NHTSA Complaint #10449240 — 2007 MAZDA CX-7

THE TIMING CHAIN IN THIS VEHICLE BROKE WHILE UNDER POWER. WE RECENTLY RECEIVED A VOLUNTARY WARRANTY EXTENSION NOTICE (MAZDA CALLS IT A SPECIAL SERVICE PROGRAM) THAT INDICATED THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE IN THE VEHICLE, SPECIFICALLY ELEMENTS RELATED TO THE TIMING CHAIN AND VARIABLE VALVE TIMING. OUR CAR ALWAYS RATTLED AT STARTUP FROM THE DAY WE BOUGHT IT, THAT WAS OUR NORMAL EXPERIENCE AND EXPECTATION FOR WHAT THE CAR WAS SUPPOSED TO SOUND LIKE. WE NEVER KNEW THIS WAS A PROBLEM UNTIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND COME TO FIND OUT, OUR CAR HAD PASSED THE EXTENDED COVERAGE PERIOD PROVIDED BY MAZDA ANYWAY. IT IS AND WILL BE OUR CONTENTION THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE MOTOR OF THIS VEHICLE. WHILE OUR EXPERIENCE IS THAT THE CAR FAILED AT 83K MILES, MANY HAVE FAILED SOONER, AND OTHER MAZDA PRODUCTS USING THE SAME MOTOR ARE AFFECTED (L3T ENGINE, ALSO IN THE SPEED 6 AND THE SPEED 3) IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE SERVICE INTERVAL FOR THE TIMING CHAIN HAD NOT BEEN REACHED. MAZDA PUBLISHED A TSB ON THIS PROBLEM IN 2009 OR THEREABOUTS, BUT NEVER CONTACTED IT'S CUSTOMERS DIRECTLY TO INDICATE THAT SERVICE MAY BE REQUIRED. IT IS TIME FOR THE NTSB TO GET A RECALL NOTICE ISSUED AND PUT THIS ISSUE TO BED ONCE AND FOR ALL, BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR