Tl*the contact owns a 2005 Mazda tribute. The contact stated that while waiting at a stop sign, the vehicle would hesitate and not accelerate. It also hesitated when decelerating and trying to accelerate again. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer who informed the contact that she needed to replace the throttle body and the accelerator cable. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure…
2005 Mazda Tribute cruise control problems
severe 77 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $600 · see cruise control across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
77
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
2crashes
2injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 77 cruise control complaints filed for the 2005 Mazda Tribute, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 77 cruise control complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Cruise control accounts for 20% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 10 categories tracked.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: A used 2005 Mazda Tribute buyer should be aware that this model has widespread, well-documented complaints about accelerator-pedal sticking—both failure to depress and uncontrolled acceleration—especially in cold weather, along with reports of stalling, brake failure, and cruise-control malfunction. These issues are often persistent or recurring even after dealership repair, and Mazda has declined to issue a broad recall despite numerous owner complaints spanning years.
Owners of 2005 Mazda Tributes describe chronic and dangerous accelerator problems that Mazda has not addressed with a recall. The most common complaint is an accelerator pedal that refuses to depress—especially in cold weather—leaving the vehicle unable to accelerate. Owners report having to stomp on the pedal repeatedly or wait for the car to warm up before it responds. This happens unpredictably throughout the vehicle's life, from 20,000 miles well past 100,000, and recurs even after dealership "fixes" like throttle cleaning or pedal assembly replacement.
Less frequently but more dramatically, the pedal gets stuck in the down position, causing uncontrolled acceleration that brakes and cruise-control buttons cannot stop. One owner's throttle cable rotated out of position at 65 mph, accelerating the vehicle to 80 mph.
Related failures include sudden engine stalls with no check-engine light, complete brake failure, and cruise-control engaging uncontrollably. Dealerships typically clean carbon buildup ($150–$325) or replace the throttle assembly ($400), but owners universally report the problem returns. Mazda denies it's a design defect and refuses to escalate customer concerns, even when owners cite previous recalls for earlier-model Tributes with the same symptoms.
Same Mazda Tribute cruise control reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2008
Failure modes owners describe
Accelerator pedal sticking (refuses to depress)
Accelerator pedal becomes difficult or impossible to press down, typically occurring in cold weather but also randomly at warmer temperatures. Owners report the pedal is stuck in the up/released position and requires significant force or multiple stomps to release it.
When: Most common in cold or freezing weather; also occurs randomly year-round. Some reports note onset within weeks of purchase; recurring throughout vehicle ownership at 20,000–174,000+ miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Pedal stuck in up position and will not depress; Requires stomping or excessive force to release; Vehicle cannot accelerate or accelerates very slowly; Vehicle loses power or slows unexpectedly; More frequent in winter/cold mornings; Intermittent, unpredictable nature makes diagnosis difficult
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers typically clean throttle body/carbon buildup (cost ~$150–$191). Some dealers recommend throttle assembly replacement (~$400), but owners report the problem recurs weeks or months later despite repair. One owner cited throttle body replacement at $325. Greasing/lubricating the pedal assembly has been attempted with no lasting fix.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Mazda denies widespread issue; states problem is vehicle-specific. Dealers say carbon buildup is the cause. Some owners mention Recall #94751 (speed control cable) and Recall 63202 (brake booster/master cylinder) do not apply to 2005 models or their specific VINs despite similar symptoms. Mazda declined to escalate concerns or acknowledge recurring nature.
Accelerator pedal sticking (stuck in down position / uncontrolled acceleration)
Accelerator pedal becomes stuck in the down/depressed position, causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably. Brakes and cruise-control deactivation do not respond. Vehicle continues to accelerate or maintain high speed until pedal is manually freed or ignition is turned off.
When: Occurs while driving at highway speeds (55–70+ mph); onset during normal operation. Examples at 32,800 miles; 65,000 miles; 174,848 miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle suddenly accelerates uncontrollably while cruise control is engaged or during normal driving; Brakes fail to slow vehicle or have reduced effectiveness; Pressing cruise-control deactivate button does not work; Engine revs to high RPM or redline; Throttle cable rotates out of normal position (one report: rotated ~30 degrees); Vehicle accelerates from 65 mph to 80+ mph involuntarily
Repairs/costs cited: One owner manually repositioned throttle cable and it snapped free. Throttle body replacement performed in one case. Most dealerships could not diagnose or duplicate the failure, so vehicle was not repaired.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Mazda denies involvement; dealerships state they cannot duplicate the problem or determine the cause. No recalls issued for this specific failure mode.
Engine stall / loss of power during driving
Vehicle stalls or loses power unexpectedly while driving at highway speeds or while idling. Vehicle may restart after a few minutes but the condition recurs intermittently.
