USUALLY ONLY OCCURS WHEN YOU START AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE VEHICLE FOR A SHORT PERIOD. UPON STARTING, A FAINT ..."
"WHEN THE CAR ENGINE IS DRIVEN FOR MORE THAN 10 MIN AND THEN SHUT OFF, WHEN YOU RESTART THE ENGINE YOU GET A STRONG FUEL VAPOR FROM THE VENTS IN THE CAR. ALSO WHEN THE CAR IS COLLING DOWN LIKE IN THE GARAGE YOU GET A STRONG FUEL VAPOR FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK T..."
"EXCEPT FOR THE INITIAL IGNITION EACH DAY, EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS STARTED A WAFT OF GASOLINE FUMES COMES THROUGH THE AIR VENTS, THEN DISSIPATES AFTER 5-10 SECONDS. AN ODOR OF GASOLINE CAN BE DETECTED SOMETIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IDLING, AND A DISTINCT GASOLINE ODOR IS EVIDENT ON THE OUTSIDE OF TH..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28