2018-2020 CX-5 2.5 SKYACTIV G with cylinder deactivation only (US spec)
2018-2020 Mazda6 2.5 SKYACTIV G with cylinder deactivation only (US spec)
2019-2020 Mazda3 2.5 SKYACTIV G with cylinder deactivation only (US spec)

See this TSB for more details.

 

Is there anything preventive we can do about this before it starts to leak? Or at least any recommended periodic checks?

 

Unfortunately not.

Looking on the bright side (ha!), if it does occur there will be no doubt. The symptoms are usually an oil/gasoline smell in the cabin and/or smoke from the engine compartment. Other than checking your oil level occasionally there is nothing you can do. Even trying to spot the leak is not easy as it occurs on the back side of the engine and it’s a pinhole leak through the cylinder head.

 

Oh joy! I just bought a 2020 with 16k miles on it. How comforting.

 

Yeah, I do periodic oil checks but if that is not sufficient then it could happen anytime. Hopefully not at one of our road trips in the middle of nowhere

 

I found this old post while searching the forum. My 2016 CX-9 was running fine when I had an oil change on Jan 28th. I started smelling a burning smell when I picked it up and figured it was spilled oil that would burn off. But the smell started getting worse, not better and it started smelling more like radiator fluid from what I remembered from a hose problem in a different car several years ago. Brought my car in Feb 11th to find out it is a cracked cylinder head and while my dealership had seen several of these, I was at 73k miles and a week past 60months and I was the first person out of warranty. My quote is $3500 “and likely more when they get under the engine to see more problems.” Could the mechanic on my oil change have inadvertently done something wrong that caused this? It is leaving such a rotten taste in my mouth to have brought in my car working fine only to take it home with an immediate problem.

 

I would be calling Mazda corporate if you haven't done so already. This seems like a "goodwill" type of repair especially with the recent oil change.

 

This is all true. When you smelt the "burning oil smell" did you care to check your oil yourself to make sure it was oil and not coolant? I recently posted something in the CX-9 area regarding a coolant leak due to a cracked cylinder head. It has pictures and all. Coolant and oil do separate things. So if you had a recent oil change they most likely didn't touch your coolant. Maybe just add some if they noticed it was low. https://www.mazdaforum.com/forum/maz...ne-swap-49127/

 

i contacted Mazda Corporate Customer Service Feb 11th. The phone call took 45 min. I was told they would send the request to the warranty dept since I was ~13,000 mi out of warranty. I followed up a week later to find out the guy with whom I spoke no longer worked at Mazda and never filed a request. I repeated the 45min phone call of details, sent them the estimate, they spoke with the dealership contact, said it could take 2 weeks as Warranty Dept is backed up.

I followed up with service manager at my dealership and got a whole different story from him. He said Customer Service would never send it to Warranty Dept. He made some calls. He followed up with me that the $3300 estimate they gave me 2-3 weeks prior could now be $4-5000 and that the quote in parts was $1100 but I would need $2500 deposit to order parts. He spoke in such a way to make it sound crazy that anyone would help with good will when his own service guys, with whom I originally spoke, had encouraged me to contact Mazda Corp explaining that this is a known problem, they’ve replaced several, but I was the only one so far out of warranty.

Meanwhile, they told me I could keep driving the car, but when temp light went on in boondocks of rural NH, thankfully driving past a family friend’s house who used to be a mechanic for Volvo years ago, so I literally was able to stop care immediately at his house. He told me to tow it and thought my dealership was nuts to let me drive it. The radiator overflow was full but radiator empty. So, $50 tow, borrowing my parents’s car, they are annoyed I have no offer of a loaner, and no help. Meanwhile, parts are 1-2 months back ordered and haven’t been ordered. If I have to pay full fair, it might not be worth $5000 on a 2016 with ~73,000mi. So much for loyal dealership usage for all previous service including tires!

i was curious about a few others who had this happen on their CX-5s immediately after an oil change. This happened to me.

Thank you for all the replies from everyone and all sorts of posts over the years, very informative.

 

I have the same story as everyone else, except mine happened at about 27,000 miles. For background, I bought my CX-5 in Minnesota in late October, cash up front and extended warranty, then go home to South Dakota. I get the blown cylinder head January 7. I call my Mazda dealership immediately, they insist that they cannot get me in to diagnose the issue until April. That did not include the repair time, or ordering of parts. I threw a bit of a fit, because my car would be undriveable for longer than I've even owned it. I insisted that they inspect my car immediately as it it was unsafe to drive oh, and they obliged January 10th.

2 months ago today was the last time I saw my car. They refuse to give me a loaner and won't cover the cost of a rental even though I am broke because I gave them over $30k cash. They told me they are replacing the gaskets and ordered three gasket packages. Since then, they've told me they have received two of three and are just waiting on one more gasket package. I have screenshots of the updates from the service manager claiming they are only waiting on one package. I recently gave them a poor Google review, to which they responded that they understand that I am frustrated, however they are waiting on more than just a gasket. So now, I have caught them lying to me, either via text or via google review reply.

Mazda North America has said they would have my parts expedited last month. 2 days ago, when I followed up, the new agent I spoke with says there was no record of such escalation on my open case. I was supposed to receive a follow-up again, and have not.

In the state of Minnesota where I bought the car, it does qualify as a lemon at this point. I have no idea how to start the process living in South Dakota. But I don't even have money left for a lawyer. I'm furious and out over $30k. I know you guys can't really do anything here for me, but I just really needed somebody to listen. I am so frustrated. I want to hold Mazda accountable but I have nothing left to fight with. ****.