Used 2009 Mazda Tribute Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2009 Tribute, so we've included reviews for other years of the Tribute since its last redesign.
Function and style
Lots of Utility, 10/22/2009
2009 Mazda Tribute i Sport 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
19 of 19 people found this review helpful
Bought the Tribute for me and my wife, it has been great, lots of cargo space, fuel economy is exceptional from the 4 cylinder; and it has lots of power considering the other models we looked at with comparable engines. We typically see 29-30 mpg on road trips in West Texas it is primarily flat so cannot speak much of hills but out here it is a great combination of function, fuel economy and style
From new to now problems continue
gz408, 03/03/2012
2008 Mazda Tribute i Sport 4dr SUV (2.3L 4cyl 4A)
29 of 30 people found this review helpful
-4K miles Transmission cooler leaking (replaced under warranty) -8K miles Hard shifting (serviced under warranty) -22K miles transmission stuck in 2nd gear (covered under warranty) -24K miles replaced front brakes and rotors (pulsating and noisy) -Window regulator failure -26K L+R Tie rod end replacement (warranty) -35K engine knocking/tapping (warranty) -35K Serpentine belt tensioner failure (warranty) -46K Transmission shifting hard (not fixed yet) This vehicle is horribly built. Interior is noisy from all the cheap plastics. Suspension and ride quality is really bad too. I would not recommend purchasing this, you're better off with a Kia!!
Overall good/bad ignition problem
Wallace, 04/15/2018
updated 11/06/2018
2009 Mazda Tribute i Sport 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
14 of 14 people found this review helpful
We have been very impressed with the reliability of the Tribute, but an extremely annoying ignition problem that does not allow the car to crank was aggravating. After countless hours of online research and several attempts at repairs, it appears we have conquered the problem. All stemming from an inferior designed ignition module that wears out. Happens with Ford Escape and Ford Focus also. Should have been recalled. UPDATE, the ignition module did not solve the problem, so I changed the starter. Even though the car would start fine for days, it would still not crank at times. After weeks it seems the new starter did the trick. It must has been something faulty in the starter that made it work intermittently.
- Performance
Rust Problems Here Too
ChicagoDriver, 10/17/2010
2008 Mazda Tribute i Sport 4dr SUV (2.3L 4cyl 4A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
So I hate to say anything bad about my 2008 Tribute, which we just traded in last week, and I loved owning. It was a simple car without any fuss, and perfect for me! The only bad thing about it is the rust. I noticed a few other reviews mentioning this, and i found it a little too coincidental that we all have found the same rust problems. Mazda must have gotten cheap on their materials, or they stared buying steel from China. I bent down to check on my tires one day and I couldn't believe how badly rusted out the wheel well was. I traded the car in a week later.
Window Regulator Should be Recalled
swflmazda, 11/18/2011
2008 Mazda Tribute i Sport 4dr SUV (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
Ok.. So not a bad car as my first mazda purchase. I am totally surprised there hasn't been a recall on these, that all but one of my power window regulators have snapped. Really poor poor poor design and cheap materials. Dealership wants me to pay for labor, will cost be around $800. No-way since this is faulty equipment. not standard wear and tear.. Also gas pedal gets stuck. Incredibly dangerous. Not sure what's worse; windows that do not work or a gas pedal that gets stuck. Other than that.. seems to be a decent car.
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