Is the CX-9 a Good Car
 

I am in the market for a used car. I am finding 2008 & 2009 CX-7's and CX-9's at seemingly reasonable prices (~$8,000) with low mileage. I happened upon a few reviews that say there a lot of problems with these -- mentioning misfires, turbo failure, engine replacement, etc..

I was wondering if some of you could give me your thoughts? I will post this in the CX-9 area as well. Maybe you could let me know some of the following or other points?

1. What would you think one of these with 75,000 miles be worth?
2. Is there any specific points I should look for?
3. Is the transmission reliable?
4. What tires should I look for (any brand known to be ok)?
5. Any known issues with electronics? Some reviews mention Bose speaker issues?

Anything you could share would be great. These are good looking cars and I figure this is a great place to see what those of you who own one think!

Thanks!

Mike

No CX-9 pre 2016 has a Turbo
I've never seen a engine die on a CX-9.
I've seen a couple of water pumps over the last 8yrs
Misfires come with old age & higher mileage on any vehicle.
Front electric window motors are a common issue
Transmissions, if serviced correctly are good.
Transfer Cases/PTO's on the AWD versions can become an issue.
Not aware of any common issues with speakers or audio system.

Thank you very much for your response! Actually made my day!

Am I correct in understanding that you haven't seen major issues with the CX-9's?

Maybe the Turbo issues is with CX-7's. I will check.

As for water pumps, that doesn't seem like a surprise component to go out. Are the window motors similar to those in a Mazda 3? Have replaced my son's and it wasn't a big issue. And is it best to stay clear of AWD?

I think I can find a used one of these and am looking. Any specific model year I should look for? I can't afford a new one and seem to be seeing many in the 2009 area.

Again, thanks for your help!

Mike

I too am in the market for a used mid to late model (09-12) 1st Gen CX-9. I DO want the AWD version, however, as we deal with snow where I live.

Misfires could be fixed/prevented with new plugs and coil pack when purchasing (if needed), correct? Same with replacing water pump if needed. Our '08 Mazda 3 has window problems - I think it's the switches and not the motor since it only acts up when it's hot out, but I could be wrong - so I'm prepared.

Other questions I have with purchasing a used CX-9 are:
What should I be looking out for when buying used in the MYs?
What maintenance should have been done (or required to do) in the 60-100k mileage range?
What sort of servicing/PMs should be done or checked for on the transfer case since I'm looking at the AWDs?
Any important TSB/Recalls I should make sure are addressed in the vehicle history?

Not trying to highjack OPs thread - figure any answers to my questions will be helpful for both of us.

Thank you for joining on the thread. Maybe the folks who know about this car can help us both out!


I found this site, Mazda CX-9 Recalls | Mazda Problems, to look for recall / tsb history. Maybe it'll help?


Let me know any other good stuff you find and thanks!

Some good information on another Mazda forum I cross posted on:

https://static.mazdas247.com/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by jal142 https://static.mazdas247.com/buttons/viewpost-right.png
Plugs are supposed to be replaced at 60k. It's a little involved to get to the 3 plugs on the back side of the engine so a mechanic will ask for $$$ to do this.

I have replaced both front window motors. They are relatively cheap and pretty easy to fix yourself. The parts are available on rockauto.com...

The condensate drain tends to clog on these, which can destroy the HVAC blower. The OEM part is absurdly expensive but there are aftermarket parts available. Also, there are a couple of relays that can go bad which cause the HVAC blower to stay on.

There are a few recalls out there. One for bad grounding wires on the heated seats. There is a recall for takata airbags, but it is currently limited to a few model years. There is also a recall for corrosion on the lower control arms.

The big issues with these vehicles are water pumps and transfer cases.

The water pump, when it fails, can take the entire engine with it - water gets into the crankcase. Nobody can say for sure what mileage is a red flag, but 80-100k plus is when I'd start worrying.

Similarly, the transfer case is a weak point. Some people have figured out a way to change the gear oil in there, so I'd look for one with maintenance records that show this has been done. When it fails, it's expensive to replace.

We've had our '10 (120k miles) for 4 years now. LOVE it! I added high-flow mufflers & a basic, flat OEM style replacement K&N filter and there is a noticeable difference in performance (not-dyno'd - just less restrictive feel) and slightly improved MPG - maybe 1-2 on a long, straight line with CC (think I-5 through central CA.) I recently drove 2, '12s with ~45k miles on them and mine still felt nice with better response over the stock exhaust system. With the 3.7L, they're quick with decent MPG and feel like you're driving a car. Really happy with mine. I have found some issues with the Trans in 2 CX9s, one that I drove and another in a shop I visited, but you can pretty much tell right away if there is an issue. I HIGHLY recommend the CX9!

I have a 2010 76,000 miles on it it’s pretty reliable. My biggest complaint would be poor gas mileage with 18 in town and maybe 22 on the road with all wheel drive There been plenty of recalls but the dealer is addressed most of them I have a persistent small oil leak from the bottom of the oil filter since the car is practically new that no one seems to be able to fix. I have 20 inch Bridgestones on mine which ilike quite a bit but be prepared for $1300 hit when you replace them Another annoying little thing with these is the overhead Consol sunglass holder latch catch breaks often I have mine double taped shut If possible try to get one with a back up camera because these things are like driving a whale around As you can tell I’m strongly ambivalent about it I don’t know if I would get another one Hope this helps