Mazda Tribute

Mazda Tribute 2004 3.0 V6, not a bad run – Have been running a 2004 Tribute for the last 4 years (2019~2024), 3.0 V6, it had 235K kms when we bought it, done about 280k now, we live in Country Victoria, we drive at least 100kms every day the Wife loves driving it. The problems; it had a lean stumble when we got it, I replace the plenum chamber O rings, no problem, after the first rain day,… Read more

the front left passenger foot-well filled up with water, turned out the left side sunroof drain that runs down behind the dash, had not been routed all the way through the firewall, as I didn't want to rip out the dash, I drilled a hole through the A pillar and routed it on the outside of the door seal, no problem after that. Had a couple of ignition coils fail, the problem with an east/west V6 is the rear bank ignition coils (mounted atop the sparkplugs) can overheat if the car is sitting idling too long on a hot day (in Maccas drive-thru), bought some Chinese coils cheap, no problem. We did get stranded on the road one time, turned out to be a faulty fuel pump (top of the fuel tank, under the rear seats). The only issue now, the rear cylinder exhaust manifold has a split in it (it just flutters a little until it expands after running for a minute), again because the rear bank of cylinders runs too hot, I just keep it in mind on hot days. We're happy enough with fuel consumption, power, handling, it's a nice car now :-)

Loved my 2004 Mazda tribute but it let me down – Had my 2004 Mazda tribute for approximately 2 years, bought it privately, I was very happy and loved it until the timing chain went. The mechanic put that on and the car hasn't been the same since. The engine light is on and lacking in power and running rough. The mechanic made sure he did it right then went over the car and has no idea what the… Read more

issue is. An auto electrician tested it and said the wiring in it is fine. Now it just sits in the back yard. Very disappointed.

Will not buy another Mazda. Will not deal with Mazda again! – These tributes are rubbish. While performance wise I have found mine to pretty good (they are good in a bit of mud, great in the wet and quick off the mark) it has thoroughly let me down. I bought mine at a local Mazda dealership. Initially they refused to provide me any warranty. When I went to walk away they offered me a limited 3 month one.… Read more

this was worthless. Problems started as soon as I left the yard. Oil leaks, non functioning sunroof etc. was constantly told it wasn't covered under warranty. Have persevered, have serviced the vehicle myself (I'm a mechanic). Now it's leaking every fluid u can think of. Looking upwards of $2k to bring it up to scratch. I've only done 25k km in it!

Don't buy a tribute!

Don't deal with a Mazda dealership!

Mazda Tribute Underrated Gem – I have owned two tributes, 2001 and 2006 models. Picked up 2001 model for peanuts as had done 300000 k,s. Gave it to grandkids to learn on. It had electrical problems after 350000 k's sold it for parts. I bought a 2006 model which was a big improvement in layout and looks but similar mechanically. It has done 120000 k's. These vehicles were a… Read more

suprise to me as have always bought toyota or holden, I needed a second family runabout, so tribute was cheap and offered 6 cylinder power and reasonable off road capability unlike modern suv's. I found them great to drive with very good power to weight performance. I have had no real issues with operation and tend to drive the tribute more than my ssv sports wagon, which is also a great car but in a different class. I have read many reports on the tribute but would not hesitate to recommend them. There is little to compare them with on todays market for price or performance. My sports wagon its it up for interior space but we do a lot of travelling with 5 people on board the tribute with little complaint. A big guy would love the sportswagon for its good ausie size and flexibility.. Let alone power. I will keep the tribute till it falls apart. It is the family hack and gets us everywhere we want to go. Mid size suv.. Its a winner.... Shame they don't make them anymore.

Great little suv for family with 2 kids.not as refined as other suvs but ok-ford escape – Vehicle is quite roomy and comfy for small family. Average fuel economy but a little thirsty towing. Kids love rear reclining seats. I bought it new and also bought the myford extended factory warranty.Ford will honour the extended warranty as my kids snapped the heater knob 2 weeks after the 3 year factory warranty ended. I have never had… Read more

problems with ford warranties!their promises are met and exceeded!!

Factory Bridgestones crap!!Noisy and hard,Get rid of them.

