2011 Mazda CX-7: complaints, problems and recalls

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA CX-7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WERE NOT ADEQUATELY ILLUMINATED DURING DAYLIGHT. THE ADJUSTMENT FOR THE LIGHTING WOULD NOT MAKE THEM BRIGHTER AND HE WAS UNABLE TO DISTINGUISH THE GAUGES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ADJUST THE LIGHTING ANY FURTHER AND LATER ADVISED THAT THE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE W…

Owner-reported narrative. 792 miles reported. Look up ODI 10398792 at NHTSA ↗

THE CONTROLS ESSENTIAL FOR VEHICLE OPERATION (SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, TRANSMISSION GEAR PLACEMENT), OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE CENTER "CLUSTER" CONTROLS ARE ILLUMINATED REGARDLESS IF HEADLIGHTS ARE ON OR OFF. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS, THUS MAKING THIS ISSUE MORE PRESSING. WHEN THE DASH CONTROLS ARE ILLUMINATED, YOU FORGET TO TURN ON YOUR HEAD LAMPS TO MAKE YOURSELF VISIBLE TO OTHER VEHICLES. MAZDA STATED THAT THE DASH CONTROLS ARE ILLUMINATED IN ORDER TO MAKE GAUGES MORE VISIBLE. MY WHOLE ARGUMENT HAS BEEN THAT IF I A…

Owner-reported narrative. 750 miles reported. Look up ODI 10417325 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA CX7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT ENGINE STARTUP, A CRACKING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2600. WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING OR NOW ON THESE COLD DAY THE WINDSHIELDS MAKES A CRACKING SOUND AS THE CAR WARMS UP. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST DAILY. AM AFRAID IT MAY SHATTER. UPDATED 1/20/2012 *BF

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10440383 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA CX-7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A BANGING AND RATTLING SOUND. THE CONTACT STATED THE SOUND WAS ALSO HEARD WHEN THE TURBO WAS ACTIVATED. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE AIR CONDITIONER ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14.

Owner-reported narrative. 14 miles reported. Look up ODI 10470534 at NHTSA ↗

FROM THE TIME I PURCHASED MY MAZDA CX7 IN AUGUST 2011 I FELT THE BRAKES DID NOT APPLY PROPERLY. THERE WAS AN INCIDENT IN 2011 WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE CX7 DID NOT STOP I HAD TO BRING THE CX7 TO A STOP BY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN TO DEALER AND TOLD NO PROBLEM FOUND. I WAS SICK AND DID NOT DRIVE CX7 REGULARLY AGAIN UNTIL APRIL 2013. CX 7 STILL HAD BRAKE PROBLEMS AND THIS TIME TOLD MASTER CYLINDER WAS BAD AND IT WAS REPLACED. AFTER LEAVING DEALER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS TOLD CX7 WAS RUNNING ON A LEAN MIXTURE AND TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 9,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10512198 at NHTSA ↗

FROM THE DAY I PURCHASED MY CX7 THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THE AIR CONDITIONER MADE LOUD BANGING NOISES AND DOES NOT GET COLD. WHEN I WAS AT MY WITS END AND TOOK CX7 TO DEALER AT 9,600 MILES MAZDA SAID I HAD A BAD MASTER CYLINDER AND REPLACED IT. WHEN THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MAZDA ORDERED ANOTHER MASTER CYLINDER AND A BRAKE BOOSTER. WHEN THESE WERE REPLACED MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. MAZDA SAID MY ENGINE WAS RUNNING ON A LEAN MIXTURE AND CORRECTED THIS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT…

Owner-reported narrative. 9,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10515280 at NHTSA ↗

PURCHASED VEHICLE ON 2/27/2011. 1) DEC 27 2011 REPLACED DRIVERS HEADLAMP. 2) 4/18/12 BATTERY ISSUE. CAR WOULD NEED JUMP STARTS RANDOMLY 3) 8/18/12 PASSENGER HEADLAMP REPLACED 4) 11/5/12 BATTERY REPLACED 5) 12/21/12 DRIVERS HEADLAMP REPLACED 6) 7/1/13 DRIVERS HEADLAMP REPLACED. WENT TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS TO REPLACE ITEMS. BOTH DEALERS ASSURED ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ELECTRICAL AND IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS. UNFORTUNATELY 4 HEADLAMPS AND A BATTERY WITHIN 2 YEARS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE IS JUST RIGHT. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10522788 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MAZDA CX7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD BECAME CRACKED WITHOUT WARRANT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 18,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10546234 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2016-08-11 (August 11, 2016)

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2012 Mazda CX-7 vehicles manufactured February 14, 2006, to May 9, 2012. In the affected vehicles, water may enter the front suspension ball joint fittings. If the water is contaminated with salt, such as from driving on snowy roads that have been treated, the ball joint may corrode and separate from the lower control arm, resulting in a loss of steering control.

Consequence: A loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower control arms, free of charge. As a priority, Mazda will first address all affected 2007-2008 vehicles as well as 2009-2011 vehicles currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia. West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. The remaining vehicles will be addressed as parts are available. The recall began September 20, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9716H.

Reported: 2017-06-29 (June 29, 2017)

Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 Mazda6, and 2007-2011 CX-7 and CX-9 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 16V356 and all vehicles that were not remedied under that campaign are now covered by this one.

Reported: 2018-10-12 (October 12, 2018)

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Mazda6, 2010-2012 CX-7, and 2010-2015 CX-9 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.

Reported: 2019-10-31 (October 31, 2019)

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2007-2012 CX-7, CX-9, and 2009-2012 Maza6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V356 and 17V012.