2014 Mazda CX-5 Coolant leak into the engine

[newMazdaCX5]

I purchased a brand new 2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring in October 2013 and since then have about 80,000 miles on it. Have been very regular with oil change and other service so far. A few days ago I had the check engine light come on and also noticed a fruity smell in my garage as soon as I parked in and so I took it to the dealership for diagnosis. They came back with a quote of 6700$ to replace the long block engine with the following diagnosis:

"coolant was found getting into the engine and found under the oil cap and a lack of coolant in the radiator. exhaust gases were observed coming from the head gasket up to the radiator fill orfice. thermostat: oil filter: 5.2 quarts of 0w-20: front crank seal: valve cover gasket: oil control gasket: spark plugs: all fuel injector seals: water control valve gaskets: upper and lower intake gasktes: exhaust manifold gasket: front exhaust pipe gasket: coolant"

There's a few other items listed as well making the total cost of repair at 8000$. Is this a manufacturing defect related problem or just that I got unlucky with this despite trying to keep the vehicle up-to-date on maintenance ? Also, is this something to take up with MazdaUSA to hope they can pay for some of the repair cost ? Or is this totally on me ?

One more thing: Back in November 2018 I had to have the heater core replaced due to coolant leaking all over into the front cabin. Since its been more than 3 years, I don't think the two problems are related but it bums me out that I am looking at around 10K in repairs related to coolant leaking all over the place in my car.

 

[sm1ke]

Strictly based on the warranty periods, you are on the hook for everything. Now, with that said, being out of warranty doesn't automatically mean that you won't get some assistance, either from the dealer or from Mazda Corporate. As far as I can tell, this is a very rare occurrence for this engine. If you have maintained detailed records of your services over the years, it would help in pleading your case to Mazda Corporate. I would give them a call to open up a case, and see if you're able to get assistance from them in covering a part (or all) of the cost of repair/replacement. You can use your service records to prove that you did everything that was expected of you as an owner of the vehicle and as a customer of the brand.

Again, this doesn't mean you're out of luck, but it also doesn't mean you'll be guaranteed any assistance from Mazda.

If you do end up having to foot the bill, I would find a good independent shop and have them locate and install a used engine from a junkyard CX-5. It won't be a "new" engine, but you'll save a ton of money vs. paying the dealer to do the work. In fact, it's probably a good idea to get a couple of quotes from local shops now, so that you can determine which route you want to go after you've spoken with Mazda Corporate.

 

[newMazdaCX5]

Thanks. I spoke to Mazda Corporate and they said they will follow up with me.

 

[newMazdaCX5]

Update: I spoke to Mazda Corporate as well as the dealership but since the car is so long out of warranty that they can't provide any assistance or maybe they don't want to but the end result is one and the same, i.e. I have to foot the bill. It was a long shot but worth a try I suppose.

I also spoke to other local shops and their quotes are more expensive than what the dealer's service shop quoted because they are having a hard time sourcing the motor. Right now KBB is indicating a car value of 15K$ for this car and the cost to replace using a used engine (one that ran 35k miles) is around 5k so it seems I am better off having the motor replaced. Also, the used motor also comes with a 12k/12month warranty so atleast I have another year after it comes back to sell it and find a suitable replacement vehicle.

 

[Antoine]

Update: I spoke to Mazda Corporate as well as the dealership but since the car is so long out of warranty that they can't provide any assistance or maybe they don't want to but the end result is one and the same, i.e. I have to foot the bill. It was a long shot but worth a try I suppose.

I also spoke to other local shops and their quotes are more expensive than what the dealer's service shop quoted because they are having a hard time sourcing the motor. Right now KBB is indicating a car value of 15K$ for this car and the cost to replace using a used engine (one that ran 35k miles) is around 5k so it seems I am better off having the motor replaced. Also, the used motor also comes with a 12k/12month warranty so atleast I have another year after it comes back to sell it and find a suitable replacement vehicle.

Sorry to hear that but thanks for the update and information about the options you've explored as it may help others in the same situation...I hope your replacement engine experience goes well!