- Vehicles
- 49,000
- Built between
- Apr 2000 – May 2001
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 5 February 2004
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between April 2000 and May 2001. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2001 Mazda TributeBuilt April 2000 to May 2001
What the defect is
On certain sport utility vehicles, a post within the safety belt buckle covers could fracture, which could affect latch function, resulting in either a "no latch" or "partial latch" condition. In the "partial latch" condition, the buckle tongue can be inserted into the buckle and appear to be engaged, but will release from the buckle without the push button being depressed when a relatively low load is applied, such as when an occupant moves slightly in the seat.
What could happen
In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL HAVE THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SAFETY BELT BUCKLE COVER REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED SERVICE BUCKLE COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 5, 2004.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtApril 2000 to May 2001
- Recall reported to NHTSA15 December 2003
- Owners notified5 February 2004
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 15 December 2003.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners should contact mazda at 1-800-222-5500.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 1503L
- Recalling manufacturer
- MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Mazda recall no. 1503L.CUSTOMERS can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.