2005 Mazda Tribute

RUST INSIDE THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL WELL HAS CORRODED THE FRAME AND METAL. NOW IT HAS STARTED TO RATTLE AND I'M AFRAID MY CAR WILL DETACH FROM THAT AREA. I'VE HEARD OF MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER BUILT IT VERY POORLY AND EASY FOR WATER AND SALT TO GET IN THAT AREA AND RUST IT OUT. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS. THE FORD ESCAPE AND THE MAZDA TRIBUTE ARE KNOW FOR THESE PROBLEMS. I SEE THAT FOR DID A RECALL ON THEIR ESCAPE. MAZDA SHOULD DO THE SAME.

I WAS DRIVING ON AN ICY ROAD, HEARD A LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY A LOUD THUMPING NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. IT CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL AND SLIDE INTO A SNOW BANK. THE RIGHT REAR SHOCK HAD BROKEN LOOSE AND BROKE THROUGH THE INSIDE OF CARGO FLOOR. I NEEDED THE SUV FOR GOING TO WORK AND HAD TO GET IT REPAIRED AT THE COST OF OVER $1000. I FEEL MAZDA SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIR BILL. THE WHOLE SHOCK TOWER WAS RUSTED THROUGH.I STILL HAVE A HOLE IN THE INSIDE CARGO FLOOR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A BANGING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER, LOOKED UNDERNEATH, AND FOUND THAT THE SHOCK OF THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WAS DETACHTED. THE SHOCK WOULD LEAN AGAINST THE TIRE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TURNED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHOCK WAS DETACHED AND THE AREA WERE THE SHOCK WAS LOCATED WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE INSIDE FINDER PANEL AND THE SHOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY A RECALL. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.

I OWN A 2005 TRIBUTE THAT HAS BEEN KEPT IN METICULOUS CONDITION. ALWAYS GARAGED AND TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR MAINTENANCE. THE VEHICLE RUNS LIKE NEW WITH NO SIGNS OF WEAR AND TEAR, AND HAS BEEN A GREAT CAR. THAT ALL CHANGED WHEN A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH DOWN A RESIDENTIAL STREET, AND HIT A SMALL PATCH OF BUMPS IN THE ROAD (NOT POTHOLES, JUST NORMAL UNEVEN PAVEMENT SPOTS) AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HEARD A JACKHAMMER NOISE FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL HAD COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED, LEAVING THE WHEEL/SUSPENSION DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE BODY/FRAME. NOTHING WAS HOLDING THE SUSPENSION TOWER TO THE CAR. HAD I BEEN GOING FASTER OR DIDN'T STOP RIGHT AWAY THIS COULD HAVE KILLED ME. I HAVE THREE SMALL KIDS AND I AM SO UPSET THAT SUCH A DANGEROUS CONDITION IS WELL-KNOWN. THE WAY I FOUND OUT WAS THAT I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE FORD/MAZDA DEALERSHIP WHEN THE NOISE HAPPENED. THEY TOOK IN THE CAR AND CALLED ME THE NEXT MORNING TO SAY THEY WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH IT BECAUSE THEIR CORPORATE FORD/MAZDA POLICY INSTRUCTED THEM NOT TO ACCEPT OR WORK ON VEHICLES WITH THIS DEFECT. I'M SHOCKED THAT FORD/MAZDA WOULD CONCEAL SUCH A DANGEROUS KNOWN CONDITION IN THEIR VEHICLES, PUTTING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AT RISK WITHOUT ANY WARNING. IF I HAD RECEIVED SOME KIND OF NOTIFICATION THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTED I WOULD HAVE GONE TO GET IT FIXED RIGHT AWAY AT MY OWN EXPENSE IF NEEDED, BUT INSTEAD I DROVE THOUSANDS OF MILES ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR IGNORANT TO THE FACT THAT THE CAR COULD HAVE BROKEN APART AND CAUSED US TO CRASH WITHOUT ANY WARNING. *TR

COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT RIGHT SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL AND SUSPENSION SUPPORT. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL REVEALED THAT THE SUSPENSION ARM WAS BROKEN AWAY FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE, MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE BASED ON A MECHANIC'S OPINION. THE SUSPENSION MOUNT RUSTED COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE WHEEL WELL AND HAS NOW EXPOSED THE INTERIOR PORTION OF THE REAR CARGO AREA. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE FRONT SIDE FOR THIS ISSUE FOR UP TO MODEL YEAR '04, BUT NOT INCLUDING '05 WHICH HAS THE SAME BODY??

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR TAIL PIPE HAD FALLEN OFF AND THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL WAS RUSTED OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000.

WE HEARD A LOUD DRUBBING SOUND, LIKE THE BACK SEAT HAD COME UNDONE. IN FACT, THE UNDERNEATH OF THE SEAT, UNDER THE CAR HAD BECOME SO RUSTED THAT THE SHOCK WAS DETACHED FROM THE REST OF THE CAR, WHICH WAS MAKING THAT SOUND. I WAS DRIVING WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR FOR 100'S OF MILES LIKE THIS! MAZDA HAD A RECALL ON 2002-2004 MAZDA TRIBUTES BUT DID NOT INCLUDE MY MAZDA 2005, THOUGH MADE IN 2004 AND HAS THE SAME ISSUES AS THE RECALL, RUST IN THE WHEEL WELL. MAZDA WILL NOT FIX IT AND WILL NOT PAY FOR IT SINCE I HAD TO FIX IT. I PAID $1,086 TO FIX THIS, BEING WITHOUT A CAR FOR A MONTH. I WAS LUCKY THAT IT WAS THIS CHEAP, ONLY BECAUSE THEY GAVE ME A BREAK. IT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE OVER $2K. EVEN THE CLERK AT MAZDA SAID THESE VEHICLES "ARE ALL KNOWN TO RUST", SO I CAN OBVIOUSLY SUE MAZDA ON JUST THAT TESTIMONY, BUT OTHERWISE, I HAVE NO RECOURSE EXCEPT TO PAY FOR THIS AND WAIT AND HOPE THAT A RECALL WILL PAY ME BACK SOME DAY.