2008 Mazda CX-7

MAZDA CX-7 2008; I PURCHASED THE CAR IN SEPTEMBER 2007 AND IT CURRENTLY HAS 19,908 MILES. THE AC IS BREAKING DOWN. WHILE I'M DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH, THE PRESSURE OR HIGH AC AIR PRESSURE DROPS AND HOT AIR COMES OUT. I ALSO EXPERIENCED BURNING SMOKE COMING THROUGH THE VENTS. I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED BY THE DEALER BACK ON AUGUST 3, 2012 AND THEY REPLACED THE VALVE COVER. ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2012 I WAS DRIVING AGAIN ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY FAMILY AND WE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE AC PRESSURE DROPPED, HOT AIR WAS FLOWING OUT OF THE AC AND WE SMELLED BURNING SMOKE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THIS MORNING AND THEY ARE NOW ADVISING ME THAT I HAVE TO REPLACE THE BLOWER FAN WHICH IS OUT OF WARRANTY (3 YEARS/36K MILES) AND WILL COST $500. I HAVE NO PROBLEMS PAYING FOR A PART, BUT THE VALVE COVER, BLOWER FAN, OR AC ITEMS SHOULDN'T BE BREAKING DOWN AT 19K ORIGINAL MILES. I ASKED WAYNE MAZDA SERVICE CONSULTANT: ANTHONY CUNHA IF THE BLOWER FAN WAS PART OF THE AC COMPRESSOR AND HE SAID, "NO". I STRONGLY FEEL THAT MAZDA INSTALLED FAULTY AC COMPRESSOR/UNITS ON THE 2008 CX-7. THIS ISSUE HAS TO BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE A CAR CATCHES ON FIRE AND PEOPLE GET BURNED ALIVE OR WORSE, A MULTIPLE CAR CRASH ON THE ROAD RESULTING IN DEATHS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA CX-7. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND BLUE SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO ENGINE SLUDGE. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,835. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

ON MY WAY TO WORK I GLANCED IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT FROM BEHIND MY CAR. I LOOKED AT MY GAUGES AND NOTICED THAT MY BATTERY LIGHT WAS ON AND MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS ALL THE WAY ON HOT. PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND, AS I PULLED OVER MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I SHUT OFF THE CAR AND CALLED MY HUSBAND (WHO OWNS A COLLISION REPAIR SHOP AND A TOW TRUCK) AND TOLD HIM TO COME AND GET ME AND MY DISABLED CAR. AS I SAT IN MY CAR WAITING, A POLICE OFFICER CAME TO CHECK THAT I WAS O.K. THE OFFICER SAT IN HIS CAR BEHIND ME FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND THEN BACKED OUT AND LEFT. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF THE OFFICER LEAVING A GENTLEMAN AND HIS WIFE PULLED OVER A GOOD WAY UP IN FRONT OF MY CAR. THE GENTLEMAN GOT OUT OF HIS CAR AND STARTED RUNNING TO ME SHOUTING GET OUT, GET OUT, YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE!? THE GENTLEMAN CALLED 911 TO SUMMON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AS WE WAITED FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT A HIGHWAY PATROL ASSISTANCE VEHICLE PULLED OVER BECAUSE THEY HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. MY HUSBAND ARRIVED AND TOOK THE CAR BACK TO HIS PLACE OF BUSINESS. OUR INSURANCE WAS COMPANY WAS CALLED AND THEY SENT A CLAIMS ADJUSTER OUT TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE. OUR CLAIMS ADJUSTER DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE HAD STARTED WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER AND HAD CAUSED $3,900.00 IN DAMAGE TO THE MECHANICALS OF THE CAR. *TR

