The Recall Desk
HighNHTSA·14V282000·Announced 2014-05-29

Mazda Recalls Tribute Vehicles for Steering Assist Software Defect

Mazda is recalling 2008-2011 Tribute vehicles because a steering sensor may fail, causing the electric power steering assist to disengage.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a steering system defect that increases the risk of a crash, but the source text does not report any injuries or fatalities, fitting the 'High' severity criteria for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.

Plain-English summary

Mazda North American Operations is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Mazda Tribute and Tribute Hybrid vehicles. The recall covers approximately 33,000 vehicles manufactured between October 5, 2006, and September 11, 2010. The defect involves a steering torque sensor that may not properly detect driver steering input, which can result in the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system removing its assist.

If the power steering assist is lost, drivers will need to exert greater effort to steer the vehicle, particularly at low speeds. This increased steering effort increases the risk of a crash. No specific injuries or fatalities are reported in the source text.

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power steering control module and the instrument cluster module free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of loss of the torque sensor signal or related fault codes, the affected components will be replaced free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners can contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
MAZDA TRIBUTE, TRIBUTE HYBRID
Brand
MAZDA
Manufacturer
Mazda North American Operations
Category
Vehicle — Steering System
Hazard
Affected units
33,000

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • TRIBUTE
  • TRIBUTE HYBRID

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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