Mazda Reviews

After six months, we began to have mechanical issues with the vehicle. A diesel-sounding chug coming from the engine seemed off for an unleaded four-cylinder SUV. The vehicle had less than 60,000 miles when we purchased it and by the time we began to notice the issues, the drive train warranty had expired. I began to do some in-depth research into this year/make/model and the results I unearthed were astounding. The 2007 CX-7 has been plagued with poor craftsmanship direct from the factory. The horror stories about this vehicle are anywhere and everywhere. I even saw one to where the consumer experienced full engine failure before 30,000 miles. The common issue seemed to be a part called a VVT actuator. No recalls or service advisories had been issued for engine parts at this time. However, in January 2012, an entire half-decade after the vehicle rolled off the assembly line, we received a Variable Valve Timing Noise and Timing Chain Noise Warranty Extension notice by mail from Mazda.

A month or so after we received the notice, the vehicle began leaking oil. We took our vehicle into a Roger Beasley Mazda Center and had it examined. The oil cooler on the vehicle was beginning to fail. We explained the notice that we received in the mail and they were already well aware of these issues. We were told the engine had engine sludge and with it being a second-owner vehicle, we did not have the documentation to prove that regular oil changes had been performed. Instead, all repairs and replacements would come from our own pockets. The result ended up being a need to replace the VVT actuator, the timing chain, the oil cooler, and replacing all of the gaskets. The technician showed us a side-by-side of the current timing chain and the new replacement, the used chain had literally stretched to be about half an inch longer than the replacement. We drove off the lot and hoped that the problems had been solved.

Within two months of the repairs, the engine began making a high-pitched whining noise. My wife contacted the dealership that day while at work and they said to bring it in. On the way to the dealership, which is less than 10 miles away, the vehicle died on the freeway. This ended up being the result of a blown turbocharger. Again, we had to take money from our nest egg to replace yet another part on this vehicle. Mazda Corporate has been overwhelming uncooperative with patrons regarding this matter and has repeatedly declined to take ownership of their poor engineering of this particular model and instead, continuously places the blame on the purchasers of their vehicles, claiming poor maintenance has resulted in the failure of its parts. We are now hoping we can sell the vehicle to avoid the fate of so many other CX-7 owners - that of owning a giant paperweight with a $300 per month payment. This experience will lead us to never purchase a Mazda ever again and to encourage those around us to do the same.

Earlier this month, my husband took the car to the warranty approved maintenance shop for an oil change, where he was informed by the mechanic that the car needs to be repaired due to VVT damage, and that we cannot drive the car until the part is ordered and repaired. At first we were told that our warranty will cover the repair work, but it will take approximately 2 weeks for the VVT part to come in.

It has now been nearly three weeks, and my husband and I still don't have our car back, since the VVT part is on backorder all over North America. We are both working parents of a two and a half year old toddler who needs to be taken to daycare every day. The CX7 is our only car, therefore in the past three weeks; we've had to rely on friends, co-workers and now a rental car to make it to work and our daughter's daycare. The rental car is costing us a lot of money, and neither our warranty, nor Mazda is willing to cover the rental car fees. We have no estimate as to when the VVT part will arrive for our Mazda CX7 and no way of getting around. We are financially unable to continue paying for the rental car.

Having said all that, I am extremely disappointed and angry with Mazda. It seems that VVT (variable valve timing) part is now a known problem with Mazda CX7, so this is a faulty VVT problem that Mazda is aware of, yet no one we spoke with from Mazda is willing to show any compassion for us. Mazda's response to our problem is simply that since we don't have proof of enough oil changes (we've only had the car for less than a year), and we don't have our extended warranty with Mazda, therefore it's not their problem. I've obviously been mistaken by trusting Mazda for making a reliable car, or showing any social responsibility and compassion to their customers.

My daughter was on I85 in heavy rain 2/18/2012 when her car bogged down and it was all that she could do to get safely off of the highway and out of heavy traffic. Her check engine light was flashing and we knew exactly what was wrong. Here we go again.

Is there anyone that can help us with the EPA required catalytic converter warranty? Is there any extended warranty law which applies when a part needs to be replaced four times? Recalls that we can not find or our dealership is not telling us about? Can you please help? Thank you very much.

My theory on what happened is the stress of removing the old plugs weakened the surrounding metal and causing the new plugs to blow out within a short period of time. My repair is taking place tomorrow and I had planned on fixing the 4 others with inserts before they blow. However, after reading this long list of blowout events I have some reservations about how long the repairs will last and thus am thinking about getting it fixed and then trading it in for another manufacturer (Jeep perhaps?)

I called the dealership and they confirmed the extended warranty and told me to bring my car in. He said nothing else except that it would be covered. When I got to the dealership, they inspected the vehicle to make sure it was the timing chain problem before I left it. The service manager came out to the waiting room and asked me to talk with him privately in an office. He showed me a paper towel with what looked like chunky oil. He told me he would not be able to cover my car under the extended warranty because I had sludge and did not maintain my vehicle properly. I took that as an insult and told him I did get my oil changed. He asked me to provide receipts which seems ridiculous to me. Unless someone goes to one oil change place religiously, how do you keep track of all of those receipts? In my case, I have a friend do most of my oil changes. No receipts. I called Mazda direct to complain. They told me that they would forgo the receipts if they had permission to remove the valve cover and check the condition. At my expense!

I called about 6 independent mechanics around town and they all told me the CX-7 has a sludge issue. That no vehicle with 50,000 miles would have sludge that bad even if oil changes weren't performed at regular intervals. That no vehicle should need a timing chain at 50,000 miles. It is an obvious defect in the design and Mazda doesn't want to pay out millions to correct their mistake. I cannot afford a $1200 repair and now after reading all of these complaints, I'm afraid my engine is going to blow. Mazda needs to take care of their customers!

Leak turned out to be the pinion seal which I had them fixed. The following Thursday, I had to bring it back to Meineke, because the differential was making whining noise. Meineke offered to do the warranty work, and I agreed. I put a claim into Mazda's service contract. They then dragged their feet and called on a third party "adjuster" to come and look at the damage.

After a week of the truck up in the air on Meineke's rack, per lack of communication with Mazda's warranty people, I had to OK Meineke to open up the differential, etc. It turned out the main bearing had gone bad. This "adjuster" decided I was at fault for not maintaining it and also that the shop was at fault for not tightening the pinion nut tight enough on their former pinion seal job. This was all a bogus excuse though. Nowhere is there any "maintenance schedule" for the differential in the contract nor in the owner's manual. The shop had tightened the pinion nut the first time so hard, they said any harder and it would've stripped. Still Mazda denies me coverage based on this adjuster's bogus theories.

Mechanics say the bearing went bad causing a wobble in the drive shaft which in turn compromised the pinion seal, thus causing the leak. Differential was still running smooth and noiseless, when I discovered the leak and took it in. This then has nothing to do with lack of maintenance running out of oil or the pinion nut not being torqued down properly. I had to pay the shop out of pocket for part of the bill, as they gave me a break. They also paid for a rental car for the week, which also should be covered by Mazda.

Local attorneys say this would really be small claims, but now I'm searching on where to have papers served to Mazda as they have no real office in California, etc. Meineke shop owner and his mechanics are willing to come to court to give their expert opinion, etc.

