I have a 2002 LX-V6 with 54,000 miles on it. So far the vehicle has been a pretty good vehicle. Its in the shop right now for a "thud" sound when it upshifts. This is the first problem that we have had with the vehicle. It has been very reliable and I have only had one other problem, and that was the coil packs. I did them myself and its been a great vehicle.....Now, depending on what it costs me to fix the "thud" sound....it may still be a great vehicle.

 

Wow 02LXV6AWD! I'll be very happy to ride my Tribute to 319000km! I've got an '05 with just under 90k and no complaints really. But I wouldn't be surprised if I start hearing some noises after this winter. I towed a boat all summer, put alot of k's on it, and I'm not shy to maneuver over curbs, pot holes, and whatever else the crappy streets of Ontario throw at me. Knock on wood! So far so good.
Couple things I don't like:

1. Don't leave your rear seats folded for too long. The brackets on the floor may pinch your leather and start a tear!
2. It is a bit noisy on the highway (freeway).
3. No mp3 capabilities!! i know i know.. no big deal

 

Hey, thanks for your note.
Lots of people comment how noisy the Tributes/Escapes are. We also have a $40K Murano in our household and believe me, it's no quieter. I always found that engine had a roar to it, and a few rough spots (can't believe it won Top 10 Engine Award). Don't get me wrong, the Murano is great, but not perfect.
Anyway, I sure hope everyone here who drives in SW Ont or other snowy areas that get salted in winter, undercoats their vehicles annually. Mine is currently being repaired by a bodyman, who advised me there were holes hiding behind the template on the hatch (above the license plate) and in the rocker panel area. I was only aware of minor surface rust when I bought it. I noticed other Mazdas can get rusty after about 6 years if not undercoated regularly. Most places will apply annual undercoating for $100 or less, which IMHO, is an excellent investment. My former P5 was 5 yrs old when I sold it, and no hint of any rust starting in the bad areas (wheel wells susceptible on those ones).
Oh, my LX does not have leather seats, but my summer car does. When I fold those leather seats, I noticed if the centre seat belt is buckled, it pinches the leather badly, so I know what you mean.
As far as MP3 capabilities....for $10, I bought an FM adapter/charger from Canadian Tire that works great with my used iPod. I just tune to a blank FM station, turn on the iPod, and enjoy the music.
Cheers, Mark

 

Just a couple days ago I got the fm transmitter mp3 player. I popped in a 1gb card and now I've got 500 songs at my fingertips. I was skeptical at first but it does the job! Sound isn't crystal clear since it's transmitted but for the price and convenience of not having to buy a new deck, try selling the oem, and install.... I should've done this long ago! Thanks!

 

Ours is a 2001 LX v6 with 73,000 Km. Owned it since new in 2000.

Here's what went down on her:

• Tires (the original crappy Firestone Wilderness) in about 20,000 Km. Nokian WR since, and they have about 60-70% thred left.
• A diode on the alternator went, so we had to replace the whole thang - quite costly. The R&R for these is a pain the neck - I was really busy back then
• One ignition coil went about the same time (a few months span).
• Being among the first batch had quite a few recalls, all fixed by the stealer.
• Front end clunk at low speed over imperfections - have the new sways, will replace them this week.
• Original battery went about 2 1/2 years ago
• Have the dash lights flickering (as in: less bright / normal bright cycle)

That's about it. Drove her from -50°C to about 54°C in the Navajo desert without a hiccup. I can still remeber the Hiway littered with cars/trucks with open hoods and steam coming out. We were cruising at 120Km/hr with AC on (very weak for that temperature), 2 adults 2 kids and luggage that long uphill. Quite faithful vehicle if one would ask me.

(the temperature difference is as in winter / summer cycle. Not from / to thingy)

 

I have an '06 AWD V6 with 40K miles.
Had water in a head light that was replaced under warranty.
Currently issues are:
1) there is just some wheel noise that stops when the gas pedal is released (tires? bearings? transmission going?)
2) the engine bucks a little at about 4000 RMP in neutral. drives normally otherwise. I noticed this when I cleaned the intake manifold.
3) when the car switches to the last gear between 40-50MPH the RPM drops to 1500 and a noise is heard like the tire hitting the noise strips on the side of the road. It's like a manual car when a higher gear is selected too soon. I can avoid this by accelerating a bit faster to get up to speed.

