2017 CX‑9 GT — Keep it or sell? Cylinder Head Gamble?

[Renerd]

I have a 2017 Mazda CX‑9 Grand Touring AWD with about 64k miles. My CSP11 coverage runs until around October of this year, and I haven’t seen any symptoms of coolant loss or head issues so far. As low as the miles are, I'm worried that the worst is yet to come -- or maybe I'm past the danger zone?

CarMax just offered me the same amount I originally paid, so I could walk away with no loss (I've only had it for 5 months and just learned of the issue).

Given the known 2.5T coolant‑intrusion/cylinder‑head failures, I’m trying to understand how common the issue actually is. For those who’ve owned or worked on these engines, would you hold onto it or take the money now before CSP11 expires?

Looking for real‑world experiences to help me make the call.

 

[sm1ke]

I had a 2018 with 140k kms (87k mi), it never had the cylinder head coolant leak. I think this is an issue that can happen regardless of mileage because if the casting/manufacturing defect.

I happened to find a decent deal on a 2022 from a dealership that gave me a better trade-in value than I was expecting, and I wanted some of the newer features like the 360-degree camera, the captain's chairs, the red interior.. mine also came with extras like a roof rack and tow hitch. All that, plus the peace of mind of not having to worry about the issue (or dealing with it since I'm in Canada), made it easy to decide to upgrade.

If it were me, I'd just set some money aside in case the issue pops up, so that I could just replace the leaking head with a brand new unit. While you can get your money back, there's no guarantee that your replacement for this car will be any better or any worse in terms of reliability.

 

[wlong01]

I also had the same worries with my 2019 Turbo. Decided to purchase a Mazda extended warranty and keep the vehicle. Currently have the same mileage as you and
no signs of the issue. There was a flurry of reports a few years back but lately it's been quiet.
If you like the car you can look into the Extended Warranty provided by Mazda.