NHTSA Complaint #10458675 — 2009 MAZDA CX-7

AROUND THE END OF APRIL 2012 I NOTICED THAT MY MAZDA STARTED MAKING A LOUD NOISE - COMPARABLE TO A SEMI OR DIESEL TRUCK. THE NOISE WAS CONSTANT, REGARDLESS OF SPEED, AND MAINTAINED AT THE SAME LEVEL AS LONG AS THE CAR WAS ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO MAZDA ON MAY 12TH TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF DROPPING THE CAR OFF, THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME BACK AND ADVISED THAT IT WAS THE VVT SYSTEM THAT WAS CAUSING THE NOISE AND IT NEEDED TO BE FIXED. ALL THEY NEEDED WAS MY OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS TO COVER THIS REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. I ADVISED THEM THAT I DON'T KEEP ALL OF MY OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS; THAT I GO TO VARIOUS BUSINESSES EACH TIME I GET AN OIL CHANGE BASED ON WHO HAS A SPECIAL, COUPONS, NEAREST LOCATION ETC. I WAS THEN TOLD WITHOUT THE RECEIPTS I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $4000 FOR THE REPAIR. AFTER DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I'VE DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY FAULTY PARTS USED BY MAZDA - AND NOT BY POTENTIAL NEGLECT FROM THE CONSUMER. THERE'S CASE AFTER CASE OF PEOPLE REPORTING SIMILAR PROBLEMS IN THEIR CX7, MAZDA REQUIRING OIL CHANGE HISTORY, AND SERVICE BEING DENIED REGARDLESS IF APPROPRIATE HISTORY IS PROVIDED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE TECHNICIANS FIND "OIL SLUDGE" IN THE VEHICLE AND QUICKLY DETERMINE THAT IT'S THE FAULT OF THE CONSUMER. I'VE NOW BEEN ASKED TO BRING MY CAR BACK INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR FUTHER DIAGNOSIS. I TOLD BOTH THE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE WARRANTY DESK AS WELL AS MY SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT BASED ON MY RESEARCH ONLINE, I ALREADY CAN PREDICT WHAT WILL BE FOUND AND WHAT WILL BE SAID TO ME. I NOTED THAT MAZDA RECENTLY ISSUED A LETTER OF JANUARY OF THIS YEAR EXTENDING THE WARRANTY OF THIS VERY PART BECAUSE OF THE ON GOING ISSUES. SO THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THEY'RE UNAWARE OF - IT'S JUST SOMETHING THEY ARE (WRONGLY) REFUSING TO COVER ON THEIR WARRANTY. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT MAZDA'S NEGLECT!