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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

Other model years Selected year
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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

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

What owners actually said

35 reports
71,000 miles · Aug 27, 2019
EngineFuel/propulsion System

CAR WILL LOSE POWER DURING DRIVING. ENGINE BEGINS TO SPUTTER, WHICH RESULTS IN A JERKING MOTION OF THE VEHICLE. PRESSING THE GAS DOES NOTHING. ENGINE REVS ACCORDING TO RPM DIAL, BUT CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE. RPM DIAL WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW ENGINE REVVING WHILE IDLING (AFTER I PULL OVER AND PUT CAR IN PARK). THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE…

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CAR WILL LOSE POWER DURING DRIVING. ENGINE BEGINS TO SPUTTER, WHICH RESULTS IN A JERKING MOTION OF THE VEHICLE. PRESSING THE GAS DOES NOTHING. ENGINE REVS ACCORDING TO RPM DIAL, BUT CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE. RPM DIAL WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW ENGINE REVVING WHILE IDLING (AFTER I PULL OVER AND PUT CAR IN PARK). THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE - 8/22/19 AND AGAIN 8/27/19. DIAGNOSTIC RUN ON CAR ON 8/22/2019 LISTS NO ERROR CODES, FOR ME TO FIX ISSUE. VIDEO TAKEN, BUT STILL IMAGES WONT HELP.

NHTSA ODI #11251853

167,000 miles · Aug 1, 2019
Steering

POWER STEERING IS NOT WORKING, IT HAS GONE OUT AT 167,000 MILES

NHTSA ODI #11241068

143,500 miles · Feb 9, 2019
Steering

PULLING THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE GARAGE AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST NO LONGER WORKED AND HAS NOT SINCE.

NHTSA ODI #11175960

118,710 miles · Jan 23, 2019
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA TRIBUTE. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO MOVE AND THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE LOCAL DEALER. THE CONTACT CALLED CAPITAL MAZDA (525 CROSSROADS BLVD, CARY, NC 27518, 919-372…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA TRIBUTE. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO MOVE AND THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE LOCAL DEALER. THE CONTACT CALLED CAPITAL MAZDA (525 CROSSROADS BLVD, CARY, NC 27518, 919-372-4640) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS COMPLETED IN 2016. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED OF THE DIAGNOSTIC FEES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,710.

NHTSA ODI #11171675

178,000 miles · Dec 10, 2018
Structure

THE 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.

NHTSA ODI #11160562

196,000 miles · Dec 10, 2018
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemService Brakes

TAKATA RECALL: THE BRAKES FAIL WHEN DEPRESSED TO COME TO COMPLETE STOP. THE ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILED WHEN NEEDING TO STOP INSTANTLY. AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND MADE AN INSTANT STOP THE SUV DID NOT STOP RIGHT AWAY AS IT WOULD JERK FORWARD AND THEN SWERVE BEFORE MAKING A STOP ALMOST CAUSING LOST OF CONTROL OF THE VEHIC…

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TAKATA RECALL: THE BRAKES FAIL WHEN DEPRESSED TO COME TO COMPLETE STOP. THE ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILED WHEN NEEDING TO STOP INSTANTLY. AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND MADE AN INSTANT STOP THE SUV DID NOT STOP RIGHT AWAY AS IT WOULD JERK FORWARD AND THEN SWERVE BEFORE MAKING A STOP ALMOST CAUSING LOST OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE LIGHT STAY ON BECAUSE OF THE GAS CAP ERROR BUT THE VEHICLE DOES NOT REQUIRE A GAS CAP IT IS A CAP-LESS TANK. CAUSES GAS TO SEEP THROUGH.

NHTSA ODI #11160560

76,885 miles · Apr 13, 2018
Air Bags

AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SCANNED CODE B00A0, OCS MALFUNCTION. SAID I HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION AT ROUGHLY $3500.FOUND THAT THIS UNAFFORDABLY MANDATORY PROBLEM OCCURS IN MANY MAZDAS, AMONG OTHER VEHICLES. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, THE BAGS HAVE NEVER BEEN DEPLOYED. THE CAR IS…

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AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SCANNED CODE B00A0, OCS MALFUNCTION. SAID I HAD TO REPLACE ENTIRE PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION AT ROUGHLY $3500.FOUND THAT THIS UNAFFORDABLY MANDATORY PROBLEM OCCURS IN MANY MAZDAS, AMONG OTHER VEHICLES. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, THE BAGS HAVE NEVER BEEN DEPLOYED. THE CAR IS LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD. MEANWHILE THE SYSTEM MAY NOT DEPLOYED WHEN CALLED UPON AND I AM UNABLE TO GET A SAFETY CHECK OR REGISTER THE CAR

NHTSA ODI #11084940

150,000 miles · Mar 13, 2018
Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. PAUL MILLER MAZDA IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000.

NHTSA ODI #11078894

164,000 miles · Feb 15, 2018
Steering

I WAS SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT IN TOWN WAITING AND THEN MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE, A BEEPING NOISE AND THEN MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT! I COULDN'T DRIVE!! THIS IS NOT SAFE!!! IT TOOK ME 20 MINUTES TO GET HOME WITH NO STEERING! I DID NOT FEEL SAFE!

NHTSA ODI #11073164

110,000 miles · Jan 3, 2018
Wheels

PURCHASED VEHICLE FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER WITH TPMS INDICATOR LIGHT ON TIRES WAS INFLATED AT 45, SET PRESSURE TO 32 LIGHT STILL ON. REPAIR SHOP REPLACED R/R CENSOR STILL HAVE THE INDICATOR SHOWING FAULT.

NHTSA ODI #11058250

Official recalls

1

14V282000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.