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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2008 Mazda Tribute Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
25about this part
Share
12%of 202 total for the year
Median mileage
72,000miles
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 25 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2008 Mazda Tribute, 12% of the 202 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 72,000 miles. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“2008 Mazda Tribute, all scheduled maintenance done on time. At 118,110 miles transmission went out within a day no warning. The Tribute, just started losing power on my way home, then in my driveway would go into any of the automatic gears.”

NHTSA complaint #11386250, filed 2021-01, 118,100 miles

“After driving around for about an hour, I stopped at a store and after that the vehicle wouldn't excel correctly. Vehicle wouldn't shift into 2nd or 4th gears. Shop said it was a 2/4 belt or something like that which had to be replaced. They had called Mazda to determine which transmission my vehicle had, thankfully it was the one that could be replaced without tearing down the whole transmission. Sounds like this was a common issue for this transmission.”

NHTSA complaint #11310716, filed 2020-02, 190,000 miles

“Got in car to drive monday 02/03/2020 morning, car was extremely hard to turn. Able to drive vehicle but turning is extremely hard. Took it to mechanic and then to autozone to price part and was told this vehicle was part of a recall. I called Mazda and was told recall was no longer open, was closed in 2014. The recall is what is wrong with my vehicle. I have called Mazda with no resolution, is there any way to make them responsible for this issue, since there was a recall for it, mine just did not have issue in that time frame.”

NHTSA complaint #11307511, filed 2020-02, 278,000 miles

“My 2008 Tribute has had 3 transmissions replaced before the 4th was a brand new transmission that was put in. Last night my Tribute was in park and keys out of the ignition and it rolled down my driveway out in to the middle of the road. My husband was able to get out of the way before it ran over him. He pulled it back in the driveway and set the parking brake. It rolled down the driveway again. This death trap of a vehicle is listed in one of the recalls on the shift linkage. My transmissions were replaced in killeen, texas in 2012. …”

NHTSA complaint #11182140, filed 2019-02, 178,000 miles

“While driving I stopped at a stop sing, when I went to take off the vehicle started rolling backwards. I stopped turned off the car. Then when I started it again and put it in reverse it went forwards. When I put it in drive it was in neutral, and natural was reverse. After turning it off again and restarting it all gear positions did not function and acted as if they were in neutral. Now every time I try to put it in a gear it may be the right gear and sometimes its not and some times it jumps to neutral out of no where. …”

NHTSA complaint #10945222, filed 2017-01, 114,500 miles

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
20101333%
200939%
20082512%
20061411%
2005246%
2004149%
20032412%
2002359%
20016912%

Other parts of the 2008 Mazda Tribute

Steering
94 complaintsVehicle speed control
53 complaintsElectrical system
15 complaintsBrakes
10 complaintsFuel system
8 complaintsEngine
7 complaintsOther or unknown
7 complaintsSuspension
5 complaintsWheels
4 complaintsAir bags
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsElectronic stability control
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2008 Mazda Tribute

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology