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#BS-2008-MAZTRI-51BA

2008 Mazda Tribute

Based on reports from 250 owners and 5 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
250
Crashes
9
Fires
2
Recalls
5
TSBs
123
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 250 complaints, 9 crashes, 2 fires, and 5 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission failed

6 complaints • Severity 8.7/10

$X,XXX
2

loss of power steering

4 complaints • Severity 8.5/10

$X,XXX
3

ignition switch not working properly

3 complaints • Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the SteeringHIGH

91 owners reported steering issues — failures commonly reported around 83K miles.

!Inspect the Speed ControlMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

26
0–30K
40
30–60K
47
60–90K
37
90–120K
27
120–150K
32
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (47 reports) • Median: 83K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Steering (91 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Steering91 (36%)
Speed Control47 (19%)
Drivetrain19 (8%)
Electrical15 (6%)
Brakes10 (4%)
Engine8 (3%)
Fuel System8 (3%)
Other7 (3%)

2008 Mazda Tribute: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Steering Issues

Steering complaints account for 36% of all reports filed for the 2008 Mazda Tribute, with 91 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 83,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 83K-mile mark.

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 19% of all reports filed for the 2008 Mazda Tribute, with 47 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2008 Mazda Tribute, with 19 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2008 Mazda Tribute, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
07
5
08
15
09
21
10
13
11
24
12
13
13
45
14
22
15
7
16
21
17
10
18
11
19
15
20
11
21
7
22
4
23
4
25
1
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2008 Mazda Tribute. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (5 recalls)

12V357000Sep 2012

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.

14V282000Jul 2014

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.

14V552000Nov 2014

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.

15E045000May 2015

SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING

The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service parts on 2001-2012 Ford Escape, 2001-2011 Mazda Tribute, and 2005-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles. The affected wheel bearings have incorrect dimensions of a 42mm bore, 76mm outer dimension, and 39mm width, instead of a 42mm bore, 78mm outer dimension and a 45mm width.

15V677000Nov 2015

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.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Mazda Tribute is the 2001 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2008 Mazda Tribute vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

250

Class avg

387

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 250 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 5 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Mazda Tribute Model Years

201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000
View all Mazda Tribute years →

2008 Mazda Tribute: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2008 Mazda Tribute?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2008 Mazda Tribute is related to the steering, with 91 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2008 Mazda Tribute reliable?
The 2008 Mazda Tribute has 250 complaints, 9 crash reports, and 2 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2008 Mazda Tribute problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2008 Mazda Tribute have any recalls?
Yes, the 2008 Mazda Tribute has 5 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Mazda Tribute problems start?
Based on 209 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 83,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 250 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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