Ford Escape Mazda Tribute Maintenance and Repair

tincup47 · July 2003

I had a similar issue with another vehicle several years ago. Most Ford products have a lead that goes from the stop light switch on brake pedal to the interlock solonoid that allows you to take the vehicle out of park (This is to meet a federal regulation that requires your foot to be on the brake pedal to take the vehicle out of park). If for any reason this electrical signal is disrupted, you could have anything ranging from difficulty to totally not being able to get the vehicle out of park. I have seen failing stop light switches cause this problem, but in my case the wire had come loose.

mhaynie1 · July 2003

I have a 2001 Tribute with about 43,000 miles on it. I also experience a shudder in the transmission during slow acceleration - usually between 30-50 mph. I reported it the dealer once, and the response was the typical "cannot duplicate." I am not sure if your dealer would allow it, but I recommend you take the tech for a drive.

4bib · July 2003

We have 2002 Trib. ES-V6. My wife just called me saying that when she tried to back up from the garage and go down the our driveway hill (we have a steep 20 deg. heel), the Trib's braking pedal & wheel didn't respond. Luckily we live on a very quiet street with 7 houses so she ended up blocking road perpend. to our driveway. She was very close to hit the mailbox. Now, she said when she sat in a Trib, in a garage, and started the car she noticed that oil lamp & battery lamp turned on. Oil expiration sticker is still ok for about 50 miles to go. So my quest. is it what is called stall ? and if it's is Mazda supposed to offer car rental while in service so my wife can go to work. I'll much appreciate your answer.
Regards,
Boris

4bib · July 2003

The mileage on our Trib is 6750 miles.

myproshop · July 2003

my 2001 tribute was having grindings in the 30-40mph range, after two trannies, it doesnt happend anymore.....maybe bad trannies?

myproshop · July 2003

does anyone know if the tribute has shocks or struts or both in the front? i hear some hard knocking when i hit bumps in the city, and i'm wondering what has to be changed

bri66 · July 2003

Change the fluid, it will go away.

aprillb23 · July 2003

I have a 2002 Tribute LX with 15,000 miles on it and have been having a problem when it's been sitting for a few days. When I start it up, it makes a huge thunking noise. Everytime I start it after that it's fine. I've taken it in several times and they finally found the problem saying it was the AC compressor. It was replaced and I've had no problems since then until I started it up this morning. It wasn't driven for 3 day and thunked again when I started it, but this time it thunked again when I put it in reverse. It's in the shop again, but I have a feeling they won't find anything....again! Has anyone else had this problem and if so, what was causing it? I love this car, but I'm getting worried that it may be something serious. I'm considering trading it in for a newer model. Any help would be great!

turksteritis · July 2003

That is definately the a/c compressor kicking in. Some are louder then others. My 01 tribute was really loud when kicking in but my 03 is not even noticeable.

steff2 · July 2003

I too am having problem with my 2001 Tribute Transmission. Unfortunately I have 55000 miles and no more warranty. Some earlier messages indicated clearing the trouble by changing the fluid. I am going to try that.

aprillb23 · July 2003

My 02 Tribute went in today and the AC compressor is fine. All they can tell me is that there's no problems when it's hooked up to the computer and they "can't reproduce the noise" AHHHHHHHHH!!! The problem only happens when it first starts. After that, it runs fine. Now the problem happened when I shifted it into reverse. It seems to happen right when the engine catches. I swear it sounds like the engine is going to fall out. It's awful! Has anyone else had any problems like this? What happens when the transmission is bad? Does it sound like this?

scape2 · July 2003

maybe? low fluid? dirty fluid? I am reading around the internet that both the Escape/Trib should have the tranny fluid flushed, not just drained at about 30,000 miles. As some may think the Transmission is a sealed system it is not. It has moving parts and dirt makes its way in.
April.. Try another dealership. Technician experience along with quality of service can vary widly from dealership to dealership. Let us know what happens....

richie9 · August 2003

I've had my Tribute in the dealer's shop 6 times for the same problem: the security system. This
system causes my car to lock up for over an hour. I've talked with the service people and they all give me different answers to this problem. First they told me the problem was in the keys, then the controller was bad, next the electrical system, and now the clutch switch. This is very frustating.

mazdatribute · August 2003

I have noted when I used A/c condensations water drip on the Catalystic converter & exhaust pipe when I have parked the vehicle and this makes the sound of water drops dripping on hot metal.

I checked with dealer he says its normal on other tribute too.

It looks like dealer has let me down..he has my hard cash and is no longer interested after sale service..?

Has someone seen this problem..?

ii31 · August 2003

Hi,

My service guy has told the same. i.e. it's normal.
AC works fine, engine runs ok so I believe him.

Imran

scape2 · August 2003

Every car does this after a hot day and the AC on.... its condensation... onto the catalytic converter and exhaust pipe...
When it rains and you are driving on a wet road.. do you think the exhaust pipe and converter get wet??

mhaynie1 · August 2003

I have a 2001 Trib w/ 45k miles. I told the dealer and and dealer acknowledged that I have a "choppy" wear pattern on my tires (Continentals). The dealer had no explanation. Has anybody else had this problem?

larrydale · August 2003

After only two months, I have noticed two rust spots on my roof. I am the first?

axtheman · August 2003

2001 Tribute ES. My a/c acts up when I accelerate to highway speed. The air is no longer cool and the car becomes very muggy even fogging up the windshield. When I stop at a light or for traffic, the a/c kicks in and gets cold again. It works well one day then is messed up again the next. Happens day or night, sunny or cloudy. Is anyone else having an a/c problem

mckee4 · August 2003

Actually 45K miles with unusual tread wear would not be uncommon in my book. Though
I'm no tire expert, I've got 37.5K miles on my '01 Escape with the same tires. At present,
the tires seem to be wearing well, I think mainly d/t proper rotation and alignment. However,
I've never gotten more than 50K from any set of OEM tires regardless of brand.

I intend on changing out my tires at about 45K anyway. Most of the useful life would have
been achieved from the originals.

odie6l · August 2003

I had to have my Goodyear Wrangler RF-A 60k mile tread tires replaced at 30k because of flatspotting caused by the overload of torque put on the front tires. The Reps at Goodyear told me they have had ALOT of escape's eating through tires because it has too much torque for the front wheels. You need a heavy duty tire that can handle the load amount. Luckily because of the warranty I had on the Goodyear's I got brand new Tires real cheap (free).

Odie

toady1 · August 2003

My wife loves her 2001 Tribute, BUT...

It has stalled on her twice now, once about a year ago and once last week. The dealer "swore" he had fixed it last time and no doubt he will "swear" again he has fixed it when we pick it up tomorrow. My wife will not believe him and wants to get rid of the car. This is a shame because she loves it.

My question is: Is there a true fix for this problem and if so what do we need to do to insure ourselves that the dealer has fixed it properly? Or do we trade in the lemon and pray for the poor sucker who ends up with it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

wijoco · August 2003

Wow, a whole year in between incidents makes me wonder if it's the same problem or not. Maybe something different has cropped up since the first fix. What did the dealer do to rectify the problem the first time? As much information as you can give us, please.

steff2 · August 2003

My wife's Tribute stalled today as well for the third time. I have not taken it in yet to a dealer, but by reading others on this site, it appears that the stalling is an inherent problem.
Anyone else?

toady1 · August 2003

Both times they reflashed the pcm. They had an updated TSB and so the calibration they loaded was different this time than it was the first time.

I do not know why when a "better fix" came along they would not warn us that the old fix wasn't the one we needed.

The symptoms both times were identical, the engine stalled when going downhill at about 35-45 miles/hour.

We owned the car for a year befor the first incident occured.

If any other info would be helpful let me know.

Thanks,

02whttrib · August 2003

Sure are a lot of these things showing up on the used lots. Can't wait til the new Nissan Titan goes on sale, my junky Tribute will be among them.

Buyer Beware!!

