2004 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME, REAR SHOCK TOWER, AND WHEEL WELL WERE COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V174000 (SUSPENSION) AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT PROVIDING A SUFFICIENT REMEDY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

I HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER OF THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, I DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNT SHOWED CLEAR SIGNS OF RUST - IT APPEARS TO BE ROTTED THROUGH! THE INTERIOR WHEEL WELL HAS AN ENORMOUS CRACK RUNNING THROUGH IT, WITH THE BACK OF THE INTERIOR INSULATION VISIBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE. *TR

I NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HEARD A KNOCKING COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE I THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD SHOCK AT FIRST SO I PULLED OVER TO CHECK IT OUT AND THE REAR SHOCK BRACKETS ARE COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND ARE BREAKING AWAY FROM THE MAIN FRAME. I CONTACTED MAZDA ON APRIL 10 2014 AND THEY SAID THEY HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING TO MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES AS WELL AS MANY FORD ESCAPES. THEY HAVENT PROVIDED ANY OTHER INFO ON ASSITANCE WITH REPAIRS OR A RECALL. THE CAR IS NO LONGER DRIVEABLE UNTIL IT GOES THROUGH MASSIVE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SHEET METAL AND FRAMING IN THE REAR WHEEL WELL. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SHOCKS WAS SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 169,000. UPDATED 06/17/14*LJ UPDATED 8/16/17*CN

I NOTICED A RATTLE IN THE REAR END OF MY VEHICLE. I TOOK TO MY WORK HARVARD FORD AND HAD THE TECHNICIANS CHECK IT OUT. THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE PANELS HOLDING THE SHOCKS/STRUTS UP HAS RUSTED THROUGH. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM.. THE TECH'S SAY THEY HAVE HAD THREE OTHER VEHICLES( FORD ESCAPES) WITH THIS PROBLEM IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS. *TR

INSIDE BOTH REAR WHEEL WELLS, THE BODY IS RUSTING OUT SUBSTANTIALLY AROUND THE SHOCK TOWER BRACKET. IT IS SO BAD THAT THE SHOCK TOWER CAN BREAK LOSE AND THE CAR WILL BE A DANGER TO DRIVE. THIS IS DOCUMENTED TO HAVE HAPPENED TO MANY SIMILAR 2004-2006 MAZDA TRIBUTES AND FORD ESCAPES (MADE ON SAME FACTORY LINE). IT IS A DIFFICULT AND COSTLY REPAIR. HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PAGES/2005-FORD-ESCAPE-2004-2006/397923900236108. *TR

