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
2007
POWER TRAIN
2007 CX7. NOTHING BUT TROUBLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW IN 07. I TRAVEL ALOT, SO IT DOES HAVE 100K MILES ON IT, BUT SINCE DAY 1 IT'S BEEN AWFUL. REAR VIEW MIRROR KEPT FALLING OFF, AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHTS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON CONSTANTLY. DEALERSHIP HAD THE CAR FOR 21 DAYS TRYING TO FIX THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, 2 DAYS LATER IT CAME BACK ON. VVT AND ACTUATOR WERE REPLACED AND SO WAS EGR. HARD TICKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE AT START-UP AS WELL AS SITTING IDLE - WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TIMING ASSEMBLY. CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, I CALLED MAZDA USA AND COMPLAINED, THEY FINALLY AGREED TO EAT THE COST OF THE REPAIR (THIS WAS AT 75K MILES) - BUT I HAD TO PAY ALMOST $700 IN LABOR CHARGES. 20K MILES LATER, THE TICKING NOISE IS BACK. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON CONSTANTLY AND DOESN'T PRODUCE A READ-OUT ON THE COMPUTER CHECK. A/C NOT BLOWING THE COLD AIR THAT IT USED TO EITHER. NOT TO MENTION THE NUMEROUS RECALLS THAT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF ~ HAD I NOT CHECKED ONLINE FOR RECALL EVENTS, I'D HAVE NEVER KNOWN. THERE WERE AT LEAST 4 THAT AFFECTED MY VEHICLE. I'VE SENT NUMEROUS EMAILS TO MAZDA USA REQUESTING SOMETHING BE DONE - THE ENTIRE CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO ALL THE ISSUES. NOW AT 100K MILES AND MAJOR MECHANICAL ISSUES, TRADING IT IN ISN'T EVEN AN OPTION. NO RETURN EMAILS & NO RETURN PHONE CALLS FROM MAZDA. THIS IS THE 2ND MAZDA I'VE OWNED - NEVER AGAIN WILL I MAKE SUCH A FOOLISH PURCHASE. I'M A SALESPERSON MYSELF AND CAN'T BELIEVE MAZDA WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT.....ESPECIALLY ONE THAT COSTS $25K. *TR
