Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Mazda CX-7 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Mazda CX-7. The contact stated that the front driver side window and both rear windows failed to operate as intended going up and down. The tire pressure monitor light illuminated and remained despite having the tires checked for proper tire pressure and following the instructions provided to reset the tire pressure light. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The check engine warning light was reset by an independent mechanic. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH and stalled. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic and was informed that the mass airflow sensor and oxygen sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 98,800.
The Mazda has multiple issues with turbo booster functioning and malfunctioning causing air pollution issues with billowing white smoke fr tailpipe, Mazda does not warranty this by ongoing issues with some repairs having to be done as early as 60000 miles,. My car is less than 100000 miles with extensive repair required to resolve issue, repairs as expensive as 3000 dollars. The smoke is so thick is impairs the vision of cars that maybe behind vehicles with this problem. This issue needs to be reviewed and resolved, car owners should be made aware when purchasing these Mazda of this heavily unreliable important part of the vehicle to make the decision beforehand if they will be responsible for these expensive repairs should they occur.
While I was driving in town hwy the A/C system quick working , smoking coming from the hood and I totally lost the power steering on the car.. Finally after pulling over on a safe place on the side of the hwy I realized the A/C compressor locked and the clutch fell off and the serpentine belt for the steering was broken as well.. What a mess and dangerous situation.. Now de dealer says my car A/C compressor repair isn't covered under the warranty with only 39000 miles on it.. This is ridiculous and dangerous for all the Mazda CX-7 owners .. Please take an action and recall the A/C system on those car before someone get hurt or die buy..
While driving down the interstate, vehicle lost much of it's acceleration, and began making a loud whining noise. Pulled off the highway and investigated the noise. It was a loud whining that only occurred in neutral and park over 2500 RPM and with any acceleration while in gear. Also noted yellow foamy oil on the dipstick which was 4.5 quarts low being very close to time to get a change. Towed to the shop to discover that the vehicle is burning oil and the turbo had gone bad. Mechanic suspects that the turbo going bad is what was most likely burning oil and retaining water in the crankcase.
Starting hearing a noise initially--not sure where it was coming from but thought it was internal to the engine. Took it to the dealer for inspection and they verified that the front of the engine would have to be removed to replace the defective part. I can not remember the part name but it was clear from the dealer rep that my car was one of many they have replaced. I spent $1244.00 in repairs on my vehicle that the Mazda dealership acknowledged was a factory defect on my car and many others. Just not right
I own a 2009 Mazda CX 7 turbo. The vehicle has had it's proper oil changes by a service garage not a "quick lube" place. The oil was castrol gtx 5w-30w, with from oil filter.the longest interval between oil changes was 6000 miles and the shortest 4000 miles. The vehicle now has 45,664 miles on it and the wife complained about a high pitched noise and lack of performance . Brought to the Mazda dealer, the dealer said the turbo went and that Mazda will not cover it under warranty (60,000 warranty on drive train and turbo) because of engine sludge !! Are you kidding me...engine sludge, the proper oil viscosity was used at proper interval (Mazda says 7500 between oil changes). No signs of over heating, high engine temps, the vehicle is driven to work and back (4 miles away) 2x's per day 6 days a week. Sounds to me like engine oil is not getting up to temp. …
I was driving on a highway. I heard a high pitched squealing sound then smoke started blowing out of my car. I could not see, and the other drivers behind me lost visability too. In the middle of this blinding smoke, surrounded by huge trucks, I lost aceleration. My instrumentation panel did not have any warning lights on. I was driving blind. I pulled off the highway as quickly as possible, and had my car towed to a dealership. The dealership said my turbo blew out, (which I guess sucked all the oil out of the car) I need a vvt valve and the timing chain is stretched. On a car with 57,000 miles! In checking on line, I found this has been a problem with the CX-7 for 6 years and they are no longer making this model. …
I bought this used around June 2010 with approx. 16000 mile. I had oil change at the local garage station. They told me that the oil was very thick. So I had it changed again within three month. It was running fine without any indication and all of a sudden I lost the power and engine quit. I had it towed to garage and they told me that it is better we have it checked by dealer as this has warranty. Mazda dealer looked in to this and told me that the turbo engine is ruined due to gunk in the oil. They asked me for oil change record. I only had since I had it . I could not get any previous record. Mazda and dealer told me that the warranty is void due to negligence to maintain. They will not cover under warranty. I can not believe this. This car has only 35K mile and no indication and Mazda do not provide any kind of warranty assistance. Anyone else had the same issue with Mazda CX-7? …
We leased a 2009 Mazda CX-7 (garaged and highway driven only). There was never a problem. The battery died. We changed the battery. Car started and then died. After one month, it again had been flat bedded by Mazda. They did a check and told me they could not find anything wrong with the electrical system, but they found sludge in the engine compartment. They had a recall on a valve which I never received in the mail. The car only had 17,000 miles on it. After 3 years, Mazda came back and said they would cover under lease or extended warranty, which I had. They said it would cost $9,500 to replace an engine with a 17,000-mile leased car and they would not stand by their product. I want to start a lawsuit on the car as I have had many leases without these problems ever and leased over 10 cars in the last couple of years with no problem.
I took my 2009 Mazda CX-7 (108,000 miles) in to the dealership for an oil change and to see why the check engine light had come on. I was informed the turbo needed to be replaced and was advised that the car was unsafe to drive and that I needed to get a new car immediately. The dealership was hesitant to let me leave in the car as it could stop working at any time and because I do a significant amount of highway driving this is particularly alarming. No remedy was offered and I was told it wasn't worth repairing. This is a known issue with the CX-7 and a danger to the driver and other drivers around when the cars stop working due to the issues with the turbo. A recall needs to be issued if so many people are having this issue with serious safety concerns.
Engine complaints in other CX-7 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2009 Mazda CX-7?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2009 Mazda CX-7, 31% of the model year's 65 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Mazda CX-7 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2009 Mazda CX-7, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Mazda CX-7 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.