Showing the 2009 Tribute 4WD: as EPA lists it. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
20–21 mpgcombined; city 17–19, highway 24–25; the 4WD
Five years of fuel
$15,470–$16,240U.S. average; Ohio $13,820–$14,510 at local prices; the 4WD; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2009 Tribute, so these are the versions EPA tested, by its names. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Tribute. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Steering
19
0
0
0
Electrical system
4
0
0
0
Engine
3
0
0
0
Power train
3
0
0
0
Air bags
2
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
2
0
0
0
Service brakes
2
1
0
1
Structure
2
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
2
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, other
1
0
0
0
6 more parts
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, electric
1
1
0
0
Unknown or other
1
0
0
0
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Wheels
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2009 Tribute over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Risk: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
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. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of the torque sensor signal or fault codes relating to the PSCM when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, the affected components will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 7614E.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 138 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 Tribute, the latest on Aug 20, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (52), electrical system (32), power train (21), steering (18), engine and engine cooling (14).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP22005 Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 Tribute.
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Tribute Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
22 / 28 / 24
Tribute Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
20 / 28 / 23
Tribute Front-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 26 / 21
Tribute 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
19 / 25 / 21
Tribute 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 24 / 20
Tribute Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
34 / 31 / 32
Tribute Hybrid 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
29 / 27 / 28
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data