Good morning from Pittsburgh - Happy to be part of this forum, albeit am joining for a bad reason. Have had the worst ownership experience of any vehicle I've owned with my 21' CX9 Carbon Edition. Bought the car 18 months ago as a CPO with 10K miles. The list of issues I've had have been the following in order:


I) Issue - Loud clanking going over any kind of non-flat terrain. Fix - Sub-frame bolts were not torqued properly and was fixed.

II) Issue - Rear wheel well molding came loose. Fix - New rear wheel well molding.

III) Issue - Pulsing in brakes at 20K miles. Fix - Replace rotors which were warped. This is normal at 20K per maintenance manager at my local dealer.

IV) Issue - Rattling in the frame. Fix - Tighten bolts somewhere in the frame and blow out rocks that kicked up into the frame?? Its gone now

V) Current Issue - Significant feedback in the steering column. I drive 15 miles on the highway to work and back everyday... Fix - TBD


Also, my gearbox is clanky and loud asf.


Are these issues common for this car? I'm coming from Acura so tell if my expectations are off, but this is one of the more expensive cars they had for this model year and this all seems wrong. Maybe I got a lemon. Horrible ownership experience so far. Tho the car looks awesome and the interior fit and finish is great.

 

Welcome to the forum.

My best suggestion to you is to go and have your concerns reviewed at the dealership you purchased your Mazda.

Basically, most everything you described needs to be "physically" not by way of the internet examine and checked.

These IMHO are not normal and suggest that perhaps the previous owner was a "different" sort of driver to be nice in a descriptive way!

The transmission is important that you get that looked as before you continue to add miles. Clunking sounds are not good with the transmission and should not be there!!

ASE

 

Thank you for the reply. Of course, yes agreed, the car has been in and out of the dealership 6x in the 18 mos have owned it. The service has frankly been atrocious and I get all the standard BS. Am going to the dealer owner and Mazda corporate.

Have a feeling am going to dump this for something else....

 

Here we go where I lose next election votes.... LOL....(joke)
Honestly bitching to MAZDA USA is not going to get you anywhere. Dealerships are still independently owned business. That they look at your Mazda like any dealership fulfills the basic contract with the auto manufacture.
You may simply need to go to another dealership but keep in mind all records are now registered on your VIN so the next dealership is going to see all the inspection works and technician notes from your current Mazda dealership. This is also normal with most all dealerships. This is the same with most every other makes of vehicle dating back to the 70's.
This is why it is always a great plan to not give attitude and develop a friendly report with your dealership. I know it read backwards because human nature we feel they should do this with us for our future business. But it really works both ways!
Best advice is to continue with the Mazda dealership you are currently using. I also suggest if you have not done so yet to have the technician ride along or vise verse so you can address the problems directly and not simply by describing them?

Dumping your Mazda for something else there is no guarantee that you will do better or not have any issues if it is either a brand-new vehicle or used low mileage vehicle no matter what make you choose. You may end up starting all over with issues and concern just like you are at with your Mazda at this point of new ownership.

Your transmission concern is at this point your most important concern that needs to address!!

ASE

 

Lewis, nothing you describe is normal. I have experienced none of these with my 2016 CX-9 nor have others on the forum commented about these problems. It might be time to ask for a sit-down discussion with the service manager at your dealership, not just speak with one of the service writers. About your item III...brake rotors don't warp. And replacing the rotors every 20k is not normal anywhere, you were lied to. What happens is that brake pad material gets deposited on the cast iron rotor surface in all circumstances. If the brakes get overheated the deposition of the pad material is uneven and the brakes have a stick-slip-stick-slip situation resulting in brake judder which is mis-described as warped rotors.* "Warped" rotors can be fixed by removing the rotors, sandpapering off the nearly invisible pad material, washing in solvent, and reinstalling them or resurfacing the rotors on a lathe to cut away the pad material and some cast iron. No one does this cleaning, and thinner rotors might be too thin for spec. The prevention of "warped rotors" is either to use your transmission (careful here until yours gets fixed) and downshift on long downgrades and/or upgrade to a higher temperature rated aftermarket brake pad. Here is more: https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/18...ed-rotor-myth/

When you're in for service always require that the service writer put down the description of the problem on the work order as well as his guess at the fix. You need this record. Take a video of the problem you have showing vibrations or recording the unusual sounds so they have less reason to return the car, "can't duplicate the problem," and nothing got done. Try to find a piece of road near the shop where you can recreate the situation and take the tech or service writer there to present your evidence.

*If the cast iron rotors actually warped they'd warp in something of a cup shape, not in axial run-out. All this can be measured with a dial indicator, but no one spends the time to do that. No machined part is perfect, there are acceptable tolerances for run-out and thickness variation, and you'd feel any excessive variation on new rotors. A small amount of run-out is needed to push the pads away from the rotors when the brake pressure is released. (I'm about to put new rotors & pads on due to high mileage wear, and if possible I'll try them in different positions and measure the run-out with my dial indicator to find the position with the least run-out for the smoothest braking. The hub the rotors mount on is also not perfect, and position matters...a little. And, I'm not charging anyone by the hour.)

 

well I can spend all day with a response to PTGuy pretty good information but some interesting service thoughts....I can only say NOT TO or expecting it to happen about having anyone put a "GUESS" on a service write up. First it is likely NOT going to happen. There are legal reasons why its not a practice in most service shops so while anyone, but don't expect a service writer to include a "GUESS". The best you might get is an inspection evaluation after your vehicle was inspected for the concerned.

As for parts suspected of a problem in the USA you have a right to see the parts replaced. In some cases, if they are not a warrantied part you can ask for them back.
The machining of any rotor the safe limits are cast into the rotor itself. I doubt any shop would undercut/machine them past that limit?

When you are going to start a debate with your service shop better know all the facts about the parts and the system in advance and not what is posted on youtube videos and forum responses.

ASE

 

I purchased my 2021 Carbon Edition new in January of 2021 and now have 23K miles on it. No issues at all.

Regarding your current issue of steering feedback, it sounds like you are describing the Lane-keep & Lane Departure Systems. This is a safety feature that can be turned off.
From the owners manual:
Lane-keep Assist System (LAS) & Lane Departure
Warning System (LDWS)*
The LAS & LDWS alerts the driver that the vehicle may be deviating from its lane and it
provides steering assistance to help the driver stay within the vehicle lanes.
The Forward Sensing Camera (FSC) detects the white lines (yellow lines) of the vehicle
lane in which the vehicle is traveling and if the system determines that the vehicle may
deviate from its lane, it operates the electric power steering to assist the driver's steering
operation. The system also alerts the driverby activating a lane departure warning sound,
vibrating the steering wheel, and indicating an alert in the display. Use the system when you
drive the vehicle on roads with white (yellow) lines such as expressways and highways.

 

Possibly ^^ but there is something in the description of his that I don't think it is all that or even that and it that is why the MAZDA should still be looked at the dealer.

Why with so many controls and features that salesmen don't take more time to explain the new vehicle to customers as well the customers are even more to blame because very few actually take the time to read and LEARN about the vehicle they just bought and will be driving.

It IMHO dangerous to all of us when many don't know where and how to operate the normal needed and essential operations of new cars from about 2000 to present.

Hey but then what I have found when some but a new appliance like a dish washer they don't read how to properly operate them either.