Vehicle cabin noise is very average and ride on the stiff side.

I bought DUNLOP GRAND TREK PT2 road tyres and have mostly eliminated these problems.

I have done about 40000kms and about 10000kms towing.

Variable valve timing comes on its own at about 3000revs with power surging.

Below that car struggles when towing but ok otherwise.

Transmission wants to go and hold top gear, I assume for economy reasons.

IMPORTANT:YOU MUST FIT A TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER EVEN IF NOT TOWING!!

I have an obd2 scanning tool and the factory radiator temperature settings are very high to meet emission control standards.

Water temps get to about 104C before fans go on.At this temperature tranny oil gets cooked easily thus the Transmission problems they have had occasionally.

I bought PWR brand transmission oil cooler from Repco for about $90.00.Easy to do.The 250mm x 150mm is the biggest that will fit but since I tow a small caravan alot I fitted 2 side by side!

USE CASTROL TRANZMAX Z tranny fluid not the cheap dino oils!

DO NOT USE PENRITE as it will make valvetrain noise.I have gone back to MAGNATEC and no problems.

Fully loaded with me,dad,wife and 2 kids,roof racks and 1000kg square fronted caravan it easily sits on 110km/h on flatish terrain with o/d off.At 110km/h about 18.5l/100km,100km/h about 17.5l/100,90km/h about 16l.

Whilst my model is slightly spartan the up market ones are a bit better.

4wd/AWD system is great for mild off roading!

I am happy with the vehicle and the price I paid but If I was buying again (and payig full price,I got ford privilige club pricing saving $5000 to family) I would not.

If you find a good used low mileage unit at a good price buy it and heed my advice.

Update 06.10.15

Done 92000km

I have updated my rating to good. Looking for a new car and comparing my old car to some of the new ones I feel I underrated the poor thing.

Ok truth is I have abused the car towing.

Long stretches of towing Melb-Gold Coast at high speed.

It is still a great car but a bit thirsty.

Mechanically I suggest everybody buy some Air Flow Meter cleaner from Repco about $30 and clean the air flow meter. Big difference. Easy 5 minute diy job with a screwdriver.

Ours was dirty and did not know. Drove 2000km home thinking engine was stuffed. Not at all.

Bought a new air flow meter on ebay for $50 as apparently they are fussy.

Car vibrates a bit sometimes in drive stopped

Have not worked it out but might be engine mounts.

Forgot to mention previously bought air bag kit from USA for $100 and removed rubber suspension stoppers.

Ride is so much better.

Better than some new cars I test drove in the last couple of weeks.

Considering its hard life so far if they were selling them new like in the USA I would buy another.

Change the engine/tranny oil regularly with decent stuff and I feel car is reliable.

Oh forgot buy some synthetic top of the range oil 1 litre only and get your mechanic to change the trans-axle oil.

They have to suck it out as its supposed never to be changed which is Ford.

I did mine at 60000km and it had broken down. Size is good,very maneuverable,love SUVs would not buy normal car again,High seat position.Torquey for a 4cyl. Poor resale value,noisy interior and slightly stiff ride.4 cyl slightly underpowered and a little thirsty towing.Transmission fears.

Actually pretty good, just let down by poor programming of the auto transmission – I bought my 2001 model V6 a couple of years ago for $2425 off eBay sight unseen. Needless to say I didn't have high expectations for it and expected to have to do some repairs before getting it registered. It did drive home ok, but discovered some of the ignition coils were temperamental. Once home I set about fixing the following:- -replaced… Read more

said coils. Ordered a full set of high performance units and platinum plugs.

-gutted the interior to clean. It was FILTHY! Pressure cleaned the carpet, washed the seat covers (as in disassembled the seats), nappy-san'ed the seatbelts (they were so gungy they wouldn't retract properly) and cleaned the soft drink off the dash.

-replaced the inner tie-rod ends.

-replaced the front wheel bearings.

-replaced two CV driveshaft boots.

-replaced metal coolant pipes to oil cooler.

-removed all the side door window tinting.

-replaced trim on front edge of bonnet.

-replaced one inside door handle.

-replaced front fog lights with driving lights (required fabrication of adapter bracket and small modification of wiring).

That got it on the road just fine and I quickly liked it. Very comfortable seating, even with my dodgy back and longer trips I am still comfortable. Despite being a "soft-roader" it is actually a pretty tough little SUV. It'll happily cope with thrashing over country dirt roads and outback highways at speed. Good size tyres with a decent amount of sidewall height (unlike all the low profile rubbish around now), decent suspension travel, and load carrying capacity. I easily prefer driving this on long trips over the '99 Fairmont Ghia V8 with sports suspension I had beforehand. Yes I miss the extra grunt, but it is so much more comfortable.

My by far biggest gripe is with the programming of the transmission. It's a 4-speed with lock-up torque convertor so you would expect it to be pretty decent, much like the Ford Falcons with 4-speed transmissions perhaps. But no......

In an attempt to improve fuel economy (which isn't great - barely any better than the V8 Fairmont I had), it will disengage if you back off the throttle when cruising along anywhere above about 75kmh and in 4th gear. Squeeze a bit of throttle on and it'll rev up for a bit before deciding it can lock the torque convertor again. It would be far better to simply keep the thing in gear and locked up until a downshift is required. As a result, trundling around in traffic at speeds around 80kmh is damned annoying. You are better off pressing the button on the end of the shift lever and prevent it from using 4th gear at all until you're able to cruise on a highway.

Also, being an American sourced drivetrain, if you put it in 2nd gear it will only use that gear. Not use 1st and 2nd gear. This is for Americans who don't know how to be gentle on the throttle when driving on snow and ice.

I have since replaced all the rubber hoses in the cooling system. ALL 14 of them!! Not a particularly good design if it needs that many parts. In the process I broke the fragile coolant manifold that connects the heads. Don't worry, it won't break in use - only when working on it. Also replaced the water pump, only because the alloy outlet spigot to the oil cooler was deeply pitted and I had trouble getting that hose to seal. The rest of the pump was fine. I still need to replace the plastic coolant reservoir because the level sensor float often sticks down even though there is plenty of coolant and there is no leaks. And the filler neck has a small crack preventing the cap from being as tight as it should be. Not affecting performance yet though.

The air-conditioning sprung a leak at the compressor shaft seal (most common place on an older system). Best option was to buy an overhaul kit from the US (includes new compressor, lube, orifice tube, and receiver/dryer), a bottle of Hychill refrigerant and the workshop equipment to do it myself. Cheaper than getting a mechanic to do it, and I've got the gear and gas to do another dozen systems. Been working great ever since too.

I changed the transmission fluid when I serviced it one time. Thought I had done it all fine but I should have checked fluid level after a bit of driving. First decent trip I killed it altogether. Full rebuild kit is only a couple of hundred dollars. I have the workshop equipment to do the overhaul so did the job myself. Saved thousands of $$. Been working fine ever since.

And I have replaced the front CV driveshafts. It had developed a shudder upon any acceleration when turning left even slightly. Also, the previous time they had been replaced, one of them didn't have the tone wheel for the ABS sensor so it always had the ABS light on the dash (and no working ABS system).

Re-tightened the hinges for the rear glass window.

Did I mention it now has 380,000km on it now!

It does sometimes create a cloud of smoke when starting cold. Only sometimes though, must depend on which valves are held open when it is stopped. It's not using too much oil yet, only a litre or two per 10,000km which is manageable.

I do think it is down on maximum power a bit too. Doesn't affect normal usage but try to overtake up hills and it doesn't seem to have as much grunt as it should. Maybe I just miss the V8 I had... I'm noticing modern turbo-diesels are able to maintain speed over hills more easily than this does.

In summary. I really like the form-factor and the comfort it brings. It's performance is good, albeit let down by the transmission programming.

Yes I have done a fair bit of work to it, which is not too unexpected for such high mileage. But I got it cheap and I do all the maintenance and repairs on it myself, and I source parts from eBay or rockauto.com cheaply. Shame mechanics charge so much and fewer people are prepared to do their own work nowadays.

