Your vehicle report
2008 Mazda Tribute
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 202
- Received Aug 2007 to Mar 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly39 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking37 complaints · 18% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Power steering cuts out while driving35 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #15V677000Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2008 Tribute vehicles manufactured February 9, 2007 to April 22, 2008. The affected vehicles have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between June 11, 2015 through July 15, 2015. These service repair part transmissions have a shift lever bolt that may not be properly tightened. As a result, the shift control lever could disengage from the transmission without warning.
- Recall #14V552000Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2008 Mazda Tribute Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 10, 2006, to May 23, 2008. The coolant pump for the hybrid system may fail, resulting in the hybrid electronics overheating.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 6 crashes, 1 fire, 12 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 12 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission
- Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
- Power steering cuts out while driving
- Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 12 |
| 2010 | 18 |
| 2011 | 12 |
| 2012 | 16 |
| 2013 | 12 |
| 2014 | 40 |
| 2015 | 18 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 16 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 2 |
| Total | 202 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 39 | 19% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 37 | 18% | – | NHTSA recall #12V357000 |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 35 | 17% | – | NHTSA recall #14V282000 |
| Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission | 9 | 4.5% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 7 | 3.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 6 | 3.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 5 | 2.5% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 5 | 2.5% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 3 | 1.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #15V677000October 19, 20154 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl); power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2008 Tribute vehicles manufactured February 9, 2007 to April 22, 2008. The affected vehicles have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between June 11, 2015 through July 15, 2015. These service repair part transmissions have a shift lever bolt that may not be properly tightened. As a result, the shift control lever could disengage from the transmission without warning.
If the shift lever disengages from the transmission, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the gear selection indicator may show that the transmission is in the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not actually be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission and if necessary tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Experience Center at 1-800-222-5500, option#6. Mazda's number for this recall is 8815J.
NHTSA recall #14V552000September 10, 2014423 vehicles affected
hybrid propulsion system
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2008 Mazda Tribute Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 10, 2006, to May 23, 2008. The coolant pump for the hybrid system may fail, resulting in the hybrid electronics overheating.
If the hybrid electronics system overheats, it may shut down the powertrain, resulting in a stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the original Motor Electronics Coolant (MEC) Pump with an improved brushless pump, free of charge. The recall began November 5, 2014. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 7814I.
NHTSA recall #14V282000May 29, 201433,000 vehicles affected
steering: electric power assist system
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #12V357000July 27, 2012217,500 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling; vehicle speed control: cables
Mazda is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2006, and 2008, Tribute vehicles equipped with 3.0L V6 engines and speed control. Inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the speed control cable connector could result in a stuck throttle when the accelerator pedal is fully or almost-fully depressed. This risk exists regardless of whether or not speed control (cruise control) is used.
A stuck throttle may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop or slow the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
Remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles by increasing the engine cover clearance, free of charge. Remedy parts are now available. The safety recall began on September 13, 2012. Owners may contact Mazda Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-222-5500, option #6.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2008 Mazda Tribute.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN