2007 Mazda CX-7

MAZDA SENT A LETTER TO REPORT A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2007 AND 2008 CX-7 IN AUGUST 2010. THE A/C COMPRESSOR WAS CREATING ISSUES AND MAZDA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 60,000 MILES. THE LETTER INDICATED THAT NO ACTION WAS NEEDED UNLESS YOU HEARD A STRANGE "NOISE". BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE AND THOSE OF OTHERS, THE PROBLEM OCCURS WITH NO WARNING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE A/C STOPS WORKING AND SMOKE BEGINS TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE ISSUE CAN ALSO CAUSE THE POWER STEERING TO GO OUT AND THE CAR TO STALL SO HOW CAN THIS NOT BE A SAFETY CONCERN AND NOT BE CONSIDERED A RECALL? THE WARRANTY IS ONLY EXTENDED TO 60,000 MILES AND THERE ARE MANY CASES WHERE THE PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR UNTIL AFTER 60,000 MILES. IS MAZDA JUST HOPING THAT MOST WILL HAPPEN AFTER 60K SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR? I HAD THE DEALER CHECK IT DURING A ROUTINE SERVICE BUT THEY WOULDN'T REPAIR IT UNLESS THERE WAS A "NOISE". WHILE ON VACATION, MY CAR A/C STOPPED WORKING AND STARTED TO MAKE THE "NOISE". THEN SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, FRIGHTENING MY KIDS IN THE CAR. WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT THE TIME AND HAD TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL ASIDE. WE BARELY MADE IT TO THE NEAREST MECHANIC BEFORE THE BELT BROKE. MY CAR HAD 65,000 MILES AND MAZDA WILL NOT PAY FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIR, NOR THE COST TO RENT A CAR IN ITS PLACE. NOW I AM OUT ALMOST $1,700 FOR REPAIRS AND RENTAL FEES. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE IN AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT FOR MAZDA TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MAZDA CX7. THE CONTACT STATED WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE OIL SHIELD COVER SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WITH THE DEALER ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE FAILURE FOR ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC AND LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE ENGINE OIL PLASTIC SHIELD COVER. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SCREWS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PLACED BACK CORRECTLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE OIL COVER SHIELD WITH THE SAME DEFECTED PLASTIC AND THERE WERE NO FURTHER REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

I OWN A 2007 MAZDA CX7. SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR, AT 29K MILES I HAD TO HAVE THE FUEL TANK REPLACED. AT AROUND 34K HAD TO HAVE THE TURBO LOOKED AT BECAUSE OF BLACK SMOKE BLOWING ON MY BUMPER, MAZDA REPLACED THE PIPES. MY PIPES WERE STILL SMOKING, HAD TO TAKE OFF WORK, TAKE CAR IN AGAIN BECAUSE OF BLACK SMOKE, MAZDA TRIED REPLACING RINGS IN TURBO, STILL BLOWIN BLUISH WHITE SMOKE, NOW GETTING TURBO REPLACED. I HAD THE AIR COMPRESSOR REPLACED A ABOUT A MONTH AGO. NOW I HAVE A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE AND I'M SCARED THE TIMING CHAIN WILL BREAK SOON. MAZDA NEEDS TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAINS ON THESE MODELS. I THINK MAZDA SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AN RECALL THIS MODEL, YR BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR BREAKS DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WITH KIDS IN THE CAR. *TR

WHILE DRIVING HOME WITH MY A/C ON, MY 2007 MAZDA CX7 BEGAN MAKING A TERRIBLE WHINING & GRINDING SOUND, FOLLOWED BY BILLOWS OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND OPENED THE HOOD, WHICH CONTINUED TO SMOKE FOR SOME TIME AND THERE WAS A SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER. I BURNED MY HAND IN THE PROCESS. THE CAR WAS DEEMED UNSAFE AND UNDRIVEABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE NEAREST MAZDA DEALER WHERE WE HAD ALSO PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT, SO ,THE NEXT MORNING I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALER TELLING ME THE FIRE STARTED WITH THE A/C COMPRESSOR, WHICH THEN IGNITED THE DRIVE BELT. THAT'S WHY IT SMELLED SO AWFUL. HE SAID IT WAS "BURNED BADLY". THE PARTS WERE NOT IN STOCK, SO, THEY HAVE TO ORDER NEW PARTS. SO, I'M WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION. NO OFFER FROM THE DEALER FOR A RENTAL. THEY ALSO DID NOT TELL ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON 2007 MAZDA CX7 A/C COMPRESSORS, WHICH I LEARNED ABOUT BY ONLINE RESEARCH. I NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MAZDA REGARDING THE RECALL. SO, IT TURNS OUT THAT MANY, MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE AND NOT ENOUGH IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 30K MILES AND RECENTLY HAD A FULL INSPECTION BY THE DEALER. I'M NOW WAITING TO FIND OUT IF THE DEALER WILL TRY TO GET ME TO PAY FOR THIS OR IF THEY WILL HONOR THE WARRANTY. MANY ONLINE COMPLAINANTS ARE BEING DENIED AND ARE BEING FORCED TO PAY FOR THIS THEMSELVES. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. *TR

