Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Fuel fill neck diagnostic code po457 occurred and the check engine light came on which seemed to cause the vehicle to sputter, and to have loss of power while driving. Upon inspection there is nothing wrong with the part. Upon a google search other have had the same problem and it appears they recalled this same vehicle with the 3.0 engine (mine has the 2.5).
My 17 year old daughter was pulling out of a parking lot to cross 4 lanes of traffic and lost all acceleration! Stopping in the middle of the highway. I was in the turning lane watching a semi and 20 cars headed straight for my daughter. Luckily she thought quick enough to put the car in reverse, since she was on a slight hill, she rolled back into the parking lot. Ford has issued an extended warranty for the throttle body on the escapes (sister to the Tribute) for this very issue. Mazda has only issued a special bulletin that the Tribute can loose acceleration, but did not say how to fix it. I found all this information after that fact that my daughter almost died!!! We had the vehicle at a Mazda dealership the Friday & Saturday before. They apparently did not know about the issue and all they did was clean out the throttle body, and said that should take care of it. …
As I am driving the ABS and traction control lights come on and the car will start kicking like something is trying to in gage itself this has caused the transmission to go out so I have had it rebuilt thinking maybe the transmission was bad I have the car back now and the car is doing the same thing as it was doing before transition went out it has done it almost every time I drive it dry pavement city and or country roads worried to drive it now don't want to have to replace transmission again over 3000 dollars to repair any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
I was turning into a parking spot and of a sudden I couldn't turn my steering wheel. I got it towed to a dealership they said it was the power steering. They replaced the torqgue sensor. Then my next problem was my gas pedal sometimes just wouldn't accelerate. I was driving on the highway in the fast lane with cruise control on I turned it off. Then I tried to push my gas pedal it wouldn't accelerate so I had to hurry up and pull on the side of the highway because cars where behind me. It eventually just started back and another time it was 3 am and I was driving on a back road. I pushed my gas pedal but it wouldn't accelerate so I started hitting it as hard as I could. It still wasn't working so I pulled over and put it in park. I just kept on pushing the gas pedal and after 15 mins it started back working. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mazda Tribute. While driving 85 MPH and depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle accelerated without warning. The brake pedal had to be depressed multiple times to slow the vehicle down. The contact drove the vehicle home. Also, while the vehicle was in drive, it accelerated at full throttle. The contact called kinsel Ford (located at 3355 eastex fwy, beaumont, tx 77706, [phone]) and was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 12V357000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control). The dealer stated that if the failure was related to the recall, there would be no charge. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
I was unable to stop my vehicle in time to avoid a collision with another car. It felt to me that I had no control over the car because the engine was racing. I applied the brakes hard but the car would not stop. The traffic light had just changed and I was accelerating to go through the light. That is when the vehicle went out of my control. After the accident, I tried to drive my car away from the scene but the engine was racing and I could not control the car. That is when I realized that the vehicle is not drivable because the engine appears to be stuck with the throttle open. I tried to drive it but had to use the emergency brake to stop it.
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. …
Vehicle was traveling on a four-lane highway with cruise control on. The vehicle suddenly began to accelerate uncontrollably; tried applying the brake, turning off the cruise control, pressing the decelerate button, nothing worked. I had to apply a great deal of force to the brakes in order to slow the vehicle enough to get it off the road. I shifted the transmission into neutral and the engine began to rev uncontrollably. I turned the ignition switch off and opened the hood to investigate. The throttle cable on the cruise control servo had rotated up to about a 30-degree angle and had the throttle held open. I rotated the cable back down to its normal position and the throttle snapped free. I will not use the cruise control again until the issue is resolved. …
Related recalls (3)
Vehicle speed control › Cables
Mazda is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2006, and 2008, Tribute vehicles equipped with 3.0L V6 engines and speed control. Inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the speed control cable connector could result in a stuck throttle when the accelerator pedal is fully or almost-fully depressed.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles by increasing the engine cover clearance, free of charge. Remedy parts are now available. The safety recall began on September 13, 2012.
Vehicle speed control › Cables
On certain sport utility vehicles, the accelerator cable May prevent the throttle from returning to the idle position.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the accelerator cable. The recall began on January 28, 2005. Owners should contact Mazda at 1-800-222-5500, option #4.
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control. The speed control cable can have a cracked or missing speed control cable servo cap locating tab. The locating tab could enter the servo clutch cavity and interfere with the speed control servo clutch.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the speed control cables. Vehicles with speed control cables from cavities 3 and 4 will have the cable the speed control servo replaced.
NHTSA investigations
Gasoline vapor intrusion
There is no summary currently available
Stuck Throttle
In a letter dated July 25, 2012 Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR), NHTSA Recall No. 12V-353 to NHTSA identifying a safety defect involving inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the speed control cable connector, which could result in a stuck throttle condition.The vehicles involved are model year (MY) 2001 through MY 2004 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with 3.0L V6…
Cruise Control Cable
On July 8, 2012, The Center for Auto Safety has petitioned NHTSA to open defect investigations on Model Year (MY) 2002 ? 2004 Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute vehicles with certain cruise control cables.The Center for Auto Safety has also petitioned for a hearing to address whether Ford Motor Company (Ford) and Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) met their obligations to notify owners and correct a defect in…
Frequently asked questions
Which Mazda Tribute years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (85), 2008 (53), 2006 (49), 2001 (40) and 2002 (37) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 23% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Mazda Tribute acceleration problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 12V-357 (cables, Jul 27, 2012); 04V-583 (cables, Dec 10, 2004); 00V210002 (vehicle speed control, Aug 9, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mazda Tribute acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles; 30% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (36 mentions), followed by the cables (27).
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.