While driving the vehicle the brakes became hard to depress and a hissing came from my steering column, the car would not stop or respond to stop. I had to downshift to Neutral to get the speed slow enough to stop - and had passed through an intersection while in failure. I had also had symptoms I did not know at the time may be related which was at a stop at dunkins or a drive through at a stopped position - where the car would run rough the last few weeks. I thought the rough idle was gas related. I can no longer drive the vehicle and am told this is brake booster/pump issue / that other of the same parts in fords and other manufacturers are now extending customer sat programs like 13N02 because of faulty parts in the brake booster. the vehicle can be towed or seen for this problem. The vehicle has no existing coverage of the faulty brake booster. This is a car insured for my son [XXX][ to drive and It is a safety risk that this went while driving, i'm happy it was myself driving that day. Problem has been confirmed as a brake booster pump/booster failure by a service professional. No warning lights - just not able to stop the car when stepping on the brake. Thanks INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The worst 2008 Mazda CX-9 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Suspension55
- Brakes30
- Airbags28
- Transmission27
- Steering19
- Wheels16
- Electrical13
- Engine7
- Seats7
- Driver assistance5
- Acceleration3
- Visibility3
- Fuel system2
- Body1
- Locks1
- Seat belts1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Mazda CX-9
Recalls 5
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. 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.
Recall number 19V782000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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 Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. 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.
Recall number 17V457000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. 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.
Recall number 17V429000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting.
- Risk
- Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase will be for model year 2010-2014 vehicles in the same states. Finally, all remaining vehicles will be remedied. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1‑800‑222‑5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 8515G.
Recall number 15V451000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: interior/under dash
- What is wrong
- Mazda is recalling 30,600 my 2007-2009 cx9 vehicles equipped with power adjustable seat with position memory function. The seat harness routed underneath the seat cushion may interfere with the front cover bracket which is attached on the front side of the seat cushion. Due to this the covering of the seat harness may be damaged, the core wire of the harness may touch with the bracket and result in short circuit.
- Risk
- Drivers will experience certain functions that are uncontrollable which will cause serious difficulties in driving increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the seat harness and fasten the seat frame with a cable tie. The harness covering will be repair free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before march 16, 2009. Owners may contact mazda at 1‑800‑222‑5500.
Recall number 09V066000 · Recall details
See all 5 recalls for the 2008 Mazda CX-9
Defect investigations
Lower ball joint separation
In an July 7,2015 letter to the federal safety agency, Mazda identified a safety defect that could result in lower ball joint separation in approximately 193,484 model year (MY) 2007 through 2014 Mazda CX-9 vehicles (the federal safety agency Recall No. 15V‑451,Mazda 8515G).Mazda indicated that damage to the ball joint boot may allow water to enter the front suspension ball joint fitting during use which may result in premature ball joint wear and a progressively looser joint.In January 2014, Mazda implemented redesigned lower control arms in production vehicles to improve the durability of the lower ball joints.The redesign involved changing the shape of the top surface of the ball joint boot cover and adding a suspension plate to the undersurface of the knuckle.Mazda's recall will replace the defect lower control arms with the redesigned parts.ODI's analysis of information collected during PE15-022 identified a total of 62 ball joint separation incidents, including 34 identified in ODI complaints and 31 identified in Mazda complaints and field reports (3 of the Mazda records involve vehicles/incidents that were also reported to ODI).When Mazda's design change was implemented, most of the field experience related to lower ball joints involved complaints of noise and premature wear-out.Only 1 of the ODI and 6 of the additional Mazda separation complaints identified in ODI's analysis were reported prior to January 2014.Significant increases in the number and trend in separation complaints were observed in 2015, when 30 of the ODI complaints and 16 of the additional Mazda complaints were reported.The report trend appears to be accelerating, with 29 of the reports received after ODI opened PE15-022 on June 9, 2015.There has been one crash reported to ODI related to the alleged defect (VOQ 10746510). This investigation is closed based on Mazda's recall.The 34 VOQs associated with this investigation are: 10747358, 10746510, 10744897, 10743509, 10736229, 10735938, 10734763, 10734302, 10734290, 10733813, 10732578, 10732217, 10732154, 10731850, 10730736, 10730280, 10730143, 10730114, 10726622, 10726480 10726448, 10726168, 10725839, 10725567, 10725488, 10725427, 10725390, 10717510, 10714469, 10695142, 10668978, 10648429, 10640541, 10546535
PE15022
Brake master cylinder leak
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE11-026 to investigate possible brake performance loss due to brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder into the brake booster in model year (MY) 2008 Mazda CX-9 vehicles.In response to ODI's information request letter, Mazda identified a problem with the manufacturing process for the master cylinder primary plunger that could result in inappropriate surface finish.ODI's analysis of complaints and field reports determined that the problem was isolated to several months late in the production of the MY 2008 CX-9 vehicles.Mazda indicated that changes to the plunger machining and inspection processes were incorporated late in MY 2008 vehicle production (June 25, 2008).There are no confirmed failures related to the condition in subsequent production.The subject master cylinder was used by Mazda in MY 2007 through MY 2011 CX-9 vehicles (approximately 132,000 vehicles) with no other significant problems related to master cylinder leakage.ODI's analysis identified a total of 248 complaints and field reports potentially related to the subject condition in MY 2008 CX-9 vehicles.The majority of the records reported that brake malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) illumination was the only symptom of a problem, with only 4% (9 reports) alleging any symptoms related to brake pedal feel or effectiveness.ODI identified no crash claims related to the alleged defect.In addition, analysis of this data showed a declining trend with 90 percent of the incidents reported before January 2011.Based on the extremely slow leak rate associated with the alleged defect, the declining failure trend and the low probability that the condition would affect brake performance, this investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Searchreference under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.): 10442322, 10419837, 10449109
PE11026
Technical service bulletins for the 2008 Mazda CX-9 264
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below
- Description
- Product Quality Information (PQI) DESCRIPTION Service Information MT-041/12 is no longer valid
- This SA supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below
- This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red....
- If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...),...
- A musty/mildew type odor may come from the vents when the air conditioning (A/C) system is operating
- Exterior trim heat damage such (melted, separating, etc.) when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows
- When replacing the SiriusXM satellite radio unit, a call must be made to inform SiriusXM of the existing...
- Some customers may complain about a noisy HVAC blower motor or odor after a cabin air filter replacement
2008 Mazda CX-9 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7L 6‑cyl | FWD | 16 | 22 | 18 |
| 3.7L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 15 | 21 | 17 |
What 2008 Mazda CX-9 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
It acting like it doesn’t want to hold air. I have to air up my wheels every morning. It’s only the back wheels.
Once you get to 70mph it starts shaking like if a the wheels will fall off.
In 2017 had my front control arms replaced after the driver side CV arm came off of the axle due to a recall. 5 years later (about 30k miles) the same exact situation happened now with the passenger side making a left turn. Thankfully both times I didn’t cause an accident but came close due to the wheel coming off of the axle. Brought to dealership, they had to get approval from corporate for the repair. Got a call 6 days later saying corporate denied the goodwill repair due to being “normal wear and tear” and they told me to call corporate. Just called corporate and they say that the dealership makes that decision. I shouldn’t have to pay for something that was recalled, repaired, and happened again 100% in the same fashion. Normal wear and tear on a CV arm is not 20-30k miles.
The contact owns a 2008 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, he noticed that the brakes felt loose and the braking distance had become extended while attempting to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that he heard a hissing sound while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the brakes failed completely while attempting to stop for a traffic signal and the vehicle rolled into the intersection. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brake booster was malfunctionin,g and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
To whom it concern. Leaking water in my passenger seat, at the beginning we though that was the blower motor, we change it, but then got wet again and it went bad again, but I found out that was a malfunction factory the problem with the air conditioning compressor. I took my car to 3 different shops, where the first two, drained my A/C I give up because I was paying money for nothing. I took the car to Mazda dealer, They told me that my car have a malfunction Factory and was about the a/c system. I talk to Mazda and ask them to replace it, because this was a factory problem. They refuse to do it. I found a recall for Mazda cx5 with the same problem but not my car that is Mazda cx9. Thank you [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Knock or hard shift in park as well as in reverse keeps burning oil had everything flushed replaced all fluids valve cover gaskets spark plugs etc
Sometimes the blind signal works sometimes it doesn't sometimes it blinks on the screen and when switching lanes, brakes keeps going out ball joint keeps popping hard shift or knock in reverse and when placed in park had repair done several times. Dvd wires keeps going out/shortage m. Sometimes seat belt blinker work and sometimes it doesn't
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 mazda cx-9. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, the contact saw a raccoon and veered off the road causing the contact to hit a tree. The air bags deployed with extreme force causing the contact to have a migraine. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a chest contusion and received medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a junkyard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was relating the failure to the federal safety agency campaign number: 20v035000 (air bags). Oak lawn mazda (6750 w 95th st, oak lawn, il 60453) was contacted and informed the contact that the recall was already performed prior to the contact owning the vehicle and that they could not further assist. The manufacturer had been informed of failure and informed the contact that they could not assist. The failure mileage was 93,000.
My control arms bearings and joints are rusted and the dealership says they aren't covered they were fixed 5 years ago and they are definitely separated and hazardous
Compare the 2008 Mazda CX-9
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2008 Mazda CX-9
Is the 2008 Mazda CX-9 reliable?
Owners have filed 172 complaints about the 2008 Mazda CX-9, 2.8 times a typical CX-9 model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2008 Mazda CX-9 year score?
The 2008 Mazda CX-9 scores 34 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Mazda CX-9: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Mazda CX-9?
Suspension, with 55 complaints, typically around 110,000 miles. Next is brakes (30).
How many recalls does the 2008 Mazda CX-9 have?
5 recalls, covering air bags, suspension and electrical system.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Mazda CX-9 suspension?
Yes, 1 recall: 15V451000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Mazda CX-9 have bad suspension?
The Mazda CX-9 model years with the most suspension complaints are 2008 (55 complaints), 2007 (37 complaints) and 2010 (16 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2008 Mazda CX-9 get?
Official estimates for the 2008 Mazda CX-9 range from 17 to 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.7L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 16 city and 22 highway.
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