What breaks most · 2000 to 2010 model years
Mazda Tribute problems by year
Owners have filed 1,969 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mazda Tribute across model years 2000 to 2010. Three years stand out: 2001 for engine and cooling complaints, 2002 for engine and cooling complaints and 2005 for suspension complaints. The quietest years are 2007, 2000 and 2006.
- Years to check closely: 2001, 2002, 2005
- Fewest complaints: 2007, 2000, 2006
- Complaints on file
- 19692000 to 2010, all trims
- Worst year
- 2001557 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 9855 fires · 81 injuries · 4 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 80kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 57Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (3) | |
| 557 | 21 | 15 | Engine and cooling (166) | |
| 375 | 17 | 9 | Engine and cooling (123) | |
| 188 | 16 | 8 | Air bags (35) | |
| 144 | 14 | 7 | Suspension (43) | |
| 350 | 14 | 4 | Suspension (125) | |
| 125 | 9 | 3 | Speed control and throttle (49) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 167 | 4 | 5 | Steering (69) | |
| 23 | 2 | 2 | Steering (9) | |
| 31 | 0 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (13) |
What fails on the 2001 Mazda Tribute
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 30% |
166 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2001 Mazda Tribute |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 15% |
81 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2001 Mazda Tribute |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 12% |
69 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 11% |
59 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2001 Mazda Tribute |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 8% |
46 | 4 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2001 Mazda Tribute |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 8% |
44 | 3 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2001 Mazda Tribute |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
38 | 5 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2001 Mazda Tribute |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 6% |
34 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2001 Mazda Tribute |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
While driving and coming to a stop at a red light the car quits and when you first start the car the vehicle runs ruff until it warms up.
-
I pulled onto a dirt road because there was smoke coming from the front of my car and when i stopped i opened the hood and there was like a small fire coming from under the hood i got scared called my mother and 2 seconds later the whole front of the car was on fire.
-
Right rear starting making a loud knocking sound, investigated and found shock tower mount was rusted out, and banging into the inner body of the vehicle causing damage. Banging happens when driving.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mazda Tribute years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2001, 2002, 2005 carry the most filings on the Mazda Tribute. The 2001 alone has 557 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Mazda Tribute problem?
On the 2001 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 166 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mazda Tribute problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mazda Tribute complaints that include mileage is about 80,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.