2008 Mazda CX-7 - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2008 Mazda CX-7 has not been rated in terms of overall safety. However, it has received excellent ratings in specific crash scenarios, with a 5-star rating for both the front crash driver side and passenger side, as well as a 5-star rating for both the side crash driver side and passenger side. The car also comes equipped with standard electronic stability control, which enhances the vehicle's stability under various driving conditions.

Although the Mazda CX-7 does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems, it does have a relatively low rollover risk with a rating of 4 out of 5. In terms of recalls and complaints, the CX-7 has had 5 recalls and 191 complaints reported, indicating a moderate level of issues that have been identified with this particular model. Overall, while the specific crash test ratings are favorable, potential buyers might want to consider the number of recalls and complaints associated with this vehicle.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

191

Recall Count

5

Investigation Count

0

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2008 Mazda CX-7 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2008 Mazda CX-7 4-DR. w/SAB

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2008 Mazda CX-7 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2008 Mazda CX-7 4-DR. w/SAB Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2007 Score 2008 Score 2012 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5 Not Rated
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 Not Rated

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2007 Score 2008 Score 2012 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5 Not Rated
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2007 Score 2008 Score 2012 Score
Rollover Rating 4 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Complaints for the 2008 Mazda CX-7

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"i had smoke coming from under the hood. ac compressor was burning up, and entire ac system needed to be replaced, only for the ac to stop outputting cool air on hot days unless i'm driving over 55 mph. *tr"
Components Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Date of incident: 2015-12-01
Complaint:
"had to replace the a/c compressor that went bad, was a recall on them but my warranty was out. then now 11/8/13 i am being told that my egr valve is bad and needs to be replaced and it so happens guess what the emissions warranty has ran out. i have seen a lot of complaints on line about the a/c compressor and now the egr valve. *tr"
Components Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Date of incident: 2013-08-01
Complaint:
"i was driving at about 25mph when i noticed a burning smell. i pulled over and popped the hood and saw smoke coming from the ac compressor. it turns out that this is common for this model. mazda extended the warranty but of course mine expired this year. it's just a shame that my car has less then 40k miles and mazda has acknowledged this is an inferior part, but wont help cover the cost. there are hundreds of reports of this part failing and breaking the serpentine belt causing the car to lose all power. this should absolutely be a recall. imagine this happening while on a highway or turning at an intersection. *tr"
Components Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Date of incident: 2014-05-10
Complaint:
"air conditioning began blowing hot air. many complaints logged online for this year vehicle having the same issue. contacted the dealership to find the warranty has expired 3 weeks prior to this issue. recommendation was to contact mazda customer satisfaction. they provided a file number and informed i needed to have the dealership confirm the issue was the compressor. the dealership did confirm the compressor and belt need replaced. contacted the customer satisfaction number back and the appeal/complain process began to see if they would provide financial assistance in replacing the compressor and belt since the warranty had just expired and only has 28,000 miles. was informed 2 days later that the decision was that they would not provide any assistance since it is out of the warranty period. very discouraged that a corporation would not stand behind they vehicle under these circumstances and the fact that they know this vehicle has these issues. i could understand if the vehicle had 60,000 miles but this is very disappointing. *tr"
Components Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Date of incident: 2013-07-07
Complaint:
"the air conditioning unit on my 2008 mazda cx-7 cracked, causing the pulley assembly to freeze up. as a result, the pulley no longer turned on the serpentine belt and made a loud noise, and the air conditioner failed to work. the car was immediately brought to the nearest mazda dealer who diagnosed the problem and advised me not to drive the car, out of concern that damage to the belt might occur. in reviewing my files later, i found an august 2010 notice from mazda advising me that the model year of my car might have this problem, and that the warranty coverage would be extended to 5 years or 60,000 miles. it further stated that no action should be taken unless i was experiencing an issue with this component of my car, which i wasn't at that time. unfortunately, my problem did not emerge until now, and is not covered by this warranty extension since i now have 75000 miles on my car. however, air conditioner units normally do not fail on cars of this age and the notice from mazda makes it clear that they are aware of this problem. i feel that mazda should do the right thing and cover the cost of replacing the air conditioning unit in my car. *tr"
Components Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Date of incident: 2015-01-04
Complaint:
"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!? the gentleman called 911 to summon the fire department. as we waited for the fire department a highway patrol assistance vehicle pulled over because they had a fire extinguisher. my husband arrived and took the car back to his place of business. our insurance was company was called and they sent a claims adjuster out to assess the damage. our claims adjuster determined that the fire had started with the air conditioner and had caused $3,900.00 in damage to the mechanicals of the car. *tr"
Components Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Date of incident: 2013-11-08
Complaint:
"mazda has a bulletin out to mechanics about cx-7'd timing chain. the timing chain problem could cease an engine on a highway and cause saftey hazards. mazda is also refusing repairs on my timing chain because i cannot produce the paperwork for my oil changes. i even have a 70,000 mile warranty which was extended because of the timing chain problems. i even called my bank to get statements proving payment in the same amount for the place i get my oil changes done, which mazda has a couple copies of, but they refused bank statements. this is horrible business practice and us, consumers should be protected against this. my car has 65,000 miles and i'm still making car payments. i can guarentee i will never buy another mazda and will tell everyone i knnow and post it on every site i can. *tt"
Components Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Date of incident: 2013-06-01
Complaint:
"the check engine light came on so i took it to the dealership. turns out the timing chain, gaskets, lock, and bolt, oil pan gasket, and egr valve need to be replaced. the car only has 37,437 miles on it. to have major engine problems is ridiculously unsafe. mazda has many cases with these same issues and yet has not issued a recall. even with the warranty covering engine parts/labor it's absurd! they need to be held responsible for selling lemons to the public. *kb"
Components Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Date of incident: 2013-04-11
Complaint:
"i was traveling in valencia on the 5 freeway and the interior of my 2008 mazda cx-7 filled with smoke to the point where i found it difficult to drive. i pulled to the exit (magic mountain pkwy) and pulled to the side turning off the engine. after several minutes i lifted the hood to find that the engine was still smoking around the belt area. i was able to get the car to firestone newhall, ca where they are still looking at it. very dangerous situation. the ac compressor seized causing the belt to fire and almost catch fire. after further research i have found that this is a common and dangerous problem with this make and model. *tr"
Components Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Date of incident: 2013-03-10
Complaint:
"on september 22, 2011 our 2008 mazda cx-7 experienced a complete engine failure. this failure occurred without any warning while driving on a freeway: the engine had not previously experienced any problems or made any unusual noises, no indicator lights had signaled a problem, and we had made oil and oil filter changes in accordance with the maintenance schedule. the failure created an extremely dangerous situation, as the car lost power and this meant that several critical functions, most notably, the steering, were severely compromised; the driver only just managed to bring the car to a safe stop. the mazda service center examined the engine of the car on september 26 and reported that the piston in the number 2 cylinder had failed damaging the engine beyond repair. the service manager verified our maintenance records and indicated that the engine was free of sludge or other build up. *tr"
Components Involved: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Date of incident: 2012-10-09

Recalls for the 2008 Mazda CX-7

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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. the inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling."
Consequence:
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V356 and 17V012.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2019-10-31
Recall:
"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. in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling."
Consequence:
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 16V356 and all vehicles that were not remedied under that campaign are now covered by this one.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2017-06-29
Recall:
"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. virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, mazda is recalling certain 2009 cx-7, cx-9 and mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia, or "zone b." additionally, unless included in "zone a" or "zone b" above, mazda is recalling certain 2007-2008 cx-7 and cx-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of alaska, colorado, connecticut, idaho, iowa, maine, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, oregon, rhode..."
Consequence:
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began October 4, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 17V-012.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2017-07-18

MAZDA Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

MAZDA ranks 16 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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