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.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

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.

- Niles, OH, USA

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.

- Racine , WI, USA

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?

- Cranberry Twp., PA, USA

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 NHTSA website and others for the 2005. In addition, Mazda issued a recall in 2014 for the 2001-2004 Tributes.

- Perrysburg, OH, USA

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 NHTSA 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........

- Bridgman, MI, USA

Entire right (passenger) rear wheel well rusted away, including the shock mount.

- North Haledon, NJ, USA

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.

- Auburn, NY, USA

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.

- Appleton, WI, USA

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 NHTSA 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.

- Lynchburg, VA, USA

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.

- Wixom, MI, USA

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.

- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA

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.

- Ellisville, MO, USA

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.

- Kaukauna, WI, USA

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.

- Scranton, PA, USA

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).

- Mishawaka, IN, USA

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.

- North Syracuse, NY, USA

The right rear wheel well rusted out causing the shock to come off on the top. I have contacted Mazda and NHTSA to submit claim cases. I was right away turned down by Mazda. I am now making a case with NHTSA to hopefully get this issue finally repaired as a recall. We live in a winter state so salt is bad.

- Hanna City, IL, USA

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 updated 9/10/2014

- Hanna City, IL, USA

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.

- Shorewood, IL, USA