NHTSA Complaint #10341857 — 2007 MAZDA CX-7

WE OWN A 2007 MAZDA CX7. WE LIVE IN ABILENE TX WE ARE CURRENTLY STATION IN DYESS AFB. ON 4TH OF JULY WE TOOK A DRIVE TO ODESSA TX TO MEET UP WITH SOME FRIENDS TO LIGHT UP SOME FIREWORKS FOR THE HOLIDAY. ON THE WAY BACK, WE BEGAN TO FEEL THAT OUR AC STARTED BLOWING HOT AIR. I STOPPED TO CHECK IT OUT, BUT EVERYTHING LOOKED TO BE IN ORDER AND NOTHING WAS LEAKING. WE KEPT TRACK OF ALL THE GAUGES TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. WE TURNED THE AC UNIT OFF AND OPEN THE WINDOWS TO GET SOME AIR FROM OUTSIDE. ONCE WE ARRIVE TO DYESS AFB IN ABILENE TX. WE NOTICE A HORRIBLE BURNING RUBBER SMELL COMING FROM THE HOOD OR OUR VEHICLE, THE SMELL BECAME MORE PREVALENT. MINUTES LATER, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CAR BASICALLY BEGAN SHUTTING DOWN. ALL CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. NO POWER STEERING. THIS HAPPENED AT 2 AM INSIDE OF THE BASE A BLOCK AWAY FROM OUR HOUSE, WE WERE LUCKY TO COAST INTO OUR SIDE OF OUR HOUSE. UPON OPENING MY HOOD ? THE ENGINE WAS EXTREMELY HOT THE WATER WAS BOILING AND THE SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER WAS EXTREMELY HARD. WE HAD TO GET THE CAR TOWED TO THE CLOSEST MAZDA DEALERSHIP. WE ARE NOW LEFT WITHOUT OUR VEHICLE FOR AT LEAST A MONTH TRYING TO GET MONEY TO FIX IT. WE WERE TOLD IS GOING TO BE 1200 TO FIX IT. DURING THIS TIME I FOUND OUT THIS ISN'T AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, AND I FEEL MAZDA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ASAP. I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE, 7 YEAR OLD, AND INFANT - AND THIS PUT US IN A VERY FRUSTRATING SITUATION. I WAS GLAD I WAS DRIVING AND NOT MY WIFE, AS IT COULD HAVE PUT HER STRANDED SOMEWHERE. OR EVEN WORSE DRIVEN OUT THE ROAD SINCE WE LOST ALL POWER STEERING. I HAVE FOUND OUT THERE ARE A THOUSAND OR SO PEOPLE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL ALREADY? IT IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM. *TR