Vehicle has a defective variable valve timing actuator (as per the manufacturers campaign letter) that causes a noise at start up and a loose timing chain. That first phase of the failure has already occurred. The next stage of the failure which hasn't happened to me yet (but has been documented by others) is that the vvt actuator eventually becomes dislodged from its pin and as a result, the timing chain breaks, causing the engine to seize instantly, causing an emergency response from the driver to attempt to get out of the flow of traffic, without warning, within seconds of the failure. The vehicle is driven on the NJ turnpike, rt. 295, rt 195, etc in central NJ and when the failure as described above occurs when traveling at highway speeds on busy roadways, there is a high probability of an accident occurring at the time of the failure, or as the car sits disabled on the edge of a roadway awaiting roadside assistance. The danger is not only for the occupants of the Cx-7, but also for those directly behind the vehicle at the point of the vvt failing and/or the timing chain breaking. I have requested that the vehicle be repaired for over 90 days, however Mazda usa continues to inform me that the parts are not available and that there no identified date of when they will be in stock. That means that they are allowing me and my family to drive a vehicle equipped with a defective original equipment part, that when it fails, may cause harm to me, my family and others. They are not considering this a matter of safety, and instead only a matter of inconvenience in that because my vehicle is now over their self determined 70,000K mileage threshold, they are not offering to fix the car. Instead, they are telling me that I can pay to have it fixed. They should be warning their customers of the dangerous condition being created by their faulty components.

- Allentown, NJ, USA

Mazda sent information regarding an extended warranty for the vvt actuator/timing chain for 70,000 miles or 7 years of age. I took my vehicle in for service, literally days after receiving this mailing, and was informed that I needed this repaired on my vehicle. My car was around 15,000 miles over the limit but within the 7 year time frame. After calling the customer service line, Mazda insisted there was nothing they could do since I was over the mileage cap. This is obviously a defect no matter how many miles are on the vehicle. To repair the problem, I will have to pay over $1,500. Why did it take so long to do something about this? a reputable company would fix this defect on all vehicles affected.

- Annapolis, MD, USA

I have only owned my Mazda Cx-7 for 6 months before the turbo went on my car. The engine lost power. The Mazda dealer reported sludge build up and as a result the turbo failed. No one will cover the work as I lack appropriate maintenance records on the car (since I've only owned it long enough to make 5 mapyments).

- Saylorsburg, PA, USA

Engine rattling due to stretched timing chain NHTSA# 10039251.

- Austin, TX, USA

The timing chain in this vehicle broke while under power. We recently received a voluntary warranty extension notice (Mazda calls it a special service program) that indicated there may be a problem with the engine in the vehicle, specifically elements related to the timing chain and variable valve timing. Our car always rattled at startup from the day we bought it, that was our normal experience and expectation for what the car was supposed to sound like. We never knew this was a problem until a couple of weeks ago, and come to find out, our car had passed the extended coverage period provided by Mazda anyway. It is and will be our contention that there is a serious design flaw in the motor of this vehicle. While our experience is that the car failed at 83K miles, many have failed sooner, and other Mazda products using the same motor are affected (L3T engine, also in the speed 6 and the speed 3) it should be noted that the service interval for the timing chain had not been reached. Mazda published a tsb on this problem in 2009 or thereabouts, but never contacted it's customers directly to indicate that service may be required. It is time for the ntsb to get a recall notice issued and put this issue to bed once and for all, before someone gets killed.

- Marshall, VA, USA

Our 2007 Mazda CX7 suddenly lost power and I was forced to stop the vehicle in the center median of the highway, as I was unable to move to the right due to other traffic. Vehicle was towed back to the dealership where problem was diagnosed as a broken pin on the variable valve time actuator (vvt). There was no prior indication of a problem with the vehicle (no warning lights) prior to the engine stopping. Dealership has indicated that complete engine replacement is recommended by Mazda. Currently the vehicle is awaiting arrival of an adjuster from extended warranty company to see if repairs/replacement will be covered. Additional online research has indicated that this is a well-document and frequently occurring problem with this make/model of vehicle, yet manufacturer has neglected to initiate a full recall. Rather they issued a "service bulletin" (#01-002/08) that addresses a vvt noise when starting engine. Bulletin states "some vehicles may exhibit a loud ticking noise from the variable valve timing. (vvt) this is caused by the lock pin of the variable valve timing actuator not fully engaging. Heat treatment has now been added around the hole of the variable valve timing rotor lock to prevent this from happening." It is believed that had my vehicle exhibited any symptoms, I could have had the service bulletin repairs made, and the engine failure due to the broken pin would have most likely been avoided. This should have been a recall, and not addressed by a service bulletin. There is strong evidence, as discovered via the internet, that multiple CX7 vehicles have had this exact same type of failure where the vehicle has suddenly stopped running while being driven at highway speeds. This constitutes an extreme safety hazard that could possibly result in serious personal injury or death.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

