Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Mazda Tribute owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Mazda Tribute. While driving 25 MPH, the contact lost control of the vehicle and struck a fire hydrant. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the cross member cross brace failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also stated that the vehicle was previously repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 14V174000 (structure). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Mazda Tribute. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the subframe of the vehicle was rusted and corroded, which nearly damaged the lower control arm. The vehicle was taken to jack sweeney Mazda in cincinnati, oh where it was diagnosed that the entire subframe would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously repaired in 2014 per NHTSA campaign number: 14V174000 (structure). The failure mileage was 210,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Mazda Tribute. While the vehicle was undergoing maintenance, the independent mechanic discovered that the subframe was severely rusted and corroded. The vehicle was taken to de paula Mazda (799 central ave, albany, ny 12206) who installed a reinforcement cross brace per NHTSA campaign number: 14V174000 (structure). After the repairs, the vehicle was still unsafe to drive due to the corroded subframe. The manufacturer was notified and did not assist. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken to be serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 14V174000 (structure), the technician informed that the rear bolts on the vehicle were rusted and unrepairable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,015.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that the subframe of the vehicle was deteriorated. The vehicle was previously repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 14V174000 (structure). The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.
The vehicle that I own has corrosion around the lift gate's rear window hinges and has completely fell off. This is very dangerous as I fear the window will completely fall off. I'm not sure if its OK for the rear lift-gate window hinge to be falling off like that.
I went in the store for a few minutes and I can out and the car would not shift into gear at all it shifted out of park and all it did was the shifter just stopped and was loose it would not ingage in another gear
We own a 2001 Mazda Tribute es v6 [redacted] . Since purchasing the vehicle in August 2001 there have been three incidences of the inside door handles becoming non-functional and creating a hazardous condition where the doors cannot be opened from the inside (someone must open from the outside or you need to open the window and reach out to use the exterior handle to open the door). This creates a dangerous condition should the car be involved in a fire or accident where the occupant must quickly exit the vehicle. The interior door handle places a great deal of shear force on a small plastic pin that connects the door lever to the latch/lock/actuator. The driver's side handle has broken twice since 2001 and the passenger side door handle broke this week. …
The driver door handle suddenly stopped working, I thought maybe because it's now considered an old car, but then just recently the same thing happened to the passenger door. I thought, hmmmm maybe I should look this up on the internet. Bam!!! Many complaints of the same defect and no recall!! This is a safety issue. Someone could actually get killed from not being able to get out of their car. So, let's go through a scenario. I get in a car accident, the power does not work to open the windows, the car is on fire. I can't get out through driver door or passenger. So now, I am struggling to get to the back seat to open a door. But wait, that's if I don't catch on fire first. What is it going to take to get this to be a recall. Will it take someone actually getting killed. …
The inside driver side door handle of my 2001 Mazda Tribute completely stopped functioning. This was sudden, without warning, and permanent. The only way to open the door at this point is to roll down the window and open the door using the outside door handle. Thus, the driver is essentially trapped inside the vehicle unless they can access the outside of the car or exit using another door. This seems to be a very prevalent problem with 2001 Mazda tributes based on a brief internet search.
Related recalls
Structure › Frame and members
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2004 Tribute vehicles manufactured May 22, 2000, through December 19, 2003, originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New…
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will install a newly designed reinforcement cross-brace, free of charge. The recall began on May 29, 2014. Owners may contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500.
Body complaints in other Tribute years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2001 Mazda Tribute?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the body & structure of the 2001 Mazda Tribute, 8% of the model year's 563 complaints. The component named most often is body › door (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Mazda Tribute body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-174 (frame and members, Apr 4, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Mazda Tribute body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 96,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.