NHTSA Complaint #10629844 — 2007 MAZDA CX-7

AFTER LEAVING A FAMILY MEMBER'S OUT OF STATE HOME EARLY ON MONDAY AUGUST 25, 2014 MORNING NOTICED A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES LATER A BURNING SMELL AND SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ALONG WITH LOUD SQUEALING. PULLED ONTO SHOULDER OF ROAD AND SHUT OFF VEHICLE. I OPENED THE HOOD AND IT WAS OBVIOUS SOMETHING HAD BURNED UP BUT DIDN'T EASILY IDENTIFY WHAT. CALLED AAA FOR A TOW TO NEAREST MAZDA DEALER. WAS INFORMED LATER IN THE DAY BY THE DEALER THAT THE AC COMPRESSOR HAD SEIZED UP AND RUINED THE SERPENTINE BELT AS WELL. THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX IT WHICH RESULTED IN HAVING TO RENT A CAR FOR 5 DAYS TO RETURN HOME AND BACK TO PICK UP VEHICLE ON SATURDAY. LATER FOUND OUT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE COMPRESSOR FOR 5 YRS/60K MILES WHICH MEANT THAT THERE WAS NO COVERAGE ON MY VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS 7 YEARS OLD EVEN THOUGH IT HAD ONLY 49K MILES ON IT. TOTAL COST WITH TOWING, THE CAR RENTAL AND REPAIR WAS $1667. THEY ALSO "FOUND" THE STARTER WAS BAD AND A BLOWN FUSIBLE LINK FOR WHICH THEY CHARGED ANOTHER $648. I THINK THEY CAUSED THE STARTED AND FUSIBLE LINK DAMAGE TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE WITH THE SEIZED UP AC COMPRESSOR AS I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH THE STARTER BEFORE AND DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO START IT AFTER I HAD PULLED OVER AND TURNED ENGINE OFF. *TR