There are 13 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2005 Mazda Tributein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
CAR STOPS ACCELERATING DUE TO GAS PEDAL BEING STUCK. *TR
RUNNING ROUGH, STALLING AT LIGHTS, REPLACED IGNITION COILS, NEW IGNITION COILS FAILED, FURTHER DIAGNOSIS, PCM CAUSING FAILURE. *TR
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. THE OTHER DRIVER AND A WITNESS SAID THEY HEARD THE VEHICLE REVVING AFTER IT STOPPED AFTER IMPACT. THE VEHICLE CUT OFF AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS ON ITS OWN AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THERE ARE SIMILAR REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING ON THE WEBSITE BUT NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. I HAD OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR 5 YEARS AND 9 MONTHS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK VENT PIPE COMPLETELY FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD SIGNIFICANT CONCERN OF A POTENTIAL FIRE DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.
THE GAS PEDAL STICKS WHILE DRIVING, IT LOOSENS UP AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, (PUTTING THE ENTIRE FORCE OF MY BODY AGAINST PEDAL WILL NOT FREE IT UP) . THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT HAS BEEN HAPPENING MUCH MORE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. ALSO LAST WINTER WHEN IT WAS COLD AT NIGHT AS I PULLED FROM MY PARKING SPOT AT WORK THE ENGINE SEEMED TO REV SUDDENLY AS I PULLED AWAY. THIS WOULD ONLY HAPPEN OCCASIONALLY AND I FIGURED IT WAS DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER BUT I AM NOT SO SURE NOW. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS. THE DEALER CHARGES THEM SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I SEE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2002-2004 MAZDA TRIBUTE FOR THE ACCELERATOR CABLE RECALL 2704L. IS IT POSSIBLE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS MODEL YEAR. *TR
FILLING THE GAS TANK BECAME A PROBLEM AS WEATHER BECAME COLDER. IT FILLS SLOWLY AND BACKS UP. IF NOT ANTICIPATING IT FUEL WILL SPRAY BACK AT YOU AN RUN BACK OUT FILLER TUBE IN FACT IT IS HARD NOT TO HAVE SOME FUEL SPILL DURING THE FILL. I SAW TSB ON THE ISSUE AND CONTACTED DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED ,A FORD DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET INFORMATION ON THE PROBLEM AND SAID THAT I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO PAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM ANYWAY AND WOULD HAVE TO GO TO A MAZDA DEALERSHIP TO GET IT DONE. I CONTACTED MAZDA USA BY PHONE AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY OR RECALL. THEY REFUSED TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIR. WITH PERSISTENCE THEY SAID IF I TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND PAID FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND RESULTS WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE TSB THAT THEY MIGHT HELP WITH THE REPAIR UNDER A "GOODWILL" PROGRAM. I REQUESTED TSB FIX INFORMATION SO I COULD CONSIDER WHAT WAS NEEDED TO FIX SO I COULD DECIDE MY MOST ECONOMICAL ROUTE TO GET IT FIXED BUT THEY REFUSED. THEY SAID THAT INFORMATION WOULD ONLY BE GIVEN TO MAZDA MECHANICS DUE TO "LIABILITY" CONCERNS. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES AND IT NOW OCCURS AT EVERY FUEL FILL, THE COLDER IT IS THE WORSE IT IS BUT IT OCCURS EVEN WHEN IT IS ABOVE FREEZING. I HAVE A COWORKER WITH A 2006 TRIBUTE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. NO SERIOUS EVENT TO US YET BUT MY SON BORROWED THE CAR ONCE AND I WAS UNABLE TO WARN HIM AHEAD AND HE WAS DOUSED IN GAS. ANY STATIC SPARK OR OTHER IGNITION SOURCE AND THERE WILL BE A TRAGEDY. REMEMBER THIS IS OCCURRING AT A GAS PUMP AT A GAS STATION WITH FUEL TANK DOOR AND CAP OPEN WITH GAS PUMP RUNNING. IT IS AT IT WORSE AT THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR A STATIC ELECTRIC SPARK ( DRY AND COLD). MAZDA SHOWED NO INTEREST OR CONCERN TO DEAL WITH THIS. THEY KNOW OF THE DEFECT AND FIRST TSB ON IT WAS ISSUED IN 2005. HELP! *TR
