2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER AND STALL ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESET THE COMPUTER BY RESTARTING THE VEHICLE EACH TIME THE FAILURE RECURRED. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULE TO BE TAKEN INTO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE SHOCK ABSORBER WAS EXPOSED DUE TO THE REAR WHEEL WELL RUSTING AWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

ENTIRE RIGHT (PASSENGER) REAR WHEEL WELL RUSTED AWAY, INCLUDING THE SHOCK MOUNT. *TR

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

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

WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 1500 AND 2500 RPMS, THE CAR SUDDENLY DROPS IN RPMS AND EITHER STALLS ALTOGETHER OR STARTS MAKING A JERKING MOTION AND THUDDING NOISE. CANNOT GET OUT OF THE GEAR UNLESS YOU JAM ON THE ACCELERATOR. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND NEAR UNDRIVABLE ON THE HIGHWAY. HAD HAS HAPPENED TWICE BEFORE, RUINING THE ENGINE COILS THE FIRST TIME AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS THE SECOND TIME. IT SEEMS THE PCM IS FAULTY AND RUINING ALL OF THE ASSOCIATED PARTS. HAVE READ UP ON THE TOPIC AND MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE STALLING AND JOLTING OF THE ISSUE, ALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE PCM. THIS VERY MUCH SEEMS LIKE AN ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED, AS THE REPAIRS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY COSTLY AND AFFECT MANY 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

RIGHT AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR I HEARD NOISE UNDERNEATH, FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK AND AFTER PURCHASING IS WHEN THE DEALER SAID IT WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAD ALREADY PURCHASED THE CAR AND PAID 9,000 DOLLARS FOR IT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND NOW I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE IT BECAUSE OF SAFETY. I WENT TO THE MANUFACTURER WHO HAS ESTIMATED THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR INCLUDING PARTS IS $20,000 AND COMMENTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN A FLOOD AND NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THE CHASSIS/FRAME AROUND THE BACK RIGHT STRUT IS ALMOST GONE DUE TO RUST AND THE OTHER SIDE IS GOING AS WELL. THERE IS RUST UNDER ALL PARTS OF THE VEHICLE. I DON'T KNOW WHY THE DEALER WAS ALLOWED TO SALE ME THE CAR. *TR