2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE Complaints

AFTER HITTING A DEER AT ABOUT 45-55 MPH, MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DESPITE SMELLING THE GUNPOWDER USED TO DEPLOY THEM. THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH IS ON AS IF THE AIRBAG HAD DEPLOYED

WHILE DRIVING I HEARD A THUMPING SOUND COMING FROM RIGHT REAR OF VEHICLE. MECHANIC CHECKED IT OUT AND FOUND THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT STATING IT WAS A DANGER TO DRIVE THE CAR HE CHECKED WITH A BODY SHOP AND WAS TOLD THEY DID NOT WANT TO REPAIR BECAUSE OF LIABILITY ISSUES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A BANGING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER, LOOKED UNDERNEATH, AND FOUND THAT THE SHOCK OF THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WAS DETACHTED. THE SHOCK WOULD LEAN AGAINST THE TIRE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TURNED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHOCK WAS DETACHED AND THE AREA WERE THE SHOCK WAS LOCATED WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE INSIDE FINDER PANEL AND THE SHOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY A RECALL. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.

I OWN A 2005 TRIBUTE THAT HAS BEEN KEPT IN METICULOUS CONDITION. ALWAYS GARAGED AND TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR MAINTENANCE. THE VEHICLE RUNS LIKE NEW WITH NO SIGNS OF WEAR AND TEAR, AND HAS BEEN A GREAT CAR. THAT ALL CHANGED WHEN A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH DOWN A RESIDENTIAL STREET, AND HIT A SMALL PATCH OF BUMPS IN THE ROAD (NOT POTHOLES, JUST NORMAL UNEVEN PAVEMENT SPOTS) AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HEARD A JACKHAMMER NOISE FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL HAD COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED, LEAVING THE WHEEL/SUSPENSION DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE BODY/FRAME. NOTHING WAS HOLDING THE SUSPENSION TOWER TO THE CAR. HAD I BEEN GOING FASTER OR DIDN'T STOP RIGHT AWAY THIS COULD HAVE KILLED ME. I HAVE THREE SMALL KIDS AND I AM SO UPSET THAT SUCH A DANGEROUS CONDITION IS WELL-KNOWN. THE WAY I FOUND OUT WAS THAT I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE FORD/MAZDA DEALERSHIP WHEN THE NOISE HAPPENED. THEY TOOK IN THE CAR AND CALLED ME THE NEXT MORNING TO SAY THEY WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH IT BECAUSE THEIR CORPORATE FORD/MAZDA POLICY INSTRUCTED THEM NOT TO ACCEPT OR WORK ON VEHICLES WITH THIS DEFECT. I'M SHOCKED THAT FORD/MAZDA WOULD CONCEAL SUCH A DANGEROUS KNOWN CONDITION IN THEIR VEHICLES, PUTTING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AT RISK WITHOUT ANY WARNING. IF I HAD RECEIVED SOME KIND OF NOTIFICATION THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTED I WOULD HAVE GONE TO GET IT FIXED RIGHT AWAY AT MY OWN EXPENSE IF NEEDED, BUT INSTEAD I DROVE THOUSANDS OF MILES ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR IGNORANT TO THE FACT THAT THE CAR COULD HAVE BROKEN APART AND CAUSED US TO CRASH WITHOUT ANY WARNING. *TR

STARTED HEARING BANGING NOISES WHILE DRIVING. FINALLY REALIZED IT WAS COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL, WHICH WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED. THIS CAUSED THE SHOCK ABSORBER TO DETACH AND BANG ON THE CAR WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR IS IN OTHERWISE GOOD CONDITION, WITH NO OTHER RUST PROBLEMS. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUE ON THE 2001-2004 MODELS, BUT NOT 2005. *TR

2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE REAR RIGHT WHEEL WELL RUSTED THROUGH SHOCK PROTRUDING INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. CLEAR FACTORY DEFECT. MAZDA WILL NOT FIX THIS ISSUE.

WHILE DRIVING LOUD BANGING NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE.RIGHT REAR INNER FENDER WELL AND SHOCK MOUNT RUSTED OUT. SHOCK MOUNT NO LONGER ATTACHED TO VEHICLE. POSSIBLE SUSPENSION COLLAPSE IF DRIVEN. MAZDA ISSUED A PREVIOUS RECALL ON MODELS UP TO 2004.

COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT RIGHT SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL AND SUSPENSION SUPPORT. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL REVEALED THAT THE SUSPENSION ARM WAS BROKEN AWAY FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE, MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE BASED ON A MECHANIC'S OPINION. THE SUSPENSION MOUNT RUSTED COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE WHEEL WELL AND HAS NOW EXPOSED THE INTERIOR PORTION OF THE REAR CARGO AREA. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE FRONT SIDE FOR THIS ISSUE FOR UP TO MODEL YEAR '04, BUT NOT INCLUDING '05 WHICH HAS THE SAME BODY??

I WENT TO GET MY OIL CHANGED AND THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME MY REAR WHEEL WELL. THE SHOCK MOUNT IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. HE SAID HE HAS NEVER SEEN ANYTHING THAT BAD. I HAVE TO GO TO A BODY SHOP AND GET A WHOLE NEW WHEEL WELL AND SHOCK SYSTEM. IT IS GOING TO COST AROUND $1100.

I AM ALSO A VICTIM OF THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL ROTTING OUT SO BAD THAT IT CAN NOT BE REPAIRED. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 90,000 MILES ON IT . MAZDA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SINCE IT IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE