NHTSA Complaint #10749039 — 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE

2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE, REAR WHEEL WELL COMPLETELY RUSTED. WHILE DRIVING MY WIFE HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, SHE THEN TELLS ME THERE IS A RATTLE. SO I DRIVE IT THE NEXT DAY. THE RATTLE WAS VERY EASY TO HEAR. UPON INSPECTION THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL HAD DISINTEGRATED AND WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE, AND THE RATTLE WAS THE STRUT THAT HAD COME UNDONE HITTING THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. JUST HAD TIRES AND BRAKES REPLACED AND THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AS WELL ONLY 2 MONTHS PRIOR WITH NO MENTION OF ANY OTHER PROBLEMS. NOW IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. NO HELP FROM MAZDA, INSURANCE, OR THE SUPER WARRANTY THAT COVERS EVERYTHING BUMPER TO BUMPER(OR SUPPOSE TO). COME TO FIND OUT WHILE DOING SOME RESEARCH, THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM FOR MAZDA. THE 01-04 TRIBUTE HAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME THING EXCEPT CALLING FOR THE FRONT DRIVER WHEEL WELL. WHEN YOU TAKE IT IN THEY REPLACE ALL FOUR. IT ALSO SEEMS THAT THE 05 MODEL YEAR HAS JUST AS MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS AS WELL. BOTH OF US WORK AND HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE AS WELL AS GETTING THE CHILDREN TO MULTIPLE PLACES. WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE THINKING THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A GOOD AND SAFE WAY TO GET WHERE WE NEED TO GO. TURNS OUT IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME WITH THIS ISSUE. WE ARE LUCKY THAT IT WAS THE BACK I GUESS AND NOT THE FRONT AS SHE HAD THE KIDS WITH HER WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND IF THE FRONT WOULD HAVE COME LOOSE AT HWAY SPEED IT COULD HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT OUTCOME. I HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. 2 ESTIMATES TO REPAIR BOTH ARE $5-7000. CAN'T PAY TO FIX, AND CAN'T TRADE IT IN AS IT IS WORTHLESS RIGHT NOW. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THE NHTSA AND MAZDA NEEDS TO ADDRESS. IT IS NOT ONLY MONETARY BUT A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL. WE WORK HARD FOR WHAT WE HAVE AND FEEL LIKE WE JUST GOT ROBBED OF OUR MONEY. THE DEALERS AND MAZDA GOT THEIRS THOUGH.