Nice SUV – Fuel gauge a bit hard to understand, services at dealership is expensive, starter motor replace is very expensive due to having to remove part of the front end. lots of room inside. great power to weight ratio. V6 has less problems then the 4cyl. Fixed failures have been small level in gear stick that broke and failed stereo but overall a pretty good vehicle for everyday use and for wet weather dirt road use.  Show details

Love it! – Fairly recently bought a 2001 2.0 litre manual Tribute. Its in excellent condition with 150,000km. Apart from one rear door lock not working, everything works as it should. I'm getting excellent fuel economy and even towing a caravan I still get 14 litres per 100km. Not towing it is usually in the 8 to 9 liters per 100km range. Performance is not… Read more

exciting, with slow acceleration, but maintains its speed well enough, even towing. Its ride and handling are really good. I like the tail gate arrangement and roomy interior. Its off road capabilities are better than I would have expected. A lot better than a Rav4 with better fuel economy but obviously not in the same class as full chassis 4x4s like land cruisers etc. Very happy so far.

Great car. Great size. Very Reliable – I brought my 2003 Mazda tribute 5 years ago & it has been a great car. It's the perfect size for our family & 2 dogs & we regularly take it to the beach. Tows the loaded up boat & trailer no worries. Have had to replace the alternator & coils but for a car of this age of course things are going to wear out & need replacing. I find it good on fuel, only filling up once a fortnight.  Show details

An expensive little car to service – This was an expensive car to service. Looking at our annual budget, we ended up spending $1000 every year on services and engine repairs (not including tyres and minor services). It had a small boot. Fuel economy was poor. There is a known problem with the Tributes towing a heavy trailer on the highway - the transmission will over-heat. This… Read more

happened to me, and the mechanic said that he had seen over 100 of the same breakdowns like mine on the highway.

Would not buy another mazda tribute – I bought my automatic mazda 2003 tribute in may 2016 was ok for the first two months and then thats when the problems started. The interior was clean has alot of room but the bad thing about it the backseat head rests were missing then the car started overheating so i had to replace the thermostat, radiator, waterpump, and a belt then to be told… Read more

there's a leak When it heavy rains water leaks through the doors replaced the battery as well. Purchased the tribute for $6990 second hand was told it was a good car and ive only had it for 5 months now the car won't start. Will not be buying another mazda tribute.

I bought my 2006 Mazda Tribute about five years ago and have had tons of problems!! I have fixed th – Driving is great AWD is great in the snow even 7 inches. Comfortable leather seats and the heat in the heated seats gets really hot, love that when it's really cold. Not loud on the highway and is good without swaying around if it's really windy. Perfect size I have test drove a Honda Crv Ex-L and it's to small to me compared to the Tribute. The… Read more

Pilot is a little big but, Test drove the Toyota Rav-4 Worse then the Crv it's like your riding on the hood of the Tribute on the freeway way to low to the ground and is way to small too. I like the Toyota Highlander but Honda's always are nicer inside and Toyota's leather is always light in color. I like my dark grey leather or black I think they look the best, I'm picky about that. Tan leather is out no matter what it's a deal breaker!!

Excellent! – I have a 2004 Mazda Tribute with the 2.3 litre 4 cylinder engine which I've owned for 9 years and done the majority of the k's of highway driving and city stuff. Great fuel economy and so much room yet doesn't feel like a big suv. Have done over 280k and motor still excellent and uses no oil! Well made with tough trim and good fit / finish. Would… Read more

recommend the 2.3 (4 cylinder)...haven't seen many around as they're mostly 6's. Fuel economy, looks, build quality, load space, great engine! Should've had a middle lap sash seat belt in back and rear disc brakes.