IN APRIL 2009 THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR FAILED ON MY 2007 MAZDA CX-7. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 49,000 MILES ON THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WE REPLACED THE COMPRESSOR WITH AN AFTERMARKET COMPRESSOR BECAUSE THE DEALER INDICATED IT WAS NOT IN WARRANTY. SOME TIME LATER WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MAZDA EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON THE COMPRESSOR TO 60,000 MILES. IN THE LETTER MAZDA EXPLAINED THAT IF THE COMPRESSOR HAD ALREADY BEEN CHANGED THEY WOULD REIMBURSE US FOR THE CHARGES. THE PAPERWORK HAD BEEN MISPLACED AT THE TIME SO WE DID NOT CONTACT MAZDA FOR REIMBURSEMENT. IN DECEMBER 2010 MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR IN DALLAS TEXAS WHEN SHE HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. A BURNING SMELL STARTED COMING THROUGH THE VENTS, THEN SMOKE STARTED COMING INTO THE CAR, SHE HAD TO CROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET OFF OF THE ROAD. THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING BEFORE SHE COULD GET OFF OF THE ROAD. A DRIVER STOPPED AND HELPED HER GET THE CAR OFF OF THE ROAD, LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED. SHE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED, I CALLED FOR A WRECKER AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A MAZDA DEALERSHIP NEARBY. THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $ 1,800.00 TO REPAIR THE CAR. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE MILEAGE HAD EXCEEDED ITS LIMITS FOR WARRANTY. HE LATER CALLED AND SAID THAT WHEN THE BELT BROKE IT HAD DAMAGED THE PULLEY ON THE CRANKSHAFT AND THAT FOR THE CAR TO RUN PROPERLY IT WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED. I CONTACTED THE CONSUMER DIVISION OF MAZDA AND WAS BASICALLY TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 60,000 MILES AND THAT THE CAR HAD EXCEEDED ITS WARRANTY. IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR AC COMPRESSORS TO FAIL IN SUCH A SHORT TIME UNLESS THERE IS A DEFECT. MAZDA KNEW THIS THAT IS WHY THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY. MAZDA NEEDS TO RECALL THESE DEFECTIVE COMPRESSORS BEFORE SOMEONE IS SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED IN A WRECK CAUSED BY THE COMPRESSOR LOCKING UP. *TR

2007 GRAND TOURING MAZDA CX-7 HAD BAD A/C COMPRESSOR AS TYPICAL WITH MODEL AT 30K MILES AND WAS PUTTING OUT BLACK WHEN CAR RETURNED IN A "FIXED" CONDITION. THEY SITED THAT WE HAD "DIRTY OIL". TIMING CHAIN WENT TAKING ENGINE AT 42K MILES AND WE WERE FIRST DENIED WARRANTY WORK DUE TO SLUDGE ENGINE WITH MAZDA STATING IT WAS OUR LACK OF MAINTENANCE. AFTER FILING FOR BBB ARBITRATION THE AGREED TO REPLACE ENGINE AND TURBO IF WE PAID THE $900 LABOR BILL. CAR CAME BACK AFTER A MONTH WITH A RATTLE AND PUTTING OUT WHITE SMOKE. RATTLE I WAS TOLD ON PHONE AT FIRST WAS NOT REPEATABLE THEN WHEN ADDRESSED FACE TO FACE WAS A LOOSE ENGINE BRACKET BUT WENT ON PAPERWORK AS STABILIZER BARS FRONT AND REAR. ENGINE WITH 2400 MILES ON IT IS STILL PUTTING OUT WHITE SMOKE AND ACTING SLUGGISH AND TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD AND LIKES GEARS 2 AND 4 FOR THE MOST PART. FIRST WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT SEE SMOKE THEN WHEN ADDRESSED FACE TO FACE WAS TOLD CAUSE IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE THEN SECOND EXCUSE WAS CONDENSATION.. WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC FRIEND HE THINKS TURBO IS GOING BAD AFTER A WHOPPING 2400 MILES. SPOUSE WONT LET ME OPERATE CAR ANY LONGER IN FEAR IT WILL BREAK DOWN CAUSING ACCIDENT. AS FAR AS THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN STATES THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE TURBO VALVE FIX YET.. HOW AM I TO THINK I RECEIVED A "FIXED" CAR IF I GOT A REBUILT ENGINE A NEW BUT SAME BRAND ETC TURBO... NOT SAFE AND SAD TO THINK SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THIS IS ADDRESSED. *TR

AN EXCESS OF WHITE SMOKE EMITTED FROM EXHAUST UPON ACCELERATION AFTER A BRIEF PERIOD OF IDLE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A FAULTY TURBO CHARGER WAS TO BLAME. SO THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR 7 DAYS WHILE THEY REPLACED THE TURBO. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER THE CAR WOULDN'T START AFTER SITTING IN A HEATED GARAGE OVERNIGHT. IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH THE CYLINDERS WEREN'T FIRING PROPERLY. CAR WAS TOWED TO MECHANIC WHO IDENTIFIED ISSUE AS FOULED CYLINDER HEADS FROM PRIOR FAILURE OF TURBO. THIS TIME THE ENTIRE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. AGAIN THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR APPROXIMATELY SEVEN DAYS. SOME MONTHS LATER AN OPPRESSIVE AMOUNT OF ROAD NOISE APPEARED AT ALL SPEEDS ON ALL ROAD SURFACES. WE WERE DIRECTED THAT THE TIRES WERE TO BLAME. AFTER REPLACING ALL 4 TIRES AT A COST OF NEARLY $800 THE SOUND PERSISTED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT THE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS ON THE REAR WHEELS HAD FAILED ALLOWING WATER TO SEEP IN AND RUST REAR WHEEL BEARINGS. ALL FOUR WHEEL BEARINGS WHERE REPLACED. TODAY THE VEHICLE IS AGAIN IN FOR ENGINE REPAIR TO REPLACE THE OXYGEN SENSOR AND A DEAD BATTERY. AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR 18 MONTHS IT IS HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 4 WEEKS. *TR