NHTSA Complaint #10090701 — 2003 MAZDA TRIBUTE

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH LESS THAN 600 MILES ON THE CAR DUE TO A HOSE CLAMP NOT BEING SECURED DURING MANUFACTURE. EVER SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR HESITATING AND ALMOST STALLING WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP JUST AFTER STARTING THE CAR. IT ALSO HAPPENS MORE OFTEN IF THE CAR IS NOT LEVEL AT THE TIME, EITHER ON AN INCLINE OR DECLINE. IF I LET THE CAR WARM UP FOR A FEW MINUTES, I GENERALLY DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE GAS PEDAL FEELING LIKE IT STICKS OR IS CATCHING ON SOMETHING, I HAVE NOTICED THIS PROBLEM MORE OFTEN WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 75 DEGREES. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR FINALLY ACTIVATES, THE CAR GENERAL LUNGES FORWARD OR WILL SPIN THE TIRES, I HAVE LEARNED TO LET MY FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER CONTROL. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR SHIFTING ABRUPTLY BETWEEN GEARS, BUT THIS HAS SUBSIDED QUITE A BIT. I HAVE ALSO FELT A VIBRATION IN THE CAR AROUND 45 AND 70 MPH. I DON'T FEEL THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL, IT FEELS LIKE IT IS COMING FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR, MORE IN THE TRANSMISSION/DRIVETRAIN AREA. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED A BALANCED 3 TIMES AND ALSO HAD THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED, BUT THE VIBRATION STILL OCCURS. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY ALWAYS SAY THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEMS. I HAVE RESEARCHED ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS AND RECALLS FOR THE TRIBUTE AND THE FORD ESCAPE, SINCE THEY ARE BASICALLY THE SAME VEHICLE, AND THERE ARE QUITE A FEW SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I THINK THE HESITATING PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE RECALL FOR THE "STALLING" PROBLEM, I THINK THE PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN THEY THOUGHT OR THE FIX FOR THE RECALL DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM ENTIRELY.*AK