2005 Mazda Tribute

MY MECHANIC NOTICED THE SHOCK SUPPORT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL WAS BADLY RUSTED AND SAID THE SHOCK COULD RUST COMPLETELY THROUGH AND ENTER THE REAR OF THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO A BODY SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING. THEY SEE IT ALL THE TIME IN MAZDA AND FORD ESCAPES AND IT WOULD COST MORE TO REPAIR THAN THE VEHICLE IS WORTH. BASICALLY THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL CAR AND COULD POTENTIALLY BE VERY DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE CAR AND HAVE THE SHOCK RUST COMPLETELY OFF.

THE REAR WHEEL WELL RUSTED OUT CAUSING THE SHOCK TO POKE A HOLE THRU THE BACK OF MY CARGO AREA. THIS CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR DRIVING. MY SON WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND ALMOST LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OVER THE CAR DUE TO THIS. MAZDA HAS RECALLED 2004 AND OLDER FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM BUT THEY HAVE NOT RECALLED 2005.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PUGI MAZDA (1850 OGDEN AVE, DOWNERS GROVE, IL 60515, (877) 827-9086) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED AND THE REAR SHOCKS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,100.

OUR 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL IS RUSTED OUT TO THE POINT THE STRUT HAS DETACHED FROM IT'S MOUNTING MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT. A THUMPING NOISE WAS NOTICED WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET. THIS IS WHAT PROMPTED ME TO TAKE A LOOK IN THE WHEEL WELL. THE OTHER 3 WHEEL WELLS HAVE NO RUST. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER 2005S AS WELL AS PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS THAT HAVE A RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS YEAR HASN'T BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL WHEN IT'S THE SAME ISSUE THAT WAS OCCURRING IN EARLIER MODEL YEARS. I CONTACTED THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP, AND THEY REPORTED NOT HEARING OF THIS ISSUE WITH ANY 05S BUT THEY ARE CURRENTLY FIXING A 2003 WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THEY REPORTED BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A RECALL THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THEY COULD DO TO HELP ME OUT OTHER THAN FOR ME BRINGING IT IN TO DETERMINE IF THEY COULD FIX IT AT MY COST. WITHOUT SEEING THE VEHICLE, THEY SAID IT WOULD LIKELY COST AT LEAST $700 TO FIX DEPENDING ON HOW EXTENSIVE THE RUST IS. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AND DON'T FEEL THIS IS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE FOR A VEHICLE

ENTIRE UPPER MOUNTING AREA FOR RIGHT REAR SHOCK RUSTED AWAY; SHOCK INSECURE AT TOP INNER FENDER. REATTACHMENT NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO EXTENSIVE RUST; EXTENSIVE REPAIRS REQUIRED THAT WOULD EXCEED VEHICLE VALUE. OUR MECHANIC WAS SHOCKED WHEN HE SAW THE LEVEL OF RUST. WE WERE TOLD BY OUR AUTO SHOP THAT THIS WAS NOT NORMAL & WE SHOULD CONTACT MAZDA. MAZDA DID NOT RESOLVE. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS DEFECT IS SIMILAR TO THE DEFECT THAT CAUSED THE RECALL OF MAZDA TRIBUTES THROUGH YEAR 2004 - THE YEAR BEFORE OUR TRIBUTE WAS MANUFACTURED. OUR VEHICLE CANNOT BE REPAIRED. WE DID NOT TAKE PHOTOS AT THE SHOP & CANNOT GET A GOOD PICTURE OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. WE CAN SUBMIT THE DOCUMENTS WE RECEIVED FROM OUR MECHANIC OR TAKE THE TRUCK BACK TO THE SHOP FOR A PICTURE OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THANK YOU FOR HELPING US ADDRESS OUR CONCERN.

THIS MAZDA TRIBUTE HAS EXTENSIVE AND UNREPAIRABLE RUST TO THE BODY, UNDERSTRUCTURE AND SUSPENSION PARTS THAN MAKES IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY IS COMPROMISED IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, VEHICLE IS PRONE TO VEER OUT OF CONTROL DUE TO MISSING SUSPENSION PIECES AND GAS AND EXHAUST FUMES LEAK INTO THE CABIN DUE TO RUSTED OUT AND MISSING INNER BODY PANELS. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS SEVERE CORROSION ON THE A-FRAME AND REAR SUSPENSION SUPPORT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION SUPPORT FRACTURED. WILKINS MAZDA (750 N YORK RD, ELMHURST, IL 60126, (630) 279-3000) WAS CONTACTED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITH HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,000.

