NHTSA Complaint #10483327 — 2007 MAZDA CX-7

DRIVING EAST ACROSS THE BAY BRIDGE FROM SF, THE ENGINE MADE A WHEEZING NOISE. AFTER A MILE THE POWER DROPPED, AND THE CAR WOULD ONLY TRAVEL AT 30 MPH. NO ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TO WARN OF THIS, EVEN DURING THE EVENT. AT THIS POINT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT IT NEEDED REPAIR ATTENTION, AND WE FOUND A MAZDA DEALER/REPAIR SHOP RELATIVELY CLOSE BY TO DRIVE IT TO. ONCE THEY HAD A CHANCE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, THEY REPORTED TO US THAT ENGINE 'SLUDGE' WAS TO BLAME. THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BEEN RUBBING, AND THE VVT ACTUATOR HAD BEEN COMPROMISED. TURBO GALLEYS WERE ALSO PLUGGED. IN JAN. OF THIS YEAR, MAZDA POSTED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR CX-7'S TIMING CHAIN AND VVT. HOWEVER, THE DEALER INFORMED US AFTER CHECKING WITH MAZDA THAT WE WERE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE WARRANTY. GAPS IN OUR HISTORY OF REPAIR WAS THE GIVEN REASON. AFTER AN APPEAL, THE REP FROM MAZDA SAID THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY HAD REVIEWED THE CLAIM AND AGAIN DECLINED TO HELP. WE HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CX-7 OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MANY OF THEM HAVE ALSO BEEN DENIED THE USE THE WARRANTY THAT MAZDA HAS EXTENDED.THIS IS A VAST AND SCARY PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. *TR