2012 Mazda CX-9 transmission problems

Filed Jul 24, 2023 · Transmission · MA

The water pump suddenly started leaking and the mechanics I talk to said this is a very common problem with this vehicle and type of engine. Sounds like owners are left to foot the bill for this costly and difficult repair of a defective product. Hopefully more owners come forward and report their experience in this regard

Filed Oct 28, 2022 · Engine, Steering · MN

After hearing low rumbling sound and smelling burnt oil, car was taken to dealer for check up. They informed me of known issue, front PTU leaking oil due to design flaw that put the PTU so close to the exhaust. I am seeing that other owners of this model are also reporting fires due this same exact problem, apparently unbeknownst to me Mazda has provided extended warranty up to 90k miles but not actually informed the owners of this as a potential catastrophic problem. my personal review has informed me that fire seem to be most common between 110,000 and 130,000 mile ranges.

Filed Jun 23, 2020 · Transmission · 92,205 miles · RI

11/1/2016- at 92,205 miles vehicle shuddered when I stepped on accelerator. I was told it was transmission related. On my way to mechanic vehicle completely seized; had to have it towed to transmission shop. Angle gear had to be replaced because transfer case oil burned off because catalytic converter is placed too close and it cooks lubricant. I was told this is a known problem with mazda cx9's. Cost 1,400. Mazda was unwilling to cover repairs at all. 6/22/2020 - 130,000 miles same shuddering happened when stepped on accelerator and same issue. Called mazda and same response 'not our problem, it's out of warranty'.

Filed Feb 21, 2019 · Engine, Transmission · 90,000 miles · WI

I own a 2012 mazda cx9, which I purchased new. On monday morning (november 12, 2018) my (check engine light came on) and so I took it immediately to the dealership for diagnosis. My car was running beautifully, so I just assumed with the weather change, perhaps the gas cap wasn't tightened, and they just needed to clear the codes. It turns out the water pump failed and apparently destroyed the entire engine. Which became apparent as I drove it to the dealership for diagnosis, per their recommendation. My car is well maintained based on the dealer recommendations and is consistently serviced at the mazda dealership. The car is in fantastic condition with only 90,000. As an owner, I did everything by the book in terms of maintenance for my car. I am letting you know, mazda has a serious problem and it's a safety issue, as well. If a water pump can just fail without warning and completely shut down an engine, that's not good. I think this is far more dangerous than the air bag recall, which is only a concern if you get in an accident. There is no warning on the water pump failing, as it's self-contained within the power train and the only way to check this part is by removing the entire engine, which leads me to believe this part was not designed to be a wear part. It's an engineering design flaw, that can cause bodily harm if it fails, because it takes out the entire engine and you lose control over the vehicle.

Filed Dec 28, 2018 · Transmission · 81,000 miles · OH

The transmission was shifting hard between 4th and 5th gear. My wife brought the vehicle to the dealership to have the air bag recall done. They then charged us $122 to update the transmission program to correct the factory issue. Now it shifts from 6th to 3rd on the interstate.

Filed Jun 28, 2018 · Brakes, Transmission · MA

At just over 90,000 miles I had transfer case problem that everyone is posting. As described by mechanic it is a manufacturing defect. Transfer case is placed just above catalytic converter (which throws off alot of heat) as a result oil in transfer case cooks over time and gears are destroyed. Mazda did not provide a way to replace and or check this fluid without taking down the entire transmission. Mechanic said I will have this problem again at roughly another 80-100,000 miles. Year and a half later I noticed a very soft brake. I replaced brake pads and drums, and brake fluid. I have a very hard brake which then sporatically goes soft. Again I looked up this issue and found again mazda is aware of this issue and extented warranty to 90,000 miles. Again I'm just over the warranty allowance and now my brake power booster and possibly master cylinder need to be replaced. Both are known issues by mazda. Unfortunately I was the lucky one who was the beneficiary of both problems just over the 90,000 mile warranty. I reached out to mazda to request some assistance with at least the cost of the parts on the brake power booster. I was given a quick no by mazda. Very frustrating since these are both known problems and they will not at least work with me on the parts cost.

Filed Jun 10, 2018 · Transmission · 136,200 miles · TX

Awd transfer case unit failure the transfer case of my 2012 mazda cx-9 failed while driving on the highway at crusising speed creating a dangerous situation. The first sign of failure was a heavy burned oil odor. The odor was caused by a lot of oil pouring over the exhaust pipe which also was a danger of fire. After inspection mechanic found that the transfer case had a leak and the coupling splines between the transmission and the power transfer case and the right driveshaft were extremely corroded, this corrosion was nos evident from outside because either the transmission and the transfer case are made of aluminum and the driveshaft is inserted through the power transfer unit into the transmission, but for unknown reasons, the transmission output and transfer case input parts which are made of steel are badly corroded and got severely worn with a lot of rust accumulation in place, which in time will cause a traction lose that would severely compromise driving safety. Mazda issued a bulletin to address the power transfer case unit but is limited to 7 years or 90000 miles which is a low mileage for a problem like this to develop and when the owner tries to take action mazda will not cover the repairs. I think thi is a manufacturing quality control issue since its completely beyond the actions or failure of the owner to follow a proper maintentance schedule since the owners manual doesnt say anything about it. Mazda does not have a service schedule for this part and is considered to be mantentance free however, if the issued the service bulletin is because they know this part has potential issues. The involved parts should be repaired by mazda since is a design or manufacture problem. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Filed May 14, 2018 · Acceleration, Engine · 58,000 miles · CA

The transfer case is leaking and going to go completely out on my 2012 mazda cx-9, I noticed the same gear shifting problem in my 2004 mazda 6 wagon. The car feels like driving a stick, it jolts when shifting to drive and while moving it feels like it is shifting early. This is a known problem with mazda but a recall is yet to surface for this issue.

Filed Apr 7, 2018 · Transmission · 33,500 miles · MD

I just had only 33k miles on my 2012 mazda cx-9, the transfer case broken from inside yesterday morning (friday april 6th 2018) when I commute from home to work. I was driving on a neighborhood road go straight. First the loud noise raise from under hood then the SUV lost power. Luckily I have room to pull over and park it at side of the road. It did put me and public in danger by the faulty transfer case. I have to call a tow truck to get my SUV to auto shop. Serviceman called me this morning and told me that I need to replace the bad transfer case.

Filed Dec 27, 2017 · Transmission · 76,000 miles · TX

If water pump fails the engine will shut down without warning or any type of check engine light or alert. Coolant will flood crankcase immediately and ruin the engine . This occurred while driving creating a serious safety issue potentially causing a collision.