The contact owns a 2008 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated while driving at low speeds and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the roadway. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as needed; however, the failure recurred while making a turn. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving and making a turn and had become a persistent failure after turning off and restarting the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that he would be charged a fee for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V282000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Mazda Tribute power steering loss problems
89 of the 2,102 owner complaints about the Mazda Tribute describe loss of power steering, most of them for the 2008 model year.
- owner complaints
- 89
- worst model year
- 2008
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 84,000
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 28Loss of power 24Brake failure 8Wipers 2Pulling 2Steering lock-up 2Engine failure 2Grinding brakes 2
Trouble codes mentioned
B2278 1
What owners say
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. The contact stated that on another occasion the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel locked and could not be turned in either direction. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
The contact's son owns a 2008 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated while her son was driving and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's son was able to veer to the side of the road by using physical force to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact the vehicle was previously repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V282000 (Steering), and any additional repair was at the owner's expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
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. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V282000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Power steering failed all of a sudden without warning. Lost almost all control of steering. PSCM
Driving my car pulling out of driveway when power steering cut out and steering became very difficult Had car brought to mechanic and he found there was a recall on steering torque sensor. Mazda said that was replaced on 8/10/2016 but the part they replaced it with failed just like the original recalled part did. They refused to fix it again saying they completed the recall on this car. Wouldn’t even have a next level supervisor call me to talk about fixing the safety issue
The contact owns a 2009 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed without warning. The contact used excessive force to drive the vehicle back to his residence. The next day, the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer where he was informed that he could not service the vehicle for a month; however, after cancellation, the mechanic was able to repair the vehicle. Prior to the repair, the contact discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V282000 (Steering). The contact made several attempts to reach the manufacturer however, the attempts were unsuccessful. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
There's no power steering as I was Driving it just got hard to steer and almost got into an accident car is not drivable at all
The contact owns a 2008 Mazda Tribute. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the power steering failed which caused the steering wheel to shake. The vehicle became difficult to steer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the steering shaft torque sensor malfunctioned, there was an open or short in the power steering control module, and an internal failure with the torque sensor. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was a recall repair for the electronic power steering performed in 2014, and that was a one-time recall repair. The failure mileage was 167,968.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mazda tribute. The contact stated that at vehicle start-up, the power steering failed to operate as designed, with the service indicator warning light illuminated. The contact added power steering fluid to the reservoir however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. The contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v282000 (steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 14V282000 · Recall details
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. These vehicles may have a mis-assembled or incorrectly manufactured nut that attaches the steering wheel assembly to the steering column. The nut could be upside down in the steering wheel assembly, which could overstress the steering column shaft when the nut is tightened. In addition, some of the nuts may have been cracked during manufacture resulting in the nut fracturing when it is tightened during vehicle assembly.
- Risk
- Either of these conditions can lead to the steering wheel becoming loose or separating from the steering column, resulting in loss of steering control.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the steering wheel retention armature and, if necessary, the steering column to correct this condition.
Recall number 00V223002 · Recall details
Questions about the Mazda Tribute power steering loss
Which Mazda Tribute years have loss of power steering problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2008 (32 complaints), 2001 (29 complaints) and 2002 (11 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix loss of power steering on the Mazda Tribute?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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