Ford Escape Mazda Tribute Maintenance and Repair
I know that the Tribute is made with only US and
Japanese parts due to Mazda's policy. The Escape
parts (yes they are different) come from the lowest
bidder in any country. Does the fuel line Escape
recall affect my Tribute? Also, what should I do
about the tires? (On my Tribute they are Wilderness
AT's.) Any other recalls that you know of?
Japanese parts due to Mazda's policy. The Escape
parts (yes they are different) come from the lowest
bidder in any country. Does the fuel line Escape
recall affect my Tribute? Also, what should I do
about the tires? (On my Tribute they are Wilderness
AT's.) Any other recalls that you know of?
Tagged:
0
Comments
Anyway. The engine and drivetrain are the same, just badged differently. The only exterior part that is the same is the roof panel. Many of the parts are sourced from the same supplier, but are styled for each vehicle. (the seats, for instance.)
All of the main Escape recalls have affected the Tribute to this point. It is possible that some future problems will be vehicle specific.
The Tribute should come with Wilderness HT's. They are not part of the recall and I haven't found any Chicago-area dealer who would trade them out. You might have some luck switching them out at a Firestone dealer. Check out the following link and take a copy of it with you to the dealer:
http://www.bridgestone-firestone.com/news/consumer/news/00803a.html
Hope this helps.
I believe that, from all I read, that the transmission is the weak link in these vehicles. No matter how nice a vehicle may look and feel, what good is it if a major component fails?
Escape will be a great car if Ford will let it be a great. Few more requests for the price cuts from their suppliers and there goes quality! Escape is already being redesigned (nothing big) for 2002 and it will go hybrid for 2003.
Is the transmission the same or has it be redesigned to carry a heavier load? There is all kinds of data on the Duratec engine, but none on the transmission. If someone out there really knows about this transmission, please advise us.
I would be concerned about the capability of this transmission for towing. I would also be concerned about it handling a 6 cyl engine putting out 200 ft/lb of torque past the warranty period. Is it possible to get some info on the design limits of the transmission or durability ratings, etc.? Finally, how does the Duratec engine rate for durability/reliability? I gather it was the Taurus engine for years.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recmmy1.cfm
This further solidifies my position in not obtaining one. Since Ford is the owner of Mazda I put major responsibility on Ford. They should have done more testing prior to shipping the SUVs out into the market. In the long run this will only hurt Ford/Mazda reputation as being a quality car Mfg. When I was at the Ford dealer, it was a ghost town. Its not just the Escape with Recalls its other Ford models as well. The dealers are P*** Off at Ford Corporate. The Mazda dealer was normal in terms of customer turn out. Good Luck, you will need it.
High stress concentration maybe indicative to high speed cornering, potholes, bumps at a certain point where the stabilizer is weak. It seems the problem is more long term than short term. Depending on the type of corosion, the thicness, and the material of the stabalizer bar its an issue that may happen later in life after the warranttee peroid. Which is only 36k miles. It would seem from the effective dates of the recall that Ford knew about it in advance and have implemented a fix as of July 26. You are right I would like to know what was done to impliment the fix. Some of these car MFGs do not give out the whole facts and ramifications of the recall and leave it up to he customer to find out.
With all the recalls No thanx. FMC/Mazda needs to clean up its act. They need to avoid these types of issues before they ship it out to market. Going after BMW X5 or a RX300. Good luck Slick.
Power is the appeal,but they skimped on the
details which will bug you after the new wears off.Maybe it's time to not get starry eyed over it
to the point of paying more than you need to.I
have an Acura Cl which I love and if Acura had
a wagon I'd have one too.
I've had great service from the dealership in the past as I've owned 4 Mazda's and I trust their workmanship and honesty. I went into the new Trib knowing that there may be problems as it is the first year of a new model and we have one of the first ones off the assembly line. Overall, it is a great vehicle and yes, the wind noise is higher than expected.
FYI: We traded in a Subaru Outback for the Tribute
My reason for replacing my current car is the fact that we just had our first child and I wanted something larger and safer to transport her around town. Unfortunately, steering wheels falling off, rear wheels separating, sway bars snapping, fuel leaks, and sticking accelerator cables don't instill confidence.
I hope the bean counters at Ford quickly realize the mistakes they have made and fix quality so the Tribute/Escape lives up to potential. Unfortunately I will not have the patience to wait for year two to see if they can get it right. I am ordering a Subaru Outback very soon. Yes, the style is not the same, and towing capacity is smaller (2000 lbs vs 3000). Still with the manual transmission I will get 0-60 in 9.1 seconds vs a quoted 9.0 with the auto Tribute. Also, the Outback is a much plusher vehicle with a tremendous safety record.
I hope someone at Ford stumbles across this post. As a marketer, I would like to say you screwed up this launch "in a big way." I finally know why people claim FORD: Fixed Or Repaired Daily.
What these recalls really indicate is that Ford did encounter some production problems, and they have a procces to correct them.
And while I am steamed, I have to comment about the guy who let the dealer slip in an extra $299 (or whatever the exact amount was) at the very end of the deal at signing. This is nothing personal against this guy, I'm sure he's a nice guy and all that, so please don't take this personally but, HE LET THE DEALER GET AWAY WITH IT. HE PAID THE MONEY !!!!!! Instead of getting up and walking out, HE PAID THE MONEY!!!!!. The dealer told him that "everybody was paying it", if he didn't charge him he would be "liable for a class action law suit". HE DIDN'T LAUGH IN THE DEALERS FACE AND GET UP AND WALK OUT. HE SAID OK, AND HE PAID THE MONEY !!!!!!!
People, when you buy a vehicle YOU are in charge of the deal. It kills me to hear that someone let these scummy salespeople get away with this BS - and even when they know it is BS. GET UP AND WALK OUT (and while you're walking check and make sure you still have your wallet), AND YOU WILL SEE HOW FAST THEY CHANGE THEIR TUNE. In all fairness I must say that I have known many honest and trustworthy car salespeople. Okay.....I feel better now.
Another possibility for the gas smell (hopefully not another recall) is a faulty O-ring on one of the fuel injectors. I read a post on the Yahoo boards from someone who had the gas smell problem and replacing the o-ring was the solution for their vehicle. IT WAS NOT THE FUEL LINE. At least people now can suggest something else to look for if they have the problem.
By the way: I did walk out of two dealerships before I found one willing to sell at the price I wanted. I am still awaiting the arrival of my Trib.
You don't think for one minute that a dealer is going to replace the fuel line unless they see fuel dripping from it do you? Maybe to get a better view they need to light a match.
killer price then I test drove my car before
signing. I was boxed in a parallel parking spot
shifted back and forth from D to R about 8 times
finally made it out of the very tight spot. I
pulled about 30 feet forward to the intersection
and the tranny or transaxle locked I was stuck the
sales man tried it and called the mechanic over who
could not even push it Whatttts Uuuup! was this a
lemon? the parking brake was off and it was stuck
like a dog! Should I still want an escape anyone
else have this problem maybe the switch from auto
to 4x4 on was 1\2 way any other ideas? What should
I do by an ugly forester or a poor repair record
jeep I want utility and ability to drive on deep
fluffy sand in Long Island NY