Great Mid size SUV – We were converted over to mazda's since our first Mazda 626 in 1992. Since then every one we have bought has been bullet proof. Our 2004 Tribute is no different, just over 70000KM - comutting, long distance, moderate off roading and towing a 17foot boat (not a real easy life) but it looks like new and is serviced when ever it is due. In this time… Read more

not one thing has failed or broken. Even the door handles (which I though were a little light on) are still good even with two energetic children sometimes swinging off them. I can only say I would buy this model again tomorrow, it's big enough for a family of 4 plus gear, it is an excellent all round vehicle roomy, stylish, handling, very realible, good for towing, very responsive, economical (if driven normally)lots of storage, HUGE centre console, a dream to drive, pretty good off road capability even with no low range heavy fuel consumption when towing or driven hard (wife)

would check b4 i bought another mazda – bought a mazda tribute 3 weeks ago first trip pulling caravan 1100 kgs could not get overdrive control to operate had to replace gear box charged $4129.00 to fix .he told me that only gears 1 & 3 were operating. I found out later that in low range only those gears 1& 3 would operate.i am wondering if that was the only problem . and I was ripped off,.never would I buy a car on e bay again or would I use the transmission specialist again.  Show details

woof woof – Since delivery the transmission made a sound like an EH Holden with noisy wheel bearings. After numerous complaints to Mazda their technical person explained that the noise was a 'characteristic' of all Tributes, with mine rating about 3 on a scale of 1-10. I felt pleased that my car was less of a lemon than others, but felt compelled to ask why… Read more

my colleague's earlier Tribute had no transmission noise. The technical guy explained that during the course of a vehicle's life, various refinements were made. I responded that I have always associated the word 'refinement' with 'improvement' and 'enhancement'..or for those not good with words "better." No more Mazdas for me. The numberplates-762HML (not manafactured by Mazda) The automatic transmission 'characteristics'. Rattles, squeaks

2004 tribute – We have found it a brilliant car. Ours is well maintained and has never given us any trouble. It has over 200,000 Klms on the clock, has done the trip to Broome a couple of times in oven hot conditions without missing a beat. It's not that bad on fuel, comfortable to drive, good size with plenty of room. So I have to speak as I find

2002 tribute classic v6 – Great car bought mine for 4k from sydney leb car yard in liverpool the car cuts out on long trips but a restart fixes it i found the coils go on these thing i replced 1 coil and save myself 1k in repairs i bought coils on ebay 6 for 100 bucks dont let mechanic order them cause your look at 600+ on just coils +repairs 1.5k in reapirs just to… Read more

replace 6 coils i also replace dpsn sensor bought it for 50 bucks on ebay from america cause that sensor cost 400 in australia

i was going to get rid of it greek style and get a nice payout but since i fixed it and have had no problems since so lets see il keep 2-3 more years then you know what up next baby

Lovely looking inside and out but major problems and major expenses to fix...stay away! – I bought a second hand Mazda tribute classic 2004/2005 v6 auto. Low kms (120000)and looked in mint condition. Had bought it from the original owner who had it serviced with Mazda at every recommended mileage & major service, it had even been 'serviced' a few days before I purchased it so you would think you had some confidence it was mechanically… Read more

sound and in good shape with immaculate log books etc...well I was wrong. Starting on the drive home from the purchase( 2 blown coils...you would think Mazda would have picked that up?..) it has been a bottomless expensive money pit...alternator, tyre rods, sensor & computer glitches that won't repair after visiting auto electricians,coils and now the transmission etc(149000kms) which is the latest suprise which is quoted at $3500 to $6000 to refit with a second hand part mind you. These cars look lovely and are comfortable etc but everything is unbelievably expensive to fix and replace even with after market parts. The repairs will exceed the value of your car very quickly. I have had this car for 6 months. Seriously, stay away. Don't go for a v6 auto either. A total fuel guzzler. I will get a manual next time and stick to Toyota which has always been tried and true (my own experience anyway) as I am now kicking myself stuck with a lovely looking car that will cost more than its worth to fix. This is a common scenario by what I've read. Please..stay away

why the whining – i bought a luxury tribute 2007 model in 2010 cant complain about anything excellent handling both on and off road fuel is up to the way you drive it, I have no problems with consumption...car looks great and the resale value appears to be good, the car has travelled over 200k without anything major causing concern everything nothing Show details

Loved my 2006 Tribute – The Tribute was a fantastic car for us. We bought the "mid-range" 6 cyl model, with the cruise control and steering wheel audio controls. For some reason, the car came with leather seats, which normally only came with the "luxury" model. No sunroof. We bought it as a "dealer demo", and put 100k+ on it over 6 years. We had it serviced regularly… Read more

(which it seems too many people don't do, then complain that the car was a lemon when things go wrong. Imagine how they must treat their lawnmowers!). Over six years, all we needed to replace were tyres, of course, and only recently, the battery when it became harder to crank over in cold weather.

For six years, the car started right up every single time. We were doing a major house reno during that time, and it was a great workhorse for bringing home building materials. It had a utilitarian feel about it, so those who want to feel coddled in luxury, should look elsewhere. There is absolutely no bling to this car. We also have a Hyundai i30, and while it's a great little car, it doesn't hold a candle to the great visibility offered by the Tribute. It is so easy to see out of it from all angles.

The only complaint I had with the Tribute was the fuel economy. It wasn't the most economical car to run, for sure. I didn't care a great deal for the column shift, but I wouldn't really categorise that as a complaint.

We traded in the Tribute last week on a diesel Captiva 7-seater, as the family continues to expand and we needed more seats. When we drove away from the dealer and left the Tribby there, it felt like I was abandoning a good friend. Silly, I know, it's only a car - but it was about as reliable as they come, and never once let me down. Comfortable, roomy, very reliable, heat and A/C worked very well, great visibility Not the most fuel-efficient 6 cyl

best SUV i've owned – Wish I never sold my 2006 mazda. very smooth drive had good clearance. Put gas on it and was great for running around town & on longer trips! wife and I liked the size about very easy to park at the shops & still has plenty of leg room inside. i've never owned a automatic and i would never go back. really suprised me with towing. nothing went wrong, really had a good run

Great car – I bought a 2005 model new. Have had no issues at all. Now has 95,000k on clock and still drives as new. Still has original break pads , which i was advised have 5k more in them recently. Last pink slip was told it was in great shape. Have enjoyed driving it and will keep it at least 3 more years. Power, comfort, visibility, easy to drive, space,… Read more

fits anything with seats down, middle console makes a great arm rest for a great driving machine Agree its thirsty but i can handle that. 5 speed would be nice, had a leak issue caused by sunroof which i got fixed. Make a clunk noise now which i have bewen told is pne of the engine mounts needing to be replaced.

Mazda tribute gas conversion – The Mazda tribute I own was very fuel thirsty so i had it converted to gas. Initially it required more servicing to get the right temperature to run the gas. However since i have had it converted this fuel hungry car is very efficient running on gas and i have not had any problems. Many mechanics told me it was not a good idea to convert this… Read more ·  2

vehicle, due to the plastic manifold. I have driven the car for 3yrs without any troubles and would definately recomend the conversion alot cheaper to run nothing

A good reliable SUV – Have had current 3L V6 since new 2004 - had same brand previous model as company car - very reliable, comfortable value for money vehicle with pretty good economy, yeah a bit noisy (and yes the Goodyear and Bridgestone tires are way too noisy for comfort), has plenty of power for overtaking, drives well on freeway, and decent in slush / snow… Read more ·  1

conditions. Overall good vision - very good forward vision. Reliability Dealer servicing is expensive - well surprise, surprise - but a good mechanic will keep costs down.

Mazda 2001 - costly and dissapointing – This was the car that turned a family of Mazda devotees to VW and Toyota owners. Bought brand new, the Tribute is a car that would make its otherwise brilliant Japanese engineers engage in seppuku. The V6 has done 160K. Within a three years, it's front disk brakes had been machined twice. There is a slow leak in the cooling system. Too… Read more

expensive to fix. There is a slow leak in the power steering system. Just topped up to avoid the extraordinary cost. The cabin leaks with heavy rain (no mechanic Mazda approved or otherwise can find the cause). The gearbox is on the way out. The leather interior failed in less than 5 years. The alternator has also given up the ghost. It's such a lemon you wouldn't sell it to the most deserved used car salesman. Great V6 power Reliability so poor it makes the Italian car manufacturers blush.

Good – Its a great car. I don't do a lot of driving so have found it fine on fuel and love the space it has. The damp electrics issue with mine is a little annoying but I don't mind it as I am happy with the car overall. I still love this car, it's spacious and great to drive. I have found it a perfect size for my family. It leaks somewhere when we… Read more

have heavy rain, we think one of the windows and this effects the electrics sporadically. At one point the stereo would come on of its own accord?? And now one the the door levers wont open door from this inside. Strange issues and possibly isolated ones, but frustrating. I would still highly recommend it.

