FaultScore

Worst years for a Mazda Tribute

Owners have filed 2,831 complaints about the Mazda Tribute with NHTSA across model years 2000 to 2011. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

2001 Mazda Tribute

734 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly engine & cooling.

Cleanest on record

2010 Mazda Tribute

57 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Mazda Tribute year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2011 8 1 0 114,000 Steering
2010 A 57 0 0 58,269 Transmission & Drivetrain
2009 A 46 2 0 83,983 Steering
2008 B 251 9 2 83,000 Steering
2007 6 0 0 Brakes
2006 B 181 11 1 76,014 Acceleration & Cruise Control
2005 C 542 22 4 106,780 Suspension
2004 C 232 19 7 110,000 Suspension
2003 C 266 22 11 77,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
2002 D 502 24 29 70,400 Engine & Cooling
2001 D 734 26 17 70,500 Engine & Cooling
2000 6 2 0 Engine & Cooling

What breaks on a Mazda Tribute

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 429 15.2%

Worst in 2001

Worst in 2005

Body & Structure 293 10.3%

Worst in 2005

Brakes 253 8.9%

Worst in 2002

Suspension 253 8.9%

Worst in 2005

Worst in 2001

Worst in 2001

Steering 197 7.0%

Worst in 2008

Airbags 143 5.1%

Worst in 2002

Worst in 2001

Worst in 2001

Worst in 2005

Wheels 51 1.8%

Worst in 2005

Worst in 2001

Exactly what failed on a Mazda Tribute

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Body 194 27.2%
Gasoline 165 23.2%
Automatic Transmission 86 12.1%
Engine 77 10.8%
Ignition 44 6.2%
Accelerator Pedal 36 5.1%
Latch 30 4.2%
Door 28 3.9%
Cables 27 3.8%
Rotor 25 3.5%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Mazda Tribute, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Oct 2000 peak 39 Mar 2026

Mazda Tribute problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Mazda Tribute

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.