2005 Mazda Tribute

THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL STRUT MOUNT IS ONLY HANGING ON BY A SMALL AMOUNT OF STEEL. YOU CAN SEE THE INTERIOR TRIM PLASTIC ON 3 SIDES OF THE UPPER STRUT MOUNT BRACKET. PIECES OF RUSTED STEEL PEEL AWAY WITH 2 FINGERS. THERE IS NO UPPER STRUT SUPPORT AND THE TOP THREADING OF THE STRUT IS HITTING THE PLASTIC INTERIOR PIECE IN THE TRUNK AREA. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN; IF THE LOWER STRUT MOUNT IS LOOSE, THEN THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE AREA AND POTENTIAL THE UPPER BRACKET GETS INTO THE TIRE. MY FAMILY'S SAFETY IS MY #1 PRIORITY. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS NOT A RECALL. BOTH THE 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE AND THE 2005 FORD ESCAPE HAVE A HIGH VOLUME OF THIS DEFECT. BASING MY EXPERIENCE AS A QUALITY ENGINEER IN A SHEET STEEL FABRICATION FACILITY, THIS TYPE OF DEFECT CAN BE RELATED TO EITHER POOR MATERIAL QUALITY OR CHOICE OF MATERIALS, POOR ENGINEERING PRACTICES, POOR MANUFACTURING PROCESSES, AND/OR POOR PROTECTION OF THE WHEEL WELL AREA (MORE DURABLE COATINGS). EITHER WAY, BASED ON MY ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE AND OPINION, THIS DEFECT REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE HAD OLDER VEHICLES THAT NEVER SEEN THIS TYPE OF DEFECT. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A SIMILAR TYPE OF VEHICLE BY THIS MANUFACTURER AGAIN DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THE NO RECALL CONDITION OF THIS PROBLEM. APPARENTLY THE MANUFACTURER IS TURNING A BLIND EYE TO QUALITY AND SAFETY RELATED ISSUES ON THE TRIBUTE AND ESCAPE. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN OLDER VEHICLE, BUT SOME QUALITY ISSUES DO NOT SHOW UP UNTIL YEARS LATER AND THE MANUFACTURER IS STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE TYPES OF SAFETY CONCERNS THE PUBLIC IS OBVIOUSLY HAVING WITH THESE VEHICLES. *TR

RIGHT REAR WHEELHOUSE HAS RUST AND CORROSION AT 128,000 MILES, AND THE STRUT IS DISCONNECTED FROM THE FRAME. MAZDA HAS DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS VERY ISSUE ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE, AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE 2001-2004 TRIBUTES WERE RECALLED AND REPAIRED FOR THIS VERY ISSUE. THE MECHANIC AND COLLISION REPAIR CENTER SAID THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN RUST THIS BAD IN A VEHICLE HOUSED AND DRIVEN IN THE SOUTHEAST WHERE THERE IS LITTLE TO NO SNOW/SALTED ROADS, AND NO HISTORY OF FLOOD DAMAGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHOCK DETACHED FROM VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I BEGAN TO NOTICE A LOUD BANGING COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. AFTER INSPECTING THE REAR DOOR TO VERIFY THE SOUND WAS NOT AN OPEN DOOR, I FOUND THAT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR, SPECIFICALLY THE REAR RIGHT AXLE, WAS RUSTED AND DETERIORATING. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE SHOCK MOUNT HAD RUSTED, A PROBLEM THAT WILL SOON CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR THE WHEEL MOUNT. THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE, ALL POINTING OUT THAT THIS IS A FACTORY ISSUE, AND ALL MAZDA TRIBUTES AND FORD ESCAPES IN THIS YEAR RANGE HAVE THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT MUST BE FIXED IN THE NEXT WEEK OR ELSE I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR- A CAR I HAVE OWNED FOR LESS THAN A YEAR. *TR

THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL HOUSING AREA RUSTED SO BAD THAT THE TOP OF SHOCK BRACKET RUSTED AWAY AND SHOCK STARTED BANGING AGAINST FLOOR. TOOK IT TO MY MAZDA DEALER AND SERVICE MANAGER SAID IT WAS NOT RIGHT THAT THIS SHOULD HAPPEN. HE KNOWS THAT I GARAGE AND TAKE CAR OF MY VEHICLES.HE GAVE ME THE NUMBER TO CALL MAZDA FOR HELP. MAZDA SAID THEY WOULD NOT HELP! I CAN'T DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT IS DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE. BECAUSE OF FAMILY MEDICAL ISSUES I CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED AND I WILL NOT TRADE IT OFF TO AN UNSUSPECTING BUYER. DON'T KNOW WHAT I WILL DO. LOOKED ON INTERNET AND FOUND MANY OF THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE TRIBUTE AND FORD ESCAPE (BOTH, WHICH I BEEN TOLD BY CAR DEALERS' SERVICE PERSONAL, ARE THE SAME VEHICLE). YOU WOULD THINK A AUTO COMPANY WOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. I'M NO LONGER PROUD OF THE FACT THAT I HAVE OWNED ABOUT 10 MAZDA VEHICLES. *TR

WHILE DRIVING HOME, THE REAR WHEEL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ON MY 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE STARTED TO KNOCK AND BANG. ONCE I ARRIVED HOME, UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I NOTICED THAT THE REAR WHEEL WELL WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND ROTTED. I ALSO NOTICED THAT AND THE SHOCK MOUNT WAS FULLY RUSTED AWAY FROM THE BODY. FURTHER RESEARCH SHOWED ME THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 FORD ESCAPE AND MAZDA TRIBUTE FRAMES. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL HAS RUSTED OUT SUCH THAT THE SUSPENSION IS NOW PROTRUDING INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHEN REGULAR RATTLING FROM THE AREA PROGRESSED INTO LOUD BANGS WITH EACH BUMP. THE MECHANIC WHO DISCOVERED STATED THAT THE RUST WAS ABNORMAL, EVEN FOR THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA, AND THAT NONE OF THE OTHER WHEEL WELLS EXHIBITED ANY SIGNS OF RUSTING. HE STATED IT WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND THAT THIS CONDITION WAS MOST LIKELY THE RESULT OF SOME SORT OF MANUFACTURING DEFECT (AS OPPOSED TO REGULAR AND EXPECTED OXIDATION). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH OVER A BUMP, A RATTLING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL WELL WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.