Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
OTHER
06/07/200705/10/2007
 The newly redesigned instrument cluster area for the newly arriving 2008 mazda tribute is a safety and traffic hazard in the following way: because of new shape for the plexiglass front and the location of the hood and the materials used, it allows the sun's rays to spotlight on the speedometer and tachometer area , causing the worst glare that i have ever come accross in all my years of buying and driving new cars. this causes blindess (even with a good pair of polarized sunglasses on) during sunny days, when the vehicle is traveling in the right angle to the sun. on a recent trip out of town, i had to actually hold up one of my hand's close to the instrument cluster, to block the sun's reflection. that meant driving with only one arm. the only safe time to drive this vehicle is during cloudy days. unfrotunately that was the type of day it was when i test drove, before signing 3 year lease. this is the sister vehicle to the ford escape and mercury mariner. all 3 are built in the same ford plant in kansas city, missouri. they must all have the same design flaw. the same vehicles dash was just fine from 2001-2007. i know, because i owned several of them. only the new dash on the new 2008 models have this problem.