2005 Mazda Tribute

I HEARD A LOUD CREAKING/THUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AREA WHILE DRIVING OVER ANY SIZE BUMP/DEPRESSION ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. LOOKING CLOSER, I SAW THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THE METAL AROUND THAT PARTICULAR SHOCK MOUNT HAD RUSTED AND CRACKED, AND THE MOUNT WOULD FLEX INWARDS WHEN THE SHOCK WAS COMPRESSED. THE PROBLEM IS ONLY ON THAT WHEEL, AND IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MODEL, SO IT MUST BE A DESIGN FLAW.

THIS VEHICLE IS OWNED BY ME BUT USED BY MY SON IN COLORADO. ON A RECENT TRIP NEAR MOAB, UT ON THE WAY TO A CAMP SITE, MY SON HEARD A STRANGE NOISE. UPON INVESTIGATION HE NOTED THE FRAME IN THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL HOLDING THE UPPER END OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER HAD BROKEN IN TWO PLACES FROM RUST INTRUSION. AN INSPECTION OF THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WELL INDICATED MINIMAL RUSTING. SINCE THE TIRES WERE RECENTLY REPLACED THIS FAILURE WAS A SURPRISE AS THE MECHANIC DIDN'T NOTE EXCESSIVE RUST, CRACKING OR SIGNS OF METAL FATIGUE. WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURED MY SON WAS DRIVING ON A GRAVEL ROAD TOWARD A DESIGNATED CAMPGROUND JUST A SHORT DISTANCE FROM A PAVED HIGHWAY. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS 4 WHEEL DRIVE, IT WAS NEVER USED IN A ROUGH MANNER SUCH AS FOR 4 WHEELING OR ON ROUGH UNEVEN SURFACES. THIS WAS MY PERSONAL VEHICLE UNTIL A YEAR AGO. WE HAD JUST SPENT $1,500 FOR NEW TIRES, A CARBURATOR REPAIR AND A NEW WINDSHIELD THAT A ROCK HAD CRACKED. IT WAS OUR INTENT TO OWN THE VEHICLE A FEW YEARS LONGER SINCE IT HAS ONLY 135,000 AND IS IN GOOD CONDITION. MY SON WAS ABLE TO SAFELY RETURN TO STEAMBOAT, A 5 HOUR DRIVE FROM MOAB, BUT WAS VERY CONCERNED THE ENTIRE SHOCK WOULD PUSH THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LIST OR DRIFT RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OR A ROLLOVER, I.E. SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. A LOCAL BODY SHOP REFUSED TO MAKE REPAIRS DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. TO MAKE THE VEHICLE SALVAGE BASED ON ITS CURRENT VALUE AND CONDITION IS UNTHINKABLE, YET IF REPAID CANNOT BE MADE AT A REASONABLE COST, THIS MAY BE OUR ONLY CHOICE. MY RESEARCH SUGGEST THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL RUST IS FAIRLY COMMON IN TRIBUTES AND ESCAPES, YET NO RECALL.

PASSENGER SIDE INNER REAR WHEEL WELL RUSTED OUT AND COMPLETELY SEPERATED SHOCK FROM FRAME. I WAS DRIVING ALONG LAST WEEK AND SUDDENLY STARTED HEARING A RATTLING SOUND. I PULLED OVER TO INSPECT ONLY TO FIND NOTHING IN TRUNK. TOOK TRUCK TO MECHANIC ONLY TO BE TOLD THE ENTIRE SHOCK HAD SEPERATED FROM FRAME. THE OTHER WHEEL WELL IS RUST FREE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM IN MAZDA TRIBUTES ONLY RECALLED FROM 2001-2004, WHEN TRIBUTES FROM 2001-2006 HAVE INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS AND TONS OF PEOPLE ONLINE IN ALL FORUMS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME RUST PROBLEM IN THE SAME LOCATIONS ALL OVER THE US.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V357000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). WHILE IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW VEHICLE, A DEALER PROVIDED THE CONTACT WITH THE NHTSA WEBSITE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE MOVED TO ANOTHER STATE SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

THE RIGHT, REAR WHEEL WELL IS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND LOOKS LIKE A MAJOR ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE SHOCK MOUNT IS CONNECTED TO THIS PORTION OF THE FRAME AND WILL MORE THAN LIKELY SHEAR OFF SOON. UPON SEARCHING THIS ISSUE, IT APPEARS THAT SEVERAL OTHER 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE AND FORD ESCAPE OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT. MAZDA/FORD RECALLED 2001-2004 MODELS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT HAS YET TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM FOR THE 2005 MODEL YEAR. BASED ON THE WIDESPREAD NATURE OF THE PROBLEM, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS A FACTORY DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED EITHER WILLINGLY OR UNWILLINGLY.

PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL IS EXTREMELY RUSTED OUT AND CAUSED REAR SHOCK MOUNT TO BREAK CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. SHOCK MOUNT BROKE WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY ON CITY STREETS. DETERMINED EXTENT OF RUST DAMAGE AFTER THIS EVENT. THE DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL APPEARS TO BE IN MUCH BETTER SHAPE. RESEARCHING IF ANYTHING SIMILAR HAS OCCURRED TO OTHER PEOPLE UNCOVERED FOR ME THAT THIS ISSUE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE 2001 TO 2004 RECALL OF MAZDA TRIBUTES AND SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE 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.