On 2/11/2012 while driving down the highway at a speed of 70 miles per hour my Mazda Cx-7's engine lost all power. Luckily we were able to avoid having an accident and make it to the side of the road. The vehicle has been diagnosed with failure of the turbo system and timing chain (a very serious and recurring problem with this model). Mazda has extended their warranties but is denying claim citing oil sludge buildup even though the vehicle has been properly maintained per the owner's manual. Mazda is denying fault with the engine and saddling me with a bill of over three thousand dollars to fix it. The vehicle is less than six years old and only has approximately 56,000 miles on it. Mazda needs to address the problems with this models engine and the fact that it cooks the engine oil long after parking.

- Williamsport, PA, USA

Received warranty extension program ssp87 letter to handle variable value timing actuator fix. Extends warranty to 84 months or 70000 miles. My car has 74,000 miles and has symptoms described in ssp. Was told by both the dealer ( turnersville Mazda in turnersville NJ ) and Mazda North America that nothing could be done to help me. I offered to pay part of the repair if they would work with me, both dealer and Mazda na had no interest. Care does function ok now but I will not drive it anymore until I can get it fixed. I will also be logging a complaint with the better business bureau and contacting the state attorney general and possibly a small claims court case. This is obviously a common problem and Mazda na seems to show no interest in standing behind their product.

- Atco , NJ, USA

I have a 2007 Mazda CX7 that has a broken vvt timing system. The car is not drivable and the part is not available. The car currently has 74,000 miles on it. This is a know issue with Mazda and they are not taking responsibility. This is devastating as a consumer to not have the support of Mazda on a known defect with their vehicle. I am requesting that something be done so that Mazda takes responsibility for this defect and compensates Mazda CX7 owners for these expensive repairs!

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Vvt actuator broke while we were driving the vehicle. After inspecting we realized the broken part caused extensive damage to the motor causing a complete motor replacement necessary. We contacted the Mazda dealer in our area who told us Mazda was aware of the problem with 2007 Cx-7 and are ignoring the problem, they told us it wasn't worth fixing. We purchased this vehicle a year ago and still owe a considerable amount of money, now we can't trade it off and are having to pay payments on a defective vehicle. Mazda recently voluntarily extended the warranty to cover this defective part but put the cutoff at 70,000 miles, the thing doesn't break until approximately 80,000 or more. I contacted Mazda and asked for help and was told too bad.

- Pleasant Plains, AR, USA

This vehicle was originally purchased used by me daughter, since the failure my wife and I bought it, I replaced the faulty turbo charger and it is now back in service. Though my wife has very limited faith in the vehicle at this time. The issue is that when the vehicle was taken to Mazda, the dealership mechanics/service mgr stated that the engine needed to be replaced at a cost of over $8000. Being a mechanic myself I knew that the engine ran exceptionally well but that the turbo had a burned up cartridge and needed to be replaced. In doing the work I realized that the design of the routing of oil tubing created the failure of the turbo. Also, the fact that Mazda does not indicate that their (any) turbo charged gasoline engine needs to be idled to cool the turbo assembly after driving before shutting off the engine. As is common practice with diesel engines and racing engines that are turbo charged. Nor did they engineer and install a timer device which would do this for the consumer so that this failure would be avoided. I have read of many of these failures in the us on forums and Mazda has forced most to pay for new engines when they were not needed.

- Phoenix, NY, USA

The engine has two faulty parts. V.V.T. actuator and turbo. They admit bad design, but only warranty it to 70K. They are doing everything they can to get out of this repair when they know exactly what part of their design is failing. Total engine damage when parts fail. This needs attention as consumers are being ripped off and put in danger. Same engine in Mazda 3 and 6.

- Sumrall, MS, USA

Turbo problems in my Mazda Cx-7. replaced first turbo in October 2010 total $$ $4500. Now my turbo has failed for the 2nd time in January 2012. I have all my receipts for oil changes, but just like all the other posts that you read from other Mazda Cx-7 owners, Mazda finds a reason to not take responsibility that they actually built a car that has a major defect. I've read so many complaints on the Cx-7 turbo's that I can't even keep up with them all. My dealership told me they have replaced at least 50 turbos in the Cx-7's in the last year alone. Also said it is something with a defect in the lines that clog. Sad that a corporation like that gets away with ripping off the hard working consumer. I will never buy a Mazda again.

