10.0

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,000
Average Mileage:
79,600 miles
Total Complaints:
2 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. replace ignition coil, spark plugs & PCM (2 reports)
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problem #2

Sep 212011

Tribute S 3.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 72,700 miles

Had the check engine light come on. Read the code said cylinder #5 misfire. Replaced the coil. Then cylinder #6 misfired. So replaced all the coils and plugs. No codes for a week. Tons of power. Moving to a remote location. 1/2 way there cylinder #5 code back. Tried to get a ford dealer to look at the problem but wanted me to wait a month. Had to go to a mazda 400km away. Told mazda to have a look at it. Said I would have to replace coils again and pull the engine. I told them no and #5 is in the front. They stated #5 was in the back. I double checked, phoned backed, and luckily I kept 3 of my old coils I new where good. A quick swap out. Bam the problem a bad pcm (big problem in the 2005 Ford Escape which is the same truck).

Now I waiting on a pcm, with mazda 1.5 day drive way.

- Robert H., St. John's, NL, canada

problem #1

Mar 272011

Tribute V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 86,500 miles

Started car and engine immediately began vibrating and jerking, check engine light came on. Towed to shop - diagnosis - bad (cracked) ignition coil, cracked spark plug, blown PCM. Had to order new PCM, had it installed, then MAZDA dealer has to "flash" computer.

Repairs costs appx. $1500.00 plus towing, etc. Drove car 5 days and it began jerking and hesitating again. Now another repair shop says the same coil is bad and has to be replaced. Mechanic says this is a CHRONIC problem with this Mazda engine. I am expecting to pay appx. $500 for current repairs. I have found several similar reports on this problem while researching.

Update from Jun 10, 2013: I wrote a letter to MAZDA customer service headquarters explaining everything in detail, hoping that they would at least be sympathetic. A man called me after they read the letter. He was rude from the first word he said to the last. He tried to make me feel like it was my fault. The KICKER was that he said, "Well, what do you expect? The car had 86,000 miles on it. They don't last forever, you know." What a complete creep. And what a complete piece of junk they built. I know they could not care less about customers - them or Ford - or they would offer some kind of service recall for a catastrophic defective part failure.

- sgp2525, Reidsville, NC, US