There are 6 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2008 Mazda CX-7in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
CAR HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR 2 FULL DAYS WITH NO USE. I WALKED OUTSIDE TO PLACE TRASH IN TRASH BIN AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVERS DOOR. I QUICKLY RAN INSIDE, GRABBED FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT OUT THE FIRE.IT LOOKS LIKE THE FIRE ORIGINATED AT THE WINDOW MOTOR OR THE WINDOW SWITCH PANEL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR.
TOOK CAR TO MAZDA FOR AIRBAG RECALL, REPLACED AIRBAG BUT MAZDA TELLS ME THE ACTUAL SENSOR THAT TELLS THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY DOES NOT WORK AND ITS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX IT. PRIOR TO THE RECALL THE SENSOR DID NOT COME UP ON THE DASH AFTER THE RECALL I NOW HAVE A LIGHT ON MY DASH AND MAZDA IS TELLING ME ITS 700.00 TO REPLACE FIX AND PART AND LABOR. ELECTRICAL CAR SHORTS OUT ALL THE TIME, WINDOWS, ENGINE, LIGHTS WORK ONE DAY NOT THE NEXT WHEN DOORS OPEN. CAR STALLS OUT WHEN DRIVING AND SYSTEM REBOOTS. OTHER ISSUE IS I HAVE SPENT 7 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN REPAIRS ON THIS CAR. I HAVE BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE TAIL PIPES, IVE REPLACED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PARTS. ENGINE LIGHT WONT GO OFF. I TOOK IT FINALLY TO AUTO ZONE FOR A FREE ENGINE DIAGNOSIS TO GET A PRINT OUT AND NOW THE EMISSIONS VALVES ARE SHOWING FAULTY. ITS BURNING 2 QUARTS OF OIL ABOUT EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS/MONTHLY BASIS. IVE REPLACED MOTOR MOUNTS, COOLANT/OIL PARTS, AIR COMPRESSOR, HEADLIGHTS, BUMBER, WIPER BLADES, ELECTRICAL CONTROL PANELS, ROCKER ARMS, SPOILERS THAT HAVE CRACKED WITH WEATHER, THE CAR STILL NEEDS ANOTHER MOTOR MOUNT, I NOW HAVE A KNOCK IN THE ENGINE LIKE ITS THE LIFTERS AND I STILL HAVE ANOTHER YEAR ON THIS 5 YEAR LOAN ON THIS CAR. I HAVE TO KEEP ROLLING PAYMENTS TO THE BACK OF THE LOAN TO KEEP UP WITH THE REPAIRS. ITS VERY FRUSTRATING. IVE NEVER HAD THIS MANY PROBLEMS WITH ANY CAR I HAVE PURCHASED EVER!!! EVEN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT AT MAZDA HAS SAID WHAT DO YOU EXPECT YOU PURCHASED A PLASTIC CAR ON WHEELS. IS THERE ANY OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS BESIDES MYSELF?
