Problems with 2005 Mazda Tribute SUSPENSION

The framework underneath and around the vehicle's rear passenger tire has rotted away, and the shock has penetrated the wheel well. the entire rear of the vehicle "rattles" loudly because of this. it appears that this deficiency was fixed, temporarily, before the sale of the vehicle was pursued. *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

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 well is completely rusted out causing there to be no connection between the body and the rear shocks. left rear wheel well is starting to rust. no other rust on the car other than the wheel wells. estimate from the shop is over $4000. only 9 years old and 125,000 miles on vehicle. *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 contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made a loud clanking noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who noticed the right rear shock was rusted around the wheel well. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000. updated 09/09/14*lj updated 9/10/2014 *js

The right rear wheel well rusted out causing the shock to come off on the top. i have contacted mazda and nhtsa to submit claim cases. i was right away turned down by mazda. i am now making a case with nhtsa to hopefully get this issue finally repaired as a recall. we live in a winter state so salt is bad. *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.

I am the current owner of this vehicle i. bought it through north shore bank off lease... i take good care of the car and have it maintained regularly . recently the rear passenger area has been making a loud banging noise, i thought it may be a broken shock or something to that affect. i took it into goodyear in racine wi. come to find the whole wheel well is rotted out on the passenger side.. the mechanic said he could not fix it and take it to racine auto body also in racine, wi. they also said they have never seen anything like that happen to a car or suv ever before. he said it has to be due to a bad factory process or some flaw that had been when the car was manufactured. they want $1600.00 to fix the area and i don't feel i should have to fix the flaw from the mazda manufacturer. i feel it isn't safe to drive on the highway without more damage being added. i really would appreciate some sort of help or replacement of the factory flaw. the car is in fairly decent shape and at this point i can not afford a new car.. i don't know if there had been any other similar issues on any of your other vehicles. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mazda tribute. the contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph, the front passenger side wheel broke off of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the cross member frame was completely covered with rust. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000. updated 06/25/14 *bf updated 07/1/2014 *js updated 8/11/14*cn the front cross member under the engine that suspension was attached to rusted away and broke causing the right front wheel to move into the right front inner fender, breaking the axle shaft which caused loss of steering. updated 09/23/14

2005 mazda tribute. my 17 year old daughter was driving the vehicle down the freeway and she heard a loud thud. she pulled over but did not see any apparent damage. she drove home and the sound became louder. when she returned home i looked at the tribute. the entire shock body was disengaged from the frame. the right rear shock assemble was no longer attached. the rear passenger side shock was separating from the vehicle. it had rusted completely through. the vehicle does not have rust anywhere else. this could have been a disaster. i am the original owner and have i have had the vehicle for in for most normal maintenance and tires and they never mentioned any concerned with this becoming detached. this is obviously a safety issues. i am very thankful that my daughter was not hurt. research on this issues suggest that this is a known problem with the tribute and escape vehicles. it is especially true for the right rear section. why is there no recall? *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.

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

The right rear panel is rusting out and made the shock broke lose from the body and i had to take the rear underneath panel off and remove the shock. this has happen to two other tributes that in my area that i know of. *tr

Failed strut mount - heard a rattle noise in the vehicle - this noise increased over the next few days. looking outside the vehicle i did not see anything loose or able to cause problem. checked inside right rear storage and found large hole to see tire. removing the interior panel revealed the entire wheel well had rusted out leaving the strut hanging by about 2-3 inches of metal. this was banging around causing the noise. if this had fully failed during driving, it may have caused catastrophic failure of the tire leading to major accident with injury. i have stopped driving it until there is a suitable fix. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mazda tribute. the contact stated that while reversing, he heard a knocking noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the rear passenger's side wheel housing was corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 105,000. the vin was unavailable. *tr

The right rear top shock mount on my 2005 mazda tribute totally rusted off the unibody frame. *tr

