Poll 2.5T Coolant Leak/Engine Replacement

Who is having coolant leak issues and have had their engines replaced?

  • Yes

    Votes: 46 39.0%
  • No

    Votes: 72 61.0%

  • Total voters
    118
THAT is a complete lie. The dealership just didn't give a crap and wanted the self pay labor hours from YOU as opposed the warranty labor hours that are substantially lower. The dealership could have easily gone to bat for you and gotten it approved through Mazda but chose not to. That is an a$$hole dealership. You did not have 60k miles on your odo and were barely out of warranty, time wise. It should have been taken care of WITHOUT hesitation from Mazda if the dealer cooperated, especially for this well known documented issue. Problem is, they only see short term, not long term and because they chose to screw you, that dealership should lose you as a customer forever and your potential of purchasing more new vehicles over your lifetime or your kids lifetimes as well as family and friends lifetimes which could be hundreds of thousands of dollars. They have their head up their a$$ and that comes from the top down at that dealership unfortunately. They have to earn your dollars and trust by doing the right thing, not the other way around. It's disgusting just hearing how someone was taken advantage of. It really damages the brand and should be put in the spotlight as a wake up call to manufacturers on how their dealers who represent them are handling business because in the end it boils down to customer satisfaction and repeat purchases.

The OP stated he appealed his case to the "Mazda Customer Experience Center" and they too denied him. More than just the dealer is being an a$$hole in this situation, Mazda itself is guilty. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come, but more than 1/3 of the responses to the poll attached to this thread are "I had my 2.5T replaced" at this point. I wonder how widespread this issue truly is and if it is starting to cost Mazda more money than they bargained for.
 
@Tchman2016 I think your hit the nail on the head.

I serviced the car myself from new to 7x,xxx. My car was probably logged no more than 3x in their service system for minor warranty work. I logged all my services and kept every single receipt. Mazda didn't give me any issues. I think your dealership just needed the work and didn't bother to plead a case on your behalf. I doubt much can be done after the fact, unfortunately...

All it would take is Mazda Corporate to write a check.
 
Some people have had success complaining through social media ( on mazda Facebook page, etc), you could give that a shot.
 
The OP stated he appealed his case to the "Mazda Customer Experience Center" and they too denied him. More than just the dealer is being an a$$hole in this situation, Mazda itself is guilty. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come, but more than 1/3 of the responses to the poll attached to this thread are "I had my 2.5T replaced" at this point. I wonder how widespread this issue truly is and if it is starting to cost Mazda more money than they bargained for.

It sucks, but they have no obligation to assist outside of the warranty period. Sometimes, servicing at the dealership can be favourable in cases like these, because you spent money at their dealership. But I have also seen and heard of cases where, despite doing all maintenance at the dealership, once the warranty is up, both the dealership and the manufacturer told the owner to kick rocks. Very unfortunate, but not unfair.

@suhaibin if possible, you could try to appeal Mazda Corporate's decision. Go up the chain, as @jal142 suggested. Let them know that the car was serviced according to the schedule listed in the Owner's Manual, and that you have the records and receipts to prove that. Hopefully that results in some partial compensation, or better.
 
Well, it appears that anyone considering buying one of these used should budget somewhere between $3k to $7k to replace the head or engine if it hasn't been replaced already. If I owned a current generation CX-9, I would plan on trading it in the day the warranty is expires. Heck, I might do it ASAP while the market is still crazy, before the value of these things takes a hit when the market starts pricing in this gift from Mazda.

As it is, I was planning on checking out the 2023 resign. Not anymore.

I don't know if I would jump to that conclusion. Mazda has sold thousands of cars with the 2.5T engine in NA, and only 70 people have responded to this poll, with 25 confirming engine replacement. Only Mazda knows how widespread the issue is.

2023 redesign will be a totally different car. I would love to get it, but if I do, I'd probably wait a couple of years for them to shake out any bugs (same thing I did for my 2018).
 
Sorry to hear that. Unfortunate, but makes sense. They are willing to help someone they see as hooked on them and their dealerships, but not someone who may be an enthusiast and wants to take care of their vehicle themselves. Dealership scratches Mazda’s back by selling Mazdas. Mazda returns the favor by keeping customers happy via reimbursement for expensive repairs. Guess this is a warning for all us DIYers that we may save money doing maintenance ourselves but could end up costing more in the end
Yes, it's possible that DIY was a net loss for the OP in this particular situation, however there's actually no way to know that for certain. All of us could run many possible variations of the numbers, but just for $hits and giggles, I'll toss one example into the ring.

The OP stated the cost of the repair to be $3150. Now let's hypothetically say that the OP had religiously done maintenance at this stealership, and as a result, they magnanimously reduced the repair bill by $1000, down to $2150. So in this particular scenario, would the OP have saved more than 1K by doing DIY maintaining on the vehicle? With 5.5 years and 53K miles, my guess would be a definite yes, given all of the fluff and padding that's routinely added in over the years by these outfits.

Yes, of course there are many other possible outcomes in situations like this, and some of them would likely work out in favor of the non-DIYer. But in the long run, I'd always put all of my chips on DIY (or an independent repair shop), rather than spending obscene amounts of $$$ on stealership maintenance, and then hoping for 'goodwill' from the automakers for out-of-warranty repairs.

Not posting this to be critical of what you wrote, just trying to present 'the other side' to anyone reading this, who might be considering getting into DIY.
 
It sucks, but they have no obligation to assist outside of the warranty period. Sometimes, servicing at the dealership can be favourable in cases like these, because you spent money at their dealership. But I have also seen and heard of cases where, despite doing all maintenance at the dealership, once the warranty is up, both the dealership and the manufacturer told the owner to kick rocks. Very unfortunate, but not unfair.

I agree, the terms of the warranty absolve Mazda from any obligation to help out. On the other hand, Mazda acknowledged the existence of a defect that causes the engine to fail prematurely. I don't think it's unreasonable for anyone to expect that cylinder heads last the life of the car. Acknowledging the issue then requiring customers to prove their worth via some vague loyalty test is not good optics.

I fully expect this will end up in a class action lawsuit where people get a warranty extension and a few lawyers make money. Mazda corporate should be wise enough to recognize this and just extend the warranty and cut out the lawyers.
 
Not posting this to be critical of what you wrote, just trying to present 'the other side' to anyone reading this, who might be considering getting into DIY.
I am firmly in the camp of DIY. I don’t let dealerships or even independent mechanics touch my vehicles unless it falls squarely out of my skill set or available time. In this case, it sucks that Mazda won’t step up, and is definitely a warning to anyone who DIYs, but it does not deter me from continuing to do it myself.

IMO, since it is a manufacturing defect, there should be some way of knowing that the engine falls within the defect period (just spit balling, but maybe use like a vehicle identification number that lets you know exactly when it was built and with what parts 😜) and Mazda should step up to fix it. As is, they have made it an ish-you and not an ish-them which may deter some of the few of us that frequent these forums
 
There are a few threads regarding the 2.5 turbo coolant leak problem and ultimately having to replace the engine. What I'd like to know is there anything that can be inspected and possibly fixed with this issue before it gets to the point of actually needing a new engine?

Edit:
I updated the thread to include a poll now of who is and isn't having this issue.

If you've had this done, please comment on the model year, how many miles you had when it occurred, when you first noticed the issue, if Mazda covered the cost under warranty, and any other details.

Also those with higher miles and no issues let us know how many miles so far.
I'm having this issue now. I just filed a complaint with the NHSTA. They're wanting to replace so many things. 2016 2.5T 67k miles
 
I am firmly in the camp of DIY. I don’t let dealerships or even independent mechanics touch my vehicles unless it falls squarely out of my skill set or available time. In this case, it sucks that Mazda won’t step up, and is definitely a warning to anyone who DIYs, but it does not deter me from continuing to do it myself.

Likewise for me, and hopefully every other DIYer as well!

... and Mazda should step up to fix it. As is, they have made it an ish-you and not an ish-them which may deter some of the few of us that frequent these forums
It's an unfortunate and sad fact that just about every business (not just automakers) will try to get away with everything they possibly can, when it helps their bottom line. It's truly rare to see anyone proactively admit to a problem, if they believe there's a reasonably good chance they'll get away with saying and doing nothing about it. I guess it's just a part of who we are.
 
2018 CX-9 Touring: Discovered a cylinder head crack ~62k miles. Mazda has told me that they won't cover because it is past the warranty period, and I haven't been servicing my vehicle at the Mazda dealership. Asked dealership, and I guess they submitted an after warranty authorization to no avail. Called Mazda again after discovering the TSB, and they opened a case, informing me that they would gather information from dealer. No followup, so I called back, and the notes in the file indicated that the repair was completed, and car operated fine. Yes, I'm aware. I inquired again as to why they wouldn't honor a warranty just on the other side of 60k when they had to redesign a defect part? Avoided that question, but told me dealership would have to make decision to cover it. Together, we determined that if the dealership makes the decision by submitting an authorization to Mazda, they probably aren't making any decisions.

Representative was kind, and he genuinely seemed to want to resolve the issue either by covering the repair or getting me to someone willing to tell me that my issue was different than TSB or my issue wasn't different, but they refuse to cover. Anyways, submitting some documentation to Mazda and waiting on the next step.
 
2018 CX-9 Touring: Discovered a cylinder head crack ~62k miles. Mazda has told me that they won't cover because it is past the warranty period, and I haven't been servicing my vehicle at the Mazda dealership. Asked dealership, and I guess they submitted an after warranty authorization to no avail. Called Mazda again after discovering the TSB, and they opened a case, informing me that they would gather information from dealer. No followup, so I called back, and the notes in the file indicated that the repair was completed, and car operated fine. Yes, I'm aware. I inquired again as to why they wouldn't honor a warranty just on the other side of 60k when they had to redesign a defect part? Avoided that question, but told me dealership would have to make decision to cover it. Together, we determined that if the dealership makes the decision by submitting an authorization to Mazda, they probably aren't making any decisions.

Representative was kind, and he genuinely seemed to want to resolve the issue either by covering the repair or getting me to someone willing to tell me that my issue was different than TSB or my issue wasn't different, but they refuse to cover. Anyways, submitting some documentation to Mazda and waiting on the next step.
Unfortunately, you are technically out of the warranty period which they are not obligated to help. Only advice I can give is to offer to pay for a "deductible" as an incentive. They might be more willing to play ball if they're not eating the complete cost.
 
2018 CX-9 Touring: Discovered a cylinder head crack ~62k miles. Mazda has told me that they won't cover because it is past the warranty period, and I haven't been servicing my vehicle at the Mazda dealership. Asked dealership, and I guess they submitted an after warranty authorization to no avail. Called Mazda again after discovering the TSB, and they opened a case, informing me that they would gather information from dealer. No followup, so I called back, and the notes in the file indicated that the repair was completed, and car operated fine. Yes, I'm aware. I inquired again as to why they wouldn't honor a warranty just on the other side of 60k when they had to redesign a defect part? Avoided that question, but told me dealership would have to make decision to cover it. Together, we determined that if the dealership makes the decision by submitting an authorization to Mazda, they probably aren't making any decisions.

Representative was kind, and he genuinely seemed to want to resolve the issue either by covering the repair or getting me to someone willing to tell me that my issue was different than TSB or my issue wasn't different, but they refuse to cover. Anyways, submitting some documentation to Mazda and waiting on the next step.

Sorry to hear about this. Denying warranty when a issue is discovered at 62k is not good customer service, especially when the issue likely began before the warranty expired. Cracks don't form, propagate, and get large enough to leak coolant in a day. I would remind Mazda that this issue likely started well before 60k.

The CX-9 now has reliability ratings of 2 and 3 for the 2016 and 2017 model years on Consumer Reports. "Engine Major" and "Engine Cooling" are listed as much worse than average for 2017. I suspect the newer model years will start losing their 5/5 reliability ratings as time goes on.
 
Sorry to hear about this. Denying warranty when a issue is discovered at 62k is not good customer service, especially when the issue likely began before the warranty expired. Cracks don't form, propagate, and get large enough to leak coolant in a day. I would remind Mazda that this issue likely started well before 60k.
*Insert automaker name here* So? What are you going to do about it?

Sadly profit > ethics
 
Sorry to hear about this. Denying warranty when a issue is discovered at 62k is not good customer service, especially when the issue likely began before the warranty expired. Cracks don't form, propagate, and get large enough to leak coolant in a day. I would remind Mazda that this issue likely started well before 60k.

The CX-9 now has reliability ratings of 2 and 3 for the 2016 and 2017 model years on Consumer Reports. "Engine Major" and "Engine Cooling" are listed as much worse than average for 2017. I suspect the newer model years will start losing their 5/5 reliability ratings as time goes on.
Can you post the CR reliability chart for all models years for cx-5 and cx-9 so owners can see the issues? Its been awhile since I am a subscriber. Thanks.
 
Unfortunately, you are technically out of the warranty period which they are not obligated to help. Only advice I can give is to offer to pay for a "deductible" as an incentive. They might be more willing to play ball if they're not eating the complete cost.
While I don't wholesale agree that they have no obligation to cover known defects outside of the standard, contracted warranty period, I fully expect them to assert that assuming they give me a reason other than, "No."

This is my first Mazda, and I actually like the vehicle. If they aren't willing to stand by their product, it will certainly be my last, because a new model year or part redesign can't fix that.

Either way, just sharing my experience.
 
My 21 cx-5 gtr has very low mileages and not planning to drive all that much so most likely if any issues do occur it will be after warranty is over. All of this is scarring me 😳
 
When a customer buys something and has a great experience, they tell anyone who asks them that their experience has been positive. When a customer buys something and gets burned by the product, and the after-sales service is poor, they go out of their way to tell people about their negative experience. It sucks that it happens this way, but this is the way it is. I'm sure Mazda recognizes that, but I'm just not sure why they don't step up sometimes.

Also, refusing to assist citing a lack of service records from a Mazda dealership is absolutely wrong. The Owner's Manual specifically states that as long as a service log and receipts of parts used are kept, that is enough to maintain the warranty status of the vehicle. So they are essentially refusing the claim because you're 2k miles (and possibly X months) out of warranty. I would try what @Silly Wabbit suggested in post #593, and maybe suggest that depending on the outcome of this experience, you may consider upgrading or adding another Mazda to your driveway. They may be more likely to play ball if they think that you'll become a returning customer as a result.
 
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