6 months later, the front-wheel bearing went bad, fusing to the hub despite having the car checked at a dealership when I first heard the noise. $500! Now the AC switch is not working. Hopefully only a relay, but it may turn out to be a blower-motor. Probably another $1000 in repairs. This car has seen the shop more in the last 8 months than my previous Ford 156,000 miles in 10 years.

No more Mazdas in my garage. Reading this site is disturbing. It is not necessarily the list of complaints about reliability, but Mazda's apparent lack of concern for its "customers." Or should I say suckers. Now I know why Mazda has such a great track record with recalls. There aren't any. I am dumping this CX9. Any readers should follow my advice and do the same. Expensive lesson learned.

About a week after receiving the letter, my Mazda's engine failed at 67,000 miles. I was stuck under pouring, cold rain trying to push it off the road. After getting it towed to the North Penn Mazda Dealership, I was notified the following morning that my vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. I researched it and came to the conclusion that the connecting rod between the crank shaft and the piston has broken causing it to go through the engine block and make a hole.

The Mazda technician that inspected it told me that the failure most likely was not related to the timing chain but to make an accurate statement, they would need to open up the engine for which I would have to pay $800.00 to $1,000.00. I opened a case file with the corporate, which after contacting the dealership, told me that since the damage most likely is not related to the timing chain, Mazda was not liable regardless the fact that the source of the problem was not diagnosed.

After getting many opinions from other technicians, I came to the conclusion that there is nothing that I, as a responsible consumer, could have done to prevent this from happening and that the engine was most likely poorly manufactured. I looked more in this matter and with simple sources of research I found out that there had been numerous similar cases throughout North America. With that in mind, I contacted the Service Manager at the Mazda Dealership seeking for help but I was shut down with two words out of warranty.

The service manager told me that he understands my frustration and that when one purchases a $25,000 vehicle they expect to get more than 67,000 miles out of it, however, there was nothing he could do after contacting his corporate representative. After sending many emails I received a response from Mazda customer service explaining that if I did authorize the diagnosis and it resulted to show manufacturing defect, Mazda would cover the expenses to fix the damage. I called to confirm the email and after investigating the case, a gentleman from the customer service department left me a voice mail confirming the information.

The following day I received another call from customer service stating that Mazda would not honor the statement made on the email and that no assistance will be offered. I requested to speak to a manager who got back to me two days later. Mr. G stated that Mazda will not offer any assistance of any form regardless the outcome of the diagnosis and the email sent did not imply what it stated.

Meanwhile my technician had diagnosed the issue and had concluded that the damage was caused by bad assembly, poorly put together and that should be covered by the manufacturer. The conclusion, if I want to be able to drive this car again, I will need $6,000.00 plus taxes to replace the engine which I had no fault and no contribution in breaking.

To get this problem resolved, we must report this very unsafe issue to the Government, Better Business Bureau, and all other outlets. Everyone please complete a report so we can get some justice! God forbid someone could have run into the back of my car with my child in it!

The best avenue to make us aware of an issue is to file a formal complaint with us, the NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Please click on the following link or paste the web address into your browser to file a complaint. **. In the filing the complaint, please have your VIN handy and please include as much detail as possible regarding your incident / experience with the issue.

I am still waiting on some type of resolve on this issue. The fact recalls Mazda is currently putting out have nothing to do with the real issue for this car. Please help CX7 owners who are out 10's of thousands of dollars purchasing this paper weight!

Special Service Warranty: This January, Mazda released a Special Service Program to extend the warranty coverage for the specific repair of the Variable Valve Timing (VVT) noise and/or timing chain noise concern for my vehicle. However, the warranty coverage for the specific repair is extended to 7 years from the original warranty start date or 70,000 miles, whichever comes first. The letter was broadly dated January 2012. A customer service representative named Jason informed me that the letters were sent out 1/13/2011. However, I did not receive the letter until 1/21/12, and my mileage is now 72,800.

The Special Service Program letter was not received until Saturday 1/21/12. In November of 2011 is when I first started hearing the rattling/ticking noise. In your letter you describe the problem as "a loud ticking noise may be exhibited from the VVT when the engine is first started at cold condition After the engine warms up, some vehicles may exhibit a knocking/rattling type noise from the front timing cover and/or valve cover at engine speeds below 2,000 rpm, due to excessive stretching of the timing chain. " Following is a warning that the warranty extension does not apply if the problem is caused by poor vehicle maintenance. However, I can assure you that I have kept up to date with oil changes (using the correct weight oil), I keep a maintenance log, purchase everything from the same pep boys, and am willing to provide proof of receipts if necessary.

Since November, I have been trying to explain and pin point this issue to a family friend who happens to be my mechanic. If you were to repeat the above quote to any mechanic, 100% of them would say, "I need to hear the noise first. " Being that you do not hear the noise 100% of the time, it has been extremely difficult to identify the repair with my mechanic until this letter came, which clearly states the root of the problem. Back in November, the car was under the 70,000-mileage limit; in fact I was still under the limit though most of December. However, I drive about 90 miles a day during my commute to and from work.

By the time the letter was received, and I was finally aware of the actual problem, I happened to be 2,800 miles over the limit. After some calculations based on driving 90 miles a day, I would have first breached the 70,000 mile limit 31 days ago, or roughly around December 20. According to Jason, one of your customer service representatives, he informed me these letters were sent out on January 13, 2012. If the letters were sent out just four weeks prior then I would have been under the 70,000-mile limit. I can understand if Mazda were to deny the warranty extension for drivers with say 90,000 miles at the time of the letter. But to deny Mazda owners who are over the limit by a mere few weeks is absolutely arbitrary and uncalled for.

To recognize the problem at hand and issue a Special Service Program is a start but I urge you to look at the 70,000-mile limit as a gray line, and not such a black and white one. This will help instill faith back into Mazda Owners such as myself. Please be open to understand and accept extenuating circumstances. Thousands of Americans file wrongful lawsuits everyday out of greed. My only wish is to have Mazda bear the costs of the repair. I know I am not the only Mazdaspeed6 owner in this situation and I hope others will be as persistent as me to have their opinions on the matter heard. I have a file # on record for VIN# JM1GG12L171110311 if you wish to view at your convenience.

At 85,000 miles, I need new tires. This will be my 3rd set. I am a soccer mom not a tire burning teenager. I will never buy another Mazda again. I’m not sure if the box is checked or not checked but I would be interested in hearing from an attorney if there is a class action suit against Mazda.

Financed Pricing for new 2011 Mazda2 GX (B5XB51AA00) is $15,595 financed at 0.9% over 84 months equals bi-weekly payments of $88 with $0 down payment, cost of borrowing is $499 with a total obligation of $16,094. As shown, Offered Pricing for 2011 Mazda2 GS (B5SB51AA00) is $19,895 financed at 0.9% over 84 months and equaling bi-weekly payments of $113 with $0 down payment, the cost of borrowing is $637 with a total obligation of $20,532. All offers include freight, P.D.E. and fees. Offers exclude HST. Visit mazda.ca or see your dealer for complete details? Estimated fuel economy based on Natural Resources Canada Fuel Consumption Guide. Actual fuel consumption may vary.

