NHTSA Safety Recalls
2003 Mazda Tribute Recalls
The 2003 Mazda Tribute has 8 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on April 4, 2014.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2003 Mazda Tribute. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 8
- Owner complaints
- 199
- Crashes reported
- 17
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
9 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2003 Mazda Tribute, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
8 recalls on the 2003 Mazda Tribute
Structure: frame and members
- Campaign
- 14V174000
- Reported
- April 4, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 109,000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004 Tribute
Engine and engine cooling
- Campaign
- 12V357000
- Reported
- July 27, 2012
- Vehicles affected
- up to 217,500
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004–2006, 2008 Tribute
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- Campaign
- 07V157000
- Reported
- April 10, 2007
- Vehicles affected
- up to 95,300
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004 Tribute
Latches/locks/linkages: hatchback/liftgate: lock
- Campaign
- 04V605000
- Reported
- December 23, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 49,800
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 206, door locks and door retention
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004–2005 Tribute
Vehicle speed control: cables
- Campaign
- 04V583000
- Reported
- December 10, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 121,000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2002, 2004 Tribute
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
- Campaign
- 04V175000
- Reported
- April 9, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 106,000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002 Tribute
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- Campaign
- 07E023000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004 Tribute, 19 other models
Suspension: front: wheel bearing
- Campaign
- 15E045000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004–2010 Tribute, 2 other models
2003 Mazda Tribute complaints by year
NHTSA has received 199 owner complaints about the 2003 Mazda Tribute, the newest on July 19, 2025. Of these, 17 describe a crash (9%) and 9 a fire; owners reported 16 injuries.
In complaints about the 2003 Mazda Tribute, the component group named most often is the air bags (18%), followed by the vehicle speed control (17%) and the structure (15%).
1 of the 2003 Mazda Tribute's 8 recalls also concerns the vehicle speed control.
Where 2003 Mazda Tribute owners gave the mileage (150 complaints), the median was 74,351 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Air Bags35
- Vehicle Speed Control34
- Structure29
- Power Train24
- Engine And Engine Cooling23
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic21
Complaints received, by year
| 2003 | 19 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 15 | |
| 2005 | 13 | |
| 2006 | 16 | |
| 2007 | 8 | |
| 2008 | 11 | |
| 2009 | 6 | |
| 2010 | 7 | |
| 2011 | 9 | |
| 2012 | 13 | |
| 2013 | 20 | |
| 2014 | 11 | |
| 2015 | 11 | |
| 2016 | 12 | |
| 2017 | 7 | |
| 2018 | 8 | |
| 2019 | 5 | |
| 2020 | 3 | |
| 2021 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2003 Mazda Tribute peaked in 2013, when NHTSA received 20. 32% arrived between 2002 and 2006, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2003 vehicles, the 2003 Mazda Tribute drew 1.1× the complaints of the median Mazda Tribute year in the same window: 3rd highest of the 8 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 3/5
The 199 complaints about the 2003 Mazda Tribute are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Mazda Tribute by model year
Other 2003 Mazda models
Newest record on this page: July 19, 2025. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted