Most common 2008 Mazda CX-7 problems
Share of the 192 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mazda CX-7 complaints by model year
Best CX-7 years: 2012, 2009. Years to avoid: 2007. Compare all years →
2008 Mazda CX-7 recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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.
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2012 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 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.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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.
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.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
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.
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…
What 2008 Mazda CX-7 owners say
Engine & cooling all 84 →
I'm mexican woman . The first of August 2010 to go on the road (towards the city of queretaro, Mexico, in a van Mazda CX 7 2008 model first and let the air conditioning running, then started to smoke the driver's side, suddenly the short time stopped the car and when we got off shore and we saw that was on fire, stopped the fire and water damage, according to the agency are of 46 thousand pesos as two months ago that ended our warranty does not want to be responsible for the incident . We were all family, including my sun of four years, I think that could had passed if the car had exploded, we took gasoline 30 minutes previous to the fire . I've gotten a number of forums to investigate complaints and there are scores equal to that of the same model. There are others in the CX 9 that even if you already acknowledged that the agency is also a risk of fire trucks were summoned ac. …
On my way to work I glanced in my rearview mirror and noticed white smoke coming out from behind my car. I looked at my gauges and noticed that my battery light was on and my temperature gauge was all the way on hot. Pulled to the side of the road and, as I pulled over my engine light came on and my power steering went out. I shut off the car and called my husband (who owns a collision repair shop and a tow truck) and told him to come and get me and my disabled car. As I sat in my car waiting, a police officer came to check that I was o.k. The officer sat in his car behind me for about 10 minutes and then backed out and left. Within a few minutes of the officer leaving a gentleman and his wife pulled over a good way up in front of my car. The gentleman got out of his car and started running to me shouting get out, get out, your car is on fire!? …
Air bags all 53 →
NHTSA campaign id : 09e011000 mfg's report date : mar 31, 2009 component : equipment potential number of units affected : 2323 summary : thule, inc. Is recalling 2,323 owner-installed roof-mounted fit kits, models 3068 and 3069, manufactured between January 1, 2008 and February 28, 2009 that are used with thule podium foot packs, models 460 and 460r. These fit kits were sold as aftermarket equipment for use on the vehicles listed above. The bolt(s) used to secure the foot to the vehicle was manufactured to a hardness that May cause the bolt(s) to be brittle and potentially break under stress. Consequence : this May result in the bolt(s) snapping off during use or without a load. The unsecured rack and load can then come loose while driving creating a potential road hazard, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Mazda CX-7. The contact stated that each time the vehicle drove over a bump in the road, the radio independently turned on or off. The contact also stated that the door locks failed to remain locked. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 17V429000 (air bags) and 16V593000 (suspension); however, the parts needed for the repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called an unknown Mazda dealer in columbus, oh and was informed that the remedy part was not available for the repair. The manufacturer informed the contact that they could not do anything about it and did not offer further assistance. …
Suspension all 41 →
Ball joints , control arms , wheel barrings broke into pieces. Tire was angled in grinding on the brakes and rotor. It was bought at a auction from a previous auction buyer. I bought a new frame for the back due to it being bent. I also replaced the exhaust pipe it was cut into pieces. I was very concerned with the lower control arm parts being warn out. The dangers of the ball joints or the barring falling apart would have left me in a dier tragedy. I did have a mechanic replace the parts. He did damage to them so I had to uninstall parts and assemble them as precise as should be. I also had to leave my car there was no way I was able to move it without a part busting off. It is being maintained part by part . Its a hassle . I do believe parts were being swapped without me knowing. That is very concerning . I also replaced the tire .
Bought the car July 30 2016. Left front control arm broke causing lost steering and additional damage to the car. Had the car repaired at a shop July 20 2017. Got a recall notice for the same issue sept 2017. Just had the car repaired as per the recall 08/09/2018 but now Mazda does not want to reimburse for the prior repairs made since it was after the August 10 2016 date on the recall and cause I don't have the bank statement from back then showing it was paid on my visa. I sent them the invoice from the garage that is clearly marked paid visa. The breakage happened on the street I live on, wife and I were on our way to meet with family for supper. The car was just driven home by myself from work on a 65mph 4 lane highway less then a hour prior, thank god it didn't break at those speeds. …
2008 Mazda CX-7 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
| 2.3L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Mazda CX-7 a good car?
Based on 192 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 CX-7 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the CX-7 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Mazda CX-7?
The engine & cooling — 84 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year, most often about cooling system. Next are the air bags (53) and suspension (41).
How many recalls does the 2008 Mazda CX-7 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2008 Mazda CX-7, the most recent from October 31, 2019 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mazda CX-7?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2007. See the full Mazda CX-7 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Mazda CX-7 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 61,000 miles; 38% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.