Rear suspension support on passenger side rusted and broke off from frame while driving.
2005 Mazda Tribute suspension complaints
Page 5 of 6: complaints 101 to 130 of 137, newest first, as owners wrote them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The sub frame and axles completely rusted through and the lower control arms and everything supported came loose. It all needs to be replaced at a cost of thousands of dollars. This is the same issue I have been reading about on the same vehicle years 2001 - 2004 as well as many ford escapes. They have been recalled so why would newer units with the same problem not have been recalled. For a newer car to have the same problem would make this issue be even worse then the manufacturer is reporting. Every dealer and every junk yard tells me the same thing, this is not isolated to the 2001 - 2004 model years. I have no option but to fix the manufacturers defect and hope that they admit more vehicles need to be recalled. They should fix the problem and pay for the parts and labor to repair their problem which they knowingly passed onto the consumer. I will do whatever it takes to inform as many people as possible to never buy a mazda or ford vehicle until they prove that they actually care about the consumer, recall these vehicles and pay for their defective product. They are putting people in a dangerous situation and they know it! Another problem has been the engine. I have had problems with faulty ignition coils and sensors and the rusting of the rear wheel wells, which were rusted thru and had to be welded back together since they separated from the back of the car and I had a loud rattle and shake. Thank goodness this was recognized by the repair shop as they found it before it caused an accident. What is a owner to do?
Right rear wheelhouse has rust and corrosion at 102,000 miles, and the strut mounting is completely rusted away from the frame making the car undrivable. The mazda dealership will not fix as it affects the frame and they do not want the liability. There are many complaints of this very issue on the federal safety agency website and others for the 2005. In addition, mazda issued a recall in 2014 for the 2001-2004 tributes.
Right rear wheelhouse has completely rusted out at 146,000 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 federal safety agency website, and despite the fact that the 2001-2004 tributes were recalled and repaired for corrosion issues. The mechanic and collision repair center said they have never seen rust this bad in the same area of makes of vehicles. The collision repair center also stated that this is a $4,000-$6,000 repair that the owner should not be stuck with as it is a manufacture defect. They manufactured the 2005 ford escape frame in the same plant and they share the same problem. This occurred while I was traveling down the highway at 70mph and the shock broke free right behind my sons carseat, the shock was touching the inner plastic . Luckily I pulled over to find out what the noise was. Mazda seems to have no concern for their customers safety. Customer beware.... And if you have a child at least put them on the drivers side for some safety. Lets all hope mazda will stand up for their defective product........
Entire right (passenger) rear wheel well rusted away, including the shock mount.
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.
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.
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 federal safety agency 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
The right rear wheel well rusted out causing the shock to come off on the top. I have contacted mazda and the federal safety agency to submit claim cases. I was right away turned down by mazda. I am now making a case with the federal safety agency to hopefully get this issue finally repaired as a recall. We live in a winter state so salt is bad.
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
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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