NHTSA Complaint #10702000 — 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE

I PURCHASED MY 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE BRAND NEW FROM MARTIN MAZDA, LOCATED IN NEWARK, DE. MY VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND I JUST DRIVE IT BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. IN JANUARY I STARTED HEARING A LOUD NOISE IN THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE WHICH STARTED TO GET LOUDER AND LOUDER. IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS BOUNCING/RATTLING AROUND. ON FEBRUARY 10, 2015 I TOOK MY CAR TO NUCAR MAZDA IN NEW CASTLE WHO HAS SERVICED MY VEHICLE SINCE 2005. [XXX] , MAZDA SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED ME THAT THE RIGHT REAR SUBFRAME AND WHEELWELL HAD RUSTED AWAY AND THAT IT WAS UNSAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE. THE BRAKE LINE HAD STARTED TO RUST, AS WELL. THE SHOCK ATTACHED T THE VEHICLE HAD RUSTED AWAY, AS WELL. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE REAR COULD COLLAPSE. I CONTACTED MAZDA HEADQUARTERS AND THEY SAID THAT DUE TO THE WAY THAT DELAWARE SALTS THEIR ROADS IS WHY THIS RUST OCCURRED ONLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE. A FAMILY MEMBER SUGGESTED THAT I GET AN ESTIMATE FROM A BODY SHOP. NORTHEAST BODY SHOP WAS ABLE TO REPAIR ALL OF THE PARTS THAT HAD RUSTED OUT AT A COST OF $2,710.00. [XXX] , OWNER STATED THAT THIS RUSTING OUT WAS DUE TO THE UNDERCOATING WAS NOT COVERING THE PARTS THAT RUSTED OUT. HE PROVIDED ME WITH THE ENTIRE PIECE THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED AND YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I FEEL THAT MAZDA SHOULD TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT ON MY VEHICLE. I BELIEVED IN MAZDA AND I AM VERY UPSET THAT I WAS DRIVING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE FOR THIS PERIOD OF TIME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR