2016 CX-9 Signature leaking coolant

[BMSport]

Hey guys,

This weekend the CX-9 started leaking and burning coolant. I took a look at the engine bay and I couldn’t find a leak around the any of the hoses. However, it seems to be leaking from the firewall side. I’ve made an appointment with the dealer, for this coming Saturday. I’ve been reading through the forum and this seems to be a problem, that is affecting the 2016 model years.

I’ll update as I learn more.

2016 signature
39,000 miles

 

[yrwei52]

My 2019 CX-9 has all the issues relating to this TSB. But today Mazda dealership told me I'm out of warranty at 66K miles. SOL. I mentioned to them that through research I've seen some burned out CX-9s and that I'm not starting the thing until something gives, but I think unless we get a real recall we might really be SOL.

See reply in the other thread.

 

[18CX9_Signature]

Whelp, it looks like this very thing just happened to my 2018 CX-9. I noticed coolant leaking a couple days ago. Car is almost 4 years old, but only has 39k miles on it. I took it to a local mechanic and he just called me back stating that it appears to be a cracked head gasket and that I'd need to take it into the dealer.

I called my local dealer and got an appointment for tomorrow morning. I suppose this would be covered under the 5 year/60k powertrain warranty? Based on the replies in this thread stating that their CX-9 was at the dealer for several weeks/months I'll definitely need a loaner or free rental car. Do you think Mazda would provide that if they're covering the replacement of the head gasket assembly or engine?

Thanks everyone.

 

[arock712]

Based on the replies in this thread stating that their CX-9 was at the dealer for several weeks/months I'll definitely need a loaner or free rental car. Do you think Mazda would provide that if they're covering the replacement of the head gasket assembly or engine?

Sorry you're another victim of this. Mazda provided a CX-5 loaner for us for the few months we didn't have the CX-9.

 

[sm1ke]

Whelp, it looks like this very thing just happened to my 2018 CX-9. I noticed coolant leaking a couple days ago. Car is almost 4 years old, but only has 39k miles on it. I took it to a local mechanic and he just called me back stating that it appears to be a cracked head gasket and that I'd need to take it into the dealer.

I called my local dealer and got an appointment for tomorrow morning. I suppose this would be covered under the 5 year/60k powertrain warranty? Based on the replies in this thread stating that their CX-9 was at the dealer for several weeks/months I'll definitely need a loaner or free rental car. Do you think Mazda would provide that if they're covering the replacement of the head gasket assembly or engine?

Thanks everyone.

They will replace the head or the entire engine, depending on what they find. Under normal circumstances, you would get a loaner or a free rental, but if they have no loaners available and there are no rentals available to use, you may be stuck without a car. I wonder if they could consider taxi or ride-share credits as a last resort?

 

[drivebyCX-9]

Whelp, it looks like this very thing just happened to my 2018 CX-9. I noticed coolant leaking a couple days ago. Car is almost 4 years old, but only has 39k miles on it. I took it to a local mechanic and he just called me back stating that it appears to be a cracked head gasket and that I'd need to take it into the dealer.

I called my local dealer and got an appointment for tomorrow morning. I suppose this would be covered under the 5 year/60k powertrain warranty? Based on the replies in this thread stating that their CX-9 was at the dealer for several weeks/months I'll definitely need a loaner or free rental car. Do you think Mazda would provide that if they're covering the replacement of the head gasket assembly or engine?

Thanks everyone.

So they determined my Sig 2016 CX-9 needed a new engine after having it die on the highway with 90,000 miles. My Mazda dealership was great. They provided me with a loaner, CX-5, for the 8 weeks it took to get a rebuilt engine in and installed. Mazda covered all of the repair work, even though my car was out of warranty, except $500. They didn’t figure out the cause but told me to put an additive in my gas tank every oil change. I hope the new engine is good for another 90,000 miles. I love my car and am not ready to get rid out it. Also not sure I want to buy another one until these issues are resolved either.

Hey guys,

This weekend the CX-9 started leaking and burning coolant. I took a look at the engine bay and I couldn’t find a leak around the any of the hoses. However, it seems to be leaking from the firewall side. I’ve made an appointment with the dealer, for this coming Saturday. I’ve been reading through the forum and this seems to be a problem, that is affecting the 2016 model years.

I’ll update as I learn more.

2016 signature
39,000 miles

They will replace the head or the entire engine, depending on what they find. Under normal circumstances, you would get a loaner or a free rental, but if they have no loaners available and there are no rentals available to use, you may be stuck without a car. I wonder if they could consider taxi or ride-share credits as a last resort?

Good luck to both of you!! I had the exact same problem with my 2016 Sig CX-9 at 90,000 miles. It was out of warranty but my dealer really went to bat for me. I got a rebuilt engine with a one year warranty and a loner for 8 weeks. Mazda covered the entire cost except $500. I was happy with that outcome. I love, love, love my car and hope it runs another 90,000 miles!!! I am a little shy to buy another right now until these problems are fixed. I can’t imagine how many people are having the same issues yet never think to search sites like this to find answers. I am so grateful for this forum. Without it my bill for an engine would have been $5000-$7000! Tell your dealer to push. Mazda knows there is a problem. We tend to be loyal customers. I own 2 Mazdas.. Sig Cx-9 and a Miata. Love them both!

