NHTSA Complaint #10325663 — 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE

VEHICLE: 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE ALL WHEEL DRIVE WITH 36,937 MILES - EQUIPPED WITH 16 INCH ALLOY WHEELS. PROBLEM: TWO OF THE FOUR WHEEL RIMS ARE CRACKING AT THE LUG NUT HOLES (RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE), THE LEFT SIDE WHEELS HAVE YET TO BE INSPECTED. WHEN A ROUTINE TIRE ROTATION WAS PERFORMED, THE WHEELS WERE REINSTALLED AND TORQUED (USING A CLICK TYPE TORQUE WRENCH) TO THE MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION OF 100 FT/LBS. AS TORQUE WAS APPLIED, THE LUG NUTS FELT AS THOUGH THEY WERE STRIPPED, AND SOME LUG NUTS ACTUALLY PULLED THEMSELVES FURTHER INTO THE RIM THAN THE OTHERS AS TIGHTENING OCCURRED. SUBSEQUENT REMOVAL OF THE RIGHT SIDE WHEELS REVEALED DEFORMED LUG NUTS, AND CRACKS ON BOTH RIMS AT THE LUG NUT HOLES, FROM 1/4 LONG, DESCRIBED BY THE EXAMINING TECHNICIAN AS MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE. THE WHEELS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE HAVE YET TO BE INSPECTED. MAZDA USA NOTIFIED, THEY WILL TOW THE VEHICLE TO A MAZDA DEALER FOR AN EVALUATION. I HAVE WRITTEN A LETTER TO MAZDA USA OUTLINING THE PROBLEM IN MORE DETAIL, COPY WILL BE SENT TO NHTSA/ODI UNDER SEPARATE COVER. UPDATED 05/06/10.*JB