About to buy my first CX-9

nicicle · Feb 8, 2016

Hi All,

I am looking to buy a second hand 2012 CX-9 Grand Touring and I have a few questions that I wonder if you could please help me.

The car has about 60K miles and seems in pretty good condition. I have been doing some research on potential issues with this model and the one issue that keeps turning up is the Brake Booster Failure.

Is this a common problem in the CX-9? Is it something I should be concerned about? Does Mazda recognize the problem and will they deal with it?
Is there anything else I should be aware of before i consider buying it?

Many thanks

Brucie66 · Feb 8, 2016

nicicle said:
Hi All,

I am looking to buy a second hand 2012 CX-9 Grand Touring and I have a few questions that I wonder if you could please help me.

The car has about 60K miles and seems in pretty good condition. I have been doing some research on potential issues with this model and the one issue that keeps turning up is the Brake Booster Failure.

Is this a common problem in the CX-9? Is it something I should be concerned about? Does Mazda recognize the problem and will they deal with it?
Is there anything else I should be aware of before i consider buying it?

Many thanks[/QUOTEi
I'm the VERY happy owner of a 2010 CX9 GT. I just hit 190,000 miles and going strong. Nothing but preventive maintenance. As far as I know the booster problems are not that common. LOVE my CX9!!!

IgoZoom · Feb 9, 2016

Originally, the brake booster problem was thought to be limited to 2010-2011 models with All Wheel Drive. Some early production 2012 models, such as mine, were also affected. Mine failed in May 2015 when the vehicle was 2.5yrs old with 41k miles on it.

There was an investigation by the NHTSA and, based on their findings, Mazda extended the warranty on the brake booster to 7-years or 90k miles from the original warranty start date. So a 2012 is covered until late 2018 or early 2019 (depending on when it was sold new) or until it has 90k miles. So you have at least 3yrs or 90k miles left under this warranty.

For your future reference, here is the NHTSA Reference Number and TSB Reference-

NHTSA Reference- #10055545
TSB Reference- #SSP-93

The warranty covers specific power brake failure repairs.

You would be doing yourself a disservice if you let this impact your purchasing decision! The CX-9 is a great vehicle and I really love mine! Brake booster failures tend to happen at lower mileage than the 60k miles on the on the one youre looking at. If it does happen, the brake pedal will be difficult to press, but the main thing is to not panic and react quickly by applying as much force to the pedal as possible! Stand on it if thats what it takes. You can also use the manual gate of the gearshift to downshift which will help to slow the vehicle.

Im curiouswhat color is the one youre considering? Does it have the Moonroof/Bose option? or Navigation?

My 2012 CX-9 Grand Touring FWD is Crystal White Pearl w/ Sand interior and it has the Moonroof/Bose and Power Liftgate but doesnt have Navigation. I bought it to replace a 2008 Acura MDX and I considered a new MDX as well. I actually liked the CX-9 more than the $10k more expensive MDX!

Youll be surprised at how easily and how often you forget that youre driving a large Crossover/CUV! It feels more like a very solid, well-balanced sporty sedan than any CUV/SUV Ive ever driven. The steering feel, handling and acceleration are all impressive and unexpected in this type of vehicle.

Have you checked the condition of the tires? Do you know what kind of tires it has on it? They come from the factory with the Bridgestone Dueler H/L400. Personally, I didnt like them but some other owners disagree with me. Mine only lasted 24k miles and they generated a lot of road noise and the ride wasnt great either. I now have Michelin Premier LTX and they are fantastic. Just something to keep in mind for future reference.

If you have any other questions about the CX-9, please dont hesitate to ask!
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Official NOCO · Aug 12, 2016

I have an 09 AWD GT with no issues other than a busted fuel injector a while back. Great car, love that thing. Wish there was a body kit for the front lip tho so it would look like the cooler new models.

jbedoya · Aug 12, 2016

CX9-GT-2011 - 75K miles.
Not a single repair ever. I do not delay any maintenance and even some of it (like air filters), before Mazda's schedule. I do use Fuel Injector cleaner on the tank every 5K

I remember 1 recall been applied to the car (recently). Very reliable car, better than my previous Jeep 2001

nsbio · Aug 12, 2016

I have a 2012 Sport with 25K miles. Plastic rear hatch handle broke at -20 degree temperatures. Crappy plastic, replaced under warranty. Rear differential was leaking and was replaced under warranty. That took a couple of trips to the dealer and the car still rattles after warming up at certain RPM. The dealer tried to replace an exhaust pipe, but the rattling continues. This is not a safety issue so I left it alone for now.

The recall is still to be done.

Stock tires are downright dangerous on snow or ice. My Mazda3 on OEM tires is much better in winter than AWD CX-9 on OEM tires, so this is what I have been driving in winter. I am fine with all seasons on Mazda3, but the CX-9 will have to have winter tires installed for the next season (extra $1,000+).

Driver's side mirror vibrates at highway speeds. My other mazda does this too, so I learned to ignore it. Weather stripping is horrible because driving with wind at a certain angle makes the car whistle as if it were a 30-year old rust bucket.

Driving itself is fine - very comfortable on long drives. For better or worse, this is no honda or toyota.

table5511 · Aug 16, 2016

Niclcle welcome! No, brake booster problems pretty uncommon, but not unheard of. Haven't had any issues with my 08 which has about 93k on it now.
My advice is get a fully loaded GT, but front wheel drive. Unless you live in the mountains, need awd, and have the cash on hand to buy a transfer case when it craps out.
The All Wheel Drive transfer case is a drop-in plug & play from the Ford Edge (mind you, the Edge is a smaller vehicle, weighs less, and Mazda thought it would be ok to put the same one in a heavier more powerful CX-9). From what I see on here, looks like you're out about 3-4k to replace one, and they last anywhere from 30 to 60k miles, anywhere in between. The regular fwd model has a very reliable and dependable 6 speed Aisin transmission. I've drained and re-filled the trans fluid once, but never have had a trans issue. Mine is a 2008 with 93k on the ticker, no problems to date other than a busted windshield wiper cap.

About to buy my first CX-9

nicicle

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Brucie66

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IgoZoom

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Official NOCO

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jbedoya

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nsbio

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table5511

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