2007 Mazda CX-7

IN NOVEMBER OF 2012 MY FAMILY WAS DRIVING HOME FROM SEATTLE, WA TO SAN DIEGO, CA. WHEN WE WERE DRIVING WE SMELLED BURNING RUBBER SO PULLED OVER TO SEE IF WE COULD SEE SOMETHING WRONG UNDER THE HOOD. SINCE IT WAS 10PM AND DARK OUTSIDE WE COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING AND DECIDED TO FIND THE NEAREST HOTEL TO STAY AT UNTIL WE COULD TAKE IT TO A SHOP. AFTER WE STARTED DRIVING WE SAW THERE WAS A FREEWAY EXIT 1/2 A MILE AWAY SO MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING REALLY SLOW(ABOUT 35MPH) HOPING WE COULD MAKE IT WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS A HUGE JERKING MOTION THAT FELT LIKE WE RAN INTO SOMETHING EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T. WE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND GOT A TOW TRUCK. IT ENDED UP BEING THE AC COMPRESSOR AND SERPENTINE BELT THAT NEEDED REPLACED, ALTHOUGH MAZDA WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS THEY STATED IN THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT IT HAD "DEFECT IN WORKMANSHIP OR MATERIALS," THE WARRANTY WAS ONLY EXTENDED TO 5 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES. MY MAZDA WAS 6 YEARS OLD AND HAD ONLY 48,000 MILES BUT WASN'T COVERED BECAUSE IT WAS A YEAR PASSED THE WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THE MILES WERE STILL UNDER. WE ENDED UP PAYING $2,000.00 TO FIX IT AS WELL AS ANOTHER $300.00 TO STAY IN A MOTEL FOR 5 DAYS. EVER SINCE THE DAY THAT THE CAR BROKE AND HAD THE HUGE JERKING MOVEMENT, BY BACK HAS HURT EVERYDAY SINCE THEN. IT ESPECIALLY DIDN'T HELP THAT I WAS ALMOST 5 MONTHS PREGNANT AND ALTHOUGH NOTHING HAPPENED TO THE BABY, I'M HOPING THERE WAS NO PERMANENT DAMAGE TO MY BACK SINCE I'VE NEVER HAD BACK PAIN OR PROBLEMS SINCE BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. I DIDN'T KNOW WHO ELSE TO CONTACT ABOUT THIS BUT I THINK THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM AND MAZDA NEEDS TO FIX IT BEFORE MORE PEOPLE GET HURT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THEY ALREADY KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM WHICH IS WHY THE EXTENDED THEIR WARRANTY. *TR

DRIVING EAST ACROSS THE BAY BRIDGE FROM SF, THE ENGINE MADE A WHEEZING NOISE. AFTER A MILE THE POWER DROPPED, AND THE CAR WOULD ONLY TRAVEL AT 30 MPH. NO ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TO WARN OF THIS, EVEN DURING THE EVENT. AT THIS POINT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT IT NEEDED REPAIR ATTENTION, AND WE FOUND A MAZDA DEALER/REPAIR SHOP RELATIVELY CLOSE BY TO DRIVE IT TO. ONCE THEY HAD A CHANCE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, THEY REPORTED TO US THAT ENGINE 'SLUDGE' WAS TO BLAME. THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BEEN RUBBING, AND THE VVT ACTUATOR HAD BEEN COMPROMISED. TURBO GALLEYS WERE ALSO PLUGGED. IN JAN. OF THIS YEAR, MAZDA POSTED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR CX-7'S TIMING CHAIN AND VVT. HOWEVER, THE DEALER INFORMED US AFTER CHECKING WITH MAZDA THAT WE WERE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE WARRANTY. GAPS IN OUR HISTORY OF REPAIR WAS THE GIVEN REASON. AFTER AN APPEAL, THE REP FROM MAZDA SAID THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY HAD REVIEWED THE CLAIM AND AGAIN DECLINED TO HELP. WE HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CX-7 OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MANY OF THEM HAVE ALSO BEEN DENIED THE USE THE WARRANTY THAT MAZDA HAS EXTENDED.THIS IS A VAST AND SCARY PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. *TR

