NHTSA Complaint #10244408 — 2007 MAZDA CX-7

WHILE ON A TRIP, OUR A/C STOPPED WORKING ON OUR 2007 MAZDA CX-7. THIS CAR WAS 1 YEAR AND 1 MONTH OLD WE WENT TO THE NEAREST MAZDA DEALERSHIP. PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE, AND THE SERVICE TECH TOLD US THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT A/C. 200 MILES LATER, THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING SOUNDS AND THE CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE CAR RESTARTED AND ATTEMPTED TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD, AND COULDN'T FIND ANY PLACE TO PULL OVER, AND THEN BLACK SMOKE ENGULFED THE CAR. THE CAR "DIED" IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY STREET WITH NO SHOULDER. WE BELIEVED AT THE TIME THAT OUR CAR HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CAR CONTINUED TO EMIT A LARGE AMOUNT OF BLACK SMOKE, WE RAN FROM THE CAR CALLED 911. WE DID NOT OPEN THE HOOD OF THE CAR THINKING THAT THERE WAS PROBABLY A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. BY THE TIME THE POLICE DEPT ARRIVED, THE SMOKING STOPPED. OUR CAR WAS DISABLED ON THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY STREET (WITH NO SHOULDER). WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT OUR CAR DIDN'T CAUSE ANY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS TO OTHER VEHICLES WHILE IT WAS DISABLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. WE WERE LEFT STRANDED WITH AN INOPERABLE "BURNT" CAR 800 MILES FROM HOME. OUR MAZDA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS. IT TURNED OUT THAT THE A/C "SEIZED" UP AND CAUSED THE SERPENTINE BELT TO "DISINTEGRATE". THE CAR WAS LEFT AT MAZDA FOR 2 WEEKS, AND THE PART STILL HAD NOT COME IN AND WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE BELT WAS REPLACED AND AN A/C UNIT TAKEN FROM ANOTHER CX-7 SO WE COULD GET OUR CAR HOME. HOW CAN AN A/C COMPRESSOR BE ON BACK ORDER ON A 1 YEAR OLD MODEL, UNLESS THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON OTHER MAZDAS? I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE! *TR