OUR 2005 TRIBUTE MODEL HAS THE SAME RUSTING OUT OF THE RIGHT AND LEFT REAR WHEEL WELLS THAT THE 2001-2004 MODELS OF THE TRIBUTE HAVE EXPERIENCED. THOSE MODELS WERE REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL, BUT THIS YEAR'S MODEL AND FORWARD STILL HAVE THE SAME RUSTING OUT PROBLEM. DEALERS FOR MAZDA AND FORD WON'T EVEN LOOK AT THIS TO REPAIR IT. CAR IS NOW BASICALLY UNDRIVABLE. AND FROM WHAT I'VE FOUND, MAZDAWORLD.COM SAYS THAT MOST OF THESE VEHICLE WERE ACTUALLY MANUFACTURED IN 2004 BUT DATED TO 2005 MODEL YEAR. BUT AVOIDED THE 2004 RECALL BECAUSE OF THIS I CAN FIND A KIT ON EBAY TO FIX, BUT NO DEALERS WILL DO THE WORK. THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS, BUT NO ACTION ON THIS KNOWN PROBLEM THAT HAS EXISTED IN PRIOR MODEL DESIGNS.

I WOULD LIKE A COMPLETE REFUND OF ALL DOLLARS SPENT IN ACQUIRING A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE VIN [XXX] ON MARCH 06, 2017 FROM CERTIFIED AUTO BROKERS LLC IN HENDERSONVILLE, TN 37075, LICENSE #[XXX]. (ATTACHED BILL OF SALE) DUE TO SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE. DUE TO EXTENSIVE RUST AND CORROSION DAMAGE, THE FRAME IS LIKELY TO COLLAPSE IN THE EVENT OF A REAR END COLLISION ENDANGERING THE SAFETY OF ITS PASSENGERS, RATHER THAN CRUSH AND ABSORB THE IMPACT AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO DO. IN ADDITION, IT IS PRONE TO SWERVE AND POSSIBLY TIP OVER OUT OF CONTROL ON UNEVEN PAVEMENT DUE TO A MISSING PASSENGER SIDE REAR SHOCK THAT WAS NOT DISCLOSED PRIOR TO PURCHASE (PHOTOS ATTACHED). THE LEFT SIDE SHOCK IS WORN OUT AND ALSO READY TO FALL OFF AT ANY MOMENT AS WELL. BECAUSE THE FENDER WELLS ARE RUSTED THROUGH EXHAUST FUMES CAN ENTER THE PASSENGER CABIN WHICH COULD HAVE SERIOUS HEALTH CONSEQUENCES TO ITS INHABITANTS. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS AT SOME POINT THE DAMAGED AREAS WERE COVERED WITH PAINT OR UNDERCOAT IN AN ATTEMPT TO HIDE THESE DEFECTS. THE DRIVE SHAFT, THE FRAME AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE ARE SEVERELY CORROSION DAMAGED. THE PARKING BRAKE IS INOPERATIVE DUE TO RUST AND COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ROLL DOWN HILL WHILE PARKED. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RUST HIDDEN UNDERNEATH THE FENDER FLARES. HAD I KEPT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE I COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED AND ENDANGERED THE LIVES OF OTHERS ON THE ROAD. CERTIFIED AUTO BROKERS WAS NEGLIGENT IN REPRESENTING THIS VEHICLE AS BEING IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND SELLING IT WITH KNOWN SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES (REFER TO ATTACHED ADVERTISEMENT). SINCE THE 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE AS SOLD IS UNSAFE, UNFIT FOR THE ROAD AND DOES NOT FULFILL ITS IMPLIED USEFULNESS, I AM ASKING FOR A COMPLETE REFUND OF THE PURCHASE PRICE AND ALL TAXES AND REGISTRATION FEES INCURRED IN PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR