NHTSA Complaint #10373063 — 2007 MAZDA CX-7

MY WIFE'S 2007 CX7 WAS IN A PARKING LOT. MY WIFE STARTED IT UP, CAME TO A STOP SIGN AND THE CAR DIED WITHOUT WARNING. IT HAD 65,000 MILES ON IT (5000 OVER THE WARRANTY) AND WASN'T EVEN 3 YEARS OLD. WE HAD ALWAYS GOTTEN REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND HAD JUST HAD ONE THE WEEK BEFORE. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST MAZDA DEALER. THE FIRST TIME I TALKED TO A SERVICE TECH HE MENTIONED THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING. LATER, THEY EXPLAINED IT AS A VALVE (VARIABLE VALVE TIMING ACTUATOR?) FAILING AND CAUSING OIL CHAIN FAILURE (JUMPING THE GEARING). MY BILL ($7500 - NEW ENGINE) ONLY STATES INTERNAL PARTS FAILURE. THEY TRIED TO INDICATE THE OIL WAS DIRTY EVEN THOUGHT THE OIL WAS CHANGED LESS THAN A WEEK PRIOR. AFTER READING THROUGH MANY CX7 FORUMS ONLINE IT SEEMS THEY WERE TRYING TO BUILD A CASE FOR ENGINE SLUDGE TO COVER THEMSELVES. LESS THAN 2 MONTHS LATER REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD SHUTTER VALVE AND HAD TO FLUSH AND RESEAL BRAKE LINES. WENT TO KERRY MAZDA OF KY TO ORIGINALLY PURCHASE A 2008 BECAUSE OF LOW FINANCE DEALS. THEY SHIFTED MY ATTENTION TO THE 2007 (3500 MILES) AND I AGREED BECAUSE OF THE CERTIFIED NEW (100,000 MILES) PROGRAM. WHEN I FOUND OUT I DIDN'T HAVE 100,000 MILE COVERAGE I WENT BACK TO DEALER AND WE PULLED THE PAPERWORK AND UNDER THE WARRANTY IT SAYS CERTIFIED AND ALSO REMAINDER MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. SO IT ENDS UP THEY SOLD ME A USED CAR AS NEW AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET THE FINANCING OF A NEW CAR - VERY SHADY. MAZDA CORPORATE WAS OF NO HELP EITHER, SIMPLY STATING THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. NEEDLESS TO SAY I WILL NEVER BUY MAZDA AGAIN. I WILL ALSO MAKE SURE I DON'T TRUST WHAT THEY SAY AND MAKE SURE I READ AND UNDERSTAND EVERY PAGE EVEN AS THEY TRY AND RUSH YOU THROUGH IT. I FEAR SOMEONE WILL BE KILLED WHEN THEIR CX7 SUDDENLY STOPS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. HOPEFULLY, MAZDA WILL ADDRESS THE PROBLEM BEFORE THAT HAPPENS.