RoadVitals

2006 Mazda Tribute Suspension Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Suspension reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Aug 10, 2017
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
9%
of 130 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Mazda Tribute submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming suspension

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Suspension
Filed Aug 10, 2017

EXPERIENCING SAME ISSUES WITH THE FRONT SUBFRAME/ENGINE CRADLE AS INDICATED IN THE 2001-2004 MAZDA TRIBUTE/FORD ESCAPE RECALL. THIS IS A 2006, WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUE OF THE SUBFRAME RUSTING OUT AND BREAKING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INSANE! THE RECALL SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED 2005 AND 2006 VEHICLES AS WELL! I'M LOOKING AT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HAVE A SUBFRAME PUT IN AND THE REST OF MY VEHICLE IS RUST FREE, SO YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY TELL I TAKE GOOD CARE TO WASH THE UNDERNEATH OF THE VEHICLE!

NHTSA ID
11014117
Incident
Aug 10, 2017
Mileage
141,000 mi
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Jul 12, 2017

DRIVERS SIDE REAR SHOCK BROKE COMPLETELY AWAY FROM FRAME. (TOP SIDE). PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL IS RUSTING AWAY BADLY.

NHTSA ID
11004736
Incident
Jul 11, 2017
Mileage
111,366 mi
Body & structureSuspension
Filed May 16, 2017

HEAR A LOUD BANGING SOUND FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL ON MY MAZDA TRIBUTE WHEN DRIVING APPROX 30 MILES AN HOUR ON SMOOTH ROAD. TOOK IT TO GET THE SHOCK CHECKED AND WAS SHOWN BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE REAR WHEEL WELL WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND THE SHOCK WAS HANGING

NHTSA ID
10985922
Incident
May 12, 2017
Mileage
140,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Nov 2, 2016

WHEEL WELL ON RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT.

NHTSA ID
10923898
Incident
Nov 1, 2016
Mileage
120,000 mi
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Nov 2, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MAZDA TRIBUTE. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE MADE A RATTLING NOISE. A MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AND THE SHOCK MOUNT WERE EXTREMELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

NHTSA ID
10923871
Incident
Sep 9, 2016
Mileage
98,000 mi
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Apr 25, 2016

I HEARD A BANGING SOUND COMING FROM THE BACK OF MY VEHICLE ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE PASSENGER RIGHT SIDE WHEEL WELL HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY AND THE REAR SUSPENSION WAS BANGING AROUND, I COULD ACTUALLY SEE THE BED LINING OF THE VEHICLE SCARY WHEN YOUR DRIVING AROUND A 3 YEAR OLD! I BROUGHT TO A FRAME SHOP AND WAS QUOTED $2500 FOR REPAIR AND BASICALLY TOLD TO SCRAP THE VEHICLE (VERY DISCONCERTING WHEN THERE ARE ONLY 140,000 MILES ON IT),. AFTER RESEARCHING IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS VEHICLE AND I AM HOPING THAT IT IS ADDRESSED WITH A RECALL. I DID END UP FINDING AN AUTO BODY REPAIR SHOP TO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS FOR $800 WHO TOLD ME HE IS SEEING MANY DRIVERS WITH THIS EXACT ISSUE WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. AFTER TAKING THE BACK END OFF HE SAID THAT THE OTHER SIDE IS ABOUT TO GO AS WELL. I AM NOW STUCK IN AN ETHICAL DILEMMA DO I SELL TO ANOTHER PARTY TO GET MY MONEY BACK ON A DOWN PAYMENT FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE OR DO I JUNK THIS VEHICLE THAT IS UNSAFE AND TAKE THE LOSS SO THAT THIS DOESN'T BECOME SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME WITH THIS ISSUE! *TR

NHTSA ID
10861179
Incident
Mar 1, 2016
Mileage
140,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Mar 4, 2016

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I HIT A BUMP. AFTER THIS BUMP THERE WAS A LOUD BANGING SOUND FROM THE REAR OF MY CAR WHEN I RAN OVER ANY OTHER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. UPON INSPECTING THE SOUND I DISCOVERED THAT MY PASSENGER SIDE REAR SUSPENSION HAD RUSTED COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE INNER WHEELHOUSE WHERE THE SUSPENSION WAS WIELDED TO.