Knowing that these cars have notoriously weak transmissions I'm babying it when I drive.

 

I have a 2004 Tribute LX AWD with about 72,000 miles on it, 25,000 when I bought it in early 2007. It has been very reliable so far. I have spent $0 of my own money on repairs in nearly three years of ownership.

Some minor issues, all fixed under warranty:

-leaky headlight lens
-sticky throttle, replaced throttle body (probably wasn't necessary, but dealer replaced it to be safe)
-sway bar links

At full throttle, the battery light flashes very quickly. I assume this is a result of the belt being slightly loose and slipping on the alternator pulley. It hasn't become worse.

WOPJOB:

-Tributes / Escapes are noisy vehicles. In fact, it's the worst atTRIBUTE(clever, huh?) they have. The whining noise you are hearing when you release the throttle is normal gear noise.

-At 40-50 mph, the torque converter gets locked out to eliminate transmission slippage (same hydraulic slippage that lets you stay at red light in Drive without stalling), and this feels like another upshift. What you are feeling/hearing is a slight vibration of the engine under load at a low rpm. This is totally normal. Stepping down on the gas or tapping the brakes will unlock the torque converter and the transmission will revert to delivering power through fluid rather than a mechanical connection. This eliminates some of the load and the noise/vibration of the engine. However, it also makes your tranny run hotter and will reduce your gas mileage. I let it lock up @ 45 mph and just let the speed climb gradually without it unlocking or downshifting to 3rd. I live a rural area with little traffic, so I can get away with this many others in busier areas cannot.

-Keep babying the transmission with gentle takeoffs and avoid frequent shifts or unlocking/locking of the torque converter. The frequent action heats up the tranny fluid and it will deteriorate over time. The transmission is the Ford CD4-E (something like that), straight out of the former Contour/Mystique. I think it used in the Ford Five Hundred too. It has a reputation for being durable and trouble free. When used in the heavier Tribute/Escape, they made it "tougher" with some stronger parts and a transmission fluid cooler. I tow a boat and a snowmobile trailer with mine, and so far, so good. I guess I am the test case for long term transmission durability!

 

Original '03 Tribute ES-V6 owner with 210K. Main issue has been replacing the alternator every 1.5-2 years. No biggee as I've put her through hell and back in the salty slush . The location of the alternator isn't the best place :P

Odd things are happening and it's time to take it in for a full check-up:
- Tach and spedometer dials swing to "max" for a few seconds and then to zero and then normal readings
- Doesn't idle properly as it engine "dies", have to keep the at a @750-1000 minimum RPMs when at a full stop or slowing down. Makes for a challenging drive and keeps you awake when tired

Changed the OEM Conti tires for Yoko H/T-S @ 50K and still running with them. Tread depth is a little shallow but still drivable for next spring, summer and fall. Yoko M/S winter tires and steel rims for this winter. Should be fun

Love the vehicle but not liking the new Tribute when it comes time to put her out to pasture. Hesitant on purchasing Mazdas in the future primarily due to BS and runaround from Mazda dealership and Mazda Canada for unresolved issues for the '08.5 Mazda 3 GT that I bought for my wife last summer.

JME

 

The torque converter lock-up sounds like something my wife is experiencing with her '06 V6 AWD Tribby. She says when braking heavily from 60 mph or so and slowing to 40-45 mph or so, then quickly accelerating back to 60 mph or so, there is a quite noticeable "jerking" during the acceleration. Does that sound like it could be the torque converter unlocking to provide power during the demand for acceleration? This doesn't happen often, but anyone who's driven I-83 into / out of Baltimore City during the morning and evening rush know that it does happen!!

 

Foerster -

The torque converter only gets locked out under light acceleration. That's when the transmission senses extra rpms and power are no longer needed, so it locks out the power delivery via tranny fluid - the torque converter - and locks the drivetrain together mechanically. This is equivalent to a manual shift transmission cruising in gear with the clutch pedal fully released. This saves a lot of gas. You'll notice that rpms drop from about 2500-3000 to around 2000 when T/C gets locked out at 60 mph.

I dont think this is what is happening to your wife's Tribute, since she is experiencing jerking under hard acceleration...the T/C will remain unlocked in these conditions. Perhaps the jerking is the tranny downshifting to 2nd gear at 50 mph for more acceleration and rpms?