I felt I've been robbed by this sales people. I'm so disappointed because what they make me pay is $162.00 a month and that is with 3,000 down payment, so that's about $32,484 which is the ads said that the obligation is on $20,532 so that's a difference of 11,952. I don't think the tax and the extended warranty will cost that much. Until now, I don't know what to do. I just hope this thing doesn't happen to someone else. I meant the promotion is there why this people never mention it to their costumer because we are the costumer that will be coming back for service and more now I don't even know if I still go there for service. I just hope you guy could help me and can give me some answers. Thanks by the way, the manager I dealt with is Michael **.

This would be the last purchase for Mazda and I don't recommend it to anyone. I should have stayed with American made. Spending $20k for an auto that I have to fix two weeks later. What a piece of junk. I would like to let the owner of the Mazda to look at this two complaints. The car had only one owner and I just realized why he returned his car. Also, the motor moves when you press the gas. I don't know if that is normal, but I hope the motor doesn't drop while I am driving. Thank you, I will be waiting for a response.

Mazda wants $1400 for the part! A better quality aftermarket part is available for less than half this price. Also, the Oxygen sensor on the Cat Converter has to be replaced at huge cost. I replaced the other one eight months ago. Together my current repair bill will be about $2000 including labor. You can find lots of stories just like mine on the internet (e.g. Edmunds).

The warranty states that all components are covered and the manufacturer will have to repair the components free of charge. I brought the warranty over to my mechanic to look it over. He stated that he would call Mazda and find out if they will honor this federal warranty. My mechanic spoke with a gentleman named Robert **. He approved the use of the warranty and told the mechanic to have us bring the vehicle over to Mazda.

The next day, I paid to have the car towed to Mazda. Robert ** stated that he would call me before he started to give me a price on the repairs. When he called later that afternoon, he gave me a quote of $1,700. This was $300 more than my mechanic. He then called back again and stated that he would drop the cost to $1,345. It is costing me the same price with the warranty as it would have at my mechanic's garage, without the warranty. I also had to pay to have the car towed to Mazda. I only brought it over to Mazda because the gentlemen stated he would honor the warranty, and he is charging me more. I feel belittled and taken advantage of.

The consequence is they kept our vehicle for 2 months with no phone calls or status what they’re doing. You don't find too many people purchasing 2 vehicles the same day and the RX8 shutting off on us for a 3 years period to finally replacing the engine. The Tribute is left for us to do the repair. All we are asking is for help and to get our point across so nobody has to spend their holidays driving around in an unsafe RX8, which me and my family relied on the Tribute.

Mazda dealership found that the liftgate could not be closed due to malfunctioning of the motor. Since the car is within the warranty period, this will be fixed by them. But they denied to take the responsibility of the body damage, that was caused by this. Initially, they questioned why the roadside assistance was not called. When we gave them the details of my call to the roadside assistance, then they changed the statement to "body damage is not covered under warranty". I understand that the body damage is normally not covered in warranty, but in this case, the damage occured because of the malfunctioning of the motor, which was under warranty.

If the motor worked fine, then the body damage would not have occurred. So Mazda should take the responsibility of the damage that was caused by them. When asked what is the Mazda-recommended way to handle this situation, the zonal manager of Mazda told "you could have left the car in the parking garage (with the liftgate completely open) and taken a rental car back home".

Why is it that, in this day and age, warranty, or customer concerns are not dealt with properly. Mazda now tells me by email, that they are not responsible. Perhaps using substandard materials? They are now just duping their customers. Second problem is that my tires lose 0.5, to 3 lbs of pressure, within a two week period, per tire, but of course, Mazda is not responsible. The dealer had finally water tested, and found nothing. It is a slow leak. Doesn't any one offer customer service any more, or are they just passing the buck.

I guess I have to do the leg work, and call Michelin. I also have to get the alloy rims checked. As far as the seat goes, well, I have to deal with it on my own, of course I'm sure, they would have no problem selling me one. As a first time Mazda owner, take my advice, and do not buy this substandard garbage. GM I'm coming back.

Wing Mirrors. The CX-7 is a cross between the ordinary car and the SUV. The wing mirrors are much too small for this vehicle and presents quiet and enormous blind spot. I have had a number of near misses since acquiring this vehicle!

Automatic Transaxle Control. This Transaxle control is causing me trouble due to the design. Most automatic vehicles only requires a push of a release button and pulling the lever straight down into the required position. In this vehicle, there is no button. However, you have to maneuver your way around a number of grooves in order to get to a desired position. This gives the impression of a manual stick shift which to me seems like a backward step in the design of the vehicle.

The Radio. The Tribute I had before the CX-7 had the feature in which was able to continue to listening to the radio when I got to my destination even after switching the engine off until I exited the vehicle. The CX-7 is lacking this feature which I find a huge drawback as it is a newer model.

The Climate Control System. Safety is a very important aspect when driving. Most vehicles are designed for the drivers to keep their eyes focused on the plethora of things happening on the road at every second and features which distract from this should not be present in the vehicles. In the Tribute, with regards to the climate control system, there were five (5) buttons to select your preference of either the defroster, defroster and floor vents, the dashboard vents, the dashboard and floor vents and the floors only vents . This made it so you only have to take your eyes off the road once to select the mode you need. In this vehicle there are two (2) buttons, one for the defroster and one for the other modes. Therefore this makes it so that it is fine to select for the defroster however for the other modes, you are required to take your eyes off the road multiple times in other to be sure of the exact mode which was selected, as the second button needs to be pressed numerous times depending on the desired mode.

Bluetooth. It is the law that persons are no longer allowed to hold phone in order to have a conversation when driving, so Bluetooth should not be thought of as a bonus feature in modern vehicle but a standard feature. This Bluetooth is seriously flawed. It rings, I answer but there is no sound. I cannot hear the person nor can they hear me. I hang up and the entire display goes blank. The radio goes out and the time resets itself. After which, I have no radio and no phone for days. This event occurs on a regular basis, it corrects itself, after which the phone will ring again and the whole incident occurs all over.

Indicator. The Tribute I drove before had the indicators neutralized after 60 seconds. So if I was at a stoplight waiting to go left or right the indicator would neutralize and I would have to put it back on. This a great feature to have as when changing lanes on a high way the CX-7 keeps the light on where as the tribute would neutralize after a minute. It is very irksome for driver to be blowing and swearing at me on the highway for not changing lane as is being indicated.

In conclusion, I have to confess the CX-7 is a step back into the past and I would happily trade it for a tribute with the Bluetooth and the heated seats as it is my opinion that I have been downgraded in my move from the tribute to the CX-7. My number is **** I would appreciate if someone from the costumer service could call me and we could find a common ground in which to settle this matter hopefully within the next week.

I don't mind paying my debt, but I don't have the car because it didn't work. There should be a comprise somewhere on this. Not trying to shaft on my loan, but the damages and near-death accident I had in the car as a result of the mechanical defect should be applied to my balance.

I want to know if there is any compensation I can receive for this defect of the paint. I know this should not be happening to a car that's 10 years old. Help! In anticipation of a response, thank you for your time and attention.

