2008 Mazda CX-7 Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I ALREADY HAVE A COMPLAINT BUT I FORGOT TO ADD THAT MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND WON'T COME OFF ALONG WITH MY ENGINE LIGHT IT WON'T EVEN CRANK SINCE WE BROKE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY BECAUSE IDH THE MONEY TO GET IT FIXED AND TRYING TO ASK FOR A RIDE EVERYDAY! THANK YOU SO MUCH

ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2015, I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 MAZDA CX-7 AND I STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT. WHEN I TRIED TO TAKE OFF WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, MY CAR HESITATED AND WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDDLE A LITTLE MORE, IT STILL HESITATED THEN FINALLY TOOK OFF. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I HEARD AN EXTREMELY LOUD POPPING NOISE, AND THEN THICK, HEAVY WHITE SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE TAILPIPE. THE WHITE SMOKE THEN STARTED FLOWING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND IT STARTED TO COME INTO THE CAR THROUGH THE AIR VENTS. WHEN I TRIED TO PULL OVER AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK, IT WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO GEAR, SO I PUSHED THE PARKING BREAK, AND IT FINALLY STOPPED. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WHEN I WENT TO GRAB MY PURSE, I SAW FIRE COMING THROUGH THE BOTTOM AIR VENTS ( THE ONES THAT BLOW AIR ON YOUR FEET) SO I GRABBED MY PURSE AS QUICKLY AS I COULD, AND RAN AWAY FROM THE CAR. THEN, I SAW PART OF THE ENGINE FALL OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, ON FIRE, AND BURN INTO THE STREET. ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER, THE WHOLE ENTIRE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES. ALL OF THE DOORS WERE CLOSED, BUT THE INTENSITY OF THE FIRE BLEW BOTH OF THE PASSENGER SIDE DOORS OPEN, AND BLEW OUT ALL OF THE WINDOWS (INCLUDING THE SUNROOF, WHICH WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME). WHEN THE FIREFIGHTERS FINALLY PUT THE FIRE OUT, THE CAR WAS STILL SMOLDERING AND EVERYTHING INSIDE WAS MELTED. THE STEERING WHEEL, THE SEATS, THE DOOR HANDLES, THE MIRRORS, EVERYTHING. THE FIRE WAS SO STRONG THAT IT BLEW THE HOOD BACK ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. ALL THAT IS LEFT OF THE CAR, IS JUST THE METAL FRAME, AND THE ENGINE. THE CAR HAS A 4 CYLINDER ENGINE WITH A TURBO FEATURE ON IT. I BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE AND MADE THE LOUD POPPING SOUND INITIALLY. *TR

I WRITE TO EXPRESS MY DISAPPOINTMENT AT THE QUALITY OF VEHICLES MAZDA IS PUTTING OUT, AND THE LACK OF RESPONSE MAZDA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT OFFERS ITS CUSTOMERS. IN 2008 I BOUGHT A 2008 MAZDA CX7 AND THIS CAR HAS GIVEN ME NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. FROM THE FAULTY WIRING THAT ALWAYS BLOWS OUT THE HEADLIGHTS, TO THE POWER WINDOWS WHICH SOMETIMES TURN OFF AND TURN ON, TO THE EXHAUST FUMES THAT CAN BE SMELT INSIDE THE CAR, I'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT ALL OF IT AND SPENT COUNTLESS RESOURCES AND TIME TRYING TO FIX IT ALL. THE LAST STRAW CAME ABOUT A MONTH AGO WHEN I WAS INFORMED THAT MY VVT ADJUSTER AND CHAIN WERE OUT, THE TURBO WAS OUT AND THE ENGINE WAS FAILING AND IT WOULD COST ME CLOSE TO $4,000 TO REPAIR IT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A CAR WITH ONLY 75,000 MILES. ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC AND ACCORDING TO EDMUNDS.COM REVIEWS THESE ARE ALL COMMON CX-7 PROBLEMS AND MAZDA JUST WON'T OWN UP TO THEM. *TR

VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A LOUD WHINING NOISE WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH. WHITE SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT OF REAR END. WE THOUGHT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. IT THEN WOULDN'T GET OVER 20MPH. PULLED OVER AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. *TR

WHINING SOUND WHEN GAS PEDAL IS COMPRESSED, FORM 30 - 65 MPH, AT TIMES ,LOSS OF POWER. *TR

SO THIS IS MY COMPLAINT AND STORY SO WE WENT TO FLORIDA LIKE A WEEK AND CAME BACK TO TEXAS. WHEN WE GOT BACK HOME I STARTED TO HEAR AN NOISE ON THE ENGINE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT WASN'T NORMAL IT SOUNDED LIKE A DIESEL TRUCK. SO THE NEXT DAY I HAD TO GO TO WORK AND I WAS COMING BACK HOME THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH CONTINUOUSLY AND CAR STARTED TO SHAKE SO I DROVE IT TO A AUTO PARTS STORE, SO THEY CAN CHECK THE CODE AND THEY SAID IT WAS A PISTON 3 MISFIRE. I TOOK IT TO MECHANIC AGAIN AND HE SAID THE SPARK PLUG HAD OIL AND HE SAID THAT WAS NOT A GOOD SIGN HE SAID IT MIGHT BE THE ENGINE OR A BENT VALVE. FIRST OF ALL THIS IS OUR ONLY CAR AND DON'T HAVE MONEY TO FIX IT. A USE ENGINE COST 3,000 AND UP AND IF ITS THE HEAD IT COST LIKE 1900 AND I'VE BEEN READING A LOT OF BAD REVIEWS OF THIS CAR I REALLY NEED HELP I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX MY CAR WE ARE A FAMILY OF 5. *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