Bad – Drives nice but once out of warranty can be very expensive to fix needs a better trans as known to be a common fault in the v6 and hate column shift. Good amount of power for little 4wd v6 easy to park.Smart looking and has a sunroof We have owned the car for 2 years done 60,000 km.Repaced transmission twice $7000, replaced door handles twice,Rust… Read more

coming from roof gutter,noisy thermo fans,A/c goes warm after 15 minutes of drving,Transmission overheats really easy with no load needs bigger trans cooler.

Great car, great interior – Owned a tribute for a while now and have had no troubles with it. Bit expensive on fuel and rego but servicing was normal cost. Tyres approx 120each so they r a bit expensive but standard for a 4wd. Excellent interior and very comfortable to drive. On the road is actually smooth and is very roomy inside. Not a bad car at all although i wouldn't… Read more ·  1

tow or take it off road. Ride, interior, roomy, comfortable, fun to drive Very thirsty, accelerator is sticky sometimes

Excellent – my 2005 Tribute is great wagon, just over 81000KM - comutting, long distance, moderate off roading and towing a 18foot caravan with ease but it looks like new and is serviced when ever it is due. In this time not one thing has failed or broken.It is an excellent all round vehicle roomy, stylish, handling, very realible, good for towing, very… Read more ·  1

responsive, economical (if driven normally)lots of storage, HUGE centre console, a dream to drive,great on long trips column gear lever..Lucky I have reversing camera.

Good – Good car for family but not economical....so if you dont have money probs then great car but if you need to be watch the money then this is not the car but then you never know what you get with any car!!!:) Roomy for 2 kids and easy to drive,good for long trips,lots of spaces to put stuff in front of car and cds Expensive for fuel!!! if driving… Read more

just normal here and there stuff--ok for long drives out of city/needed reverse camera as to many blind spots/expensive tyres to replace and had probs with mech even though bought with low kms--was grateful when written off as becoming to expensive to maintain

Do not buy – The body has very little or no under-body protection, limited wheel travel and no LSD ensures you go no further than any 2WD drive ute with an LSD. If the car is hung up (2 wheels at either end of the car lose contact with the ground) wich is not difficult to do, calls an end to your 4wd adventure. The poor rigidity of the body reveals squeaks and… Read more

rattles every where. This car can not do what it was intended to do, in fact I would buy just a 2WD wagon given it's limited 4WD capability. We had the car for a very long and painful 3 years, the reason we got rid of it was because the transmission was giving up again. The Service cost for the Tribute are a joke, they alternate between $300.00 and $600.00, this is crazy given the car does not have timing belts. The poor fuel consumption and small fuel tank ensures you get no more than 390Km city/ 500km highway range. The experience has soured my opinion about all Mazda/Ford/Volovo/Jaguar products. Be prepared for unreliability and frequent visits to the bowsers. The Tribute consumes fuel like a V8 or worse, my average was around 14L/100kms. on a run from Canberra to Perth this vehicle consumed more than a Commodore SS. It has trouble towing insgnificant weights (500kg).It went through 2 transmissions in 90,000km. Dealer service is apauling had to take it to Sydney to get the transmissions replaced, spent months in service. Clever use of space, thats it other than that this car is absolute rubbish The rest of the car.

Good – I like the car and find it drives and handles very well on the road. It is a great family car with lots of room and luggage space. I drive quite long distances and never had any trouble apart from the gear box. The gear box was a very expensive fix of $2500 and the mechanic advised this was becoming quite common when reaching 100,000 kms. With… Read more

this problem I would not recommend the car as the I was advised I would need to redo the gearbox again in roughly 100,000 to 150,000 kms. Good to drive, plenty of room. Good family car. Heavy fuel consumption and had an expensive gear box problem.

take care of car – if you take care of car ...is it a good car ? Show details

Nanny love driving it! – Safe car! Kids like to as it's a 4WD and go to the beach in it and the river. It's all most as good as my old toy.....:)