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN A BACKROAD HIGHWAY GOING 60 WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STOPPED. THERE WAS NO NOTICE, NO NOISE NOTHING. THE POS WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP. THE LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE AND SAID "TIMING CHAIN..$3000". OK, NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED BUT FINE, FIX IT. 24 HOURS LATER, THEY CALLED TO ADVISE THAT THE ENGINE IS BLOWN $7000. I CONTACT THE MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE ( AKA PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAINED TO TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE SOL) TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RECALL OR ANY OTHER THINGS THAT MAY COVER THIS. NO, NOTHING BUT A EXTENSION WAS MAILED JAN 2012 TO ADVISE THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS EXTENDED FOR REPAIR. NO NOTICE WAS RECEIVED AND THE ADDRESS THEY HAD ON FILE WAS CORRECT. SO HERE WE SIT WITH A WORTHLESS POS THAT NOBODY WANTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR. I WOULD RATHER HAVE IT SIT IN THE DRIVE WAY AND WE SHARE 1 VEHICLE THAN PUT 7000 INTO THIS CAR. I SEE THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY MAZDA. HAS ANYONE CALLED RECENTLY INTO CUSTOMER SERVICE TO HEAR THE LIST OF RECALL NOTICES? IT TAKE 8 MINS FOR THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM TO LIST THEM ALL. THIS COMPANY NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT'S WORTHLESS MACHINES! IF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT EVER COMES OUT, I WILL JOIN IN A HEARTBEAT. CAN THE NHTSA PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS? I KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE ... NO TIME IN LIFE SHOULD AN ENGINE NEED TO BE REPAIRED WITH ONLY 76K ON IT!!! *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICAL STARTED TO MAKE NOISE TOOK IT TO FIRST MECHANIC SHOP NEAR BYE AND THEY TOLD USE THE AC COMPRESSOR WAS FAILING BUT IT WOULD BE OK THEN ON THE WAY BACK HOME THE CAR STARTED TO SMOKE FROM THE COMPRESSOR BECAUSE THE CLUTCH HAD SEIZED UP WE PULLED OVER OTHERWISE IM SURE WE WOULD HAVE BROKEN THE BELT CAUSEING MORE DAMAGE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING OUR CX-7 STOPPED RUNNING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, WE HAVE FOUND OUT THAT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MAZDA CX-7 VVT PIN/TIMING CHAIN BREAKING. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE CAR STOPPED, BUT IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RODE AND WAS A HAZARD NOT ONLY TO OUR CAR, BUT OTHER CARS COMING UP BEHIND US. WE WERE UNABLE TO MOVE THE CAR AND HAD TO WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK. OF COURSE, MAZDA WON'T DO ANYTHING TO REMEDY THE SITUATION BECAUSE THE WARRANTY HAS PASSED...EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW THE PROBLEM EXISTED IN 2009. SOMEONE WILL GET KILLED ONE DAY. *TR

