Used 2002 Mazda Truck Consumer Reviews
Great little machine
One of the best vehicle buys I have ever made. Great mileage (28-33). No problems so far. Inside door handles have come somewhat loose and sometimes rattle. Mazda makes a great vehicle.
Takes a lickin' Keeps on tickin'
This is a good truck for all around use. The fuel economy is average for around town, but is good on the long trips. I have not had a single mechanical problem. The truck is strong enough to pull my boat to the lake and tough enough to handle me taking it out in the Mojave Desert to have some fun exploring. I have only made a couple of changes to the truck to accommodate my uses. I installed slotted and drilled rotors for heat reduction while towing, and an air- fuel programmer to dial in the exact power or fuel economy I need. I put on some 31 x 10.5 R15 mud tires to keep it moving in the sand, mud and snow.
- B3000 Dual Sport Cab PlusMSRP: $6,995827 mi away
- B2300 Regular CabMSRP: $7,995988 mi away
- B4000 Cab PlusMSRP: $8,999994 mi away
Is it the truck or the N. E. weather?
Mazda/Ford's truck design is OBSOLETE. I bought this 2002 because I'd had 2 Mazdas previously and they were pretty decent. THIS one had a clutch master cyl. go bad as soon as I got it. Access to the rear cab space is poor. The engine is so detuned as to be ball- less. However, the worst problem is the severe undercarriage corrosion which has destroyed the brakes/brake lines and has caused me to need to buy a new truck. New England winters and road chemicals are tough but I think the degree of damage is still pretty serious. No more Mazdas for me. I bought a Nissan.
B4000 - Best in Class (in my opinion)
B4000 has lots going for it PRIMARILY the 4L 208HP, largest in class - greatest horsepower per dollar spent (w/ Ranger). Nissan “supercharged” engine is slightly larger, 210HP, but less responsive/slower & supercharged engine lacks towing/off road power. Challengers: Ranger, S10, Tacoma, Dakota & Frontier. Tacoma/Frontier only come in 4 full or 2 door models; no have ½ doors. Drives the cost up such that one may be better off looking at bigger trucks. Fun truck, lots of functionality & power, nice high ride, good visibility, shift on fly 4wld, large/cool tires w/ strong, elevated suspension, 4 doors & features (bed-liner, cover, bed extender).
Nice Little Truck
Bought it brand new and I have never had a problem. I get about 19 mpg in mixed driving. I have about 65K on original tires. One set of brakes and oil changes every 5K. Not the fastest vehicle, but it will drop a boat in the lake easily with the raised suspension.
Best truck I own
This truck is a very reliable truck it has a good suspension for hauling trailers around the farm it handles very well at highway speeds and the only thing I would do to it is to add a larger rear end in it so that the motor doesn't have to strain so much when we are pulling hay wagons out of the fields and this has a very good leaf springs in it because we have hauled a 1500 lb. Safe home from 100 miles away and it didn't break anything
wont buy another
great vehicle if it wasn't in the shop all the time. Entire clutch system replaced, transmission and computer problems. This truck is great when it runs, inside and out. Has plenty of power, gas mileage is terrible (14 city). This is my fourth since 1994 and I will not buy another. Two were good and two were bad. 50% is not very good
Noble truck
Great vehicle to run errands to the lumber yard, the nursery, the dump etc. It is very sporty, has great handling and adequate cargo capacity for its intended use. It is the right size for city use and can be parked easily in our relatively narrow driveway. Dealer was fair in the purchase process.
The more I drive it,the more I love it
I think Mazda's differences in interior and exterior won me over, verses the Ranger. It feel's tight,no rattle's, has lot's of power, and it's a ball to drive. And with a 50,000 mile warranty, Mazda belives in it more than Ford does their Ranger.
Good Buy for the money
Bought this as an extra car for running errands and doing the "honeydos". Great truck for the money. It looks great and rides fine. I like the extended cab for safe storage & the extra seating for my kids.
B2300 AUTO
The only item that I don't like is putting the automatic gear shift in park it feels like you have the force it in.
good truck
I bought this used with little mileage on it. Got a great deal. So far, so good. It runs smooth and the mpg is acceptable. AC is great. I live where it gets very hot, so that is important. For the price, it's great.
Good Truck without Personality
I purchased this truck new, trading in a 2000 GMC Sierra. I got a lot of truck for the money. The truck has been reliable except for odometer failure (warranty) and EGR flow sensor. The 4.0L engine and 5-speed auto transmission are a fine drivetrain. The main problem is that this truck just has no personality to distinguish it from the crowd. The tin-can sound of the doors closing doesn't help. I recently installed a Magnaflow catback exhaust which has given the truck a distinctive sound.
Pretty Darn Good
After having such good luck with my Mazda Protege', bought in 1990 and still running well - getting 35m to the gallon, I decided on a Mazda truck. I could've bought a Ranger, but the Mazda just looked better and I am not dissapointed. Plenty of power for a 3.0 V6 Automatic, and looks great in the parking lot. I made the right choice. The Mazda minivan is next and will get them from the same dealer.
Kevin's 2002 B2300 SE5
This is my first truck, and I love driving it. I went with the Mazda because of the warranty (50,000 miles, as opposed to 36,000 on the Ranger or S-10). The suspension is a little tight, but that's not really a bad thing in a city like mine where the streets are a little rough. Running the A/C hurts the power a bit on the 2.3 liter engine.
