NHTSA Complaint #10818938 — 2007 MAZDA CX-7

WHILE DRIVING ON COLORADO STATE HIGHWAY 91 AT APPROX 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DIED. THE ENGINE CEASED WORKING, ALL SYSTEMS CEASED IMMEDIATELY. I WAS UNABLE EVEN TO SAFELY PULL THE CAR ONTO THE SHOULDER, THE LOSS OF POWER WAS SO COMPLETE AND SO SUDDEN. THE VEHICLE WAS 200 MILES FROM MY HOME, AND 250 MILES FROM THE CLOSEST DEALER AT THAT POINT, SO I HAD IT TOWED TO THE CLOSEST GARAGE THAT WOULD LOOK AT IT, ABOUT 60 MILES AWAY. THAT GARAGE EVALUATED THE CAR AND STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN AND A NEW ENGINE WOULD BE REQUIRED, AT APPROXIMATELY $6,000 TO $8,000. I PHONED THE CLOSEST MAZDA DEALER, IN DENVER, AND ASKED WHAT THEY RECOMMENDED. THEY ALSO STATED THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF $8,000 TO $9,000. I CONTACTED THE GARAGE CLOSEST TO MY HOME AND ASKED THEIR ADVICE. THEY STATED THEY HAD EXPERIENCE REPLACING THE TIMING CHAINS AND REPAIRING ENGINE DAMAGE IN OTHER VEHICLES AND THAT THEY COULD DIAGNOSE WHETHER THAT WAS AN OPTION. THEIR GUESS ON COST WAS BETWEEN $2,000 AND $4,000 IF THE REPAIR WERE POSSIBLE AND THERE WAS NOT TOO MUCH DAMAGE TO VALVES. SINCE THE SHOP THAT IS 25 MILES FROM MY HOME RECOMMENDED REPAIR AT LESS THAN 1/2 THE COST OF THE DEALER 200 MILES FROM MY HOME, I ELECTED TO TAKE IT THERE. UPON RESEARCH I FOUND 1. THE VIN # IS ONE IN A SERIES WITH KNOWN TIMING CHAIN FAILURE, AND THAT A HEAVIER DUTY ONE HAD BEEN ISSUED TO REPLACE; 2. THE DEALER HAD REPLACED THE VVT PREVIOUSLY AND SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN AT THAT TIME ACCORDING TO SERVICE BULLETIN 01-012/12, BUT DID NOT REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN; 3. THE FAILURE HAPPENED 4 DAYS AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF THE ENGINE WARRANTY AND 7,000 MILES OVER THE 7YR/70,000 MI PERIOD; 4. MAZDA WOULD NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY SINCE THE REPAIRS WERE DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT SHOP, NOT A DEALER. MAZDA KNOWS THAT THIS VIN# IS IN A RANGE OF VEHICLES WITH THIS ISSUE BUT WILL NOT FIX.