The next day my father called and explained the situation to the manager and they then said that they would replace the part free of charge and for me to contact them to arrange an appointment. I gladly called them back and told them to order the part and that I needed to speak about finances with my dad about getting a new bumper, and that I would call them back. I called them back and set up an appointment to get the piece put on, but a few things came up and I wasn't able to go to the dealership. I cancelled the appointment, and the next thing I know I'm receiving phone calls from blocked phone numbers that I have a new bumper waiting for me at the dealership and I need to come in and get it put on since I ordered it. They have called me numerous times and left what I would call rude messages on my cell phone an my home number. I called them three times on did not get an answer at the service desk. They have now informed me that they will be sending my bill to collections if I do not get the bumper put on. I refuse to pay for something that I did not order, and especially how I've been treated.

This is my first experience with buying a Mazda and dealing with them and I will never buy a Mazda again due to the experience. I'm a good customer, I pay my bills, and never wanted this to go to this extent. I look forward to hearing back from you.

I picked it up on 10/20/11 and the same thing happened. They kept it. I picked it up the next day. On 10/21/11, again the light came on after leaving. I went home and called them. The tech stated it would cost me another $400.00 plus. What? I stated they should fix it because the engine light was not the problem. I brought it in for the alternator and wiring. What happened with my engine light? I took the car and went to work. There was no light on and then, the light was on, etc. Oh and by the way, they stated to me the valve with an open and shut flap could stay open or closed and I should not worry. They were lax in that statement. Do they not understand it's my engine light? I have had my Mazda 6 for 5 1/2 years and never had a complaint regarding maintenance and repairs from the Mazda dealer before. What is going on? Or, is it just the Mazda dealers in Lodi, New Jersey? If there's a class action suit in the making, I'm in.

I called North American operations and they blew me off. I asked everyone else up the food chain and nothing happened. They wanted $155 for the battery at the dealership or $100 at Autozone. Ultimately, I had to buy a new battery. Since Mazda covers nothing at twice the price, I bought the one from Autozone which is a 36/8 year warranty. Mazda then proceeded to charge me $55 to put it in. Save yourself time, money, and sanity. Don't buy Mazda. And if you decide to anyway, don't buy from Suburban Mazda in Michigan. I originally bought 2 Mazda 6s from them in 2009 and they will be my last.

At 162,000 km, my engine blows. I contact Mazda Canada and they say, "Too bad. Your guarantee is up," and say that I missed an oil change. I heard that there are lots of cases like this and that there may be a class action lawsuit against Mazda concerning these 2.3L Mazda engines. I would appreciate information if you have any.

My research via the internet found this to be an issue with '95 Miatas. Please look into this issue to confirm if Mazda is responsible for the bags/glass/control module, sensors and switches. Understandably, the oil pan is my problem, and thank goodness I was not injured by the bags or fling glass and was able to maintain control of the vehicle.

I bought it from Duncan Auto in Key West. It was lovely and it still is, but the engine is useless. The hold light went on and the transmission began to burn. When I called Duncan, the dealer where I had purchased, they said that their mechanics wouldn't touch it. I tried some more local mechanics who had their way with the car and charged me heavy but still the problem persisted. The car could not be driven over 25 mph and I couldn't go anywhere without the transmission burning up.

Finally, at my expense, I had it towed to a Mazda dealer in Miami. They said that it needed a new transmission at a cost of $6000.00. The car cost me most of my savings ($17,000.00) which was a lot of money for me and was the first nice thing I ever bought myself and it lasted only two years. This cleaned me out and I can't afford another car at this time. The car still sits in front of my house and forever a painful reminder.

Do your research people and buyer beware. Learn what you're getting into on second-hand owned vehicles from non-affiliated dealers.

To make this easy, I had to pay to get the pump replaced and one year later, I have the same problem in the traffic and couldn't even get it to work again. I took my car back to a different Mazda dealer, but I was told that my pump looks great and if it happens again, they will look for a different problem. But I might have to pay again for a new pump! What a joke! I just hope I won't have an accident before someone from Mazda do something! And to top it all, Mazda had recalls on this problem and they told me it is safe to drive like this! I'm waiting for a response soon!

On 9/25/11, I called the Mazda service department and spoke to Lee. I informed him the exact information and he told me to bring my car in for service. So, I schedule an appointment for 9/27/11 at 2:15 pm.

I went in just to be told that in order for Mazda to service the car, I would have to pay $129 for the a/c and that if oil was short, I would not have a problem unless it was below low. I did explain to him that my husband had to put in a quarter of oil because it was so low. He suggested that I bring it back for another oil change and they would deduct a quarter off the amount. He was not willing to consider by chance that air was leaked out of the car by Mazda technician and not enough oil was put in the car by Mazda. He never stated over the phone about paying for them to check a/c or anything. I drove from another city just for poor service once again.

I called them every day until the third day they told me that there is a hole in my engine and oil was leaking out, and they wanted to see my oil change receipts. When I heard them tell me that, I said immediately that they must have the wrong car because my car came in running with no problems that they stated. There was no oil on the floor. I had checked the oil before it came to them, and it was perfect. My car was drivable. I obliged to their request because Mazda is a big corporation that must surely work honestly with their customers. I also figured that they were exaggerating when they said all of this. I sent them the information. After calling them repeatedly, they finally told me a week later that my receipts "looked sketchy” and that Mazda Corporation wouldn't cover the warranty. I proceeded to tell them that their claim is totally false and impossible. I had the oil changed every 3-4 months, approximately 2500 miles (I drive locally and take the train to school).

Then they proceeded to send it again to Mazda Corporation after I told them that there is a problem on their part. Again, they denied the warranty work. So, I went down to pick up the car after three weeks because I need my car. When I turned on the car, it sounded like a tractor and then would die on its own. I tried to start it up again and give it some gas, and the rpm fluctuated, then it dies. It was clearly not the condition that it was when I brought to them. The check engine light was on, and they said that I told them that it was knocking.

The customer service representative told me that I needed to deal with the dealership. After going back and forth between the dealership and the customer service, I left without my car because I didn't anticipate having to tow my car.

The following week, I paid for a towing service to bring my vehicle to my local mechanic. I brought it to my mechanic locally, and after looking it over it, it looked like they drained the oil, and ran the engine at high rpm until the problem got worse enough for them to tell what the problem was. They obviously have done this many times and are professionals at this. They know exactly what to say, and what story to stick by. They also put a dent on my car that I know for a fact wasn't there when I gave it to them. I took pictures of it.

After several weeks of run around, I was finally told that it was going to cost $90 for the service team to look at the engine. I was then informed that he could put a salvaged engine in for $4,000. I about freaked out--$4,000 for a used engine that came with a mere 90-day warranty? I called Mazda headquarters and was told that I should've bought an extended warranty. I told her that she was crazy as no car costing over $20,000 should have a blowing engines with a mere $40,000.

I then asked if Mazda would help out by paying for the service or the engine--or at least half, so that I could get the car back working. She told me that Bob offered me a great deal and I had refused him. I told her what he offered and $4,000 for a used engine plus other parts as needed didn't sound like a good deal to me at all. I asked her, "If it was you car, would you not expect Mazda to stand behind their product and assist?" She told me that Mazda stands behind their products and I should've purchased the extended warranty.

