CX-5 Cracked Engine

[Nrgonzalez]

Cracked engine head- HELP! My 2018 CX5 has always been serviced at dealership, went in mid-February for an oil change (105k) nothing concerning noted on the inspection report all green. Now April and 3k miles later, I have a cracked engine out of nowhere. I took it in to the dealership and they are charging me $10k!! ( new engine) The service manager said my car is in immaculate condition, and it was nothing I did, “ it just happens”… Needless to say, I opted to getting a new engine as I love my car and don’t want a new payment. I’ve read this is a known issue but how do I get help from Mazda? Any suggestion?
My multipoint inspection: engine cracked below exhaust manifold leaking oil excessively- long block and all necessary gaskets ( this alone is $9k plus labor)

 

[HyFlyer]

I would say it's more likely a cracked engine head.

$10,000 for a new engine seems like the wrong solution to the problem. I would think a new engine head would be less than half that cost and having always serviced at the dealer it would be worth a shot to contact Mazda corporate to see if they would pick up some of the repair cost as goodwill. (Being a known issue)

Good luck to you. A major problem like that would stink!

 

[Lazy2.5]

Cracked engine head- HELP! My 2018 CX5 has always been serviced at dealership, went in mid-February for an oil change (105k) nothing concerning noted on the inspection report all green. Now April and 3k miles later, I have a cracked engine out of nowhere. I took it in to the dealership and they are charging me $10k!! ( new engine) The service manager said my car is in immaculate condition, and it was nothing I did, “ it just happens”… Needless to say, I opted to getting a new engine as I love my car and don’t want a new payment. I’ve read this is a known issue but how do I get help from Mazda? Any suggestion?

Nonsense.

Do not agree to the dealer. You are getting scammed.

Get a second opinion from a Trustworthy independent mechanic.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

The dealership jumped right into getting a new engine instead of replacing the head? What's their reasoning for this?

What were the symptoms of the cracked head?

 

[Nrgonzalez]

This is how it reads in the multipoint inspection: engine cracked below exhaust manifold leaking oil excessively- engine cost $9k alone!!

 

[Nrgonzalez]

I would say it's more likely a cracked engine head.

$10,000 for a new engine seems like the wrong solution to the problem. I would think a new engine head would be less than half that cost and having always serviced at the dealer it would be worth a shot to contact Mazda corporate to see if they would pick up some of the repair cost as goodwill. (Being a known issue)

Good luck to you. A major problem like that would stink!

This is how it reads in the multipoint inspection: engine cracked below exhaust manifold leaking oil excessively- Long block and necessary gaskets

 

[HyFlyer]

We're you experiencing a symptom that caused you to take the car to the dealership to get it checked out? Or it was in for routine maintenance and the shop pointed this new problem out to you?

I suppose the actual engine block could crack but it's far more likely that it's your engine head that's cracked. So far, I'm leaning more towards @Lazy2.5 "gut instinct" of this dealership may not be trustworthy and you should get another opinion before just dropping $10k

 

[Nrgonzalez]

4-5 weeks after the oil change we could smell something “burning” and dismissed it thinking a leak, then we noticed oil in garage, then smoke from the engine.. no indicators on the dashboard

 

[sm1ke]

Unless you got an extended warranty, it's unlikely that you'll get any assistance from Mazda. If the dealership isn't willing to help with the cost, you can escalate your case to Mazda Corporate. There is a TSB for this issue that you should be able to find online. When you contact Mazda Corporate to ask for assistance, cite the TSB to show that this is a documented problem. The TSB will also include details of the issue to let you know what to look for and what actually needs to be repaired or replaced. It sounds like this dealer may be trying to charge for an entire engine replacement instead of simply replacing what is actually broken.

I would consider asking them to provide visual proof of the crack(s) in the engine - pictures/video that include location and size. That way you can verify the cracks yourself, or have an independent tech check it out for a second opinion. I would not agree to a full engine replacement without proof.

Lastly, if Mazda Corporate will not assist with the cost of the replacement, I would suggest trying to source a used engine from an auto wrecker, and having a reputable 3rd party engine shop swap the engines for you. This will likely end up being quite a bit cheaper.

 

[HyFlyer]

... Lastly, if Mazda Corporate will not assist with the cost of the replacement, I would suggest trying to source a used engine from an auto wrecker, and having a reputable 3rd party engine shop swap the engines for you. This will likely end up being quite a bit cheaper ...

