Cracked Cylinder Head (2018 CX-9)

[youri]

The warranty was extended for 10 years (120,00 miles) and those that paid for the repairs out of pocket before will be reimbursed.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2024/MC-11011136-0001.pdf

Owner who want their previous repairs reimbursed will have 6 month after the letter mailing date to claim the repair. See the details here:

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2024/MC-11009658-0001.pdf

 

[DustyB]

The warranty was extended for 10 years (120,00 miles) and those that paid for the repairs out of pocket before will be reimbursed.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2024/MC-11011136-0001.pdf

Owner who want their previous repairs reimbursed will have 6 month after the letter mailing date to claim the repair. See the details here:

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2024/MC-11009658-0001.pdf

I see nothing about Canada. Is this a NA warranty?

 

[walt]

The issue seems to happen to any 2.5 Skyactive based on what I've seen. Why only 'certain' engines? My 2020 vin is not there and there are even 2023 models with the 'crack'. Is Mazda trying get the monkey off their back by only addressing some vehicles and not all? What does the 'Y' in the vin identify?

 

[youri]

I see nothing about Canada. Is this a NA warranty?

TSB are country specific, but are often the same in Canada. The issue is the manufacturers notice are not easily accessible in Canada (to me anyway). So it is still to be confirmed if this applies to Canada or not. As a Canadian, I hope it does. If anybody knows it would be great to know.

 

[youri]

The issue seems to happen to any 2.5 Skyactive based on what I've seen. Why only 'certain' engines? My 2020 vin is not there and there are even 2023 models with the 'crack'. Is Mazda trying get the monkey off their back by only addressing some vehicles and not all? What does the 'Y' in the vin identify?

I have seen two types of cracked head. The turbo and the NA does not seem to crack in the same location and result in different failure i think. I seem to recall that the 2.5 NA crack results in oil leaks, whereas the turbo only results in coolant leaks. I have not followed the NA since I am focused on the CX-9.

As far as the eligible model years for the warranty, I think there are two factors here. Mazda redesigned the turbo head to try to prevent the cracks, they likely believe the issue is fixed after 2020 (for the turbo models, which is what that extended warranty is for) . The second is that most vehicle after 2020 are still under the 5 year powertrain warranty. Mazda tends to wait to see if there are many out of warranty claim before adding model years to extended warranty programs. Not great but this is what they did for the infotainment screen cracks.

I am just an educated customer like you, but these are my guess.

 

[walt]

I have seen two types of cracked head. The turbo and the NA does not seem to crack in the same location and result in different failure i think. I seem to recall that the 2.5 NA crack results in oil leaks, whereas the turbo only results in coolant leaks. I have not followed the NA since I am focused on the CX-9.

As far as the eligible model years for the warranty, I think there are two factors here. Mazda redesigned the turbo head to try to prevent the cracks, they likely believe the issue is fixed after 2020 (for the turbo models, which is what that extended warranty is for) . The second is that most vehicle after 2020 are still under the 5 year powertrain warranty. Mazda tends to wait to see if there are many out of warranty claim before adding model years to extended warranty programs. Not great but this is what they did for the infotainment screen cracks.

I am just an educated customer like you, but these are my guess.

Do you know what the Y denotes in the vin number. Must be turbo.

 

[youri]

That would be my guess. I looked up two used 2019 cx-5 on autotrader.ca. The turbo had a Y in the Vin, the NA didn’t have it.

 

[DustyB]

TSB are country specific, but are often the same in Canada. The issue is the manufacturers notice are not easily accessible in Canada (to me anyway). So it is still to be confirmed if this applies to Canada or not. As a Canadian, I hope it does. If anybody knows it would be great to know.

Me too. I'm going to look into it here in Edmonton

 

[raykap]

Hi I have a 2016 CX-9 and had a coolant leak at the cylinder head in 2019 at around 70,000 miles. Mazda did a complete engine replacement for free. Now i have a 150,000 miles and have the same problem on the new engine. Has anyone dealt with this? I currently have a claim with Mazda experience and they are determining whether the extended limited powertrain warranty of 10 years of 120,000 miles applies to the new engine or the original engine that was replaced. I am looking if anyone had a similar experience to see if mazda did a second repair. This is absolutely crazy, the replacement engine did the same thing at almost exactly the same mileage.

 

[Deltawarp]

Hi I have a 2016 CX-9 and had a coolant leak at the cylinder head in 2019 at around 70,000 miles. Mazda did a complete engine replacement for free. Now i have a 150,000 miles and have the same problem on the new engine. Has anyone dealt with this? I currently have a claim with Mazda experience and they are determining whether the extended limited powertrain warranty of 10 years of 120,000 miles applies to the new engine or the original engine that was replaced. I am looking if anyone had a similar experience to see if mazda did a second repair. This is absolutely crazy, the replacement engine did the same thing at almost exactly the same mileage.