After reviewing the Internet, I found out that Mazda 6 engines seem to have a lot of loss of oil or blow out problems. I always thought Mazda was a good company but I know I'll never purchase another. I'll make sure that everyone I speak with would hear about my experience with the vehicle, the dealers run around, and the arrogance at Mazda HQ in California.

We test drove the 7 and decided on this vehicle. The salesman had us consider owning this vehicle versus another 7 with lesser options for similar retail. Inside, another man entered the cubicle to inform us that the windshield cover had been put on the wrong vehicle. I am familiar with signing and obligation, so relevance here is the constant. The vehicle was not just on the lot, but in a hot spot under the awning and according to the conversation, had been signed wrong since at least the previous day.

I did not purchase a vehicle from the dealership that day or since then and have been deliberating on the most respectful way to handle this situation. I look forward to action to rectify this unusual situation.

Cordially,

Lucy

In 2002, had transmission fail, water pump, air conditioner, timing belt. Mazda, of course, did take responsibility. I see after reading the countless complaints on this site it is a company that does not stand behind their product.

As of 8/2011, not only the transmission is gone but catalytic converter should be replaced (if I want to pass smog). Mazda said it was all my doing and wash the grease from their hands. I see after reading the countless complaints on this site it is a company that does not stand behind their product. I will never by a Mazda again. Sincerely, an extremely broke consumer.

A couple of months later, the engine light came on again with the car now needing a transmission sensor replaced (10.10). On June 25, 2011, the engine light came on again. I took the car back and was told that the car could not be seen until June 28. I decided to keep the car there due to the driving condition while taking the car to the dealer.

On June 28, I never received a phone call and had to call the dealer. I was informed that the machine that read the problems with Mazda cars was currently broke, and they had no idea when the machine would be fixed. While waiting, I rented a vehicle, which was not covered by my warranty because they were not able to state what was wrong with the car. I was told that I should now pay for a tow truck to have my car taken to another dealer. I expressed that when my car was dropped off on 6.25.11, the machine was not broken; therefore, I should not be responsible for towing the car. The dealer indicated that they would try to fix the machine in the meantime and get back to me.

While waiting, I contacted the Mazda headquarters concerning this matter. They concluded that Sussman would pay for the rental car. My car stayed with Sussman for about two-and-a-half weeks. Sussman dealer stated that they won't have a new machine anytime soon and they agreed to transport my car to North Penn dealership, which concluded that my car needed a new turbo and possibly a new engine.

I'm very confused on how a car, which was purchased not even two years ago, would need so much work. I recently picked up my car on August 4, 2011. It is my understanding after completing some research that the Mazda Cx-7 has had several issues concerning the engine in the later models.

I conclude this letter by stating that service at Sussman was horrible. This is my first experience with Mazda cars and based on this, I would never recommend this vehicle. I hope that you can shed some light on this matter concerning engine concerns. Also, until this day, Sussman has yet to phone me concerning the rental car fee, after copies of the receipts were sent for over $900 in payment.

I look forward to hearing from someone in the near future.

While speaking to somebody from the Mazda corporate office, I was given only given a “sorry about your luck” attitude. As a result of the cost, I sent the vehicle to an independent mechanic, who replaced the engine with a used engine that has warranty for three years. I was also informed that there is a well known issue with Mazda engines, but the company refuses to stand behind their product, or remedy the problem.

I don't think it's unrealistic to expect a vehicle to last longer than 5 years (that only has 42,000 miles, and with only 20,000 miles is mine). Clearly by just reading problems posted online, there are many issues with Mazda products. Judging from my experience, speaking to somebody from their corporate office who would neither allow me to speak to anyone with authority, or offer any resolution to the problem to keep a customer, I certainly will not be purchasing any of their products in the future, and I would advise anyone I know to look elsewhere.

Daughter drove it for another month or so and called again, saying it was doing the same thing again. We took it back again and he scratched his head and said he had to ground it again in several places. Got the car back and again in less than 2 months, daughter calls again saying car is doing same thing, only worse and more frequent. She can't even drive it without it dripping into a lower gear and RPMs hitting 4000. We are really sick and tired of trying to get it repaired and of the inconvenience it causes her and us trying to get the car back here from Tampa to fix again and again.

If Mazda has been aware of these problems, why haven't they addressed it and replaced these transmissions in these cars? We have purchased her another car, but now we have a useless car on our hands that doesn't appear fixable. The rest of the car is in great shape and runs great. It is a shame that the transmission cannot be repaired to last.

We really could not afford to purchase another car for her but had to because she could not get to class and work, much less drive home to see the family in the Mazda. We spent over $900.00 having the transmission rebuilt and another $130.00 for the sensor. The mechanic has been real good about repairing and working on it and not charging us. It has been expensive for us in gas and time pulling a trailer to Tampa several times to bring the car home and back to the mechanic.

In the meantime, the water leak began to cause electrical problems inside the car, including causing an open circuit in the passenger side airbag system (the wire harnesses run underneath the passenger seat and are exposed to the leaking water). The Menlo Mazda dealership service department has stated that to fix the problem, the passenger side airbag system wire harness must be replaced.

The passenger side carpeting is molded and water-damaged. The passenger side airbag system (both front and side airbags) no longer work due to the open circuit in the passenger side airbag system. The passenger side airbag system must be replaced at a dealer estimated cost of over $500 in order to make the airbag system work again.

I believe this issue should have been handled by a notification from Mazda USA to Miata car owners. The service bulletin clearly indicates that this problem was known about, and that Mazda has since modified the car in order to fix it. However, the only way that an owner would have known to fix the problem is by taking the car to an authorized Mazda dealership. No other auto repair shops would have been notified of this issue or fix. This fault with the drain assembly is a safety concern, as evidenced by my vehicle. Mazda USA is aware that water may leak into the driver and passenger footwells and under the seats. This is where the wire harnesses for the driver and passenger airbag systems reside. The water can cause corrosion or short-circuiting in the airbag system, rendering it ineffective, putting the driver or passenger in danger.

I believe that Mazda USA should pay for or provide the repairs to the wire harness as a result of this defect. A call to Mazda USA customer service revealed that Mazda does not share this viewpoint and will not pay for the repair since my car has moved out of warranty since the issue was discovered. The Mazda USA customer service representative states that the technical service bulletin is an internal Mazda document only, and that any issues or problems a consumer has with their Mazda should be taken to a Mazda dealership only. Mazda USA stated that this case may be viewed unfavorably by Mazda due to my lack of loyalty to the Mazda dealership repair network. The issue number for my complain to the Mazda USA service center is: **

I researched this on the internet and found many with the same problem at NHTSA website (I also filed a complaint there) and at Edmunds.com forums. Apparently, the engine oil sludges easily due to turbo creating extreme temperatures. Turbo and turbo bearings go out, requiring a "new engine". All complainants are denied/refused warranty coverage for "lack of proper maintenance", resulting to the sludge. I took the car, which was under warranty, to the purchasing dealership and told them what I learned, and they said it is true but they wanted my business as they get paid for warranty issues.

Three hours later (they had the procedure for this down to a science), I was denied coverage by the highest level, the District Service Manager, who refused to call me, and they will not give out his number. I called Mazda Customer Assistance and they told me he was the final authority and I could go to BBB. I filed a complaint with BBB and am now in the process of mediation and possible arbitration (40 day window from when they receive paperwork by mail). As a disabled retired military man, I am notifying every place I can of the issues.

