2007 MAZDA CX-9 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY COMING HOME FROM A TRIP I NOTICED THAT EVERY TIME I HIT A SMALL BUMP THE FRONT END WOULD MOVE ONE DIRECTION AND THEN COME BACK HARD THE OTHER WAY. WHEN I RETURNED HOME I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC WHO INFORMED MY THAT MY LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE EXTREMELY LOOSE (1/2" OF MOVEMENT) AND THAT I WAS LUCKY THEY DID NOT FALL OUT. HE ALSO SAID IT WAS SO BAD THAT IT WASN'T EVEN SAFE FOR HIM TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR. BOTH SIDES HAD TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING REPLACED: OUTER TIE ROD, LOWER CONTROL ARM/BALL JOINT, AND THE SWAY BAR LINK. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT I DID NOT HAVE A WHEEL COME OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY FAMILY AS OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS SAME ISSUE.

TWO WEEKS AGO I BROUGHT IN MY CAR DUE TO NOISE AND STEERING ISSUES. THE RIGHT BALL JOINT WAS FOUND TO BE VERY LOOSE AND ABOUT TO FAIL, SO IT WAS REPLACED. THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE LEFT BALL JOINT AND DETERMINED IT WAS TIGHT AND THEREFORE DID NOT RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT. YESTERDAY, WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT BALL JOINT FAILED. MY TIRE GOT WRACKED AND LOCKED-UP SENDING ME INTO A SKID. I HAD TO BE TOWED. THE AXLE BROKE, PLUS THE SWAY BAR, STRUT AND CONTROL ARM ALL NEED TO BE REPLACED, BETWEEN THE TWO REPAIRS, THE COST IS QUITE HIGH. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY AT HIGH SPEEDS.

I PURCHASED THE 2007 MAZDA CX-9, FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP, AND HAD IT LESS THAN 24 HOURS, AND AS I WAS TURNING INTO MY WORK PLACE THE BALL JOINT ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE BROKE. I WAS LUCKY IT HADN'T HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I WAS GOING 70 MPH . THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT IT FROM WAS NICE AND FIXED MY VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE.

TRAVELING LOW SPEED TO MAKE RIGHT HAND TURN INTO DRIVEWAY. HEARD POP AND CRUNCH FROM DRIVER'S SIDE. LOST CONTROL, UNABLE TO STEER VEHICLE. EXITED VEHICLE TO FIND DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL LODGED INTO FENDER. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED LOWER BALL JOINT SHEARED/SEPARATED AND ALLOWED TIRE TO FLOP OVER. RESULTING DAMAGE INCLUDED LOWER CONTROL ARM, CV AXLE ASSEMBLY, SHOCK/STRUT ASSEMBLY, TIE ROD, FENDER, AND DOOR. VERY FORTUNATE TO BE TRAVELLING AT LOW SPEED WHEN FAILURE OCCURRED.

WE WERE COMING HOME FROM OUR SON'S BASEBALL GAME WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. THERE WERE 2 ADULTS AND 3 CHILDREN IN THE CAR AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. WE WERE TRAVELING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A 3 LANE HIGHWAY AND WERE GOING ABOUT 65 MPH, WHICH IS THE SPEED LIMIT ON THIS HIGHWAY. OUT OF NOWHERE, THERE WAS A VERY LOUD "POP" SOUND AND YOU COULD FEEL THE CAR SHIFT A LITTLE BIT. I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AT ALL. I PUT MY FOOT ON BRAKE LIGHTLY TO TRY AND BRING THE CAR TO A STOP WITHOUT SLAMMING THE BRAKES SINCE WE WERE ON HIGHWAY. THE CAR BRIEFLY JERKED TO THE LEFT AND THEN DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT. IT CONTINUED TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO BRING TO A COMPLETE STOP ABOUT 2-3 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF HIGHWAY INSIDE LANE. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND IT WAS JUST STARTING TO GET DARK. THERE WERE PLENTY OF OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT THE TIME, BUT THIS HAPPENED AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME WHEN THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT OF US. IF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED 15 SECONDS EARLIER OR LATER, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL WHERE THE CAR WAS GOING. IT WAS DEFINITELY A VERY SCARY SITUATION AND WE FEEL EXTREMELY LUCKY. SINCE THE CAR WAS UNDRIVEABLE, I HAD TO CALL AAA TO COME GET VEHICLE AND TAKE TO LOCAL AUTO SHOP. THEY TOLD ME THE BALL JOINT COMPLETELY SNAPPED/SEPARATED AND I WOULD NEED NEW TIE RODS, BALL JOINT, CONTROL ARM, AXLE, QUICK STRUT AND TIRE ON FRONT DRIVER SIDE. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED WITHIN 5 MONTH PERIOD. THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO FRONT PASSENGER SIDE 5 MONTHS EARLIER AT LOW SPEED IN A PARKING LOT. WE HAD REPAIRED AND THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN TO THE OTHER SIDE IN THIS SITUATION, WHICH WAS MUCH MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION. IN BOTH CASES, THE BALL JOINT COMPLETELY SEPARATED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MAZDA CX-9. WHILE MAKING A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, AN ABNORMAL SOUND CAME FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INNER AND OUTER TIE ROD, BALL JOINTS, CONTROL ARM, AND AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,099.

LOWER BALL JOINT IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION SEPARATED CAUSING THE WHEEL TO FALL OFF ROUNDING A CORNER......UPDATED 08/20/15 *BF

YESTERDAY (6/21/15) AT APPROXIMATELY 630PM; MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2007 MAZDA CX9 GRAND TOURING (AWD). AS SHE WAS PULLING OUT OF A SUBDIVISION AT APPROXIMATELY 10MPH, SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THEN IMMEDIATELY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO OTHER TRAFFIC IN THE VICINITY AND SHE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND GET STOPPED. THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL AT BROKEN FREE OF THE SUSPENSION AND STEERING MECHANISM. ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR SHOP THE LOWER BALL JOINT BROKE, PUSHED OUT AND BROKE THE AXLE SHAFT. ALSO THE FORCE OF THE SHIFTING WHEEL/TIRE PUSHED THE RIGHT QUARTER-PANEL INTO THE RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR, MAKING THE DOOR INOPERABLE. I'VE HEARD OF OTHERS WITH THIS SAME INCIDENT WITH THE CX9. FORTUNATELY THIS OCCURRED AT LOW SPEED, WITH NO OTHER TRAFFIC OR PEDESTRIANS IN THE AREA.

I WAS PULLING INTO A DRIVEWAY AND MY MAZDA CX 9 CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR I REALIZED THAT THE SUSPENSION BROKE AND THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE BEARING. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED...UPDATED 08-12-15*BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE PART WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 08/25/15*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MAZDA CX-9. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POP AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE AXLE FRACTURED AND LODGED INTO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 95,000.