AFTER SIX MONTHS, WE BEGAN TO HAVE MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. A DIESEL-SOUNDING CHUG COMING FROM THE ENGINE SEEMED OFF FOR AN UNLEADED FOUR-CYLINDER SUV. THE COMMON ISSUE SEEMED TO BE A PART CALLED A VVT ACTUATOR. NO RECALLS OR SERVICE ADVISORIES HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR ENGINE PARTS AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER, IN JANUARY 2012, AN ENTIRE HALF-DECADE AFTER THE VEHICLE ROLLED OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE, WE RECEIVED A 'VARIABLE VALVE TIMING NOISE AND TIMING CHAIN NOISE WARRANTY EXTENSION' NOTICE BY MAIL FROM MAZDA. A MONTH OR SO AFTER WE RECEIVED THE NOTICE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN LEAKING OIL. WE TOOK OUR VEHICLE INTO A ROGER BEASLEY MAZDA CENTER AND HAD IT EXAMINED. THE OIL COOLER ON THE VEHICLE WAS BEGINNING TO FAIL. WE EXPLAINED THE NOTICE THAT WE RECEIVED IN THE MAIL AND THEY WERE ALREADY WELL AWARE OF THESE ISSUES. WE WERE TOLD THE ENGINE HAD ENGINE SLUDGE AND WITH IT BEING A SECOND-OWNER VEHICLE, WE DID NOT HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE THAT REGULAR OIL CHANGES HAD BEEN PERFORMED. INSTEAD, ALL REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS WOULD COME FROM OUR OWN POCKETS. THE RESULT ENDED UP BEING A NEED TO REPLACE THE VVT ACTUATOR, THE TIMING CHAIN, THE OIL COOLER, AND REPLACING ALL OF THE GASKETS. THE TECHNICIAN SHOWED US A SIDE-BY-SIDE OF THE CURRENT TIMING CHAIN AND THE NEW REPLACEMENT ' THE USED CHAIN HAD LITERALLY STRETCHED TO BE ABOUT HALF-AN-INCH LONGER THAN THE REPLACEMENT. WE DROVE OFF THE LOT AND HOPED THAT THE PROBLEMS HAD BEEN SOLVED. WITHIN TWO MONTHS OF THE REPAIRS, THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A HIGH-PITCHED WHINING NOISE. MY WIFE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP THAT DAY WHILE AT WORK AND THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH IS LESS THAN TEN MILES AWAY, THE VEHICLE DIED ON THE FREEWAY. THIS ENDED UP BEING THE RESULT OF A BLOWN TURBOCHARGER. AGAIN, WE HAD TO TAKE MONEY FROM OUR NEST EGG TO REPLACE YET ANOTHER PART ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

I OWN A 2007 MAZDA CX-7, WHICH I PURCHASED IN NOV. 2006, BRAND NEW. OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS, I HAVE HEARD A TAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. TWICE IN THE PAST 9 MONTHS, THE VEHICLE LOST COMPLETE POWER. I ASKED MAZDA TO CHECK THE VEHICLE AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS COMMON, NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. IN JANUARY OF 2012, I RECEIVED A SAFETY NOTICE FROM MAZDA IN REGARDS TO A POSSIBLE DEFECT PART, V.V.T. COMPONENT AND A LOOSE TIMING CHAIN. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP, WHO ADVISED ME THAT MY VEHICLE CONTAINED THIS DEFECTIVE PART, BUT STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO REPAIR THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENT DUE TO THE LACK OF RECEIPTS FOR OIL CHANGES AND OTHER MAINTENANCE RECORDS. THE REASON FOR THE LACK OF RECEIPTS IS BECAUSE MY BROTHER-IN-LAW, WHO IS A MECHANIC, PERFORMED THE OIL CHANGES AND OTHER MAINTENANCE WORK TO THE VEHICLE. I ASKED MAZDA IF THE DEFECTIVE PART COULD BE HAZARDOUS AND THEY ADVISED ME IT WAS NOT HARZARDOUS OR DANGEROUS. APPROX. 3 WEEKS AGO, MY WIFE ORDERED THE NECESSARY PARTS AND PAID FOR THEM IN FULL. AFTER 3 WEEKS, I WAS ADVISED THAT THE PARTS OR NOT AVAILABLE. AFTER READING NUMEROUS WEBSITES AND COMPLAINTS FROM CX-7 OWNERS, THIS IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I FURTHER READ THAT IF THE V.V.T. COMPONENT FAILS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED, THE ENGINE WILL IMMEDIATELY CEASE, POSSIBLY CAUSING THE OPERATOR THE INABILITY TO SAFELY MANVEUR THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A DANGER TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE MAZDA CX-7 AND OTHER MOTORISTS. I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY ACCIDENTS BEING REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THE DEFECTIVE PART, BUT I FEEL THAT MAZDA IS NOT TAKING THE NECESSARY MEASURES TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE MOTORISTS. I FEEL THAT THE MATTER SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY MAZDA BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. *KB