When: Onset early in ownership (within days to weeks of purchase); continues over weeks with repeated stalls. Examples at highway speeds (55 mph) and at idle.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle stalls without warning while driving at 55 mph on busy road; Vehicle stalls randomly while driving and/or idling; Sluggish/hesitant acceleration before stalling begins; Check engine light does not illuminate despite major malfunction; Vehicle restarts after stalling but condition repeats
Codes mentioned: Cylinder 2 misfire code (read after check engine light finally illuminated)
Repairs/costs cited: Fuel filter replacement and fuel system cleaning performed without resolving issue. All spark plugs replaced, ignition coils checked and found in good condition. Problem persisted. Vehicle eventually stalled and would not restart; computer was found to be dead and required replacement.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Mazda denied the vehicle had computer issues and claimed the problem was isolated to that one vehicle.
Throttle cable malfunction (cruise control servo)
Throttle cable on cruise-control servo rotates out of normal position, locking the throttle open. Vehicle accelerates uncontrollably and cannot be stopped by normal means.
When: Occurred while driving on four-lane highway with cruise control engaged at 65 mph.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle suddenly accelerates uncontrollably while cruise control is on; Throttle cable visible rotated up approximately 30 degrees from normal position; Throttle held open by misaligned cable; Braking and cruise-control deactivation ineffective; Transmission shifted to neutral results in engine revving uncontrollably
Repairs/costs cited: Owner manually rotated throttle cable back to normal position and throttle snapped free. Owner will not use cruise control again until permanently resolved.
Brake failure / non-responsive brake pedal
Brake pedal fails to engage or becomes non-responsive, preventing vehicle from slowing or stopping. Occurs in conjunction with stuck throttle or stall conditions.
When: Examples at 70 mph on highway; at approximately 4,000 miles; early in ownership (within 1–2 months of purchase).
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal depressed but does not respond; Brakes fail to slow vehicle during uncontrolled acceleration; Emergency brake had to be engaged to avoid crash; Failure recurred multiple times in same driving session
Repairs/costs cited: Throttle assembly and idle control valve replaced in one case; vehicle remained at dealership for repair and issue recurred shortly after pickup.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One owner referenced Recall 63202 (brake booster and master cylinder) but was told their 2005 model does not fall under that recall (which covered 2002–2003 models). Mazda corporate supervisor refused to escalate concerns.
Cruise control malfunction (unintended acceleration / sticking)
Cruise control fails to deactivate or maintain proper speed control. Vehicle accelerates uncontrollably or throttle sticks when cruise control is engaged.
When: Occurs during highway driving with cruise control activated. One example at approximately 15 years into ownership.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle accelerates uncontrollably while cruise control engaged; Cruise control deactivate button does not work; Cruise control revs up when attempting to turn it off; Throttle sticks when trying to turn off cruise control; Engine idles at high RPM (one report: 3 RPM idling observed)
Repairs/costs cited: One owner states car did not slow from 60 mph even after releasing the gas and engaging brakes; had to turn key off to stop. Vehicle had to be turned off entirely to regain control.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: References to Recall #94751 (speed control cable) noted in some complaints, but owners claim their VINs are not covered despite having identical symptoms.
Synthesized from 77 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 8 most recent
I have repeatedly had problems with the gas pedal sticking. Not in the "on" position but rather when I try to accelerate after stopping or deceleration it will stick and I can not push it down. It happens more when it is cold out. I am reading pages and pages on the internet of this happening with Mazda tributes around my cars age. It seems potentially very dangerous. Also, since folks like…
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mazda tribute. When proceeding from a stop light the accelerator petal would not depress . After she pulled over to the side of the road,she was able to depress the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the throttle body was repaired at an expense of $ 325.00 dollars. The technician stated that this was a common failure for her model type. The…
My gas pedal sticks when going from a dead stop, causing the car to accelerate to fast. This happens mostly when it is cold but has been reoccuring more frequently. It is very dangerous when driving in the snow and ice. *tr
We purchased this vehicle new and about 5 times over the history of owning this vehicle, the gas peddle stuck and on the last most recent event the car got stuck at a high rate of speed on the freeway and it could not be slowed by pulling the pedal up with foot. Thank god there were no vehicles around or slowing traffic ahead. Mazda issued a recall #94751 - vehicle speed control: cables but…
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mazda tribute. She applied pressure on the accelerator pedal between 10-15 MPH to leave a stop sign. The vehicle would not accelerate, until she exerted a great amount of force to the accelerator pedal. The failure occurred on ten separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired…
After reading other similar complaints, I felt compelled to address this issue with the gas pedal. It seems Mazda has been aware of this problem for many years, yet no recall. The gas pedal sticks in weather colder than 50 degrees. For an all-terrain vehicle (SUV) which is made to go off-road and in mountains, this is a pretty serious safety issue. When I conferred with my local Mazda dealer,…
My 2005 tribute has had gas pedal problems in the past. It was serviced for this in 2008 however when the weather is cold the gas pedal is still stiff and I have to stomp on it to get it to go. Yesterday however was a different story. I headed to work with my baby in the car. About 3 miles down the road on a hwy going 60 MPH I let off the gas to slow down and my car did not slow! I stomped…
Had cruise control trouble with your 2005 Mazda Tribute?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2005 Mazda Tribute?
It's a meaningful issue. 77 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Across the 59 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most cruise control failures cluster between 39,000 and 100,360 miles, with the median around 74,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 39,000; a quarter make it past 100,360. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2005/Mazda/Tribute.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.