2002 Mazda Tribute Latches, locks and linkages Problems

“Driver side door handle stopped operating. Drivers door will not open from inside....outside handle works ok. It stopped working without warning. I am not able to open this door unless I put the window down and operate the outside door handle. Nothing occurred other than normal daily use prior to breaking. Vehicle is driven only by adults.”

“Drivers side door handle broke under normal use. Cannot open door from inside vehicle. An alarming safety problem. When I took the panel off I found a small piece of plastic had broken off from the assembly. The door handle is constructed from ridiculously cheap plastic. This also affected the alarm system working properly as it would engage while inside the vehicle and go off when exiting the vehicle.”

“The front drivers side door lock and latch system failed. The door will not open from outside the vehicle. The actuating rod broke away from the latch. Mazda seemed to have this same problem in the late 1980's with the 626 and 929; recalls were performed then. Problem is I can't seem to find parts available to fix it. I have gotten away with gluing it for the past year. Now there is nothing left to attached the actuating rod too. I have been on the internet and have noticed several other complaints of this happen on the same vehicle (2002 Mazda Tribute lx).”

“We have a 2002 Mazda Tribute ls. While on vacation the passenger side door became permanently locked. The door would not unlock using the remote keyless entry or manual button. This presented a serious safety hazard in the event one would need to use the door to exit the car following a crash, and also created an incredible nuisance for the passenger. We took the car to the dealer and after destroying the side panel, replacing the entire lock mechanism and charging us nearly $600 we can open the door again. …”

“2002 Mazda Tribute I have had to replace all 4 door locks, at my expense. Has happened again to both front doors. Mechanic said that Mazda skimped on the rod mechanism and instead of installing two separate rods, one for the locks and one for the handles, the one rod cannot support all the doors. These doors will not open from the inside or the outside resulting in very expensive labor costs to remove the door panel to replace a $3.00 part. Here's what I don't understand. What is Mazda going to do when someone sues them for not being able to exit their vehicle in an emergency. …”