Ray

nmhart · August 2003

Jut purchased a 03 LX last night. after I bought it I noticed every time you accelerate the AC stopes blowing from the dash increases blowing at windsheild. Has any one else had this problem?

cubsjpd · August 2003

Can anyone tell me why my in-dash 6-cd changer won't play a cd burned at home on my computer?

painfullessons · August 2003

how r u recording them?
Make sure you burn it as a music cd, and not a data cd
all the disks in my 6 disk player are burnt

cubsjpd · August 2003

what format were the songs on your burnt cd's ?

wijoco · August 2003

To clarify, do you mean it stops blowing *completely* from the dash vents? ANd what settings exactly do you have the controls on?

wijoco · August 2003

I would recommend doing a search on Edmund's Tribute/Escape section for "stalling" There are a ton of informative posts on the subject, but most are buried back a few months to a year. Seems like most people have already gone through the teething problems with the Escape. I can only speculate as to exactly what your problems are, because in some cases a PCM reflash cures the problem and in other cases it turned out to be an actual mechanical problem-like a leaking intake gasket or bad MAF sensor. Don't give up and trade it in if that's the only problem you have, though, the Escape/Tribute are some of the best vehicles Ford makes and it sure would be a shame to let this one (tough to solve) problem ruin your experience. Please update us on your fixes. Good luck!

alwaysed · August 2003

If you have random stalling incidents, widely separated timewise, it could be water(condensation) in the tank especially if the car had not been driven for an extended period of time.

captdon · August 2003

I've got a 2001 tribute and every so often while going down a steep bridge, all of a sudden I notice the engine is not running. I have to pull over and put it in park and it starts up and off I go. The dealer says they've never heard of this and if it ain't broke they can't fix it. By the way 2 power steering assemblys, leaked due to flaws in the casting, and 2 computer modules, no problems just check engine light came on. I'm starting to notice a shudder when engine shifts between 40-45mph, also dealer says is normal due to electronic shifting.

odie6l · August 2003

turns out the engine light was because of a bad tank of gas. Dealer purged the tank and line and refueled me with new gas and that fixed the problem.

Odie

herbvic · August 2003

Don't put too much stock in the blame game the tire guys want to play. My Goodyear Wrangler tires that came stock on my truck wore flat spots at around 25,000 miles and before 30,000 miles the right front had a tread separation. It was while driving at 55 miles an hour and it destroyed a lot of sheet metal and plastic before I could stop. The tire never deflated by the way. Goodyear paid damages and bought me a new tire. No front end allignment was necessary. With 70,000 miles on the truck now, I have not seen the problem reappear, and I'm using off brand tires.

Best,
Herb

herbvic · August 2003

I once had a newly purchased Dodge Mirada start stalling intermittently. Since it was only 3 months old, I took it back to the dealer. He replaced the computer module. The next day it stalled again. I took it back. He installed a carberator kit. The next day it stalled again. Complete electronic ignition system. It stalled again.

A shade tree mechanic told me to have the dealer replace the fuel filter. It took some convincing, but the chief mechanic finally relented and changed it. I never had another lick of trouble.

Sometimes it's the simple things that cause the big headaches.

Best,
Herb

wijoco · August 2003

"I never had another lick of trouble."

On a Dodge Mirada? I assume you mean you never had trouble with that part again.

normkol · August 2003

This is similar to a problem that many Taurus/Sables had. When you accelerate, there is a temporary loss of vaccuum, and that can cause the doors in the ventilation system to open/close. It sounds like there is a leak in the vaccuum lines of your ventilation system.

Hopefully, you're under warranty, as this can be labor intensive to find.

Norm

stevebozo · August 2003

I had an unusual problem today with my 2001. I was towing my small utility trailer when the wiring shorted out and blew the turn signal and stop light fuses. Given my trailer not a suprise. I got home and parked the car. When it was time to unload the trailer I could not get it out of park. It occured to me the stop light fuse being out might be part of the system that checks for brake application before you can shift into gear (thanks Audi owners). I swapped some fuses and it went right into gear. Lesson learned, carry spares.

