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Used 2004 Mazda Tribute Consumer Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
175 reviews
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Pros
Cons
5 out of 5 stars

Mazda Tribute Going Strong 160,000 mi.

Susan Barry, 10/26/2015
2004 Mazda Tribute DX 4WD 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
30 of 30 people found this review helpful

These are such well built, reliable SUVs. Our 2004 with 160,000 mi. has never broken down or failed to deliver power towing our 18" SeaRay boat back and forth between FL & WI. No problems ever in the motor, drive train, electronics, operational parts like doors, lights, AC, heat, seat controls, etc. We'll drive it on until we need to buy a new Mazda.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
3 out of 5 stars
Value
1 out of 5 stars
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4.75 out of 5 stars

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Tribute

chicago2624, 12/10/2013
2004 Mazda Tribute LX-V6 4WD 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
36 of 37 people found this review helpful

I bought my tribute over a year ago- with over 100k miles on it- a lot, I know, by I'm a poor college student! This was well worth the investment. I do all normal maintenance regularly And have had no major problems. It's really roomy, reliable, and safe! I love the 4WD in the winter! I am amazed at how smooth it drives. I do not have a garage to store it in unfortunately, but there have still been no issues- in the winter I. Let it warm up and it does great. The back storage is great, it seems like I'm always packing up. I would definitely recommend this car!

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4 out of 5 stars

nice ride

b. rod., 09/01/2015
2004 Mazda Tribute LX-V6 Fwd 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
31 of 32 people found this review helpful

you should have all the cat. converters checked for clogges,ie rear 1 it will blow a hole in egr valve. costing about 285.00 , i had mine removed and replaced with pipe . resolved issues. cts will clogged from unburned gas causing motor to shut down. this pipe trick does the job. all happened at 121k. also keep gas filter changed. its on frame, easy to do.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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4.75 out of 5 stars

First SUV

nanski50, 12/04/2012
2004 Mazda Tribute LX-V6 Fwd 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
24 of 25 people found this review helpful

I purchased my 2004 Mazada Tribute used with 85.000 miles in early Oct. 2012. I decided to down size from my last vehicle which was a Crysler Town and Country mini van. I did alot of research and the Tribute kept coming out on top. This is a great little SUV. It is fun to drive, peepy, and gets mileage as advertised. It has no rattles and controls are easy to reach. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that my mini van did but I am enjoying it completely. I love my Tribute and plan to drive it for many years.

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4.88 out of 5 stars

I love my Tribute

walker328, 04/27/2015
2004 Mazda Tribute LX-V6 4WD 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
28 of 30 people found this review helpful

I purchased this in September 2014, with about 96k miles on it. It has a few scrapes and a cracked rear bumper so I got it at a decent price. Evidently the one previous owner took excellent care of it (all scheduled maintenance performed), and it has run fine until this very rainy morning. Flashing engine light, weak acceleration, burning smell and chuggy movement led me straight to the repair shop. 3 out of 6 ignition coils and the spark plugs were just about spent causing it to misfire. Not a cheap repair due the intake manifold needing to be removed which is a pretty big deal. Plugs were due to be replaced anyway. All else looks good and now it's good to go for many more miles.

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4 out of 5 stars

(Sometimes) Ol Reliable

Brittanyd, 03/16/2016
2004 Mazda Tribute LX-V6 Fwd 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful

This car was my first purchase. We bought it from a family friend who had it as an extra and didn't use it much. The owner before it put 113,000 miles on it. As soon as we got it all the eletronics went out- radio, clock, lights, etc. $700 all the dealership. Over the past 2 1/2 years we have sunk over $2,000 in repairs. We actually got it out of the shop again today. Thankfully, repairs for this car tend to be on the lower end and it's easy to find parts. Despite everything I'm in love with this car. It's just the right size, I love driving it, and the gas mileage doesn't seem as horrible to me because I take short trips.

Reliability
3 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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4.13 out of 5 stars

Good for the money

mabpac, 02/25/2008
2004 Mazda Tribute ES-V6 4WD 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful

Purchased mine as a used vehicle from our credit union as a lease return. Agree this is an SUV, not a car, so ride is acceptable. Started out with a Suburban, then a Durango, now the Mazda. The short wheelbase is a little rougher, but overall a solid vehicle. The mileage could be better, but after driving two notorious gas guzzlers, I'm happy. The engine is plenty powerful with good pick-up, unlike the Dodge I owned, that seemed to go from 0-60 in about an hour! Handling this year's rough Northern Michigan winter like a charm, even out of 4WD. After a couple of hours, the seats get a little hard, additional cushioning would help.

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2 out of 5 stars

Would NEVER own again!!! Coil & Engine Problems

Todd, 12/10/2017
2004 Mazda Tribute ES-V6 4WD 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful

I owned the 2004 Mazda Tribute ES V6 Fully Loaded. I was the second owner. I loved the look of the car and the leather interior with the heated seats. The first few months were fine but then it started to rain and the check engine light would come on and then go off when it stopped raining. I went on forums and found this was a big problem with this model due to the misfires in the coils with the engine. I must've replaced around 5 coils while owning it. Also had to have the exhaust replaced. Then the transmission dipstick completely disintegrated and caused all kinds of tranny problems. Then the final straw was the Torque Converter had to be replaced and no way I was doing that. After around $2500 in repairs I unloaded this lemon of a vehicle. Reason I won't give it one star is because the exterior and interior were great but the engine was AWFUL. Too bad because I really enjoyed this car when it worked! But in the end BUYER BEWARE these engine coils with the moisture are a recurring problem. Research it for yourself.

Performance
4 out of 5 stars
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4.88 out of 5 stars

WOW

CMP, 05/09/2010
2004 Mazda Tribute ES-V6 4WD 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Bought my Tribute used with 140000 on odo. 1 owner and they took such good care of it, WOW what a fun drive!!! Moved up from a GeoTracker. Love the rear cargo room and the leather seats, and the stereo! Previous owner had no major repair or complaints in the years of ownership, was buying a new Tribute. 140,000 miles folks and not a oil leak on the v6! I hope to drive this light SUV to 350,000 or more. Only complaint I have is the small gas tank.

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4.13 out of 5 stars

Still Scratching My Head

Joeillini, 11/02/2004
2004 Mazda Tribute ES-V6 4WD 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Have had the Tribute for 1 1/2 years and 18,000 miles. I am still kicking myself for overlooking obvious things that annoy me now. Bad gas Mileage compared to EPA figure, Poor control for sliding sunroof, no passenger-side lock control, front seats sit to high and can't be lowered, hard to use cruise control at night, have had it in the shop 3 times to fix a rattle in tailgate that is only getting worse, the gear shift doesn't read on the dash 50% of the time, the way the engine downshifts going up just a slight incline causing MPG to suffer, cheap plastic interior door panels with no padding, soft brake pads leave dust on front wheels. Its my fault for purchasing the vehicle.

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