THROTTLE STICKS ON THE GET-GO WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STOP GIVING A WHIPLASH TYPE START. NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT IT AS OF YET. 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE 4 CYL. *TR
WITH JUST OVER 12000 MILES, THE THROTTLE BECAME VERY STICKY IN COLD WEATHER. THE BUTTERFLIES IN THE THROTTLE BODY HOLD THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CLOSED, REQUIRING EXCESSIVE FORCE TO PUSH (AND EXCESSIVE ACCELERATION). IN COLD WEATHER, THROTTLE WOULD STICK CLOSED WHENEVER THE PEDAL WAS RELEASED, NO MATTER HOW LONG THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. THE DEALERSHIP (HALL MAZDA IN VIRGINIA BEACH) REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY, AND COMMENTED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY SHOULD BE CLEANED EVERY 12000 MILES FOR VARNISH BUILDUP. THERE IS NO TSB THAT I COULD FIND ON THIS PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS THE PCV SYSTEM, ALLOWING OIL TO COLLECT ON THE THROTTLE BODY, AND CAUSING IT TO BIND DURING COLD WEATHER. *JB
WHILE ACCELERATING, THE ACCELERATOR GETS STUCK AND THE CAR SUDDENLY SLOWS DOWN TO A CRAWL. DRIVER HAS TO PULL OVER AND PUMP ACCELERATOR IN ORDER TO GET IT UNSTUCK. CHECKED WITH DEALER INITIALLY AND CALLED MAZDA TODAY JANUARY 8, 2014 TO ASK IF THERE HAVE BEEN A RECALL. WAS TOLD, NO. IN THE PAST, HAD TO TAKE CAR TO MECHANIC AND LEFT IT TO BE TEST DRIVEN IN ORDER FOR MECHANIC TO REPLICATE PROBLEM. MECHANIC FOUND THE PROBLEM AND CLEANED ACCELERATOR. PROBLEM CONTINUOUS SPORADICALLY. *TR
I PURCHASED A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE IN JULY, 2005. THE STICKER ON THE CAR HAD AN AVERAGE MILEAGE OF 19 TO 24 MILES PER GALLON. I, TO THIS DATE GET 11 TO 13 MILES PER GALLON AND 17-19 ON THE HIGHWAY. I TRULY BELIEVE THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THE FUEL SYSTEM OR THE ENGINE. CONTACTED MAZDA AND WAS TOLD EPA WAS TO BLAME AND I NEEDED TO LET THE CAR GET BROKEN IN. I CURRENTLY HAVE 6500 MILES AND STILL GET 11-13 MILES PER GALLON. I HAVE A 16 GALLON TANK AND GET ANYWHERE BETWEEN 180 TO 200 MILES PER TANK. DEALER SAYS NOTHING WRONG AND HASN'T REPLACED ANYTHING. *NM
ACCELERATOR PEDDLE BECAME STUCK AND WOULD NOT RELEASE WHILE ENTERING PARKWAY. BREAKS FAILED. HAD TO STOP CAR USING EMERGENCY BREAK. MAZDA REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR CABLE AND THROTTLE.
WHEN FUELING I CONSTANTLY HAVE TO OVER RIDE THE PUMP DUE TO THE FACT THAT PUMP TURNS OFF PREMATURELY. EVEN THOUGH I DON'T BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD I DO FIND IT AN INCONVENIENCE. I HAVE ALSO HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM. *JB
FUEL TANK DESIGN PROBLEM ON A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE.*MR THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A FUEL TANK FILLER PROBLEM THEY CANNOT RECTIFY AND CLAIM THAT IT IS A MAZDA DESIGN ERROR. WHEN FILLING THE TANK GAS SPEWS OUT SHUTTING OF THE PUMP. THE CONSUMER WAS THEN REQUIRED TO MANUALLY OVERRIDING THE PUMP BY CONTINUALLY CLICKING THE PUMP ON AND OFF RAPIDLY. *BF *NM
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026