2007 Mazda CX-7

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) ON OCTOBER 25, 2009 MY [XXX] AND MYSELF, [XXX] , WERE DRIVING BACK FROM PENNSYLVANIA ON ROUTE 15 IN MARYLAND IN A 2007 MAZDA CX-7. AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WE ACCELERATED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS I ACCELERATED THE VEHICLE THE GAS PEDAL AUTOMATICALLY WENT TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. I TRIED TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE VIOLENTLY SPEEDING MAZDA CX-7. AS I TAPPED THE BRAKE THE CAR WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN, THE CAR WOULD JUST ACCELERATE FASTER AND SHAKE BACK AND FOURTH. AT THIS POINT I HAD TO AWAKEN MY FIANCE FROM SLEEPING TO LET HER KNOW WE HAD A PROBLEM AND TO BRACE HERSELF IN CASE OF ACCIDENT. KNOWING THAT THE CAR WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN BY TAPPING THE BRAKE I USED BOTH FEET TO TRY TO STOP THE MAZDA. FINALLY AFTER NOTICING THE VEHICLE BILLOWING GRAY SMOKE FROM THE SIDES I KNEW I HAD TO MAKE A DECISION, OR IT COULD BE LIFE OR DEATH. I SWERVED INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE OFF ROUTE 15. WHILE STILL HOLDING MY FEE ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I POSSIBLY COULD, THE VEHICLE STILL TRIED TO SURGE FORWARD. IN ORDER TO MAKE THE VEHICLE STOP DOING THIS OUT OF CONTROL ACTION, I WAS REQUIRED TO TURN THE IGNITION TO THE OFF POSITION. WHILE DOING SO I NOTICED THE ENGINE RACING PAST 6000 RPM'S. I WAS IN TOTAL FEAR FOR OUR LIVES. I WASN'T SURE IF THE CAR WAS GOING TO BLOW UP BECAUSE OF THE NOW DARK GRAY SMOKE THAT WAS COMING OUT. WE DECIDED TO NOT CALL THE POLICE. BUT INSTEAD WE DECIDED TO TAKE THE CHANCE AND RESTART THE VEHICLE, AS WE HAD NO OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION TO GET BACK TO VIRGINIA. I AM NOW TO A POINT WHERE I DO NOT TRUST THE VEHICLE. I HAVE A TRUE FEAR EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT ME OR MY FIANCE DRIVING IT AND ANY OTHER MAZDA ON THE ROAD. I HAVE NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF ANY SUCH THING HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE. MY FIANCE AND I, ALONG WITH THE OTHER 100'S OF PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THE ROAD THIS DAY COULD HAVE BEEN IN GRAVE DANGER BECAUSE OF THE DEFECT THAT HAS OCCURRED WITH THIS VEHICLE. *TR

2007 MAZDA CX-7 - 39 MONTHS OLD WITH 35,000 MILES, THE AIR CONDITIONING A/C COMPRESSOR CAUGHT ON FIRE, MELTED THE COMPRESSOR AND MADE THE CAR SMOKE, HAD TO STOP THE CAR AND WAIT TO BE TOWED BACK HOME. SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM HAPPENING TO A LOT OF OTHER CX-7 OWNERS. WOULD LIKE FOR MAZDA TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND PAY FOR ANY PARTS AND REPAIRS ON THIS MATTER. *TR

A/C COMPRESSOR AND/OR CLUTCH SEIZES-UP AND CAUSES CASCADE FAILURE OF BELT DRIVEN ACCESSORIES WITH LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THIS HAPPENED SUDDENLY AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND IS CONSIDERED A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. I SEARCHED THE NHTSA SITE AND FOUND MORE THAN 50+ OTHER SUCH COMPLAINTS. WHY THIS MODEL HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED IS A MYSTERY TO ME? *TR

AT 45,000 MILES MY 2007 MAZDA CX-7 BEGAN BLOWING THICK WHITE SMOKE OUT FROM THE EXHAUST AND FROM UNDER THE HOOD. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER WHO SAID THE TURBO WENT OUT AND WAS LEAKING OIL INTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THEY REPLACED THE TURBO AND COVERED THE PART AND CHARGED ME THE $600 IN LABOR TO INSTALL IT. CAR IS NOW AT 57,000 MILES AND IS SHOWING THE SAME SYMPTOMS WHEN RPMS GO OVER 4000. *TR

MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A 2007 MAZDA CX-7 A FEW YEARS AGO, AND OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP WITH MULTIPLE PROBLEMS. FROM AN OIL LEAK, TO A BAD COMPRESSOR, THEN THE TIMING CHAIN GONE BAD AND NOW ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE EGR. THE CAR HAS A LITTLE OVER 38K MILES AND TO ME IT SEEMS VERY ODD FOR A CAR BEING THIS YOUNG IN MILES, TO HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS SUCH AS THESE. AFTER GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THE MAZDA CORPORATE OFFICE, THEY FIRST AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PARTS FOR MY LATEST PROBLEMS SINCE I'M NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. I WAS FINE WITH THAT UNTIL I FOUND OUT THE LABOR WAS OVER $500 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. WHEN I CALL THE CORPORATE OFFICE TO TRY TO DISCUSS SPLITTING THE LABOR COSTS, THEIR SUPERVISOR CONTACTED ME BACK WITH AN ATTITUDE LIKE I DID SOMETHING WRONG AND DECIDED THEY WERE NOW NOT GOING TO HELP AT ALL. THAT IS JUST POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE BEHIND A VEHICLE THAT WAS NOT READY TO BE PUT ON OUR US ROADWAYS. IN MY OPINION, THIS CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED. AFTER REVIEWING SOME OF THE FORUMS, MANY OTHERS AGREE WITH MY DISPLEASURE IN THE PROBLEMS WITH THE MAZDA CX-7--CHECK THIS LINKHTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0E5B59/110. THANK YOU. *JB

I WAS DRIVING ON A SNOW-PACKED INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR AHEAD OF ME STOPPED. I APPLIED THE BRAKES IMMEDIATELY. MY SPEED WAS ABOUT 25 MPH. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED, BUT MY SPEED DID NOT DIMINISH APPROPRIATELY. I STRUCK THE CAR AHEAD. ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER, I TRIED TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO CONTINUE WITH LITTLE OR NO BRAKE FORCE ACTUALLY BEING APPLIED. THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM SEEMED OVERLY SENSITIVE. *TR