Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Mazda Tribute owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mazda Tribute. Upon starting the vehicle, smoke was noticed. The contact turned off the engine, but the passenger advised her to restart the engine to see from where the smoke was originating. When the vehicle was restarted, flames were seen coming from the ignition coil under the hood, passenger lift the hood and ignition went into flames. The passenger was able to extinguish the flames. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the ECM, spark plugs, and six coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer (kings colonial Ford, 3565 community rd, brunswick, ga 31520), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 161,000.
When approaching a 4-way intersection during daylight hours, the light turned yellow then red. I tried to stop by pressing my brake pedal. My vehicle did not slow down, but continued to accelerate up hill. I pressed as hard as possible but my vehicle went through the intersection and I ran into the side of another vehicle. I was originally going about 30mph and when I hit the other vehicle, I was going about 25mph. My vehicle stopped after hitting the other vehicle but continued to rev higher. I was injured when my arms bent the steering wheel forward, the seat belt bruised me and my right foot (talus bone) was broken by the pressure on the brake pedal. I required surgery. I was out of work for 3 weeks and wore a cast for 7 weeks. The policeman who reported to the accident site discovered the gas pedal was half way down to the floor and stuck. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mazda Tribute. After the accelerator pedal was depressed, the throttle became stuck at any speed. The contact had to pull over to the side of the road and adjust the speed cable in order to operate the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 12V357000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that due to the engine size, the vehicle would not be included in the recall. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 100,621.
Vehicle with odometer ~102500 miles lost all power climbing a bridge at highway speed causing following traffic to stop abruptly. Engine re-started but runs rough due to misfire, accelerates poorly. Diagnosed by Mazda dealer as PCM failure. Estimated replacement cost = $2600 usd which makes this failure a total loss of this vehicle. This is a widely known and experienced issue among 2001 - 2006 Mazda tributes for this Ford manufactured engine. Side note, class action suit filed against Ford motor company for same issues with 5.1l engines.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that while parked, the vehicle became engulfed in flames. The fire department reported to the scene and concluded that the fire began on the passenger side of the engine. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
Takata recall this 2005 Mazda Tribute. While driving down the road the light start to flash and there is a car that shows up on my dash I have had this looked at. And everyone said it was wiring problems this SUV has almost. Had me hit and in a car wreck. Because. It will shut down and no pull a hill. Or lose it power.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mazda Tribute. While driving at 45 MPH, an abnormal noise emitted from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
Interstate driving, engine lost power. 92,000 miles. All maintenance records available. Many repairs for low mileage. Codes revealed 4 coil packs out. Replaced all 6. Car still does not have compression. Dead. Shame on you Mazda!!!!
The sub frame and axles completely rusted through and the lower control arms and everything supported came loose. It all needs to be replaced at a cost of thousands of dollars. This is the same issue I have been reading about on the same vehicle years 2001 - 2004 as well as many Ford escapes. They have been recalled so why would newer units with the same problem not have been recalled. For a newer car to have the same problem would make this issue be even worse then the manufacturer is reporting. Every dealer and every junk yard tells me the same thing, this is not isolated to the 2001 - 2004 model years. I have no option but to fix the manufacturers defect and hope that they admit more vehicles need to be recalled. They should fix the problem and pay for the parts and labor to repair their problem which they knowingly passed onto the consumer. …
The 2005 Mazda Tribute initially started to be sporadically sluggish/hesitation when stepping on the gas. It seemed like there was a delay from when I pressed on the gas pedal to when the vehicle actually accelerated. On 6/4/15, a couple days after first experiencing the sluggishness/hesitant acceleration, the vehicle stalled/lost power while driving 55 miles per hour on a busy road. Fortunately, I was able to coast over to the side of the road. Within a few minutes I was able to restart the vehicle and continue on my way. The vehicle continued to be sluggish at acceleration and would randomly stall while driving and/or idling. At this point with the vehicle's mechanical issues, the check engine light was not on- even though there was something major wrong with the vehicle. Over the next couple weeks I had the vehicle in the shop three times. …
Engine complaints in other Tribute years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2005 Mazda Tribute?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2005 Mazda Tribute, 7% of the model year's 377 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2005 Mazda Tribute engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2005 Mazda Tribute, though it has 3 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 2005 Mazda Tribute engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.