Pulled away from house to leave for work and at about 30 mph i heard the worst sound. it came from the rear right side of the car. it was worse over bumps, stopping etc. took it to an auto mechanic who drove it first and brought me back to show me a rusted out wheel well with interior exposed. all remaining three wheel wells were perfect, fine he stated. i started by calling mazda who is sending me to a dealership to have it inspected. the dealership will then pass that info on. it is outside the warranty period and i the representative told me this would not be covered. it was bought brand new in 2005 and we are the original owners. no accidents or mishaps to that area of the car. we know this will cost a bundle and read so many complaints online about the ford escape 2005 having the exact same problem. it said the two are "mechanical siblings." i wrote down websites i visited with complaint/question forums and the quotes for repairing are astronomical for a error made on the manufacturers end. this is a safety issue when you have the potential for the shocks to go through the rear of the car right behind my sons car seat. *tr the consumer was informed, the frame was cracked, due to a rusted out wheel well. updated 06/10/14 updated 08/03/15. *jb updated 09/21/15.*jb updated 09/28/15. *jb

The car is rusted through like so many others in the rear passenger wheel well. the suspension is twisting and poking through. i did not know there was a problem until i heard a knocking noise. *tr

The right rear wheel well metal as well as the strut attachment are rusted. parts of the wheel well dislodge while driving. mechanics tell me that the right rear strut will become unattached. they say that this is evident on ford escapes as well. the right rear is the only affected area. potentially a very serious problem. mazda claims it is out of warranty - too bad. *tr

No crash but the underside is rusted and unsafe to drive as it does not support the shocks this car should be recalled i understand mazda recalled a lot of these cars from 2001-2004 with the same problem my car has new tires new brakes and new spark plus and pistons only 80,000 miles and runs good but it is rusted my daughter has a honda with 123,000 miles and it runs perfect with no rust this is not acceptable to me that the mazda is rusted. i would not advise anyone to buy a mazda because they do not last very long.

Shock mount has rusted out and the strut is hanging loose. you look up from under the vehicle and see into the interior insulation. strut can cause loss of control of the vehicle. rotted out wheel well can allow exhaust fumes to enter the vehicle causing serious injury or death.

During the last state inspection, it was brought to my attention that all 4 tires on my 2005 mazda tribute were worn on the inside edge only. the service advisor stated that he had seen this problem before and that the solution to this issue was to just replace the tires. the car has 26,843 miles on it, has never been driven off-road or used to tow anything. i could understand wear across the tread, but this is limited to just the inside edge. i called the mazda customer service center in california and after speaking to a manager a representative did state to me that he had heard of this problem before as well. i did talk to continental, the tire manufacture and they told me that first of all there is no warranty on oem tires, and this kind of wear can only mean there is something wrong with the car. i have documented service records and the maintenance schedule has been followed to the letter including tire rotation. the final decision to help me was the district manager from mazda and he told me quote ?the car has 30,000 miles on it, your lucky to get that kind of mileage from those tires, you should just get new ones? i am also afraid that just putting new tires on the car will only be a band-aid and i will have this problem again in 30,000 miles. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated when the vehicle was taken to a dealership for alignment and tire rotation, the two front tires looked excessively worn. the inside tread of the driver's side showed the steel band and the passenger side presented excessive wear. the contact expressed that the problem with the tires might have been due to the front suspension. the manufacturer offered to cover the cost of new tires if a defective part was found during the alignment process.

2005 mazda tribute has a defect in which the vehicle pulls to the left.***no answer required***. *mr when the consumer would let go of the steering wheel the vehicle would veer to the left into oncoming traffic. the vehicle had been taken to the dealer three times for this problem but they have been unable to determine the cause. the vehicle's alignment was adjusted, all four tires were replaced and the front end suspension cradle was moved but none of these repairs corrected the problem. the manufacturer was contacted but they provided no assistance. the brakes made noise while driving at low speeds. the rotors were resurfaced then replaced but the noise persisted. at one time the brake pedal went down tot he floor. *nm

When the brakes of the consumer's 2005 mazda tribute were applied the vehicle pulled to the left or right. *nm there was a rattle on the right side, the drivers mirror vibrated, the temperature sensor in the auto dimming mirror registered incorrectly, the wiper did not have complete contact with the window and there was a rust spot on the inside lip of the moon roof. *sc *jb

Vehicle violently swerved from side to side, became unstable. *bf while driving in rainy weather the vehicle became unstable and felt as if was going to roll over. the consumer contacted the manufacturer but ha not received a response. *nm

Mazda tribute violently rolled from side to side. *mr the vehicle would become extremely unstable. on another occasion the vehicle nearly rolled over. *sc