I was told last week during a routine oil change that the man working on my car could smell something slightly that he knew was not right, and noticed that the air conditioning compressor seemed to be stuck. I drove my vehicle less than a mile home, and immediately called the Mazda dealer to get it in. I had the vehicle towed to Montrose Mazda the following morning, so as to avoid causing any damage to it.

The car then spent a few days waiting at the dealership for a needed part to arrive. Since the air conditioning compressor was decided to be the problem and cause of the issue, and there was an extended warranty issued on this part since many vehicles are experiencing the same issue, I was told that Mazda would cover everything and they would let me know when the vehicle was finished. I waited for three days and did not hear of progress so I contacted the shop and was informed that when the compressor seized, it caused damage to several other parts that amounted to $760.00 in parts and $762.00 in Labor to repair.

The Mazda Corporation was then contacted by the dealership to see what they would be willing to cover, and the corporation stated that they would cover the compressor and the labor to fix it and that was all. I questioned the Mazda dealership at this point to make sure that I understood everything correctly and asked them if the compressor was what caused every other aspect of damage to the vehicle. They said absolutely, that if that compressor had not seized, the car would not have any problems. Basically, Mazda is refusing to pay for the damage to my vehicle that their faulty part caused, and this is not the first vehicle it has affected, since they had to issue an extended warranty on that faulty part.

I had to take the SUV back for window problems while it was under warranty. The airbag light stays on and they claimed it wasn't under warranty. The air conditioner light stays on and it doesn't need servicing. I've replaced my battery 3 times in 7 years. I've had to take it in for my two front windows and my rear windows. I believe Mazda is responsible for all the issue I have incurred.

The physical damage is that my car has cost me a lot of money even though I purchased an extended warranty at the time of purchase. When I took it back to the dealership, they told me that was covered. My car will rust if the paint is not repainted. Several people I noticed have had the same problem, so it must be something that Mazda did not do correctly.

The consequences of owning this vehicle are as follows-- 10 mpg or less. Still paying for the car insurance is crazy because it's considered a sports car even though it has four doors. Other than that, it is the worst car I have bought and I have always had good cars. I guess I will be driving my Vtec a little more. Don't waste your time or money on this over hyped piece of imported metal.

When the compressor fails, the entire car seizes up and is unable to move. This happened to me on October 9th 2010; I have 61,000 miles and Mazda refuses to reimburse me for the expenses. I think that since it is a defective part, Mazda should pay no matter what the mileage.

I had to get the car towed and find a way home. This happened on a Saturday so the car was in the shop until Tuesday. I had to pay $570.00 for tow and repair.

I am someone that takes pride in their car and takes good care of it. My boyfriend's '95 Ford Ranger is in better shape than my '03! Well, I decided to go back to Excalibur to see why my Mazda was rusting and he said that Mazda would only pay for the car to get done, but it was not done the way it was supposed to. I just want to say that I am happy with the car in general but not the body. I have had too many rust buckets in my day and this car should not be rusting at all! Thank you for your time and please get back with me on this matter soon.

On January 2008, I wrecked my Mazda 6 2007. I was ran off the road by another vehicle, then I swerved into traffic on the opposite side of the highway. As I sat there in the middle of the highway, a car impacted the driver side of the car. The side air bags came out but the front air bag did not come out. Even though the impact was mostly to the front driver side of the car and door of car, the car ended up getting towed to a location close to wreck site. The Mazda 6 sat at the wreck site for several weeks and I finally came to get the car, it seemed to be working out okay.

Until as the tow truck man and I was driving along, we started to smell something burning. We got out to see what it was and the front of my first car was engulfed in flames. The flames were in the front of the car where the transmission and the engine was, not where the car had been impacted by the gas tank. Nobody knows why the car caught a fire because no gas had leaked out to the front of the car. The fire department could not find the cause of the fire. I just don't understand.

Drove about two miles and the car started to emit white smoke and by the time I reached the first intersection (approximately three miles) the car was engulfed in smoke and the cabin began to fill with smoke as well. I managed to get it on to Jiles Road and parked in a day care parking lot. By this time the car was so hot even the console was hot to the touch. Smoke continued to fill the cabin. The engine light was the only warning light that was lit. I thought the car had a fire under the hood and jumped out of the car and looked below without opening the hood. I saw that the catalytic converter was also very hot and smoking. The car was completely engulfed in white smoke and it began to rain very heavily dissipating the smoke and cooling the car down. Called USAA roadside service and the car was towed to Cabena's Japanese Auto Care at Highway 92 in Acworth, Georgia. The car arrived in the evening around 8pm Thursday June 17th.

June18, 2010, Friday, I spoke with Mr. *** at around 10am and he informed me that he believed the engine failed due to heat. His observation was that the seals on the rotary engine had failed allowing gas, oil, metal and ceramic materials to exit the tail pipe. He did not mention a problem with the radiator or the battery. C.'s initial evaluation included the following problems: engine/transmission (one unit on the RX8), exhaust system, catalytic converter, engine computer, miscellaneous wiring that had over heated and become brittle.

The initial verbal estimate was $5,000 - $7,000 for a new engine, transmission, exhaust system, engine management computer and miscellaneous wiring. Mr. Cabana researched the car and found a recall for engine failure issued October 2008 and asked if I had received a notice. I had no recollection and checked my service records from Jim Ellis Mazda and could find nothing that specifically addressed the recall. There was a reference to a recall on a service record from December 12, 2006 well before the 2008 recall had been issued. Mr. *** recommended towing the car to Jim Ellis Mazda and I called USAA for their recommendation. USAA moved the car to their lot in Austell on Friday evening June 18th for assessment due to the engine fire insurance claim I had filed.

Mr. C.'s follow-up e-mail sent Wed 7/7/2010 9:10 AM: "David - I cannot vouch for the condition of the radiator since we never addressed that condition. We addressed what you said was a "smoking" and "running rough" condition. When we started the car it was emitting a large amount of "oil burn" smoke from the tailpipe. We shut the car off and checked the spark plugs and found one of them to be oil contaminated. The radiator never came into play, and we never saw any antifreeze dripping from the car that would cause alarm. That doesn't mean that the radiator didn't have a problem. The vehicle is definitely burning oil internally, but if the radiator is fractured, the dealer is focusing on that and not the condition of the engine. Call the service advisor and ask him to please install an aftermarket radiator in the vehicle today so you can get your car back. I don't know why the OEM radiator is on back order, or how long it should take. Only the dealer can answer that. "

June 18th-June 28th The USAA claims service located in Austell examine the car. The USAA claims representative was on vacation and another adjuster Chris M., examined the car Friday June 25th. His conclusion was that there had been no engine fire and listed the damage as "Internal Engine Failure. " His recommendation was to have the car repaired at my expense. Mr. M. DID NOT start the car and only examined the external parts of the engine for fire damage and made no mention either verbally over the phone or in his written report that there was a problem with the battery OR radiator. When I asked about a possible problem with the radiator he said there was "no evidence of coolant on the ground" where the car was parked. The car was towed to Jim Ellis Mazda Monday afternoon June 28th and arrived around 4pm. The service manager from Mazda called to let me know the car had arrived and would review the damage Tuesday morning.

June 29, 2010, Wednesday, I called and left a message with Eddie the Mazda service technician at approximately 9am and he returned my call 11am. Eddie said the car needed a new radiator and the battery was dead at cost of approximately $900. The battery was replaced nine months previously. No mention was made of engine failure or engine smoke. I asked if was sure he had the correct vehicle and he assured me that he was examining a gray 2005 RX8 with no license plate. I also called Cabena's to make sure the estimate was correct he indicated that the radiator part is about $450. There was no call back from Mazda service Wednesday.

June 30-July 5, 2010 I heard nothing from Mazda all day Thursday and left two messages with Eddie. He finally called back at approximately 5pm and indicated that the radiator was "on back order" and I could have the car back Monday July 5th. Once again I said, "are you sure you have this right? " There was still no mention of engine failure and Eddie said the mechanic had started the engine and made no mention of engine smoke or any type of engine problem. I had to inform Eddie that Monday was a holiday and perhaps the car would be ready Tuesday July 6, 2010.

July 6, 2010 - Tuesday. Eddie called and said he believed my car would be ready to pick up on Wednesday. I let him know I was traveling on business to Florida Wednesday through Sunday and had a trip planned to North Carolina Monday and Tuesday and could pick up the car on Wednesday morning July 14, 2010. I also requested an aftermarket radiator to reduce repair costs.

July 13, 2010 - Tuesday. I requested an emission inspection in a conversation with Jim Ellis service Monday afternoon because the license had expired while it was being repaired and Eddie complied. He informed me that because the battery had been replaced the computer would have to be reset by driving the car for some distance. I received a call Tuesday morning from Eddie around 9:30am and he said there was a problem with the car losing power after it warmed up. He believed it could be the catalytic converter causing the problem. I informed him of the chronology of how the car had been reviewed by a private mechanic and the USAA insurance adjuster. Both believed there was a serious problem with the engine which had only been "discovered" by Jim Ellis Mazda on Tuesday morning. I also mentioned the engine replacement recall from October 2008 in advance of him discovering the condition of the engine through further testing. I believe the problems with the engine are directly related to inaction on the attached recall notice.

July 16, 2010 - Friday, Mazda informed me that they will not honor the recall as it was addressed in December 2008. I am fully liable for the $6800 repair for new engine and catalytic converter. I called the home office, Al at Mazda Customer Service, 800.222.5500 extension 1168 and he said they must honor the $100,000 warranty despite that fact that I had complained about the problem and they performed a minimal test as per MSP-16. They will offer partial compensation either.

IMPORTANT NOTES: I repeatedly inquired Jim Ellis Mazda to make certain they had they were referring to my car in describing the repair problems and the severity of the problems. Eddie insisted it was a problem with the radiator and battery. It wasn't until Tuesday morning July 6th that they discovered it had more serious problems. I called Chuck C. to ask if he had found a problem with the radiator when he started the car and tested the engine on June 18, 2010. He said there was no indication of a problem with the radiator and his follow-up e-mail stated "I cannot vouch for the condition of the radiator since we never addressed that condition. " I also called Chris M., USAA Claims Adjuster and he also said he did not find a problem with the radiator and there was no coolant on the ground at their facility where my car had been parked for several days.

The 2005 RX8 has a warning light for Low Coolant Level. It has been on only one time since I owned the car approximately three months ago. The reservoir was slightly low (perhaps 1 inch) and I added distilled water and the light went out. When I drove the car June 17th in the AM to take my son to running camp, the coolant light was NOT on and the car ran fine. Before the engine failed, the coolant light was NOT on indicating that the coolant level was at specifications. The Check Engine light was the only warning light that was lit when the engine failed. No other warning lights came on.

Jim Ellis Mazda service may tell me the engine failed as a result of overheating. They had no knowledge of the car being checked independently by two different sources until I told them July 13th. In addition, the October 2008 re-call was not addressed. I have no record of receiving a notice for this re-call, nor was there any indication from my service records from Jim Ellis Mazda that the re-call had been addressed subsequent to October 2008.

I have complete service records for the 2005 Mazda from the time I bought it new in Tampa September 2005. It was always serviced at the dealership; Cox Mazda in Bradenton, Florida and Jim Ellis Mazda in Marietta, Georgia except for tire maintenance and oil changes. I complained to Cox Mazda of power loss several times which is documented in the service records, and they could not find a problem. The title of Mazda Service Bulletin 01-014/08 issued October 24, 2008 is titled Engine Lack of Power. The 2005 Mazda RX8 had 66,650 miles on the odometer on 12/15/2008 during a Jim Ellis Mazda service interval. This is well below the 100,000 mile warranty limit on engine failure indicated on the 2008 re-call notice.

I have a credit problem due to the short sale of my house in Florida and divorce. What the economy didn't get, my ex-wife got. I fought a year long custody battle for my son and won. But I paid for that privilege. Therefore ... I do not have $6800 nor can I get a loan to purchase another car. I'm stuck and not sure what to do ... or even if there is a remedy. A properly cared for car should not burn up at 115,000 miles.

After some research, I discovered that there is an open recall on 1995 Miatas for faulty SRS controllers and the symptoms match my case exactly. The recall was announced in 2000 and I bought the car used from a private seller last year (in 2009). I was not made aware of the open recall by anyone (the seller, Mazda, or the DMV) and now I have a broken car sitting in my driveway.

Mazda has agreed to replace the airbag controller, as per the recall, but for the rest of the damages they disclaim any liability. Physical damage was, luckily, limited to some scratches from the broken windows. It could have been much worse had my reaction been different. The costs of having the car repaired would exceed the value of the car. What should I do?

The transmission about six months ago started jerking and dealer said that it was going bad and was would cost $4,000 to replace. I have owned may cars and this is the first one where the transmission has gone out with so few miles on it. Now I am hearing about more complaints and realize that possibly Mazda is hiding something as did Toyota?

After several weeks, it failed again. Again, my mechanic could not get the problem resolved and started over with yet another transmission. But, it still won't work! He has contacted Mazda and has been told that there are three different transmissions for this vehicle and that the first two were not the correct ones. So, we are now waiting on the third transmission from Mazda. I have spent over $2,000 for the replacement transmission, that shouldn't need replacing at 53,000 miles only after 6.5 years! I am fortunate enough that I could drive my mother's V8 truck that uses very much gasoline!

Due to reliability issues with this motor, Mazda "covers" it under warranty, up to 8 years or 100,000 miles.

I've been denied coverage under the warranty with over 40,000 miles left on that warranty. Mazda justified the situation due to oil change invoices that did not have odometer readings, a problem that is neither my fault nor should it matter anyway, as it only takes a minute of simple math to determine (on average), I've had the required number of oil changes.

In my attempts to contact someone... anyone who is willing to help me at Mazda, I've received nothing but voicemails and "requests" to have someone contact me. I've gotten no help or answers from anyone but my contact at the dealership. There is no reason this shouldn't be covered under warranty and no acceptable reason why it took Mazda two weeks to tell me they weren't going to cover the repairs.