Steve

scape2 · August 2003

Vacuum problem all the way! You have a loose or leaky vac hose someplace in your A/C/intake system.

maltb · August 2003

Maybe the real lesson is that you should install fuses on the hot leads of your trailer harness. $5 of prevention might save a larger headache later.

samironi · August 2003

I need some help here. I am a loyal Honda owner. I currently have a 2000 2WD Honda CRV LX. I have not been happy with my 2000 CRV mostly due to it's lack of get up and go (not sure what the technical term would be for that, power?). I read that the 2003 CRV is rated much better than the 2000 I currently own. I was interested in the Tribute & Escape as well, mainly because people have told me that they have more power, and I believe they have also received good ratings. My concern is that although I have been unhappy with my current CRV, it has been good to me. Very reliable, not many issues (only fuel injector, one strut, one window regulator, all covered under 75K ext warr). I have always owned Accords outside of this CRV and have been extremely happy with Honda. I find myself having a very hard time considering something else. Can someone give me a good reason as to why I may want to consider the Escape/Tribute. Is the Escape & Tribute pretty much the same vehicle? Also, how good are the Mazda & Ford service centers, I love Right Honda's service center, that I am also afraid to loose. I do not need this vehicle for 4WD, I would purchase a 2WD, and I drive 50 miles a day round trip to and from work. I love in Arizona as well, need good AC. HELP!

tribster · August 2003

I had owned 4 Honda cars before I bought my 03' Tribute. I had the same kind of anxiety as you are experiencing. It was hard to switch from a HONDA to a FORD/MAZDA. Trust me I have been there. When I bought my Tribute(May29), I was looking for something I can use to tow a small tent trailer. I test drove the 03 CRV and a couple of other brands. I did not like the styling of the CRV... too much of a minivan... I test drove the Tribute and really liked the power it had. Gas mileage is not too bad(18-23). You will notice that the inside materials are much better than then the 01' model year. Still not as good as the CRV interior. I really like the premium audio package.

Here is why I decided on the tribute. As much as I like Honda cars, I hate the Honda dealership experience. They will usually give you the worst Trade-in value and they don't lower their cars price much. I walked into a Mazda dealer and got exactly what KBB said I should get for my trade-in. Good luck getting that from a Honda dealer.
The trade-in value on the Tribute is not as good as the CRV. So if you are going to replace it in a couple of years... keep that in mind. My tribute had an oil leak from the oil pan @ 900 miles... the dealer fixed it after 2 trys. I heard the 04 model will have the shifter on the floor. I should have waited for this change... Anyway if you plane on carrying bikes or towing, you can't beat the Tribute (3500lbs) with tow package. Take a long test drive before you buy it. May be you should rent an Escape/Tribute for a couple of days so you can drive it for an extended period of time and then make up your mind. The 4 year bumper-to-bumper warranty / loner car program and road side assistance also helped in my decision of buying the Tribute.

Good luck

stever · August 2003

It may depend on which KBB book number the dealer was showing you.

What is the "Kelley Blue Book" Price?

Steve, Host

painfullessons · August 2003

Anyone know a safe way to remove wax from the bottem plastic of the escape? Even though I try and be careful, every time I wax my new escape, no matter how careful I am, some wax gets on the bottem trim, and no matter what I have tried, I can't get all of it off

Thanks

baggs32 · August 2003

I too am looking for a safe simple way of getting that wax off of the cladding. I hear a toothbrush will do the trick.

I do know that dish soap + elbow grease does not work.

stever · August 2003

One poster around here (Juice) has recommended peanut butter for cleaning plastic parts. Creamy. Usual disclaimers!

Steve, Host

wijoco · August 2003

What he didn't mention was that you have to use cottage cheese to get the peanut butter off. And grape jam on the cottage cheese. Mmmmmm...I could go for some deep fried window trim right about now...

odie6l · August 2003

Meguiar's has a product made for the trim of any vehicle with the plastic molding. It's Meguiar's Gold Class Trim Detailer. It comes in a 10 oz. bottle for $2.99 just go to Http://www.Meguiars.com
Pep Boys should have it if you need it. I've also heard of some product called Back to Black but I haven't used it.

Odie

Ford Escape Mazda Tribute Maintenance and Repair

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