IllustrationTHE REAR HUTCH IS DEFECTED. WHEN PRESSING THE BUTTON THE HUTCH WILL NOT OPEN. THE ENTIRE PUMP HAS TO BE REPLACED TO OPEN THE REAR HUTCH OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SAFELY HAZARD IN CASE OF EMERGENCY AND ONE NEED TO GET OUT. I HAD THE PUMP REPLACED AND LESS THAN 8 MONTHS THE PUMP WENT OUT AGAIN.
2009 Mazda Tribute
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 2009 Mazda Tribute are lower than the model-year median of 143.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tribute years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
70–25K
325–50K
150–75K
575–100K
8100–150K
5150K+
29 reports with mileage · 6 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
Structure complaints
2 reportsREAR TAILGATE DOOR SWITCH OCCASIONALLY DOES NOT OPERATE WHEN DEPRESSED. WHILE TRYING TO OPEN THE TAILGATE/REAR HATCH ENTRANCE THE SWITCH THAT IS DEPRESSED WILL NOT OPEN THE TAILGATE CAUSING ENTRY TO THE REAR TO BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE VEHICLES AFT PASSENGER'S DOORS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE NEW AND EVERY TIME THE…
Read full complaint
REAR TAILGATE DOOR SWITCH OCCASIONALLY DOES NOT OPERATE WHEN DEPRESSED. WHILE TRYING TO OPEN THE TAILGATE/REAR HATCH ENTRANCE THE SWITCH THAT IS DEPRESSED WILL NOT OPEN THE TAILGATE CAUSING ENTRY TO THE REAR TO BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE VEHICLES AFT PASSENGER'S DOORS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE NEW AND EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER THE PROBLEM IS NOT REPEATABLE CREATING A NOW OUT OF WARRANTY ISSUE. FAILURE OF THE INABILITY TO ACCESS THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR A RECALL. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT THE INABILITY TO REACH SOMEONE TRAPPED IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE CREATES A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED. *TR
Official recalls
114V282000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System
May 29, 2014
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Tribute vehicles manufactured October 5, 2006, through September 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a steering torque sensor that may not be able to properly detect driver steering input. As a result, the system could remove the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners and dealers will update the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of the torque sensor signal or fault codes relating to the PSCM when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, the affected components will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 7614E.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.