NHTSA Complaint #10500598 — 2009 MAZDA CX-7

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. I HEARD A HIGH PITCHED SQUEALING SOUND THEN SMOKE STARTED BLOWING OUT OF MY CAR. I COULD NOT SEE, AND THE OTHER DRIVERS BEHIND ME LOST VISABILITY TOO. IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS BLINDING SMOKE, SURROUNDED BY HUGE TRUCKS, I LOST ACELERATION. MY INSTRUMENTATION PANEL DID NOT HAVE ANY WARNING LIGHTS ON. I WAS DRIVING BLIND. I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AND HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP SAID MY TURBO BLEW OUT, (WHICH I GUESS SUCKED ALL THE OIL OUT OF THE CAR) I NEED A VVT VALVE AND THE TIMING CHAIN IS STRETCHED. ON A CAR WITH 57,000 MILES! IN CHECKING ON LINE, I FOUND THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE CX-7 FOR 6 YEARS AND THEY ARE NO LONGER MAKING THIS MODEL. I SEE THAT MAZDA DEALS WITH THESE PROBLEMS BY STATING THE OWNER DID NOT MAINTAIN THE CAR PROPERLY, WHEN IN ACTUALITY, THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE TURBO SYSTEM AND HOW THE OIL COOLS IT. THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH "SLUDGE BUILDUP". I BELIEVE MAZDA HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY AVOIDING A RECALL. BUT THESE ISSUES ARE A REAL SAFETY CONCERN. I AM VERY LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. THESE ISSUES CAN BE DANGEROUS. WHEN EVERYTHING BLEW ON MY CAR, NO ONE COULD SEE THE ROAD. *TR