NHTSA Complaint #11131702 — 2010 MAZDA CX9

I WAS DRIVING MY 2010 MAZDA CX9 WHEN A LOUD BANG HAPPENED. I WAS ON A SIDE ROAD AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY, I COULD NOT VISIBLY SEE ANY ISSUES. I BEGAN TO DRIVE SLOWLY AND WITH EVERY ROTATION THE NOISE CONTINUED. LUCKILY I WAS NEXT A A GARAGE AND THEY DETERMINED IT WITH THE POWER TRANSFER UNIT (CASE). THEY HAD TOLD ME THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE AND THAT MAZDA EVEN KNEW OF THIS ISSUE BUT NEVER HAD A RECALL PLACED. AFTER RESEARCHING AND SEEING MULTIPLE YEARS OF THIS ISSUE FOR THE CX 9 AND EVEN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE MAZDA. BASICALLY THE FRONT TRANSFER CASE (OR POWER TRANSFER UNIT, PTU) IS TOO CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND GETS HEATED UP MORE THAN USUAL. THE GEAR LUBRICANT INSIDE GETS DETERIORATED A LOT FASTER AND BECOMES SLUDGE. IN THEORY GEAR LUBRICANT IN FRONT TRANSFER CASE、REAR DIFFERENTIAL、AND MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAN BE "LIFE-TIME" LUB UNDER A SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT, HENCE MAZDA AND FORD DON'T SPECIFY ANY RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE INTERVAL FOR GEAR LUBRICANT REPLACEMENT AND DON'T EVEN BOTHER TO DESIGN A DRAIN HOLE FOR IT! BUT SINCE THE GEAR LUB ACTUALLY GETS HEAT UP SO OFTEN, IT CAUSES PROBLEMS AND MAKES THE FRONT TRANSFER CASE EVENTUALLY FAILED DUE TO SLUDGE ISSUE. I HAVE READ 100'S OF COMPLAINTS AND STILL NO RESOLUTION EXCEPT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT CLAIM THEY CALLED MAZDA DIRECTLY AND AFTER MONTHS OF COMPLAINTS WERE HANDLED INDIVIDUALLY. I HAVE BEEN A LIFETIME MAZDA OWNER FROM MY FIRST 1986 MAZDA 323 AND THIS HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE. A RECALL HAS TO BE MADE WITH THIS NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND ISSUES. $3000 OUT OF POCKET FOR A KNOWN ISSUE WITH YOUR VEHICLE IS UNACCEPTABLE