The problem I see with that approach is spending a considerable amount of money swapping in a used engine that *may* have the same issue (problematic head casting).

So if a used engine is the financial choice, make sure the head is updated while it's all apart if you intend on keeping it. Or sell the car asap.

Since @Nrgonzalez indicated they would like to keep the car, I feel like a proper head replacement rather than the entire engine is going to be the best course forward.

 

[sm1ke]

The problem I see with that approach is spending a considerable amount of money swapping in a used engine that *may* have the same issue (problematic head casting).

So if a used engine is the financial choice, make sure the head is updated while it's all apart if you intend on keeping it. Or sell the car asap.

Since @Nrgonzalez indicated they would like to keep the car, I feel like a proper head replacement rather than the entire engine is going to be the best course forward.

Has the head even been updated for the 2.5L NA engine? My understanding is that it hasn't, and only the head for the 2.5 turbo engine has been updated. If the head hasn't been updated for the 2.5 NA, then both heads are susceptible to the issue.

 

[yrwei52]

Cracked engine head- HELP! My 2018 CX5 has always been serviced at dealership, went in mid-February for an oil change (105k) nothing concerning noted on the inspection report all green. Now April and 3k miles later, I have a cracked engine out of nowhere. I took it in to the dealership and they are charging me $10k!! ( new engine) The service manager said my car is in immaculate condition, and it was nothing I did, “ it just happens”… Needless to say, I opted to getting a new engine as I love my car and don’t want a new payment. I’ve read this is a known issue but how do I get help from Mazda? Any suggestion?
My multipoint inspection: engine cracked below exhaust manifold leaking oil excessively- long block and all necessary gaskets ( this alone is $9k plus labor)

Yes, cylinder head cracking may be happening after Mazda modified the 2.5L NA head for cylinder deactivation which is used in your 2018 CX-5. The cracked area is different from the 2.5T, and an oil leak instead of coolant leak is the symptom. The cylinder head is cracked at exhaust manifold area and the oil is leaking out from there. There’s a Service Advisory that the dealer should order a whole cylinder head with everything pre-installed to save the labor cost. I was surprised that your dealer didn’t know this known issue on your 2.5L NA with CD, and wanted you to replace the whole engine! Of course replacing the head at a Mazda dealer isn’t cheap either, but definitely will be cheaper than replacing the entire engine. If you can’t get any help from MNAO, which should be expected, you can try a reputable independent shop to replace the head with lower cost. Keep us posted.

Mazda 3 Skyactiv-G 2.5 N/A with C/D (2019 year 20.000 km.) - really interesting and detailed process of removing the head and welding the crack. He is speaking Russian but everything is clear without a verbal explanation:

Mazda 3 Skyactiv-G 2.5 Трещина в головке. Часть 1, Знакомство Oil leak from a cracked cylinder head

Всем привет, сегодня покажу проблему с которой я борюсь. Это треснутая головка блока двигателя Mazda 3 в кузове BP с мотором Skyactiv-G объёмом 2.5Это первая...

www.youtube.com

Mazda 3 Skyactiv-G 2.5 Трещина в головке. Часть 2, Сварка

Всем привет, сегодня покажу проблему с которой я борюсь. Это треснутая головка блока двигателя Mazda 3 в кузове BP с мотором Skyactiv-G объёмом 2.5Это вторая...

www.youtube.com

Mazda 3 Skyactiv-G 2.5 Трещина в головке. Часть 3, БОЛЬ

Всем привет, сегодня покажу проблему с которой я борюсь. Это треснутая головка блока двигателя Mazda 3 в кузове BP с мотором Skyactiv-G объёмом 2.5Это третья...

www.youtube.com

2.5 NA Cracked Cylinder Head with Oil leaking...How common is this?

 

[yrwei52]

Has the head even been updated for the 2.5L NA engine? My understanding is that it hasn't, and only the head for the 2.5 turbo engine has been updated. If the head hasn't been updated for the 2.5 NA, then both heads are susceptible to the issue.

Yes, the head has never got updated on the 2.5L NA with CD.

 

[shooter357]

his is how it reads in the multipoint inspection: engine cracked below exhaust manifold leaking oil excessively- engine cost $9k alone!!

Well the manifold connects to the engine head and there's a little of the head showing before the block so It looks like the head and not the block is cracked !

