Problems · NHTSA complaints

2009 Mazda CX-7 problems

Owners filed 65 complaints about the 2009 Mazda CX-7 with NHTSA between Dec 2008 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is suspension (20).

Complaints
65
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Suspension20
  2. Air bags17
  3. Engine12
  4. Engine and engine cooling8
  5. Steering5
  6. Exterior lighting4
  7. Power train3
  8. Electrical system2
  9. Fuel/propulsion system2
  10. Equipment2
  11. Service brakes1
  12. Forward collision avoidance1
  13. Visibility/wiper1
  14. Wheels1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20081
20092
20104
20113
20128
20134
20141
20155
20168
201720
20183
20193
20201
20210
20220
20230
20241
20250
20261

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Suspension

20 reports1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA CX-7. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V593000 (SUSPENSION) AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER (HYMAN BROTHERS MAZDA, 12602 JEFFERSON AVENUE NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA 23602) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 21, 2018SuspensionODI 11097061

Air bags

17 reports4 related recalls
“IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, THE AIRBAG LIGHT BY THE SPEEDOMETER FLASHES TWICE, STOPS, FLASHES TWICE, THEN STOPS. THIS CONTINUES FOR ABOUT 20-30 SECONDS AFTER THE CAR IS STARTED AND IS RUNNING/IDLING. ONCE THE 20-30 SECONDS HAVE PASSED, THE AIRBAG LIGHT THEN REMAINS PERMANENTLY LIT. IT REMAINS LIT WHILE DRIVING. THE CYCLE STARTS AGAIN ONCE THE CAR IS RESTARTED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 24, 2019Air bagsODI 11291086

Engine

12 reports
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 17, 2020Electrical system, Engine, Visibility/wiperODI 11300056

Engine and engine cooling

8 reports1 fire
“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.. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 15, 2013Steering, Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10508309

Steering

5 reports1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MAZDA CX-7. WHILE DRIVING AT LEAST 35 MPH, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE VEHICLE DROVE ROUGHLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEE PARTYKA CHEVROLET MAZDA ISUZU (200 SKIFF ST, HAMDEN, CT 06518 (203) 288-7761) FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V593000 (SUSPENSION); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER TO WAIT FOR A SECOND NOTICE WHEN THE RECALL REMEDY PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND CONFIRMED THAT RECALL REMEDY PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 24, 2017Steering, SuspensionODI 11010193

Exterior lighting

4 reports
“BOTH REAR TAIL LIGHTS LOOKED CLOUDY AND THE RED COLOR OF THE REAR LIGHTS APPEARED WHITE. I REMOVED THE LIGHT BULBS, THINKING THAT MAYBE THEY HAD BURNED OUT. I NOTICED THE LIGHT BULBS HAD MELTED THROUGH THE INTERNAL RED PLASTIC LENS OF THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND LEFT A HOLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER THAT ALLOWS THE WHITE LIGHT FROM THE BULB TO SHINE THROUGH. THE MELTED PLASTIC WAS ALL OVER THE BULBS AND THERE WAS A BURNT PLASTIC ODOR. THE 7743 BULBS WERE BOTH ORIGINAL TO THE CAR FROM MAZDA WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN JULY 2009. I NOTIFIED MAZDA CORPORATE AND THEY HAD ME TAKE IT TO MY DEALER. THEY INSPECTED THE LIGHTS AND SAID MAZDA WAS WILLING TO OFFER A $500 GOODWILL TO REPLACE THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THAT WILL NOT COVER THE COST OF $1226.77 WITHOUT LABOR TO HAVE THE DEALER REPLACE THE TAIL LIGHTS. THEY GAVE ME A CASE REF# 1-174187018. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE AND THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO GET THE LIGHTS REPLACED. THIS IS A PROBLEM WHEN THE LIGHT BULBS BURN THROUGH THE PLASTIC TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 22, 2015Exterior lightingODI 10811706
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.