Mazda Tribute SUV | Crossover
Mazda Tribute SUV | Crossover
[Oct 24, 2004]
rtimmtx
Model Reviewed:
Mazda Tribute LX 2WD
Strength:
Body style, appearance, styling of interior, handles like a car.
Weakness:
now power door lock on passenger side door Overall, I have been more than satisfied with this vehicle. I previously owned a smaller car and had several problems with it and was ready to trade up to something a little bigger. I have had the vehicle for just under 2 years now and have not had any problems at all. The only 2 problems I had were covered under warranty and were both minor. One was the water seal around the back glass that was leaking and the other was the power door lock on the hatch that went bad due to the water leaking in for the window. This problems were fixed with little hassle from the dealer and have had no other problems. I now have 55,000 miles on it and still am suprised that I haven't had any trouble with the brakes. On my last vehicle I had to have my rotors turned about every 15,000 miles and was told that was normal break wear, not the case with this vehicle. I still have the original tires on this vehicle and they are in excellant condition with about half the tread left on the still, suprising. I would definatley buy another Mazda no matter the make because of the reliablitiy, etc. My only wish is that they made a larger SUV to uprgrade to because I am now in the market for something larger that the Tribute. This is one purchase you will not regret. If you are looking for a smaller SUV and no maintenance other than the minimal oil changes and recommended maintenance, this is the vehcile for you. |
[Oct 05, 2004]
clraherb
Model Reviewed:
Mazda Tribute
Strength:
Good handling, ride, and roominess for a small SUV. Handles the snow great.
Weakness:
The transmission is garbage and the extended warranty is worthless if you give them any excuse to get out of honouring it. The fog lights are in a position that rocks are drawn to them. I've replaced 4 of them already even with a protective coating on the last ones. Placement of shift lever blocks radio and heater controls. Originally I liked the Tribute, however the first time I had a serious problem, they refused to honour my extended warranty. At 150,000 km my transmission went completely. Despite an extended warranty on the power train to 160,000 kms. I was told unless I could provide receipts for two transmission flush and fills they would not cover the repair. I had one receipt but could not find the other. They refused to pay. I took my vehicle to a transmission shop to be repared and they advised that a bushing turned inside the sun gear blocking the lubrication passage. They had recently done a repair on a Ford Escape which has exactly the same transmission for exactly the same defect. This is obviously a transmission defect not an issue with maintenance, yet they continue to refuse to cover it. If you own a Tribute or Escape get your transmission fill and flushes done and KEEP THE RECEIPT to prove it. You're probably going to need it if you have an extended warranty. I would advise you take it in to have the transmission checked before the expiry of the warranty even if you are not experiencing problems with it yet. When this problem occurs it causes the entire transmission to wear out prematurely and until it fails the symptoms can be subtle. My Mazda dealer quoted me $6,000 to fix it so it is worth paying attention to. Similar Products Used: Nissan Pathfinder, Dodge Dakota - I will certainly look at Nissan, Honda or Toyota before considering another Mazda product - the Dodge is still too new to rate. |
[Sep 12, 2004]
sherryalexander
Model Reviewed:
Mazda Tribute LX
Strength:
Looks nice, acceleration good, roomy
Weakness:
Lots of PROBLEMS! MINOR and MAJOR. Mainly the TRANSMISSION TRANSMISSION went out at 63,000 miles, out of warrenty! Tried getting fixed under warrenty because NO transmission should go out at 63,000 unless was defective. They Refused! Also Mazda tries to say the Tributes has no history of transmisson problems! Have they read the reviews! I also have problems with my airbag light comming on as stated in many other reviews. I also had the clutch problem and was fixed under warrenty shortly after I purchased this vehicle. Also weather strip around window came off they tried to stuff it back in place but didnt stay and they had to replace stripping. Also car has stalled several times for no apparent reason. I did receive a RECALL notice on this but before I could get it to the dealership for repair the transmission went out. It is parked not operative. Will not move forward or backward. Buyer BE Ware! If you own a Tribute and are not having problems more than likely you will and it will probably be after the warrenty runs out. I will Not buy a Mazda again. This is unacceptible. I have owed several vehicles that have in excess of 150,000 miles and have never had any problems, just regular maintence such as oil change, tires, etc. Similar Products Used: Toyota Previa van 183,000 at time of trade in for Tribute. Also Cheverlote Cavalier with over 158,000 .. No problems with either vehicle |
[Aug 03, 2004]
John McHan
Model Reviewed:
Mazda Tribute LX
Strength:
nice style, comfortable feature loaded interior,excellent value for the money, good power and fuel economy
Weakness:
Except for !%&*&*%@#$% dealer service, none apparent. I really enjoy my Tribute. It was originally purchased to replace my 4x4 truck because I wanted to have something better for traveling. When I purchased it there was a problem with the heater control. If the temperature was set to full hot and the fan was on high you could not adjust the heat. If I tried to moderate the temperature control it got difficult to turn unless I also turned down the fan speed. I took it to the new Mazda dealer in my area(TEAM MAZDA) After being told that all Tributes had that problem, which they do not, I insisted that they fix it. To make a long story short, in the process of "fixing it" they destroyed my stereo,put a hole in my dash and broke my windshield. To top that, my heater control does not work any better now than when I first took it to the dealer. Simply put; I love my wagon and think that it is a wonderful deal for the money but, I will never let any one that I can warn do business with TEAM MAZDA. Similar Products Used: older Chevy Blazer |
[Jul 14, 2004]
Honouru2003
Model Reviewed:
V6 - Automatic
Strength:
Great overall. Luckily I didn't get a lemon like some of the other people who have obviously had major problems.
