NHTSA Complaint #10457732 — 2009 MAZDA CX-7

IN JANUARY 2012, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MAZDA INC THAT THE COMPANY WAS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON THE TIMING CHAIN TO 70,000 MILES. IN THE LETTER, IT STATED THAT A CERTIFIED MAZDA DEALER COULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE IF THE TIMING CHAIN HAS A PROBLEM. ON FEB 24 THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A CERTIFIED MAZDA GARAGE AND WHEN MY HUSBAND WENT TO PICK IT UP, THEY SAID "IT HAS A SLIGHT NOISE BUT NOTHING BIG.THEN THEY ASKED FOR ALL THE RECEIPTS FROM THE OIL CHANGES. NOW, WE BOUGHT THE CAR IN MARCH 2009, THEREFORE WE WOULD HAVE NO RECEIPTS FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF THE CAR WAS WITH ANOTHER OWNER. WE ONLY HAD 3 RECEIPTS B/C MY HUSBAND ROUTINELY CHANGE THE OIL . NOW, THE OTHER THING WAS IN EARLY FEBRUARY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO NOT START ALL THE TIME. IT WAS TAKEN TO OUR LOCAL GARAGE AND THE REPAIR MAN SAID IT COULD BE A NUMBER OF THINGS, BUT SINCE IT HAS THE TIMING CHAIN ISSUE...THAT COULD BE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT CAUSES A CAR NOT TO START. IT LEFT ME STRANDED ON 3 OCCASIONS. SO,FROM FEBRUARY UNTIL MARCH 30, MY HUSBAND ARGUED WITH MAZDA AND THE DEALERSHIP THAT FIRST INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE DEAL WAS MAZDA WAS NOT GOING TO PAY FOR A NEW TIMING CHAIN B/C WE COULDN'T PRODUCE OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS AND IF THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE MOTOR "THIS COULD BE WHY". SO ON MARCH 30, THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP CALLED AND SAID FOR $180 THE GASKETS COULD BE PULLED TO SEE IF THERE WAS SLUDGE. WHICH IN ALL THE REPORTS THAT I READ ON THIS WEBSITE, MAJORITY OF ENGINES HAD SLUDGE B/C THE MOTOR BURNS THE OIL TOO HOT. THE OTHER REPAIRS THAT VEHICLE HAD: 2010 -AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR (IT WAS RECALLED) ($900), A NEW STARTER ($300), DEC 2011- RT REAR WHEEL BEARING ($600), FEB '12- NEW BATTERY ($100) WHICH DIDN'T NEED TO BE REPLACED B/C IT WAS PART OF THE TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM.SO ON APRIL 4, WE TRADED THE VEHICLE AND BOUGHT A 2009 HONDA CR-V. MY HUSBAND AND I WILL NEVER BY A MAZDA AGAIN.