NHTSA Complaint #11000124 — 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE

THIS VEHICLE IS OWNED BY ME BUT USED BY MY SON IN COLORADO. ON A RECENT TRIP NEAR MOAB, UT ON THE WAY TO A CAMP SITE, MY SON HEARD A STRANGE NOISE. UPON INVESTIGATION HE NOTED THE FRAME IN THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL HOLDING THE UPPER END OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER HAD BROKEN IN TWO PLACES FROM RUST INTRUSION. AN INSPECTION OF THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WELL INDICATED MINIMAL RUSTING. SINCE THE TIRES WERE RECENTLY REPLACED THIS FAILURE WAS A SURPRISE AS THE MECHANIC DIDN'T NOTE EXCESSIVE RUST, CRACKING OR SIGNS OF METAL FATIGUE. WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURED MY SON WAS DRIVING ON A GRAVEL ROAD TOWARD A DESIGNATED CAMPGROUND JUST A SHORT DISTANCE FROM A PAVED HIGHWAY. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS 4 WHEEL DRIVE, IT WAS NEVER USED IN A ROUGH MANNER SUCH AS FOR 4 WHEELING OR ON ROUGH UNEVEN SURFACES. THIS WAS MY PERSONAL VEHICLE UNTIL A YEAR AGO. WE HAD JUST SPENT $1,500 FOR NEW TIRES, A CARBURATOR REPAIR AND A NEW WINDSHIELD THAT A ROCK HAD CRACKED. IT WAS OUR INTENT TO OWN THE VEHICLE A FEW YEARS LONGER SINCE IT HAS ONLY 135,000 AND IS IN GOOD CONDITION. MY SON WAS ABLE TO SAFELY RETURN TO STEAMBOAT, A 5 HOUR DRIVE FROM MOAB, BUT WAS VERY CONCERNED THE ENTIRE SHOCK WOULD PUSH THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LIST OR DRIFT RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OR A ROLLOVER, I.E. SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. A LOCAL BODY SHOP REFUSED TO MAKE REPAIRS DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. TO MAKE THE VEHICLE SALVAGE BASED ON ITS CURRENT VALUE AND CONDITION IS UNTHINKABLE, YET IF REPAID CANNOT BE MADE AT A REASONABLE COST, THIS MAY BE OUR ONLY CHOICE. MY RESEARCH SUGGEST THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL RUST IS FAIRLY COMMON IN TRIBUTES AND ESCAPES, YET NO RECALL.