 

[olraygoza]

Cracked engine head- HELP! My 2018 CX5 has always been serviced at dealership, went in mid-February for an oil change (105k) nothing concerning noted on the inspection report all green. Now April and 3k miles later, I have a cracked engine out of nowhere. I took it in to the dealership and they are charging me $10k!! ( new engine) The service manager said my car is in immaculate condition, and it was nothing I did, “ it just happens”… Needless to say, I opted to getting a new engine as I love my car and don’t want a new payment. I’ve read this is a known issue but how do I get help from Mazda? Any suggestion?
My multipoint inspection: engine cracked below exhaust manifold leaking oil excessively- long block and all necessary gaskets ( this alone is $9k plus labor)

This happened to my Mazda CX5-2018 just last year, but only at 68K miles. They also quoted me close to 10K to replace the engine head. To me it happened a few days after an oil change.
Anyway, I was furious and the dealership didn't help, but I contacted Mazda North America and they ended up paying for the service. The dealership gave them a price of 6K (Mazda North America), so there is room to negotiate. So you should contact Mazda North America and even if they do not offer to pay, you should also ask if they can negotiate the price of repair on your behalf since they get a better price.

My last oil change I also noticed leaking, so I went back right away and they said the oil cap was loose and they tighten it. This seems to be a common issue with low oil level leading to the crack engine, so even minor oil leakage can lead to this. I would recommend anyone with this car with over 60K miles to check for the first 100 miles after an oil change to ensure there is no oil leaks and alerting your dealer to double check that the oil cap is tightened correctly.

 

[Nrgonzalez]

Thank you, I will try this route, I’m keeping fingers crossed they assist. The new replacement engine only has a 12k warranty!
Wonder if Mazda North America would be the same as Mazda Customer care- either way will try with both. Thank you

 

[CX5Nut]

Good luck...please keep us updated!

 

[sm1ke]

Thank you, I will try this route, I’m keeping fingers crossed they assist. The new replacement engine only has a 12k warranty!
Wonder if Mazda North America would be the same as Mazda Customer care- either way will try with both. Thank you

Yes, I believe they are the same entity. Good luck

 

[yrwei52]

⋯ My last oil change I also noticed leaking, so I went back right away and they said the oil cap was loose and they tighten it. This seems to be a common issue with low oil level leading to the crack engine, so even minor oil leakage can lead to this. I would recommend anyone with this car with over 60K miles to check for the first 100 miles after an oil change to ensure there is no oil leaks and alerting your dealer to double check that the oil cap is tightened correctly.

No, a loose oil filler cap has nothing to do with your cracked cylinder head. Even if the cap is indeed loose, it won’t have too much oil coming out if the cap is still on the filler hole. The oil lost that way is minimum which is in no way to make the head to crack! Besides, low oil level usually would damage your crankshaft、piston and many other engine internal parts, but not make the head to crack.

The reason of your cracked head is the thin 3 mm wall at the cracked area which is weak to handle the long and heavy exhaust manifold. See the YouTube video link in my previous post and the video showed the cracked area of the head due to the thin 3 mm wall which was modified for cylinder deactivation from previous head on the 2.5L NA without CD.

You should keep checking any oil leak signs for a while, making sure your replacement doesn’t have anymore oil leaks. The loose oil filler cap is simply an excuse given by the dealer for the oil leak sign you observed. A tech, if he remembers to put back the oil filler cap on the filler hole, usually will tighten the cap up in one motion.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Snip...

My last oil change I also noticed leaking, so I went back right away and they said the oil cap was loose and they tighten it. This seems to be a common issue with low oil level leading to the crack engine, so even minor oil leakage can lead to this. I would recommend anyone with this car with over 60K miles to check for the first 100 miles after an oil change to ensure there is no oil leaks and alerting your dealer to double check that the oil cap is tightened correctly.

"This seems to be a common issue with low oil level leading to the crack engine, so even minor oil leakage can lead to this."

A common issue? How did you determine this? This is the first time that I've heard of this, not so common I believe.

As Yrwei stated above, low oil levels will NOT result in a cracked block. Even if the engine had zero oil in it and was run till it stopped, the block wouldn't crack before the bearings burned up or the pistons seized.

Your oil cap was loose, and you had to take it to the dealer to tighten it up? You couldn't reach up there and tighten it yourself?