 

[18CX9_Signature]

So I took my CX-9 into the dealership this morning and 2 hours later they notified me that indeed the cylinder head is cracked and they will be replacing the cylinder head assembly unit, but not the entire engine. Obviously they don't have this part(s) on hand and it's on back order. I was told to expect at least a month wait, but possibly could be 2+ months. Everything is covered under the power train warranty and they were able to give me a 2022 CX-9 AWD loaner. I believe it's the Sport base model and is definitely more bare bones than my '18 signature, but the infotainment center is the newer/bigger one in the 2022, so that's nice. It doesn't have any of the cool gadgets in the Signature, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

For Mazda's sake they better hope that this doesn't become an even bigger issue in the next couple of years, but I assume it will be.

 

[arock712]

So I took my CX-9 into the dealership this morning and 2 hours later they notified me that indeed the cylinder head is cracked and they will be replacing the cylinder head assembly unit, but not the entire engine.

They were going to do that with mine, too. But when they drained the oil from the old engine they found metal bits from a shot bearing in the engine. They ended up replacing the engine instead of just the head.

 

[warwick5s]

I've been noticing water in the garage for a little while but wrote it off as A/C condensation (even knowing this TSB existed...so stupid) until this morning, when my wife pulled out of the garage and there was still water there. Knowing "real" water would have evaporated by then, I dabbed it with a paper towel and sure enough: green. Checked the coolant reservoir and it's about an inch below L. I was *really* close to disaster there.

I went to the Mazda dealer, got some coolant to top it off, and have an appointment Wednesday to get it checked out. I know it hasn't overheated, so I suppose the question is going to be whether coolant is making it into the oil or not if it's a head vs. engine replacement.

It's a 2018 with 36k on it so I'm not worried about it being covered. The real problem is that I'm planning on moving cross-country at the end of May. Can't really do that in a loaner.

 

[dunhillmc]

I've been noticing water in the garage for a little while but wrote it off as A/C condensation (even knowing this TSB existed...so stupid) until this morning, when my wife pulled out of the garage and there was still water there. Knowing "real" water would have evaporated by then, I dabbed it with a paper towel and sure enough: green. Checked the coolant reservoir and it's about an inch below L. I was *really* close to disaster there.

I went to the Mazda dealer, got some coolant to top it off, and have an appointment Wednesday to get it checked out. I know it hasn't overheated, so I suppose the question is going to be whether coolant is making it into the oil or not if it's a head vs. engine replacement.

It's a 2018 with 36k on it so I'm not worried about it being covered. The real problem is that I'm planning on moving cross-country at the end of May. Can't really do that in a loaner.

make sure you're not close to the 5 year cutoff on the power-train warranty

 

[warwick5s]

Thanks, I bought it new May 2018 so I'm good there.

 

[highfivezoom]

Just a heads up, my 2018 CX9 Grand Touring now has 10,000 miles and 8 plus months on the replacement engine. Car is running great and I am thinking there is no reason to get rid of it at this point. The CX9 just checks all the boxes for me anyway and there is really nothing out there that has tempted me otherwise...

 

[warwick5s]

Honestly, the reason I waited so long to poke under the hood and see whether I was leaking was just overconfidence from how absolutely excellent the CX-9 has been until now. Aside from the amount of dog fur inside it it still feels like the day we got it. It still hadn't felt any differently with the leak, I just finally was spurred into checking the coolant reservoir. Without this one (huge) problem the thing is so dang good.

I did get confirmation that it needs a new head and it's been ordered. So far, they're not saying it needs an engine.

It probably would be *easiest* for me to just have the dealership buy the CX-9 from me, and considering how much they were previously hounding me to sell it to them I imagine they'd be into it, but there's nothing out there right now I'd rather have - especially with the PHEV CX-70 inbound in a year or so and with prices how they are.

 

[18CX9_Signature]

I've been noticing water in the garage for a little while but wrote it off as A/C condensation (even knowing this TSB existed...so stupid) until this morning, when my wife pulled out of the garage and there was still water there. Knowing "real" water would have evaporated by then, I dabbed it with a paper towel and sure enough: green. Checked the coolant reservoir and it's about an inch below L. I was *really* close to disaster there.

I went to the Mazda dealer, got some coolant to top it off, and have an appointment Wednesday to get it checked out. I know it hasn't overheated, so I suppose the question is going to be whether coolant is making it into the oil or not if it's a head vs. engine replacement.

It's a 2018 with 36k on it so I'm not worried about it being covered. The real problem is that I'm planning on moving cross-country at the end of May. Can't really do that in a loaner.

Seems like we're almost in the exact same boat. I bought my CX-9 in April 2018 and have a few thousand more miles on it than yours. It's mostly my wife's daily driver, but I didn't want to believe anything was wrong with it either since we both love the car and it has met all our expectations over the last 4 years. It handles great, has an extremely comfortable and classy interior, and has enough room for our family of 4 on roads trips.

It's been 30 days since I dropped it off and they have yet to contact us. I'm not really concerned at this point since we have a 2022 CX-9 loaner and we've already put about 1,000 miles on it and took it to the beach last week . I'm content with putting as much mileage on this car as possible before we get ours back. I do miss the features from the signature over the base sport though.

The only difference is we're not moving across the country in the next month. That's going to be tricky for you if they can't repair it before then. Maybe your best bet IS to see if they'll give you a good price for it. Good luck!

 

[18CX9_Signature]

Just a heads up, my 2018 CX9 Grand Touring now has 10,000 miles and 8 plus months on the replacement engine. Car is running great and I am thinking there is no reason to get rid of it at this point. The CX9 just checks all the boxes for me anyway and there is really nothing out there that has tempted me otherwise...

View attachment 308868

Beautiful ride!

 

[EMANMAZDA]

So they determined my Sig 2016 CX-9 needed a new engine after having it die on the highway with 90,000 miles. My Mazda dealership was great. They provided me with a loaner, CX-5, for the 8 weeks it took to get a rebuilt engine in and installed. Mazda covered all of the repair work, even though my car was out of warranty, except $500. They didn’t figure out the cause but told me to put an additive in my gas tank every oil change. I hope the new engine is good for another 90,000 miles. I love my car and am not ready to get rid out it. Also not sure I want to buy another one until these issues are resolved either.


Good luck to both of you!! I had the exact same problem with my 2016 Sig CX-9 at 90,000 miles. It was out of warranty but my dealer really went to bat for me. I got a rebuilt engine with a one year warranty and a loner for 8 weeks. Mazda covered the entire cost except $500. I was happy with that outcome. I love, love, love my car and hope it runs another 90,000 miles!!! I am a little shy to buy another right now until these problems are fixed. I can’t imagine how many people are having the same issues yet never think to search sites like this to find answers. I am so grateful for this forum. Without it my bill for an engine would have been $5000-$7000! Tell your dealer to push. Mazda knows there is a problem. We tend to be loyal customers. I own 2 Mazdas.. Sig Cx-9 and a Miata. Love them both!

That's fantastic! I'm genuinely glad it worked out favorably for you.

Who was your dealer?

My dealer was kind enough to offer a loaner while we awaited a decision from Mazda. After about a month of waiting, their patience and kindness ran out. The dealer claimed that Mazda asked them to cover the cost. The dealer refused. Now I'm stuck with a broken vehicle. Mazda refused to honor their craftsmanship, in my case.

If no one else has already done it. I feel like I may need to start a class action lawsuit. Since, it is a documented issue.

Does anyone else agree? Does anyone know a good Lawyer?

 

[Silly Wabbit]

That's fantastic! I'm genuinely glad it worked out favorably for you.

Who was your dealer?

My dealer was kind enough to offer a loaner while we awaited a decision from Mazda. After about a month of waiting, their patience and kindness ran out. The dealer claimed that Mazda asked them to cover the cost. The dealer refused. Now I'm stuck with a broken vehicle. Mazda refused to honor their craftsmanship, in my case.

If no one else has already done it. I feel like I may need to start a class action lawsuit. Since, it is a documented issue.

Does anyone else agree? Does anyone know a good Lawyer?

Try and reach out directly to corporate and find out what happened. Offer to pay a deductible as an incentive for them to good with the repair.

 

[EMANMAZDA]

Try and reach out directly to corporate and find out what happened. Offer to pay a deductible as an incentive for them to good with the repair.

Thank you for your feedback.

 

[hollandog]

That's fantastic! I'm genuinely glad it worked out favorably for you.

Who was your dealer?

My dealer was kind enough to offer a loaner while we awaited a decision from Mazda. After about a month of waiting, their patience and kindness ran out. The dealer claimed that Mazda asked them to cover the cost. The dealer refused. Now I'm stuck with a broken vehicle. Mazda refused to honor their craftsmanship, in my case.

If no one else has already done it. I feel like I may need to start a class action lawsuit. Since, it is a documented issue.

Does anyone else agree? Does anyone know a good Lawyer?

How many miles do you have? My 2019 is at 50k right now and feel like it's a ticking time bomb. I emailed to 5 dealers for extended warranty and nobody would answer me. I'd support you to start a class action.

 

[EMANMAZDA]

How many miles do you have? My 2019 is at 50k right now and feel like it's a ticking time bomb. I emailed to 5 dealers for extended warranty and nobody would answer me. I'd support you to start a class action.

Currently, it’s just over 60k. But, it likely happened before, and wasn’t discovered until later.

Thank you for your support.

 

[langdon43]

My 2016 CX-9 with 91,000 miles, had anti freeze smell and took to dealer on 4/8/22. Stated needed new head gasket, provided a loaner CX-5, advised would take 4 weeks but was surprisingly completed in 12 days. Tech stated was surprised it took this long for problem to occur, not sure why he said that, guess the previous gaskets were failing sooner. I did purchase this CX-9 from this dealer Certified Used with around 9000 miles on it at time of purchase in 2017. Advisor stated repair was covered because of buying it certified. Just glad they covered the work and gave me a loaner!