ACCELERATOR BEGAN TO STICK AS I WAS APPROACHING DOWNHILL. I COULD NOT GET IT TO STOP AND RAN A STOP SIGN. I THEN FINALLY MANAGED TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAVE HAD THIS TO A LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES AND IT STILLS DOES THE SAME THING. THE DEALERSHIP CHANGED AN IAC VALVE AND AN INTAKE TUBE HOSE. BACK IN 2012 I HAD A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS SAME SITUATION. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AS INSTRUCTED AND ALMOST EXACTLY ONE YEAR LATER I ACTUALLY STARTED HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I'VE PAID TO HAVE THIS VEHICLE WORKED ON AND THE PERFORMANCE IS NO BETTER THAN WHEN I ORIGINALLY TOOK IT IN. IN FACT, THE PERFORMANCE IS WORSE. NOT ONLY IS THIS NOT SAFE FOR ME TO BE ON THE ROAD BUT EVERYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD AS WELL. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS SITUATION UNDER CONTROL. IT'S BEGINNING TO BECOME VERY STRESSFUL FOR ME. I'M NOT USUALLY ONE TO COMPLAIN BUT THIS NEEDS RESOLVED. I'VE DONE MY PART AND PAID A MECHANIC. ALL I EXPECT IS THE PROBLEM TO BE FIXED. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAD RECEIVED TWO NOTICES OF RECALL ON MY MAZDA TRIBUTE FOR A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH A STUCK THROTTLE. APPROXIMATELY 4 OR 5 MONTHS AGO, I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALER TO COMPLETE THE RECALL. BEFORE THIS RECALL I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS WITH A STUCK THROTTLE. ON THE ABOVE DATE, I WAS RETURING TO MY HOME ON A TURNPIKE TOLL ROAD. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH. AS I ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE TOLL TOAD, MY THROTTLE STUCK AND WOULD NOT ALLOW MY VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN. THIS EXIT INVOLVED A SHARP CURVE AND A TOLL GATE AREA. I MADE MY WAY THROUGH THE GATE BY CONSTANTLY APPLYING THE BRAKE. I FINALLY EXITED THE ROAD AND ENTERED A PARKING LOT. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AT A VERY HIGH RPM. I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND THEN PARK. IT CONTINUED TO REV NEAR THE 5 AND 6 RPM LEVEL. I TURNED IT OFF AND RESTARTED IT SEVERAL TIMES. IT CONTINUED TO REV AND WHEN I TRIED TO PUT IT BACK IN DRIVE, IT JUMPED AND RACED FORWARD. ON DECEMBER 24, 2013, I GOT THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALER. AS I PULLED IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP, THE VEHICLE AGAIN STARTED TO REV UP TO 2 OR 3 RPMS. THE DEALERSHIP LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE AND TAPPED ON A VALVE IN THE TOP OF THE MOTOR. THE ENGINE THEN SLOWED DOWN. AT AN EXPENSE OF $235 DOLLARS, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS THIS VALVE THAT NEEDED REPLACED AND IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RECALL!!!!! THEN ON JANUARY 6, 2014, I WENT TO START MY VEHICLE AND IT IMMEDIATELY STARTED IDLING VERY HIGH. I ATTEMPTED TO START AND STOP IT MANY TIMES WITH NO RESULTS. I FINALLY GOT IT TO MY HOUSE BY RIDING THE BRAKE AND AT TIMES PLACING IT IN NEUTRAL. IT WAS VERY ICY AT THE TIME AND THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE AND NEVER STOP THE HIGH REVING OF THE RPMS. BOTH OF THESE INCIDENTS WERE VERY SCARY AND OCCURRED DURING POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO REACT IN A CALM MATTER AND CONTROL THE VEHICLE! *TR

TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND HAD THEM CHECK OUT SOME NOISE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. DEALER SAYS THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL IS VERY RUSTED (ACTUALLY RUSTED THROUGH IN SPOTS) AND NOT STABLE. NOISE IS COMING FROM AROUND THE REAR SHOCK AREA WHICH IS VERY DETERIORATED AROUND THE SHOCK MOUNT AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE SHOCK MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY SECURED. THE SAME THING IS STARTING TO HAPPEN ON THE OTHER REAR WHEEL WELL BUT MOST OF THE DAMAGE IS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THERE IS NO VISIBLE RUST ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. WE WERE REFERRED TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP BUT THE REPAIR WOULD BE TOO EXPENSIVE TOO FIX. WE'VE REGULARLY SERVICED THIS VEHICLE AT THE DEALER SINCE WE BOUGHT IT NEW. I'VE CHECKED ON-LINE AND HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE OCCURRING IN MAZDA TRIBUTES AND FORD ESCAPES IN THE 2004-2005 MODEL YEARS. THE VEHICLE IS NOT BEING REPAIRED DUE TO COST. *TR

WIFE LEFT HOUSE TO RUN AN ERRAND AND RETURNED IMMEDIATELY AFTER HEARING LOUD CLANGING NOISE IN REAR OF CAR. SHE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION SO I RODE IN THE REAR SEAT TO OBSERVE AS SHE DROVE. AFTER JUST A VERY SHORT DISTANCE I HEARD THE NOISE AND OBSERVED THAT I COULD SEE THROUGH THE REAR SPEAKER AREA TO THE OUTSIDE. SHE PARKED THE CAR AND I LOOKED FROM THE OUTSIDE INTO THE RIGHT (PASSENGER) REAR WHEEL WELL AND SAW THE ENTIRE UPPER SHOCK MOUNT WAS ROTTED OUT OFFERING NO SUPPORT WHATSOEVER TO THE SHOCK ABSORBER. THE OVERALL CONDITION OF THE CAR IS VERY GOOD WITH NO OR VERY LITTLE BODY RUST. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE CANNOT BE DRIVEN UNTIL THIS IS REPAIRED. I AM NOT A CERTIFIED MECHANIC BUT I DO RESTORE OLD CARS AS A HOBBY AND CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE OF MODERATE ABILITY IN AUTO MECHANICS. *TR