Gear Shift Console Light?

recently purchaced a 2008 Masda Tribute. The gear shift console does not light up at night which makes shifting into drive or reverse a guessing game. Is this area supposed light up or is mine just not working?

Yes it's supposed to light up. The bulbs burn out because they are on all the time. It's an easy fix to do yourself, takes an hour or so. Mine's a 2003 but a 2008 should be similar. Unscrew the two screws above the instrument dials. You need to unclip- all of the front of the dash (not the trim that just sticks on) use a scerwdriver to pull the dash from the clips. Put the steering wheel and gearshifter in the lowest positions. Then you need to remove the emergency flasher cables and the fog light cables on the right of the dash. You should then be able to move the dash out of the way.
There's 4 screws on the dials, undo them and take them out. The bulb for the shifter is at the bottom of the cluster. Twist it out with some thin nose pliers. Put the new bulb in by doing the opposite. Then do the opposite to put everything back together again.

Somewould recommend disconnecting the battery but you don't need to - do not disconnect the instrument cluster or anything that I've not mentioned.

The bulb is a standard automotive one - the type that has a grey plastic bottom with lugs for twisting it in. You need a clear one.