I BOUGHT THE CAR AT 30K MILES IN NOVEMBER OF 2011. I HAVE SINCE DRIVEN 15K MILES ON IT. I NOTICED A CLICK IN THE ENGINE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND I NEEDED TO GET A 45K MILE MAINTENANCE ON IT. I TOLD THEM THE CLICKING WAS BOTHERING ME. THEY SAID THAT WAS FINE. I GOT THE CAR BACK AND THE NOISE APPEARED TO HAVE GONE... BUT REAPPEARED AFTER A FEW DAYS. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THAT A CAR UNDER 5 YEARS OLD WITH LESS THAN 50K MILES ON IT SHOULDN'T MAKE THAT NOISE. THEY FINALLY ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAIN, CAUSING A LEAK IN THE OIL WHICH PUT SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS MY FAULT ETC. I PROCEEDED TO LOOK ONLINE AND THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. FROM THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE, THEY AREN'T EVEN MAKING THE CAR ANYMORE AND I'M SURE IT'S DUE TO THESE SAME ENGINE PROBLEMS. MY DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS MY FAULT... AND THE OTHER PEOPLE ON HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F1826A6/0 HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I HOPE SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! THE DEALERSHIP TRIED TO SWITCH OUT THE CAR SAYING THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO HELP... AND AFTER DRIVING IT FOR 10 MINUTES... I TOLD THEM THE BEGINNING NOISE WAS IN THIS CAR AS WELL. HE ACTED ALOOF AND SAID HE DIDN'T HEAR IT... UNTIL WE WERE BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEN HE SAID... 'OH ... I HEAR IT NOW' THEY NEED TO DO A FULL RECALL OF THIS CAR. WORKING SO HARD TO FINALLY BE ABLE TO GET A CAR MAKES YOU SO HAPPY... BUT TO GET RIPPED OFF IN THE END.... IT'S AWFUL. I FEEL COMPLETELY VULNERABLE AND IT'S TERRIBLE. THANKS FOR EVEN HAVING THIS WEBSITE... HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THIS CAR OFF THE MARKET! *TR

AC FAILED ON LONG TRIP. TEMP GAUGE DID NOT INDICATE OVERHEATING, NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE LIT UP. AFTER ARRIVING AT DESTINATION 5 HOURS FROM HOME, TURNED OFF ENGINE AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM RT FRONT HOOD AREA NEAR WHEEL. TRIED TO START, NOT TURNING OVER. ADDED COOLANT TO OVER FLOW (IT WAS EMPTY). STILL NOT STARTING. NO MAZDA DEALER OPEN IN AREA (CLOSEST ONE WAS 45 MILES SOUTH IN FT WAYNE. TIME WAS APPROX 2PM ON SATURDAY. ENTERPRISE RENT A CAR ALSO NOT OPEN EXCEPT AIRPORT LOCATIONS (THEY ARE OPEN 8-12 ON SATS). KNEW THERE WAS A W-MART NEARBY W/ AUTO SERVICE. OUR VEHICLE IS PARKED IN LARGE MCDONALD'S LOT NEAR THE BACK OUT OF THE WAY, RELATIVELY SAFE LOCATION...CLLD AND SPOKE W/ [XXX] AT WAL-MART. HE OFFERED TO COME LOOK AT THE CAR AFTER WORK-W/IN 15 MIN HE WAS THERE. BECAUSE ENGINE NOT TURNING OVER, HE AT FIRST WAS CONCERNED ENGINE MAY HAVE SEIZED UP/HEAD GASKET BLEW ETC. HE ISOLATED THE AC CLUTCH AS THE PROBLEM BY MANUALLY TURNING OVER THE ENGINE AND THEN TAKING BELT OFF COMPLETELY. STARTED RIGHT UP... HE THEN PROCEEDED TO DRIVE US TO AIRPORT IN FT WAYNE, HAD OUR CAR TOWED TO HIS REPAIR SHOP, ACCESSED THE PROBLEM AREA AND ADVISED ME WHAT PART TO ORDER.THE MAN IS A SAINT. WE SPENT 4 HOURS AT AIRPORT UNTIL ENTERPRISE TOOK MERCY ON US AND RENTED US A CAR EVEN THOUGH I ONLY HAVE A DEBIT VISA. PART HAS BEEN ORDERED FROM DEALER WHERE WE PURCH CAR.THEY MATCHED PRICE ONLINE OF $289.01 AND SHIPPING TO INDIANA IS ONLY $12 WILL ARRIVE BY END OF DAY TOMORROW. NOT SURE WHAT LABOR COST WILL BE. UNABLE TO ORDER ONLY CLUTCH FROM MAZDA. DON'T NEED PUMP BUT WILL HAVE EXTRA IN CASE IT FAILS IN THE FUTURE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THIS MAZDA CX-7 IS AT A MAZDA DEALER'S SERVICE CENTER RIGHT NOW GETTING THE TIMING CHAIN REPLACED, VVT ISSUE CORRECTED, A NEW TURBO SYSTEM TO KEEP IT FROM DUMPING TONS OF BLUE SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST, A/C SYSTEM FIXED, AND THERE IS AN INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL ISSUE AS WELL. NOT HAPPY OBVIOUSLY, AS THESE ARE ALL KNOW ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. MAZDA HAS AGREED TO PAY FOR THE TIMING CHAIN, BUT THE REST COMES OUT OF MY POCKET. *TR

