2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

AFTER HEARING RATTLING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER-SIDE WHEN GOING OVER POTHOLES, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SHOCK/STRUTS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE NOISE WAS NOT MY SHOCKS, BUT THAT THE WHEEL WELL WAS RUSTED OUT. THE SHOCKS WERE OK, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO ATTACH THEM TO. I WAS FURTHER TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN CORROSION THIS BAD ON A 10YR OLD CAR WITH 50,000 MILES. ADVICE WAS TO FIND A BODY SHOP TO FABRICATE A PART. I'VE READ THAT THIS IS OCCURRING WITH LOTS OF MAZDA TRIBUTES AND FORD ESCAPE IN DIFFERENT YEARS. SO WHY ISN'T MAZDA/FORD MAKING THESE REPAIRS. THIS IS A DEFECT. I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN A HONDA: SOMETHING I TRUST. *TR

THE RIGHT BACK SIDE BY THE TIRED THE CHASSIS IS ALL RUST IT AND THE SHOCK IS LOOSE I CAN MOVE IT WITH MY HANDS AND THE LEFT SIDE IS ABOUT TO GET LIKE THE OTHER SIDE. *TR

I HAD A RATTLING NOISE THAT STARTED COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR AND SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING WAS BOUNCING AROUND IN THE BACK COMPARTMENT. IT GOT WORSE FAST. I WAS STUNNED TO FIND NOT ONLY THE RIGHT WHEEL WELL, BUT BOTH SIDES COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND THE SHOCKS WERE READY TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE MOUNTS. BOTH MY MECHANIC SHOP AND A REPUTABLE BODY SHOP INDEPENDENTLY TOLD ME THAT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THE BODY SHOP IS HESITANT TO TOUCH IT. THEY SAID THAT THEY CAN TRY TO FABRICATE AND FIX IT, BUT THE PROBLEM IS WHEN THERE IS RUST INVOLVED, WHERE DO THEY STOP? I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, SUPPOSEDLY TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF, AS I DO. I STILL OWE THOUSANDS ON IT AND I'M NOT HAPPY! MY 2002 ESCAPE DIDN'T HAVE RUST PROBLEMS ... THE MOTOR WENT OUT BEFORE IT HAD RUST! *TR

DRIVING CROSS COUNTRY AND HEARD A LOUD THUMP IN RT REAR WHEEL WELL. AFTER THAT EVERY BUMP NO MATTER HOW SMALL THE THUMP BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED. STOPPED TO CHECK THINGS OUT, RT REAR WHEEL WELL COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH EXPOSING SUSPENSION AND CORROSION ON ATTACHMENT TO FRAME. ABLE TO DRIVE HOME SAFELY, HAD DEALERSHIP CHECK IT OVER AND COST OF REPAIR TO FRAME DAMAGE OVER COST OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP REPORTS ONGOING ISSUE WITH RT REAR WHEEL WELL ON 2005 YEAR. WAY TO EARLY FOR THIS MUCH CORROSION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT PASSENGER'S REAR WHEEL HOUSING HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

HAD JUST RETURNED FROM DRIVING ON FREEWAY, PULLED INTO GAS STATION, NEEDED TO MOVE FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN BRAKES FAILED AND PEDAL WENT DOWN TO FLOOR. ROLLED CAR INTO SNOW BANK TO AVOID ACCIDENT. NOTICED FLUID LEAKING AROUND FRONT TIRES. HAD TO FILL BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR AND DROVE CAR ACROSS STREET TO MECHANIC. BOTH FRONT BRAKE HOSES WERE SPLIT NEAR BASE OF CONNECTOR AND VERY STIFF. BOTH WERE REPLACED ALONG WITH 1 CALIPER FOR $300. MECHANIC STATED HE NEVER SAW BOTH HOSES GO AT ONCE AND WAS SURPRISED THEY SPLIT AT ONLY 100,000 MILES. PER THE INTERNET, MANY FORD ESCAPES AND MAZDAS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF WE HAD STILL BEEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I'M SURE FORD AND MAZDA ARE BOTH AWARE OF THIS ON GOING PROBLEM AND HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO REMEDY IT. HAVE OWNED MANY DIFFERENT CARS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A BRAKE HOSE. I HOPE THEY DON'T WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO DIE BEFORE THEY DECIDE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. ON TOP OF THE FACT I DID NOT HAVE $300 TO SPARE FOR A REPAIR WHICH I FEEL WAS AVOIDABLE ON THEIR BEHALF. *TR

MY 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE HAS RUSTED OUT IN THE RIGHT REAR WHEELHOUSE AROUND THE SHOCK MOUNT.CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE NO FIX FOR AND TO TAKE IT TO A WELDING/FAB SHOP.THE MAZDA TRIBUTE ONLY HAS 71000 MILES ON IT SO IT IS NOT DUE TO ANY EXCESSIVE DRIVING. *TR

I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO THE LONG LIST OF MAZDA TRIBUTE 2005 OWNERS WITH THE RIGHT REAR WHEELHOUSE PROBLEM DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION CAUSING THE STRUT TO DISCONNECT FROM THE FRAME. MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 116K MILES. THE LEFT REAR AND FRONT WHEEL HOUSE AREAS ARE IN GREAT SHAPE. ITS ASTONISHING WITH THE MULTITUDE OF MAZDA OWNERS REPORTING THIS ISSUE AND THE 100'S OF INTERNET WEB SITES DOCUMENTING THIS ISSUE THAT MAZDA HASN'T TAKEN OWNERSHIP OF THIS PROBLEM AND RELEASED A FIX. I'VE READ THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY DID JUST SO WITH THE COMPARABLE 2005 ESCAPE LINE. *TR

JUST WANT TO ADD MY TRIBUTE TO THE LIST OF 2005 ESCAPE, TRIBUTE, AND MARINER RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL / UPPER SHOCK MOUNT RUSTING TO FAILURE. *TR

WE TOOK TO THE MAZDA DEALER (5900 NORTH OAK TRAFFICWAY, KANSAS CITY, MO 64118) IN 2009 BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT START. THEY CHANGED THE STARTER MOTOR AND STILL IT DID NOT WORK THEN THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY AND IT DID NOT WORK AGAIN THEM THEY SAID IT IS THE ALTERNATOR THIS ALL HAPPENED JUST WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO AND HAD TO SPEND LOT OF MONEY. THEN AGAIN WE HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY FOUR TIMES WITH IN 2009 TO 2014. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND AN AUTO DEALER IS SAYING IT IS THE ALTERNATOR. I STRONGLY THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF RECALL TO THIS AS I HAVE NOT SEEN A CAR LIKE THIS THAT HAS SO MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND THIS IS NOT SAFE. THANK YOU FOR CHECKING ON THIS AND HOPE THIS PROBLEM WILL BE SOLVED AND PEOPLE WILL NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE. *TR