Mazda Tribute years to avoid
Mazda Tribute years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2001 (564 complaints, led by engine cooling at 167 and the electrical system at 80) and the 2002 (385, led by engine cooling at 124 and the brakes at 60) drew the most of the 2001–2011 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. Before buying a used Tribute, run its VIN: the $14.99 original ClearVIN PDF shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file.
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The 2001 (564) and 2002 (385) drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA of the 2001–2011 Mazda Tribute model years on record, as of November 10, 2026.
Close behind: the 2005 (383).
2007 and 2009–2011 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
NHTSA also holds fewer than 10 complaints and no recall for 2000; that stray filing is left out of the table.
Fewest complaints: of the Mazda Tribute model years from 2001 to 2011 with at least 46 complaints on file, a quarter of the median year’s 182, the 2006 (135) and 2004 (182) drew the fewest. Fewer complaints can also mean fewer sold or fewer still on the road, so it is a starting point, not a clean bill of health; years after 2020 are left out because they have had less time to collect complaints.
Half of the 1,386 NHTSA owner complaints on the Mazda Tribute that list mileage came after 82,000 miles (NHTSA complaints file of November 11, 2026). How many miles will a Mazda Tribute last? →
Mazda Tribute complaints and recalls by model year, 2001–2011
This table lists the 11 Mazda Tribute model years NHTSA holds records for between 2001 and 2011, collected from NHTSA’s complaints and recalls APIs on November 10, 2026. Each owner complaint is counted once, by its NHTSA number, and a complaint can name more than one component; recall campaigns are counted once per model year, by campaign number. Across these years NHTSA lists 22 distinct recall campaigns, the newest filed Oct 28, 2016.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Most-reported components | Recall campaigns | Newest recall filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Tribute | 564 · most | engine cooling (167), electrical system (80), powertrain (67) | 15 | Jun 3, 2015 |
| 2002 Tribute | 385 · most | engine cooling (124), brakes (60), electrical system (40) | 9 | Jun 3, 2015 |
| 2003 Tribute | 200 | airbags (35), speed control (34), body structure (29) | 8 | Jun 3, 2015 |
| 2004 Tribute | 182 | suspension (49), body structure (45), speed control (34) | 7 | Jun 3, 2015 |
| 2005 Tribute | 383 | suspension (137), body structure (126), speed control (87) | 4 | Jun 3, 2015 |
| 2006 Tribute | 135 | speed control (49), powertrain (18), engine (17) | 3 | Jun 3, 2015 |
| 2007 Tribute | 4 · too few to compare | speed control (2) | 1 | Jun 3, 2015 |
| 2008 Tribute | 202 | steering (94), speed control (53), powertrain (25) | 5 | Oct 19, 2015 |
| 2009 Tribute | 36 · too few to compare | steering (19), electrical system (4) | 2 | Jun 3, 2015 |
| 2010 Tribute | 39 · too few to compare | powertrain (13), steering (11), engine (7) | 3 | Oct 28, 2016 |
| 2011 Tribute | 14 · too few to compare | steering (5), fuel system (3) | 0 | — |
Mazda Tribute by model year: mileage, problems and recalls
Each page below covers one model year in NHTSA’s complaints file of November 11, 2026: the mileage when owners reported problems, the most-reported components and the recall campaigns NHTSA’s recall files list. That file is a separate collection from the table above and goes back to the 1981 model year, so its counts can differ and it holds years the table does not.
How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse vehicle. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road, so older and best-selling years collect more.
- The comparison is between years of the Mazda Tribute only. It says nothing about how the Tribute compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. NHTSA’s VIN lookup checks open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result does not prove the vehicle’s complete recall or repair history; ask for dated repair documentation.
- NHTSA files some years under body or cab names (for example ACCESS CAB or CREW CAB). This collection asked for the names NHTSA lists, and a year far below its neighbours also under the common cab and body names. Such a year is marked as possibly filed under another name only when NHTSA’s records show it split across names or holding recalls and no complaint; otherwise its count is read as low.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- NHTSA recall and complaint datasets: scope and API documentationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls Lookup by VINNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Mazda Tribute year-by-year questions
Which Mazda Tribute years should I avoid?
Mazda Tribute years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2001 (564 complaints, led by engine cooling at 167 and the electrical system at 80) and the 2002 (385, led by engine cooling at 124 and the brakes at 60) drew the most of the 2001–2011 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. Close behind: the 2005 (383). 2007 and 2009–2011 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare. NHTSA also holds fewer than 10 complaints and no recall for 2000; that stray filing is left out of the table.
What are the best Mazda Tribute years?
Complaint counts do not show which model year is best; the closest they come is which years drew the fewest complaints. Of the Mazda Tribute model years from 2001 to 2011 with at least 46 complaints on file, a quarter of the median year’s 182, the 2006 (135) and 2004 (182) drew the fewest. Fewer complaints can also mean fewer sold or fewer still on the road, so it is a starting point, not a clean bill of health; years after 2020 are left out because they have had less time to collect complaints.
Do complaint counts mean the Tribute is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model, which is what this page does, not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Tribute before buying?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. It reports open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result is not a complete recall or repair history; ask the seller or manufacturer for dated repair documentation. For the vehicle's own past, the original ClearVIN PDF from VIN Lookup shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file for that VIN.