Think reliability !
If you look a the quality/price ratio, the Mazda B-series gives you a higher quote compare to competitor. My criterias was reliabiliy, fun to drive, fair cost: the B-series was the one. Especially, the reliability...it is as reliable as a japanese truck ! Who can't say that !
Great incentives on good truck
I traded in my '92 Toyota 3.0L 4x4 on the B4000 dual sport auto. The little things like switches, turn stalk, armrests, etc. are nicer in the 10 year old Toyota, but the Ford 4.0L is much smoother and nicer than the old 3VZ-E. The Mazda smooths out the bumps much better but has more body lean in the turns and I go a little slower on the onramps. I think the Tacoma is a better truck, but with the S plan purchasing program from work, and Mazda's incentives, the price was just too good to pass up.
Eastern NC
Looks great, lot of compliments, most controls within easy reach. Cannot see under visor when in down position. Recommend extended cab for taller drivers. Difficult for entry/exit for shorter operators. Great mileage for truck - 23 - 25 average.
02 Dual Sport - Good Small Truck
I've had this one for a little over a year and have not had any problems. The ride is bouncy but it's a truck. Mine has the trailer towing package and I've hauled a 18 foot boat (1800 lbs) for 300 miles on one trip and it performed better than I expectd.
First Truck Great first expreriance
This my first truck and I am enjoying it I looked at the Ford Ranger but selected the Mazda because of the unique style and better warrenty. The 4liter engine gives about 18 mpg in town but makes the truck fun to drive. Tight direct steering feel makes for a sporting drive.
A GREAT Truck Looking for a Soul...
This truck looks great outside and has a well laid-out interior The seats are a little less supportive than I would like but at 6 ft. 4 in. I still fit nicely in the cab and ride relatively comfortably. The raised suspension is a very nice touch and I especially like all of the extras that were included in the price. The 3 liter V6 is gutless around town but feels like it would tow a tank. Fuel mileage is average at best but hey it's a truck. The third break light had to be replaced because it leaked and the trim panel around the radio started peeling. Other than these minor issues and the boring engine I've been very happy with this truck.
Do not buy PLEASE
At 35000 miles it was getting sloppy. The rear end was making a klunking sound. Ingram park Mazda said the parts were back ordered and would take months to get. I called mazda factory and they called Ingram park mazda. The end result was Ingram park had screwed up. But still the part was months in comming. They said. I am stuck with a truck I am paying for with a serious defect and not parts!!!! My recomendation is to not buy Mazda trucks.
My little red Truck
This has been a great truck for me. I am a single mom, and own a small farm, so I need the convenience along with the great style and comfort.
Not Happy
I am not happy with this truck. A week after I bought it, it had to be returned to get 4 new tires. It runs really rough, at a stop it vibrates the cab. I have brought it back to the dealer and they didn't feel anything was wrong. I will probably trade in soon.
good truck
Looked at Toyota, Ford and others. Decided on the Mazda because of the 0% for 5 yrs. I really enjoy this truck. Have driven it in all types of weather and it has performed well.
Bad Transmission
Bought this truck used with 2600 miles. Automatic transmission started slipping at 30,000 miles. Had to replace at 35,000 miles. Poor gas mileage for a small truck, 17 - 18 mpg. Interior trim quality is sub par. Plastic dash trim is peeling. No doors on the extended cab make the area behind the seats hard to access.
Best of Times, Worst of Times
The interior is comfortable and we have taken many long trips in this truck. It's handy for around town, trips to the builder supply store, and the antique shop. It's my work car, and has been reliable so far. All these are offset however by the poor performance and abominable gas mileage: about 13 mpg all the time. My previous car was a full-sized sedan that got 10. Some improvement. The transmission has to work hard all the time and the truck barely keeps up with Bay Area traffic. I had wanted the four-cylinder, 5-speed model, but let myself get flimflammed into this model. It's my fault, but I would never buy this truck, or shop at that dealership again.
shifting troubles
Styling on the b2300 are nice. I bought this truck because of it's automatic transmission. What a mistake, it has a clunk when it shifts gears. In one 140 mile trip, it did this 165 times. The dealer tells me this is normal, madza refused to do anything. Also it is the ROUGHEST riding truck I have ever been in. Hitting a rough section of highway is an adventure. I have 250 lbs of weight in the back and run 25 lbs of air in the tires to try to help this. This will be my last madza (ford) purchase. Anybody who considers buying one is a poor misguided soul.
2002 Mazda B3000 4X4
Excellent truck! A little underpowered with the 3.0 liter engine, but the tradeoff is a consistent 22-23 mpg. Great styling, well built, economical vehicle.
Hereditary transmission problems
The vehicle was a delight to take in the rough, even though it was two-wheel drive, I could take it anywhere. It had a good ground clearance, and low rev torque. It's downside is it's transmission. The Ranger series has always had problems with the transmission and when I bought this Mazda I thought they had cleared that problem. Not so. After 7K miles, it began to have trouble shifting in and out of second. It got to the point that I had to skip the gear. After the replacement if immediately took care of second but fourth was now the troublemaker.
GoodLittle Truck
I purchased this truck September 2002. The gas mileage could be a little better (17 mpg) The truck is high for better road view. The engine could use a little more HP for merging traffic situations.