TAKATA RECALL AND HORN AND PASSENGER DOOR LOCK. I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR THE SUSPENSION RECALL AND AIR BAGS TO GALPIN IN VAN NUYS CA. I GOT THE CAR BACK AND THE SUSPENSION WAS DONE BUT NOT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG. THE REASON FROM THE MAZDA SERVICE MGR WAS SINCE MY PASSENGER DOOR IS BROKEN ( THE LOCK) HE COULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR SO HE DID NOT WORK ON THE AIR BAG. I CAN NOT AFFORD THE 200.00 THAT IT WILL TAKE TO FIX AND REPLACE MY PASSENGER DOOR LOCK. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE MY DOOR FIXED BY MAZDA AND THEN DO THE REPAIR WORK ON THE RECALLED AIR BAG. THE DOOR LOCK JUST BROKE ON ITS OWN AND I PAID CASH FOR MY CAR BRAND BMW FROM GALPIN. ALSO I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY MAZDA EMBLEM IN THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL BLEW OFF AND LANDED IN NY LAP!! I WAS NOT USING THE HORN. I NOW HAVE NO HORN AND HAVE LOOKED AT THE FUSE AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT HAPPEN HERE. YOU CAN SEE THAT MY MAZDA EMBLEM IS BROKEN ALL THE WAY AROUND THIS PIECE?? SOMEONE SAID THAT SINCE THERE IS AN AIR BAG IN THE STEERING WHEEL I NEED TO BUY A NEW STEERING WHEEL? REALLY? I AM A SENIOR ON MY SOCIAL SECURITY RETIREMENT ..I AM NOT ABLE TO HAVE THESE PROBLEMS FIXED AT HUNDREDS AN HUNDEDS OF DOLLARS. HOWEVER IF MY AIR BAG HAS A RECALL AND THEY DIDN'T FIX IT SINCE MY DOOR LOCK IS BROKEN AND THEY COULDN'T OPEN THE DOOR. WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST I DO? PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY INFO YOU HAVE AT [XXX] OR EMAIL AT: [ XXX] THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).?*JB
* ENGINE ISSUES WHEN THE A/C COMPRESSOR LOCKED UP. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL. THIS HAPPENED AROUND 36K MILES WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY. WE HAD TO COAST INTO THE NEXT EXIT. * ENGINE KNOCKING ISSUES. THEY STILL PERSIST AND STARTED AROUND 50K MILES. * ENGINE RESISTANCE. ALONGSIDE THE KNOCKING THERE SEEMS TO BE A GOOD AMOUNT OF RESISTANCE WHEN TAKING YOUR FOOT OFF OF THE PEDAL FOR ACCELERATION. * THEY ADDED A FACTORY EXTENSION TO THE RADIO FOR THE IPOD. EVER SINCE THEY INSTALLED THIS, THE REST OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN OVERLOADED. - HEADLIGHTS GO OUT FREQUENTLY. THIS CONCERNS ME AS MY WIFE DRIVES THE CAR AND I WOULDN'T WANT BOTH TO GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME. - THE BATTERY WON'T HOLD A CHARGE IF NOT DRIVEN FOR A FEW DAYS. THE DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE RADIO HAS A 'PARASITIC DRAW' ON THE BATTERY CAUSING THESE ISSUES, BUT REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR INSTALLATION. THEIR SOLUTION IS TO CHARGE $800+ FOR A NEW HEAD UNIT, WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS SINCE I NEVER DID ANYTHING TO THE FACTORY HEAD UNIT.
I PURCHASED THE 2008 MAZDA CX7 ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO AND ALREADY REPLACED THE COMPRESSOR I FIRST HAD WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT THE TAIL PIPE WELL I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT UNTIL SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT IS NOT NORMAL SO A WEEK LATER I STARTED HEARING NOISES LIKE A DIESEL TRUCK AND A KNOCKING NOISE SO THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD ME THE VEHICLE AND WE DROVE THE VEHICLE AND HE STATED IT WAS FINE HE THEN DROVE AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE LOCKED UP AND THEY TOLD ME THE COMPRESSOR LOCKED UP NOW I'M HEARING A TICKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND THEY STATED IT WAS NORMAL BUT IT STILL CONCERNS ME CAUSE READING OTHER STATEMENT HAVE ME WORRIED THAT THE ENGINE VALVE WILL BE NEXT AND I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO REPAIR A VEHICLE I'M A SINGLE PARENT OF 4 KIDS. *TR
ON THE MAZDA CX7 THE DASH INSTRUMENTS ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE IF ANYONE IS WEARING SUNGLASSES. MAZDA APPARENTLY IS ALERT TO THIS AS ON THE MOST EXPENSIVE CX7 ALL THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED. THIS CREATES AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION IN TRYING TO GAUGE EVEN YOUR SPEED. I OWN A CX7 , IN FLORIDA WHERE YOU MUST WEAR SUN GLASSES, AND HAVE BEEN WARNED ABOUT SPEED. MAZDA SEEMS TO HOLD THIS AS AN UPGRADE, WHICH IS NOT RIGHT. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026