2005 Mazda Tribute

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED, ACCELERATED AT A RAPID PACE, AND THEN DECELERATED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,940.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, SMOKE WAS NOTICED. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, BUT THE PASSENGER ADVISED HER TO RESTART THE ENGINE TO SEE FROM WHERE THE SMOKE WAS ORIGINATING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, FLAMES WERE SEEN COMING FROM THE IGNITION COIL UNDER THE HOOD, PASSENGER LIFT THE HOOD AND IGNITION WENT INTO FLAMES. THE PASSENGER WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ECM, SPARK PLUGS, AND SIX COILS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER (KINGS COLONIAL FORD, 3565 COMMUNITY RD, BRUNSWICK, GA 31520), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 161,000. *TT *TR

THE SHOCK TOWER WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR. IT IS POSSIBLE TO SEE THE TIRE. THE RUST BEGAN IN GASOLINE ENTRY AREA PER THE MECHANIC AND THEN SPREAD TO THE SHOCK TOWER. THIS HAS ALSO EFFECTED THE THREADS ON THE TIRE. I BELIEVE THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY. THIS A DANGEROUS ISSUE. I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR REPAIRS RELATED TO THE RUST TOTALING $1056. DOES NOT INCLUDE THE NEED TO REPLACE THE WORN TIRES.

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