NHTSA ID
10839963
Incident
Feb 22, 2016
Mileage
140,000 mi
Body & structureOther / unspecifiedSuspension
Filed Apr 27, 2015

BECAUSE OF THE REAR END MAKING LOUD NOISE AND VIBRATION UPON CONTACTING ROAD BUMPS AND HOLES VEHICLE TAKEN TO REPAIR SHOP WHERE INSPECTION REVEALED SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION OF THE METAL FORMING THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL, OXIDATION (RUST) TO THE EXTENT OF LARGE HOLE EXPOSING INTERIOR DEPARTMENT. REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR SHOCKS DID NOT CORRECT THE VIBRATIONS FROM ROAD IRREGULARITIES. MECHANIC DESCRIBED THE CAUSE AS A RESULT OF THE WHEEL WELL LOSS OF METAL & CHANGE IN SHAPE ENABLING METAL TO METAL CONTACT. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY DURATION IS OF MUCH CONCERN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10713027
Incident
Mar 18, 2015
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Oct 20, 2014

THERE WAS CONSTANT KNOCKING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND I TOOK THE SUV TO DEALER. THE DEALER SAYS "THE RIGHT REAR STRUT IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE BODY OF THE CAR. THERE IS HEAVY RUST AND THIS IS NOT A SAFE CONDITION TO TRY THE CAR". OVER THE WEEKEND, THE SHOCK MOUNT BRACKET COMPLETELY FELL OFF. IT DOESN'T SEEMS TO BE A GOOD DESIGN ORIGINALLY TO USE THE SHEET METAL OF THE FENDER WELL AS THE CONNECTION POINT, WITHOUT EXTRA MEASURE TO SECURE THE SHOCK TO THE BODY. IT IS A DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10648717
Incident
Oct 1, 2014
Mileage
94,928 mi
Body & structureOther / unspecifiedSuspension
Filed May 17, 2014

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK I STARTED TO HEAR A BANGING SOUND FROM THE BACK OF MY VEHICLE. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE BACK WINDOW WAS OPEN & BANGING EVERY TIME I HIT A BUMP. I PULLED OVER AND MADE SURE EVERYTHING WAS SHUT. I PROCEEDED TO WORK BUT THE BANGING PERSISTED. WHEN I GOT TO WORK I CHECKED THE BACK COMPARTMENT & REMOVED MY CARGO INCASE THAT WAS CULPRIT. ON MY DRIVE HOME THE BANGING STILL PERSISTED. MY HUSBAND LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE AND SAID THAT THE SHOCKS/STRUTS WERE BLOWN. I TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE THAT NIGHT & IT TURNS OUT THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH & THERE WAS NO WHERE FOR THE SHOCK TO MOUNT. WHEN THE MECHANIC PULLED UP MY CARGO MAT IN THE BACK IT IS AMAZING THAT NOTHING FELL OUT, THE SIZE OF THE HOLE FROM THE RUST IS COMPARABLE TO THE SIZE OF A BASKETBALL. WELDING IS NOT EVEN AN OPTION TO REPAIR THIS DAMAGE. THERE IS NO OTHER RUST OR BODY DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. THERE WAS A PROTECTIVE COATING ON THE INNER WHEEL WELL TO PREVENT THIS. THE DRIVER SIDE IS FINE AND IS SHOWING NO SIGN OF RUST/ROT. WHILE SEARCHING THE WEB FOR SUPPORT I SEE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THE FORD ESCAPE AND MAZDA TRIBUTE (VIRTUALLY ONE IN THE SAME). WHEN WILL SOMETHING BE DONE ABOUT THIS COSTLY PROBLEM? AS A SIDE NOTE, THIS CAR HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN 2006. I FILED A MAGNUS AND MOSS WARRANTY ACT SUIT AGAINST MAZDA AND WON FOR NUMEROUS ISSUES REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION AND POWER TRAIN SYSTEM. *JS

NHTSA ID
10592153
Incident
May 14, 2014
Mileage
70,000 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)Suspension
Filed Feb 3, 2014

NOT SURE, BUT THINK THERE IS A LEAK AT THE TRANSFER CASE. IT SMELLS WHEN SITTING FOR A FEW MOMENTS, THERE IS NO OIL LEAKS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10562759
Incident
Feb 2, 2014
Mileage
64,000 mi
SuspensionTires & wheels
Filed Jun 29, 2007

MAZDA 2006 TRIBUTE AWD 4 CYLINDER WITH 20,000. AT 17,000 MILES ON IT NOTICED ALL FOUR TIRES SHOWING SIDEWALL WEAR AND FEATHERING ON TREAD. HAD CAR ALIGNED BY DEALER, TOLD CAR ALIGNMENT WAS OUT BY 0.25 DEGREES. AT 20,000 MILES NOTICING CUPPING ON ALL FOUR TIRES. DRIVING 85% HIGHWAY NO OFF ROAD ACTIVITY. NOTICING ALIGNMENT WAS OUT AFTER 3500 MILES. AVERAGE YEARLY DRIVING MILES 20,000. BEGINNING TO FELL THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM IN FRONT END GEOMETRY.*AK

NHTSA ID
10194933
Incident
Jun 28, 2007

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .