NHTSA Complaint #10475561 — 2007 MAZDA CX-7

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE 95. THE VEHICLE WAS SAFELY MOVED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE OPENED AT A COST OF $500 TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THEY SUSPECTED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. AFTER CONSULTING WITH MAZDA CUSTOMER SERVICE, I WAS ADVISED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A MAZDA DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THOMPSON MAZDA IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN AND THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. MAZDA HAD PROVIDE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE TIMING CHAIN FOR 7 YEARS OR 70,000 MILES. THE WARRANTY INDICATED THAT IF THERE WAS A TIMING CHAIN NOISE TO BRING INTO A MAZDA DEALER TO HAVE IT SERVICED UNDER THE WARRANTY. AT NO TIME WAS THERE A NOISE EXPERIENCED FROM THE ENGINE. MAZDA ALSO INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TO HAVE SERVICE RECORDS TO BE COVERED. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED IN APRIL 2011 WE ONLY HAD OUR SERVICE RECORDS AND THE CAR FAX SERVICE RECORDS. MAZDA INDICATED THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS A GAP IN THE SERVICE RECORDS, BETWEEN 31000 MILES (THE LAST RECORD SHOWN BY CAR FAX) AND 54000 MILES (WHEN WE HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE), THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF REPLACING THE ENGINE. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT MAZDA KNEW THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE TIMING CHAIN AND HAD THEY BEEN PROACTIVE IN RECALLING THE VEHICLE AND REPLACING THE TIMING CHAIN THE ENGINE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A MORE SIGNIFICANT COST OF $7,200. *TR