- Greensburg, PA, USA

The 2.3 liter 4 cylinder L3T engine that is in my wife's 2007 Mazda Cx-7 has a bad variable valve timing actuator which was verified today by dual Mazda of jacksonville Florida. A warranty extension was issued by Mazda around the 14th of January 2012 following the initial tsb (technical service bulletin) date 23 February 2011. My concern is not that Mazda has acknowledged an internal engine part as being faulty, but that the part stated in the warranty extension could possibly make the timing chain go bad. Mazda did not cover how, when, what RPM range, engine load, or most importantly what speed this might happen if the actuator is not replaced. The last thing anyone wants is their engine timing going out...at any speed or at anytime while moving in a motor vehicle, catastrophic engine failure will surely follow. I feel that these faulty variable valve timing actuators are an integral part of making this engine run safely and ultimately the car overall and should be looked into before its an actual incident.

- Jacksonville , FL, USA

Complete engine failure at 75,287 miles. Entire engine is burned up, oil changed regularly, no oil leaks, turbo sensor replaced in April 2011 by dealer under extended warranty, engine not covered under warranty in December 2011, cited lack of maintenance even with receipts of oil changes. After researching issue, this is a common problem in Mazda CX7's, and engine failure has been reported in over 2000 cases. Not only is the condition dangerous, as the vehicle just stops running without appropriate warning lights, modern cars do not usually need a new engine at lower mileage. Mazda has sent no notices or letters stating this is a common problem on this model, and has not recommended using synthetic oil or more frequent oil changes.

- Bryn Mawr, PA, USA

Failure of ac clutch interference with belts creating smoke and burning of belts and internal systems.

- Elkridge, MD, USA

On 12/19/11, I was driving appx. 60 - 65 mph on I-81 when my 2007 Mazda Cx-7 just shut off. I was in the middle of traffic on the interstate, with a large tractor trailer behind me, but I was able to safely maneuver my car onto the shoulder of the interstate. My car would not start again. I did quite a bit of research on line regarding this particular issue and found a significant number of claims from other people that had this same problem happen to their 2007 Mazda CX7. The final diagnosis is total engine failure with a price tag of $7200 to fix. That would be for a whole new engine. I found a service bulletin from January of 2008 that corporate Mazda sent out to their dealers re: A problem with the timing chain. The bulletin specifically identifies a series of VIN#'s affected, and mine falls into the category. There is currently about 65K miles on my car (I can't remember exactly), and I did not buy the extended warranty because who would think that a 2007 vehicle would need a new engine @ 65K miles" I think I should've been notified that there was an ongoing issue with this particular model and year. Both Mazda and the dealership are telling me they will not do anything for me, because the vehicle is out of warranty. Mazda needs to take responsibility here. I'm lucky I was able to get my car through the traffic and off the interstate. Does someone need to be killed before this issue gets attention" my car showed absolutely no warning signs that something was wrong for me to pro-actively have this checked.

- Mountain Top, PA, USA

Dealership maintained Cx-7 experienced major failure while driving. Engine died and major oil leak was noticed. Car had to be towed to the dealership. The dealership first indicated that there was some type of failure regarding the #3 cylinder. Dealership said that the probable cause of failure was due to turbo overheating. Later the dealership stated that the #4 piston failed and caused catastrophic damage to the engine. The cause of failure was never determined. The engine, turbocharger, thermostat, egr valve, intake manifold, starter and O2 sensor were replaced. Total cost of repairs (labor, parts, and misc charges) prior to tax was $10,557.49. Prior to engine failure we informed the dealership that the check engine light was constantly on but stated that it was due to the gas cap not being properly put on. They never scanned the computer despite the car being under warranty. Additionally a ticking noise has been previously brought to the dealership's attention but was told that the engine noise was normal for this particular engine.

- Gladstone, MO, USA

Engine ceased on the highway while I was driving. Mazda says it is my fault for going 2000 miles over the oil change. However, oil light never came on; car was not driving any differently than normal; and no service engine light came on. Even though car is under warranty, Mazda is refusing to pay for the damage. It is hard to believe that a well-maintained card with a little over 50K miles will cease it engine because of 2000 miles over an oil change.

- Waterbury, CT, USA

Just purchased the vehicle for my mom as a present because she has wanted one since they came out. It has 81,000 miles on it. The vvt has gone out, the timing chain needs replaced and now they are telling me that the engine is shot because of the sludge and the neglected care to the vehicle. I purchased the vehicle used so I do not know how it was cared for previously, but since we have had it, it has been cared for magnificently. I have read numerous consumer reports which stated the exact same problems im having. I'm getting quoted over $7,500 to fix the vehicle that I purchased not even 2 months ago. Mazda should be held responsible for this.

- Houston, TX, USA