WE BOUGHT THIS CAR ON FEBRUARY 19, 2011 WITH AROUND 26,000 MILES ON IT. ON JANUARY 30, 2012 (AROUND 36,000 MILES) THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER. WE TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED AND IT CAME BACK THAT THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS BAD. WE HAD THAT REPLACED, BUT IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND THAT MECHANIC TOLD US WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A MAZDA DEALER AND THAT IF IT WAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE POWERTRAIN, IT SHOULD STILL BE UNDER WARRANTY. WE WERE HAPPY TO HEAR THAT INDEED IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT MAZDA MOST LIKELY WOULD COVER ALL COSTS. A DAY LATER THE DEALERSHIP CALLED TO TELL US THAT MAZDA NEEDED TO SEE PROOF OF MAINTENANCE ON THE OIL CHANGES, AS THERE WAS A "SLUDGE BUILDUP." WE HAD THE OIL CHANGED AS REQUIRED, BUT WERE TOLD THAT MAZDA MAY NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY AFTER ALL...SEEMS IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU DID EVERYTHING RIGHT OR NOT, MAZDA SEEMS TO BE DENYING THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. WE ARE STILL WAITING TO HEAR IF THIS WILL BE COVERED, AND HAVE BEEN DOING LOTS OF RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE. WE WANTED TO GET A START ON THIS ISSUE IF IT ENDS UP BEING THE NIGHTMARE THAT OTHER OWNERS ARE DESCRIBING. THERE SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR ENGINEERING FLAW AND WE ARE AFRAID OF LOSING EVERYTHING DUE TO THE EXTREME REPAIR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM. NOT TO MENTION RECURRING ISSUES THAT SEEM TO ARISE AFTER THE REPAIRS ARE MADE! MAZDA NEEDS TO STOP THE DENIAL AND RESOLVE THIS ISSUE ASAP! HOPEFULLY YOU CAN PLEASE HELP SOME HARD WORKING PEOPLE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THESE COSTS! THANKS FOR YOUR TIME... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA CX-7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR EXTERIOR LIGHT WOULD BURN A HOLE IN THE TAIL LIGHT COVER, MELTING THE PLASTIC. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE AT A CHARGE BUT THE CONTACT DECLINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,880. UPDATED 02/22/12 *BF UPDATED 03/01/12

MAZDA HAS A BULLETIN OUT TO MECHANICS ABOUT CX-7'D TIMING CHAIN. THE TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM COULD CEASE AN ENGINE ON A HIGHWAY AND CAUSE SAFTEY HAZARDS. MAZDA IS ALSO REFUSING REPAIRS ON MY TIMING CHAIN BECAUSE I CANNOT PRODUCE THE PAPERWORK FOR MY OIL CHANGES. I EVEN HAVE A 70,000 MILE WARRANTY WHICH WAS EXTENDED BECAUSE OF THE TIMING CHAIN PROBLEMS. I EVEN CALLED MY BANK TO GET STATEMENTS PROVING PAYMENT IN THE SAME AMOUNT FOR THE PLACE I GET MY OIL CHANGES DONE, WHICH MAZDA HAS A COUPLE COPIES OF, BUT THEY REFUSED BANK STATEMENTS. THIS IS HORRIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICE AND US, CONSUMERS SHOULD BE PROTECTED AGAINST THIS. MY CAR HAS 65,000 MILES AND I'M STILL MAKING CAR PAYMENTS. I CAN GUARENTEE I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MAZDA AND WILL TELL EVERYONE I KNNOW AND POST IT ON EVERY SITE I CAN. *TT

ONE MORNING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURN ON, THE COMPUTER CODE CAME BACK AS EGR VAL,I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR OVER 3YRS THIS IS A PRICEY PART, I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCE THIS AS SOON AS THEY REACH THE 62K MILES THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I HOPE THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A NOISE THAT THE ENGINE HAVE EVER SINCE O BOUGHT IT WHICH THE SAID IT WAS NORMAL... AS PER THE TIRES I HAD TO REPLACE THEM AS SOON AS I REACHED THE 1 YR, NEVER WILL I BUY A MAZDA AGAIN.... *TR