Certain 2008-2011 Mazda Tribute vehicles built at the Kansas City Assembly Plant between October 2006 to September 2010 could be affected by a problem that could lead to loss of power steering assist. Mazda will be sending notices sometime in July, but are encouraging drivers experiencing issue with their steering to return their vehicle to a manufacturer approved dealer to have repairs done as soon as possible. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, approximately 33,000 vehicles in the United States and its territories are potentially affected.

In some of the affected vehicles, a poor signal to noise ratio in the Electric Power Steering (EPS) torque sensor may result in an illegible driver steering input. Once the condition is detected, power steering assist will be lost, and the vehicle will default to manual steering mode. The mechanical linkage between the steering wheel and the road will be maintained at all times, but drivers will require higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds.

Mazda will be asking owners to return their vehicles so that dealers can update the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of the torque sensor signal or fault codes relating to the PSCM, the affected components will be replaced. Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact Mazda customer service at 1-248-295-7859. Mazda’s number for this recall is 7614E and the NHTSA campaign number is 14V-282.