Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Mazda Tribute owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2004 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 212,900.
The driver air bag light on the instrument panel has been illuminated since 2004, repair had been attempted several times but has failed. A bulletin has been sent by the manufacture to the dealership regarding steering wheel airbag light being illuminated giving a false warning, due to defective electrical wiring that cannot be repaired.
I was slowing down to stop behind another car at a red light and my car slowed down but did not fully stop. I barely bumped the car in front of me at probably less than 5 miles per hour but my air bags went off. There was no damage to my car other than the air bags exploding and my insurance company wants to total my car because of the air bags exploding. I have second degree burns and a cut from the air bag.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Mazda Tribute. The contact was driving 5 MPH and crashed into the rear bumper of another vehicle's bumper. The driver and passenger's side air bags deployed and the contact sustained whip lash, back, and wrist injuries from the air bag deployment. The contact stated that the air bags should have not have deployed at such low speed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home and was neither diagnosed for the cause of the failure nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
On July 15 I was driving at a low speed and my air bag light came on. It randomly flashes and sometimes stays on for 2 to 3 days. It has not been fixed due to the cost of repairing it. If the air bag explodes while I am driving this could be fatal to myself, my 1 year old son and my 12 year old son. Every Mazda SUV / truck from 2004 has a recall except mine. The recall needs to extend to the Tribute because there is obviously a serious issue that's needs to be corrected.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Mazda zh98 (na). While driving 30 MPH, the driver crashed into a guardrail. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained a broken arm that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the driver's residence. The body damage was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
I was sitting a stop light. I was rear ended by a car at 40 MPH. The impact pushed me into the car in front of me. Upon impact, air bags deployed but seatbelt buckle shattered into 6 pieces. I contacted Mazda, and they said there was nothing they could do. The car was totalled. Http://www.kodakgallery.com/photoview.jsp?&collid=90010007906&photoid=53811007906.
Side impact on the drivers side, and the side airbag did not deploy. The steering wheel cracked, you can see the air bag but it did not deploy either....updated 05-27-15 the driver of the vehicle was killed. Updated 07/07/15
While driving on freeway at approximately 75 MPH consumer's vehicle was involved in a roll over. Upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. The front doors were impacted yet the air bags did not deploy.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that her air bag light illuminated, which indicated a failure with the system. She took the vehicle to a dealer on six occasions for the same failure. The first time the dealer replaced a wiring harness, the second time they replaced a seat module, the third time they had to reinstall the harness because they connected it improperly, the fourth time, they replaced the driver's side sensor, the fifth time they replaced the passenger side seat sensor, and most recently, they replaced the entire system. However, the failure continues. The dealer stated that nothing else could be done. The failure mileage was 72,000 and current mileage was 107,000.
Airbag complaints in other Tribute years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2004 Mazda Tribute?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the air bags of the 2004 Mazda Tribute, 14% of the model year's 157 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Mazda Tribute airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2004 Mazda Tribute, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Mazda Tribute airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 7 injuries and 1 death to air bags 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.