Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
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.
Throttle freeze up. Could not accelerate out of path of on coming vehicle which crashed into my left front fender. This condition has been on going for years now and when I approached the dealer about it I was told to wait for recall letter which never came. Contacted Mazda and was told that this vehicle was not one of the recalled vehicles. It has been problem after problem with this vehicle. And I need help.
I am the current owner of this vehicle I. Bought it through north shore bank off lease... I take good care of the car and have it maintained regularly . Recently the rear passenger area has been making a loud banging noise, I thought it May be a broken shock or something to that affect. I took it into Goodyear in racine wi. Come to find the whole wheel well is rotted out on the passenger side.. The mechanic said he could not fix it and take it to racine auto body also in racine, wi. They also said they have never seen anything like that happen to a car or SUV ever before. He said it has to be due to a bad factory process or some flaw that had been when the car was manufactured. They want $1600.00 to fix the area and I don't feel I should have to fix the flaw from the Mazda manufacturer. I feel it isn't safe to drive on the highway without more damage being added. …
I have had problems with my gas pedal every since I got the car. The problem is that it will not accelerate its like it has something behind the gas pedal preventing it to go down. It has got worse over the years especially when it is cold outside it seems to stick worse. You can try to push it harder or even pull up on it and it doesn't budge. I had to pullover today because I couldn't get the pedal to work so I couldn't give it gas. I got it work and was driving down the road and it froze up again. I finally made it to my destination and when I left nothing was wrong with it. Got in it tonight after work and it is very cold outside and it was stuck again. Called Mazda earlier and said they was no recall on it. Got online afterwards and found numerous people with the same problem. I got it checked out before with Mazda while under warranty and they told me nothing was wrong with.
Mazda Tribute 2005 transmission failed at 29,380 miles . Replaced with remanufactured transmission and was not give a warranty on the (they said new) transmission--was told the remaining warranty on my car was all I got. Other transmission shops nearby said they gave 12 to 24 month warranty and offered extended warranties on their remanufactured transmissions. I was informed by the transmission shops that Mazda and Ford escape were known for their unreliability and frequency of failure of their transmissions. The "other " shops got these cars at 80,000 miles usually, which means to me that Mazda dealers are more than likely getting a substantial number of transmission failures that are under warranty and then making the customer liable for the next transmission failure at a substantial cost between 2200 to 2800 dollars.
2006 Mazda Tribute s AWD - VIN# [redacted] vehicle stalled out while making a left turn at an intersection. There is a TSB for this issue, however, the dealerships do not honor it and only state it is to make us aware of a know problem. NHTSA: action number: 10039105 service bulletin number: 312789 report date: May 16, 2011 component: power train summary: Mazda: the engine is stalling when stopping or engaging into drive or reverse. It May be intermittent and usually occurs on long drives. It May be caused by internal wear of the torque converter. This appears to not be only occurring to me, but to other people too. A recall needs to be issued on this.
While driving between 1500 and 2500 rpms, the car suddenly drops in rpms and either stalls altogether or starts making a jerking motion and thudding noise. Cannot get out of the gear unless you jam on the accelerator. Extremely dangerous and near undrivable on the highway. Had has happened twice before, ruining the engine coils the first time and the catalytic converters the second time. It seems the PCM is faulty and ruining all of the associated parts. Have read up on the topic and many other owners have the same issue with the stalling and jolting of the issue, all associated with the PCM. This very much seems like an issue that should be recalled, as the repairs are significantly costly and affect many vehicles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle began to lose power and would not respond and then suddenly slammed into gear. The failure recurred intermittently when driving at any speed. In addition, the overdrive warning light flashed when the failure occurred. The dealer replaced the transmission at 21,000 miles in March 2007 however, the failure recurred and the vehicle was in need of a second transmission replacement. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, did not offer any assistance. The contact was awaiting repairs. The current mileage was 46,000 and the approximate failure mileage was 21,000. Updated 12/16/11
While driving and coming to a stop at a light the car stalled while using the air conditioner. This happened several times, so I stopped using the air until I could bring it in for service. The next day while driving at 45 MPH I noticed the RPM's increasing with no increase in speed. I also noticed the overdrive light blinking. I pulled over and the car was in neutral no matter where the shift selector was. I turned the car off and after 5 min. Restarted the car and was able to shift into drive. After about 100 yds , again the trans shifted back to neutral. Again I pulled over shut off the car and waited 5 min. I continued this procedure until I got home about 5 miles.
Oct. 2005: car purchased January - March 2006: gas pedal began to stick, pedal would not move until significant pressure was placed on the pedal, causing a "jumping" motion traffic (15000 miles (approx) summer 2006: dealership acknowledged problem, throttle body was replaced at that time. May - July 2009: the problem developed again, causing the exact same type of issues. (45000 miles approx) July 2009: dealership acknowledged problem, replaced accelerator cable. Late July - aug 2009: problem resurfaced only more difficult. (46000 miles approx).
Transmission complaints in other Tribute years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2005 Mazda Tribute?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2005 Mazda Tribute, 6% of the model year's 377 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Mazda Tribute transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.