I am only 23 years old and I work hard as a server and bartender at a local restaurant just to afford driving this car. In the two weeks I've spent trying to get this resolved, I have had to pass up several offers to work shifts and have even had to give some away for no other reason than that I had no transportation to and from work. Roughly, I've lost out anywhere from $400 to $600 in shifts. I could have worked over the last two weeks waiting for a response from Mazda, only to be denied in the end.

At 30,000 miles, my car started to run rough, became impossible to start and flooded constantly. The engine light would come on as well. I took it to my local dealership and they told me that there was carbon in the engine and put it through a compression test. It barely passed the test and I was told by the mechanic that there were a lot of defects in the Mazda RX-8 engine and that I would probably need to get a new engine in the very near future. Now I am no expert, but I feel that this expensive car should last longer than 30,000 miles! They replaced the battery, decarbed the engine and presented me an invoice of $600 and told me to come back if I had any more problems. Even after driving it off the lot, I could tell it would be much sooner than later that I would be returning.

This car has continued to idle roughly, has a loss of compression, stall and flood since the first visit to the dealership. Now, six months later, I went to get in my car, started it up to warm up to operating temperature and the engine lights started blinking wildly and the engine cut off in a plume of noxious vapor. Mazda sent Road Side Assistance to tow the car (after two days). They took the car back to the dealership and informed me that the engine would need to be decarbed again and that the coils would need to be replaced. Again, another $700. After complaining, they accused me of not driving the car correctly. After many phone calls to Mazda HQ in California, I got the same treatment.

I have followed the owner's manual exactly. I was told that "this is not the kind of car you drive short distances." I blew a gasket. When I purchased this car, there wasn't anything written on the sticker on the window that this car must be driven only long distance driving. The only information given to me was to let the car warm up to operating temperature before moving. That has been done each and every time.

To date, I continue to get the runaround from the dealership, from Mazda HQ in California and to say I am terribly unhappy would be the understatement of the year. I have been to all the Mazda forums on the internet and it appears that I am not the only one having these problems. There are pages and pages of complaints and people wanting a lawsuit against Mazda. People time and time again have had their engines replaced early on in the cars years and frankly, there are some truly pissed off Mazda RX-8 owners who are tired of getting the runaround with no results except to drain their wallets.

Mazda RX-8 owners deserve better treatment than what we are getting. Mazda came out with an extended warranty for the engine which was a kind gesture but that gesture is for nothing if the engine is defective and causing other parts that are not under warranty to die an early death. Am I to look forward to every 6 months taking my car in and spending $700 to replace some other part not engine related? Or am I doomed to having my car spend more time in the shop than in my own driveway? I ask for you to look into this matter and to offer us RX-8 owners some assistance. Force a recall of the engine if that is what it takes.

Now, the fault has been found. The tension pulley is very loose and needs to be replaced. I believe that if they had checked properly, this could have been avoided. Now, I must pay almost R3000 to fix it. When the first problem started, I was told by a manager that I had bought a dud and that’s the way it is. I pay a lot of money for this vehicle only to find that as time goes by, so more and more faults are starting to occur. Should I have to take this? It is a loss of income and mental stress wondering when this is going to happen again. What happens when the warranty is over? How much will it cost me?

The salesman at Mazda said the easiest way to describe the warranty was to tell us what was not covered. He said, "Tires, body exterior parts, hoses, etc." That turned out to be false. They had the car 14 times the first year and never could fix the problem of the car stalling in the middle of the road and making horribly loud noises. Despite not knowing what was wrong, they sure found many things not covered by the warranty each time we brought the car in. They even lost our key for the lug nuts and said we must have lost them. I had never used them; they were in the glove box the last we knew.

The dealer closed during this process, so we went to another nearby. After 4 visits, they told us the motor was bad at 35k! We had to fight tooth and nail to get it replaced. They, once again, found something to bill us for, hundreds of dollars. When asked, they said it was revealed when the motor was out and it was not a warranty item; it was something with the exhaust. Not one trip was free for any of the warranty calls.

This must be great for the dealers. They get paid by Mazda and the owner! Never purchase a Mazda. You will be sorry and broke and by the way, we are afraid to drive more than 20 miles from home!

Reading many public forums and know that I was not the only one with this problem, I called and filed a complaint with Mazda customer service and requested that I be reimburse for the repairs. Since I was beyond the warranty service of three years/36000 miles, the extended warranty kicked in and paid about $950 of the total $1700 bill. I was liable for the remaining $750 plus the rental charges while my car was waiting for parts to show up. Mazda refused reimbursement and stated that the dealer, Sutherlin Mazda of Buford, GA, assisted me in every way they could and so I was not entitled to reimbursement. Also, the car was not under any recall for the air conditioner and its faulty components so there was no needed action to take on Mazda's end. Even the dealer representative stated that this was a common problem with the CX-7's.

Needless to say, any Mazda CX-7 owner whose production was prior to 2008 (I forget what the actual date was), the air conditioning unit will 100% fail because it is a faulty design. I don't mind paying for services for maintenance nor do I mind paying for repairs of things that break. They are mechanical in nature and are bound to break at some time; however, being that I am one of very many that has incurred this problem, I do not feel that I should have paid for a problem that Mazda recognizes is a common fault within this particular make and model.

So here I am in a car that I paid $30k for, and they are leaving me in the dirt. I then had my car towed to a more reputable automobile repair shop, and they then took the vehicle apart. The owner of the shop told me that he has never seen a clutch (especially after only 22k miles) totally disappear and the car now had another problem, which was the fly wheel. This shop then said that Mazda should honor their warranty because in his professional opinion, this car had a faulty clutch.

Now, this guy would make money off me, but he was honest and though I should take it back to Mazda. I need help to get them to pay for their problem. I could understand if I was 18 and this was my first manual shift transmission; but I'm 35 and do not race my car. This has now cost me $1800 plus a rental of $200 and is making me late on paying bills.

I went to Metrotown Mazda twice and they told me that the parts (sway bars) were replaced from a new vehicle. However, the problem remains up to now and I kept on asking the manager, **, if this is normal from Mazda. His first reply was no, since their service vehicle which has the same model is quiet. After my second visit, he changed his tune and told me that this is normal since Mazda is a hatchback type of vehicle and I should be lucky that the loud sound could be heard only after hitting a speed bump. In addition, he told me that Mazda is already conducting a research on this. I don't know if this is a factory defect or not.

Two weeks later, they still did not have the part and had no idea why. I demanded the name and number of the District Manager. I contacted him on a Monday. He located the part in the U.S. and by Tuesday morning, the dealership had the part. It was to be ready no later than Thursday but I was called that evening and told that the part had not fixed the problem and they don't know what else to try. I contacted the District Manager again and he was under the impression that the car had been fixed. He said that he would put in calls and get some answers.

Now, I'm waiting for a Japanese technician who specializes in heating and air to look at the car on Wednesday. At this point, they have had my car for 43 days with no end in sight. I have been provided a rental car that is nowhere near comparable to the car I purchased, yet I'm making payments on the car they can't fix. The economic problem for me is that I'm making payments on a $38,000 car while I'm driving a $12,000 car from Enterprise Rent A Car. It's 102 degrees outside and I'm riding in the blistering sun with no tinted windows.