2002 Mazda Tribute ES review from North America
"A poorly manufactured piece of junk"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Control arms have been replaces 3 times since new.
Instrument panel replaced at 73ooo km.
Emergency brake cables seized and were replaced.
Air bag light won't go off.
Broken ABS sensor cog on front axle.
Manifold flex pipe broke.
Manifold cracked and so on and so on.
General comments?
This is my first and last Mazda product. Even though the dealership treated me well and most problems were covered by warranty, there have been far too many.
Problems began shortly after purchase and continue to today. Lately the vehicle has not been going into overdrive and you know what this does to mileage, which wasn't great to begin with.
For those with cracked manifolds check out your respective emissions regulations. Although my Tribute was not under warranty Mazda had to replace it at their cost which is about $1,500. By law in Canada and I believe the US, manifolds are considered part of the emissions system and must be warrantied by the manufacturer for 135,000km or 7 years.
Great look but no substance!
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  | In my opinion, I wouldn't recommend Ford/Mazda to anyone |
| Don't buy this car unless you have a bottomless bank account. |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model Year | 2002 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 litre Automatic |
| Performance marks | 3/10 |
| Reliability marks | 1/10 |
| Comfort marks | 6/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 45 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 110780 kilometres |
| Previous car | Lincoln LS |
| Date of Entry | 25th November, 2007 |