Reliable and economical family hauler, nice little SUV
Power steering pressure switch.
Fuel pump started making noises, but replaced before it failed; $90 and easy access for replacement under the back seat.
Reliable, economical, low running costs, comfortable, not very fast, no ABS.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 23rd May, 2016
Excellent value; lots of car for the money
Something that holds the clutch cable in place broke twice, and the gear linkage was always noisy when shifting, but honestly no big deal. Also, the accelerator plate was sticky in the gas pedal. Needed occasional lubricating.
Also, quite noisy inside (road noise), and the gas mileage wasn't as good as smaller 4 cylinder cars (obviously), but really acceptable considering you have an SUV that would normally be a heavy 6 cylinder gas guzzler.
Overall, was a really decent car. Good space, great ride, decent pep and pull. Comfortable seating, no blind spots. Was very happy with it during the time I owned it. And great in the snow with the AWD.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 22nd April, 2011
Mazda? Never Again...!
Transmission failed at 80,000 miles, and the car would not move at all.
My wife was stranded 50 miles from home. Had to tow it to a shop and rebuild the transmission for $3100.00.
I purchased this Tribute 4WD new from the dealer. And 30K miles after the warranty expired, the transmission disintegrated with no warning at all.
The transmission shop said the tranny was full of metal shavings when they took it apart. They rebuilt it, replacing the torque converter, solenoid pack, and added a valve body upgrade said to address the durability problems with this inferior transmission.
Now I am learning from others with a similar experience, that many Tributes suffer from this well known and often experienced transmission design defect.
No more Mazdas for my family...
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 26th September, 2009
During the birthing of the Tribute, Mazda had no choice but to do as Ford dictated, because FORD OWNED 1/3 of Mazda at the time.
It's an intelligent strategy that seems common to many other American corporate companies. Where they become a major shareholder of a company with a competing product, they lay the seeds of turning a previously good and lasting product (and company), into one that is more aligned with a consumerist product that does not last. Once they have laid the ground work, they dump the shares, as Ford did with MOST of their Mazda shares in 2008 to 2010. Now about 3% ownership.
A similar scenario happened with Subaru. They used to make good cars in the nineties, but GM laid their grubby paws on them in a similar fashion. Ford seem to have a specialty with great gearboxes (being sarcastic of course), but GM were more calculating in other areas of the car.
So please don't go thinking it's Mazda, but the greater truth is that the people are being affected by the result of corporates serving their own interests, that is NOT ALIGNED with the interests of the people.
It's a Ford Escape with a new face and a Mazda badge! =)
The interior has started to show its real wear and tear.
The door inserts have come off and been reupholstered, as well as the center console.
The tumblers in the ignition chamber came loose, and the key got stuck in the ignition and left me stranded at a gas station for awhile!
The alternator has gone out 2 times in the past 4 years!
It was in a small bump up and has since been repaired.
Oil filter wasn't screwed in properly after an oil change at one point, and oil was leaking onto something and was causing a horrid odor.
Aside from the small faults above, this Mazda has a lot of potential. It's a great vehicle for anyone with a couple of kids and a need for space without using a heck of a lot of gas! Its got some good power from its Ford-based 3.0L V6.
**Hint** If you want to experience its true power, here's a hint about its torque curve. Get it up to about 30-35 mph @ around 1500-2000 rpm (hopefully on a flat road) and just give it the beans! The car will shift from 4th to 2nd gear and the torque will rocket you from 35 to who knows how fast in no time at all!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 12th July, 2009
27th Sep 2009, 15:43
The problem with the Tribute is that it's really a Ford Escape with the Mazda nameplate. It's too bad Mazda compromised their otherwise solid reputation by putting their name on a crappy Ford product. Just remember Mazda didn't build it, Ford did. Maybe do a little more research before buying.
Watch out for the Mazda B-Series truck too, after '92 it became nothing but an overpriced FORD RANGER (still is). My sister has an '07 Mazda3 and she loves it, very reliable car and it's actually made by MAZDA not Ford.