NHTSA Complaint #10334448 — 2007 MAZDA CX-7

DRIVING MY CAR (2007 CX-7 WITH 29,500 MILES ON IT - STILL "SUPPOSED" TO BE UNDER WARRANTY) AS NORMAL ON A RELATIVELY HOT AND MUGGY DAY WITH A/C ON (MAY 27, 2010). ROLLED TO A STOP AT A LIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF AN EXIT RAMP, AND THE CAR SHUTTERED AND DIED. POPPED INTO NEUTRAL, STARTED UP, PUT IT IN DRIVE AND IT DIED AGAIN. I SHUT OFF THE A/C AND PUT THE WINDOWS DOWN TO LISTEN TO THE CAR, PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AGAIN AND IT STARTED, PUT IT IN DRIVE AND IT DROVE JUST FINE. ENGINE TEMP WAS FINE. I DROVE THE CAR WITHOUT A/C TO GET HOME SAFELY. MY HUSBAND AND I SWITCHED CARS (HE HAS A MAZDA 3, WE ARE (WERE?) MAZDA LOVERS). HE DROVE IT WITHOUT A/C FOR THE WEEK, AND ON A LIMITED BASIS UNTIL WE COULD GET IT TO A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. MORNING OF JUNE 3, CAR HAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF ENGINE AFTER DRIVING 2-3 MILES FROM HOME. ONLY THE FAN WAS RUNNING. THERE IS AN AWFUL SOUND THAT COMES ON IF THE CAR RUNS WITH ANY OF THE AIR/CIRCULATION COMPONENTS. ENGINE TEMP IS STILL IN THE NORMAL RANGE. IT IS CURRENTLY AT A DEALERSHIP AND WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR BACK, BUT MY SUSPICION IS THAT IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE A/C COMPRESSOR/CLUTCH/BELT SET UP. NOT GOOD. *TR