Most common 2010 Mazda Tribute problems
Share of the 39 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mazda Tribute complaints by model year
Best Tribute years: 2011, 2000, 2009. Years to avoid: 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008. Compare all years →
2010 Mazda Tribute recalls (2)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Tribute vehicles manufactured March 3, 2009, to May 26, 2011. On vehicles with a 3.0L engine, the Fuel Delivery Module (FDM) may crack, causing a fuel leak.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the FDM flange with one that has a redesigned fuel supply port, free of charge. Remedy parts are currently unavailable.
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.
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.
What 2010 Mazda Tribute owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
Was driving on large blvd thru town at approx. 45+ mpg, the car all of a sudden quit accelerating, the wrench light came on, all power to car was essentially loss and it began convulsing abruptly as a I maneuvered it off the road to a safe stopping spot. I called aaa and had it towed to dealer. Dealer had the car for 3 days, could never find anything or get it to reproduce what I experienced, so I was charged the $120 diagnostic fee without it being fixed and sent home with my fingers crossed. The car behaved for awhile, but then it started doing it again on and off over the next 6 months. Because of the $120 fee for nothing I had been hesitant to go back until recently when I was on the freeway (a couple of times) and the car did the same thing! Luckily I was in the slow lane and could pull over quickly, turn off the car, count to 10 and then start it up again and go. …
First occurrence was while backing out of a parking spot and put the vehicle into drive. I accelerated and the car hesitated, chugged, the wrench light on dash illuminated with very slow forward momentum. Turned vehicle off and back on with no problem until the end of the parking row when I stopped for traffic, it chugged and wouldn't accelerate, wrench indicator on again. Turned vehicle off and coasted to a parking spot. Restarted a few minutes later with no problems for almost a week. Next time it happened I accelerated from a stop sign and only had crawling speed no matter what I did with the gas pedal. The wrench light was again on with the vehicle chugging and hesitating. Due to parked vehicles I had to drive almost the length of the block in this condition before having a place to pull over and move out of the long line of traffic I had created. …
Steering
The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became very stiff and was difficult to turn in either direction. The contact drove the vehicle with manual steering to his destination. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.
Two years ago my vehicle started loosing electrical power steering.. there is a recall for this issue... my vehicle was not experiencing this issue at the time of the recall. I have not been able to drive my vehicle because it randomly looses power steering deeming it extremely dangerous to drive.. I informed mazda who stated there system shows it was repaired during the recall will not cover the cost, but this is not true. I'm the only owner and I can't drive it due to this issue
Engine & cooling
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Mazda Tribute. While driving 55 MPH up a mountain, the engine stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to serra Mazda (1503 gadsden hwy, birmingham, al 35235, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the throttle was failing. The dealer stated that they could not repair the vehicle because the warning indicator did not illuminate. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. The failure mileage was 88,000.
Fuel fill neck diagnostic code po457 occurred and the check engine light came on which seemed to cause the vehicle to sputter, and to have loss of power while driving. Upon inspection there is nothing wrong with the part. Upon a google search other have had the same problem and it appears they recalled this same vehicle with the 3.0 engine (mine has the 2.5).
2010 Mazda Tribute engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid | CVT | FWD | 34 / 31 / 32 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid | CVT | 4WD | 30 / 27 / 29 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 22 / 28 / 24 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 28 / 23 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 20 / 26 / 23 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2010 Mazda Tribute a good car?
Based on 39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 Tribute rates better than average: 68% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Tribute at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2010 Mazda Tribute?
The transmission & drivetrain — 13 complaints, 33% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the steering (11) and engine & cooling (7).
How many recalls does the 2010 Mazda Tribute have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2010 Mazda Tribute, the most recent from October 28, 2016 (fuel pump). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mazda Tribute?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2000 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2008. See the full Mazda Tribute years comparison.
At what mileage do 2010 Mazda Tribute problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 58,000 miles; 43% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.