NHTSA Complaint #10277357 — 2007 MAZDA CX-7

MARCH 09 FOR THE "UMPTEENTH" TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON; TOOK 2007 MAZDA CX-7 IN TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE " CODE " CHECKED; THIS TIME (AS MULTIPLE ITEMS WERE REPAIRED OR REPLACED WHILE STILL UNDER THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY) THE CODE READ "OXYGEN SENSOR" & I REPORTED THAT I WOULD NEED MY A/C CHECKED BECAUSE IT SOUNDED AND SMELLED FUNNY PLUS IT DIDN'T ALWAYS COOL; THEY DEFERRED THE A/C, "DIDN'T NEED ANY REPAIRS, SEEMED FINE" ACCORDING TO DEALERSHIP; THEY REPLACED THE O2 SENSOR AT THE COST OF >$500.00 (THIS IS A "COMMON PROBLEM" WITH 2007 CX7/ CHECKED ONLINE AFTER THE REPAIR AND $$$ COST); NOW JULY 19, 2009/ HAD DRIVEN CAR ROUNDTRIP 25 MILES APPROX./ NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD (NO DASH PANEL LIGHT/ OR OTHER INDICATOR AS TO A PROBLEM)/ OPENED HOOD AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING PLUS LOTS OF THICK SMOKE; RIGHT SIDE OF FRONT QUARTER PANEL & HOOD EXTREMELY HOT TO THE TOUCH (LEANED IN AGAINST IT TO LOOK UNDER HOOD AND GOT BURNED (LIKE TOUCHING A HOT LIGHTBULB OR POT OF COFFEE); DIDN'T SEE ANY FLAMES, BUT CONTINUED TO SMELL SMOKE; CAR IS CURRENTLY OUTSIDE WITH HOOD OPEN, PLUS WINDOWS AND SUNROOF OPEN TO ALLOW THE SMOKE THAT CAME INTO THE CABIN OUT; RESEARCHED PROBLEM ONLINE(AFTER LEARNING FROM EXPENSIVE REPAIR MARCH 2009) & SAW ALL THE REPORTS RE: SMOKE DAMAGE/ LOCKED-UP A/C COMPRESSOR/ MELTED WIRING TO OTHER ENGINE PARTS/ PAINT DAMAGE; WILL BE TAKING CX7 IN TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS IN THE AM(FROM ONLINE COMPLAINTS I GET THAT THE REPAIR BILL WILL PROBABLY BE >$1200); WHY ARE ALMOST ALL OF THE 2007 MAZDA CX-7 OWNERS HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS AND REPAIRS & STILL NO RECALL; MY CAR "ALMOST CAUGHT FIRE" BECAUSE OF A "KNOWN PROBLEM BY MAZDA" AND STILL NO RECALL; IF I HAD DRIVEN ANY LONGER/FARTHER MY CAR PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE; PLEASE DO SOMETHING NOW, BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED BECAUSE OF THESE "KNOWN" PROBLEMS. UNKNOWN PROPERTY DAMAGE AMOUNT AT THIS TIME (TOO BE DETERMINED BY DEALERSHIP MECHANICS). THANKS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.