I had the first engine fail, and a used 34k mile engine fail a month later. Mazda has reimbursed me for the one engine and labor, but they are refusing to pay for the second install. I am very frustrated. $3200 for the engine, $3400 for the install. Then $3500 for the second install (I returned the first blown engine for a refund to buy the second used one, this time with an additional 1yr parts and labor warrantee from the seller, (not mazda), that transferred to the new owner (I traded it in at that point, because I owed more than the car was worth)

 

[walt]

I had the first engine fail, and a 34k mile engine fail a month later. Mazda has reimbursed me for the one engine and labor, but they are refusing to pay for the second install. I am very frustrated. $3200 for the engine, $3400 for the install. Then $3500 for the second install (I returned the first blown engine for a refund to buy the second one.

What failed? A cracked head leaking oil or a head leaking antifreeze?
And was your engine Turbo charged?

 

[Deltawarp]

What failed? A cracked head leaking oil or a head leaking antifreeze?
And was your engine Turbo charged?

Tsb head crack, leaking antifreeze, both times. Y code turbo. Submitted for reimbursement, they are only paying for the second install, not the first one.

 

[youri]

You said the second engine failed a month later, why wasn’t the second engine fixed on warranty from the install? Was it a used engine?

 

[sm1ke]

You said the second engine failed a month later, why wasn’t the second engine fixed on warranty from the install? Was it a used engine?

Yeah it sounds like a used engine. "I had the first engine fail, and a 34k mile engine fail a month later." Unless Delta drives 30k+ mi a month, that was probably a used engine.

 

[sm1ke]

Hi I have a 2016 CX-9 and had a coolant leak at the cylinder head in 2019 at around 70,000 miles. Mazda did a complete engine replacement for free. Now i have a 150,000 miles and have the same problem on the new engine. Has anyone dealt with this? I currently have a claim with Mazda experience and they are determining whether the extended limited powertrain warranty of 10 years of 120,000 miles applies to the new engine or the original engine that was replaced. I am looking if anyone had a similar experience to see if mazda did a second repair. This is absolutely crazy, the replacement engine did the same thing at almost exactly the same mileage.

I have not dealt with this before, but it seems like they should be covering it. 2019 was before they made the production changes to the engine to address this issue, so your new engine was subject to the same issue that the original had. It's incredibly unlucky that it happened twice to you.

I would hope that they would replace the cylinder head for you, considering the head was the old design that would be covered under this warranty if it had come on a 2019 CX-9 with 80k. If I were Mazda, that's how I'd be treating it, not as a 2016 with 150k.

 

[walt]

I have not dealt with this before, but it seems like they should be covering it. 2019 was before they made the production changes to the engine to address this issue, so your new engine was subject to the same issue that the original had. It's incredibly unlucky that it happened twice to you.

I would hope that they would replace the cylinder head for you, considering the head was the old design that would be covered under this warranty if it had come on a 2019 CX-9 with 80k. If I were Mazda, that's how I'd be treating it, not as a 2016 with 150k.

Can you expand on production changes? Sounds like Mazda made a change for the Turbo'd engines that developed the antifreeze leak. But
maybe not for the cracked head oil leak from a boss that was not drilled out properly. I have a 2020, CX5, NA.

 

[sm1ke]

Can you expand on production changes? Sounds like Mazda made a change for the Turbo'd engines that developed the antifreeze leak. But
maybe not for the cracked head oil leak from a boss that was not drilled out properly. I have a 2020, CX5, NA.

The thread topic, and @raykap's post, are with regard to the 2nd generation CX-9, which all have the 2.5 Turbo engine. In 2021, Mazda incorporated a new cylinder head and gasket design to address this issue on all 2.5T engines.

The 2.5 N/A engine with cylinder deactivation has a separate, unrelated cylinder head crack issue. If you want more info on that issue, please post in the relevant thread.

 

[wyman222@ao]

We received the information regarding Mazda agreement to pay for our out of pocket expenses associated with this problem. Our net cost to get our 2018 CX9 back on the road was $800. After much documentation and waiting Mazda agreed to pay the claim. Instead of a check, we received a prepaid Master Card for payment, not what we expected. Mazda is still trying to reduce their costs by making us pay for the use of a debit card. What a scam. Somehow I'm not sure we'll ever see any of that $800.

 

[walt]

We received the information regarding Mazda agreement to pay for our out of pocket expenses associated with this problem. Our net cost to get our 2018 CX9 back on the road was $800. After much documentation and waiting Mazda agreed to pay the claim. Instead of a check, we received a prepaid Master Card for payment, not what we expected. Mazda is still trying to reduce their costs by making us pay for the use of a debit card. What a scam. Somehow I'm not sure we'll ever see any of that $800.

LOL. Not funny I know. But you may even get a 1099 for that card.

 

[youri]

I am not a fan of prepaid credit card, but that is what everyone is doing nowadays, even the new tire rebates are now given in prepaid card.

But i don’t understand why you say there are fees. These prepaid credit cards don’t have fees associated with them.