2011 Mazda Tribute Steering Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 71%of 7 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 114,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the steering of the 2011 Mazda Tribute, 71% of the 7 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 114,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was driving my vehicle on a city street, and the steering suddenly began to lock up. The vehicle was in motion when this occurred. I was not able to turn or control the steering wheel; it became extremely hard. I was not on my brakes, I was driving straight with my feet on the gas. This happened twice in the last 4 days. I brought the vehicle to the Mazda dealership and they said the steering wheel column needed to be replaced, the torque sensor, and calibration. …”
NHTSA complaint #11365648, filed 2020-10, 125,000 miles“Twice, while driving under 25 MPH, and both times while turning to the right, the power steering has stopped working. When checked by a mechanic, it was determined to be the steering shaft torque sensor malfunctioned: code b2278-2f”
NHTSA complaint #11390984, filed 2021-02, 145,055 miles“I bought the car used several years ago and in the past year have experienced the steering wheel all of a sudden appear to be locking up. I looked up the recall and found that this is a known issue with the Mazda Tribute vehicles. I checked with dealer and they agreed. I contact Mazda customer service on 3 different occasions in the last month and they have issued a case number but will not acknowledge that my vehicle is a covered VIN to be fixed. They said its not part of the recall. It is and I have asked them to look into it. …”
NHTSA complaint #11455055, filed 2022-03“The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and turning the steering wheel to the left, there was a slight vibration coming from the steering wheel. The vehicle then lost power steering functionality. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled off the roadway, turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had occurred twice in one month. …”
NHTSA complaint #11518784, filed 2023-04, 87,000 miles“The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel became firm and failed to respond to driver input. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights started to flicker, and the vehicle stalled. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred; however, the steering wheel became loose and unresponsive to driver input. …”
NHTSA complaint #11519445, filed 2023-04, 103,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10251387Feb 12, 2024Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as…
- 10208556Feb 23, 2022Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as…
- 10186693Jan 21, 2021Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as…
- 10185904Mar 7, 2016Some customers may complain that the steering wheel is off center more than 3" even when driving straight on a flat road.
Steering: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 5 | 71% |
| 2010 | 11 | 28% |
| 2009 | 19 | 54% |
| 2008 | 94 | 47% |
| 2006 | 3 | 2% |
| 2005 | 2 | 1% |
| 2004 | 3 | 2% |
| 2003 | 9 | 5% |
| 2002 | 15 | 4% |
| 2001 | 35 | 6% |
Other parts of the 2011 Mazda Tribute
← All problems reported for the 2011 Mazda Tribute
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 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