2008 MAZDA CX-7WITH 40,925 MILES. AM DISABLED, RETIRED MILITARY SO TO SAVE MONEY I PEFORM OWN OIL CHANGES APPROXIMATELY EVERY 5000 TO 7500 MILES DEPENDING ON DRIVING CONDITIONS. ALWAS NEED TO ADD OIL IN BETWEEN CHANGES THOUGH NO LEAK FOUND. WAS TOLD BY MAZDA SERVICE WITHIN FIRST 6 MONTHS OF OWNING THIS VEHICLES THAT THE TURBO GETS EXTREMELY HOT AND BURNS OFF OIL. JUST BEFORE MILEAGE STATED ABOVE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND ENGINE LOST POWER. NO OTHER INDICATIONS LEADING UP TO THIS. HANDHELDOBCD-II COMPUTER CHECK SHOWED CODE P0101 (MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR). CHECKED CX-7 ON-LINE FORUMS AND IN LESS THAN 1/2 AN HOUR FOUND OVER 25 COMPLAINTS (STOPPED SEARCHING AT THIS POINT) WITH SAME PROBLEM I HAVE. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THE OUTCOMES WERE SCARY. AS PER SEVERAL FORUMS, MAZDA TELLS CUSTOMERS, AS I WAS ALSO TOLD, THAT THE TURBO AND BEARINGS BAD, SAID SLUDGE IN ENGINE BREACHES WARRANTY DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE PROOF AND DENIES TO HONOR WARRANTY. SAY CAR NEEDS A REBUILT OR NEW ENGINE AND TURBO INSTALLED AND I MUST PAY $7K - $9K FOR A REBUILT ENGINE. NOW OWE OVER $18K ON A CAR THAT SHOULD HAVE A RECALL DONE ON IT FOR THIS PROBLEM. SPOKE WIH MAZDA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AD THEY TOLD ME THAT THE DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER'S (DSM) DECISION IS FINAL, AND NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP ME. THEN ASKED MY DEALER FOR DSM PHONE NUMBER AND WAS TOLD THEY CAN'T LET ME HAVE IT, BUT SAID HE WAS GOING TO BE AT THEIR DEALERSHIP THAT DAY TO VERIFY ANOTHER WARRANTY CLAIM DENIAL AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE HIM CALL ME. FILED ON-LINE COMPLAINT WITH BBB AND AM AWAIING INFO FROM THEM TO DISCUSS MEDIATION AND IF THAT FAILS ARBITRATION. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2008 MAZDA CX7 NEW FROM JAKE SWEENEY MAZDA IN CINTI, OH. I HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT UNTIL THIS INCIDENT. I WAS DRIVING FOR WORK FROM CINTI, OH TO CLARKSBURG, WV. 20 MINUTES INTO MY DRIVE, THE AC WENT OUT. THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF A BELT BURNING. I TURNED THE AIR OFF, PUT THE WINDOWS DOWN AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE WITHOUT AC. THREE HOURS LATER, THE CAR STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND GET IT STARTED AGAIN. I DROVE TO THE NEAREST REPAIR SHOP I COULD FIND. THEY TOLD ME THE DRIVETRAIN HAD GONE BAD AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. I CALLED MAZDA AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS OUT OF THE 5 YR/60,000 MILE WARRANTY SINCE THE CAR HAS 79,000 MILES ON IT. I COULD PAY TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE CLOSEST MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC DONE TO SEE IF THEY WOULD CONSIDER HONORING THE WARRANTY. THIS WOULD NOT BE APPLIED TO ANY NEEDED REPAIRS. I OPTED TO LEAVE IT AT THE REPAIR SHOP. THEY ARE ORDERING THE PART WHICH WILL TAKE A WEEK TO GET. I HAD TO RENT A CAR TO GET BACK HOME AND WILL HAVE TO DRIVE BACK TO WV TO GET MY CAR. I REALIZE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT HAVING THE DRIVETRAIN GO OUT AFTER ONLY TWO YEARS AND 79 ,000 MILES IS TERRIBLE QUALITY. I HAVE LEASED NEW CARS ALL MY LIFE AND HAVE NEVER HAD ONE HAVE A PROBLEM THIS MAJOR AFTER ONLY TWO AND HALF YEARS. I WON'T BE BUYING ANOTHER MAZDA AGAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA CX-7. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. WHEN HE PLACED THE GEAR INTO PARK, IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE DEALER STATED THAT ALL OF THE VEHICLES DO NOT LOCK IN PARK AFTER TURNING OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE GEAR SHIFT MOVES WHILE THE ENGINE IS ON AND THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK. THE CONTACT HAS OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR THREE WEEKS. ANOTHER DRIVER EXITED THEIR VEHICLE AND THOUGHT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AFTER SHE TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. THE GEAR FAILED TO LOCK INTO PLACE AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS ABNORMAL, BUT ALL OF THE VEHICLES OPERATE IN THAT MANNER AND THERE MAY BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THE CONTACT AND SERVICE MANAGER ALSO OBSERVED SEVERAL VEHICLES THAT WERE DESIGNED IN THAT MANNER. THE CONTACT IS ALSO WAITING ON A DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER TO CALL HIM BACK. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS LIABLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE OWNER'S MANUAL DID NOT INDICATE THAT THERE MAY BE DIFFICULTY WITH THE GEAR SHIFT. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE REAR END BUMPER AND TAILGATE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 700 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 760. UPDATED 09/10/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/11/08.*JB