Weakness:
110,000 km on my after three and a half years of hard use. No rust except on the exhaust system. Airbag light coming on for no apparent reason. Exhaust system light came on for a good reason (ring needed to be replaced). Stalled twice at 70 to 80 km/hr for no reason. Started again right after that and ran well -- problem with brakes and power steering when it stalled though. Well, after reading some of the other reports, I'm thinking I'm doing quite well with my Tribute. 110,000 km on it now. Stalled twice in the first year at approximately 80km/hr. No reason. Airbag light came on repeatedly for a while. The dealership found the problem and fixed it. Just going to get it out of the shop today. Warranty has expired of course. Ring on the emission control system and possibly a valve must be replaced. Had a problem with the rattling in the back. Dealership fixed that immediately as well. Had to replace the tires (were worn out). Lots of mountain pass kilometres on it. No transmission problems (thank heavens, touch wood). I can see why people think it is noisy on the highway and that there is a problem with the automatic transmission at approximately 40km/hr when it tries to shift. Doesn't bother me though. Sporty, fast, compact, good enough gas mileage, plenty of room. I don't have any complaints. Similar Products Used: Isuzu Trooper |
[May 14, 2004]
chellie
Model Reviewed:
chevy silverado 1500 single cab
Strength:
everything!!!!
Weakness:
None. I love my truck. I have never ever had a problem with this truck. For a truck it get good gas mileage but i need a car so i can travel longer distance for better gas mileage. but being spoiled with such a great truck its hard to get anything else. I drove 13 hours straight and was very comfortable. I just love this truck. Similar Products Used: 1987 mazda b2600 |
[Apr 13, 2004]
ProcyonB
Model Reviewed:
ES-L v6
Strength:
Powerfull engine, sporty handling, relatively low sales price when fully loaded.
Weakness:
No significant weaknesses. Still the best SUV in it's size/price segment. Wide stance and rugged good looks, coupled with excellent performance, braking and one of the best power-to-weight ratios all combine to make the Escape/Tribute the best selling SUVs in their class for a reason. Similar Products Used: All major SUVs in the segment excepting the CR-V. |
[Mar 18, 2004]
billyboca
Model Reviewed:
madzatribute
Strength:
none
Weakness:
wind noise tire noise cheap interior worst car i ever had wind noise and tire wind unbearable cannot drive car on highway was told by madza this condition is common with this car great Similar Products Used: jeep , isuzu |
[Dec 09, 2003]
BK54
Model Reviewed:
Mazda Tribute
Strength:
Looks good, Engine power is great, Leg room still amazes me, Rear seats recline, Interior looks and feels good, 6 disc cd, sunroof. Dealership picks up bill on rental.
Weakness:
Wind noise from roof luggage rack, NOT STARTING ALL THE TIME! COME ON MAZDA SHARE YOUR INFO WITH OTHER SERVICE STATIONS, IT'S CALLED A COMPUTER. Gear shifter does get in the way with volume button on radio when in drive. V6,4whl dr.,loaded. Great leg room for 6'0 person. First weeks of mpg 17, after break in 20 mpg. Plenty of power takes off faster than Dodge Dakota 5.2L V8. Drove vehicle for 12 straight hours on trip with only 200miles on engine. Very comfortable took a few hundred miles to get use to seat but return trip with no problems. PROBLEMS: -3,000 miles. Vehicle does not start all the time. Turns over (for woman it makes that whining noise before it starts) gets fuel because the odor of raw fuel is noticed once it starts. BIGGER PROBLEM: Mechanic (Dealership) does not know what the problem is. You think with the past few years this problem would be resolved. I mean this problem is in several reviews. Being capable of working on vehicles I looked this vehicle over hard. Everything has Ford logo. Fourwheel drive transfer is in the rear very different than your trucks. It is a front wheel drive vehicle so 4 whl is not necessary but its hard to find one without. My profession allows me to see vehicles involved in collisions. Observed Ford Escape involved in 40 mph with last minute breaking hit a Jeep Cherokee in the driver side tire/door. Very happy with minimal damage to Escape. Airbags deployed no injuries. |
[Dec 06, 2003]
goforit29
Model Reviewed:
Mazda/Tribute
Strength:
Fun to drive, lots of cargo room, nice to get lots of features for the dollars.
Weakness:
Obviously, there are some quality issues with tranmissions on these vehicles. I too have the problem I have read on many posts about the fuel smell. Purchased this car 4.5 months ago. Was a great car, loved the size and features I got for my $$. Was concerned it was built at the Ford plant here in Claycomo, MO, but got a great deal on the vehicle and had alredy owned a Mazda Protege that I like. Three days ago, it started sticking when it would try to shift at the 40-45 mile per hour range. After about 20 minutes my wheels started slipping and I would hear a grinding sound when the vehicle started to shift. By the time I drove to the dealership, it would not reverse. I have less than 8500 miles on the car and they are telling me it may need a brand new transmission. UGH! I have never owned a car that need repair work, let needing work within the first 6 months. I am very disappointed right now to say the least. I loved my car, but am now not sure I should even keep it : ( Similar Products Used: First SUV. Have owned Mazda Protege and Geo Prizms in past. |