High Mileage CX-5s - report in

2016.5 CX-5 with 95,000 miles on there. No major issues aside from regular wear and tear with the below:
  1. Rear stabilizer links
  2. Rear struts
  3. Front lower control arm bushings
Were the links and bushings visibly worn? Or were they causing other issues or symptoms? I've replaced the struts on our 2014, but haven't really looked at any bushings or end links, and we have over 125K miles on our car.
 
Just replaced the front passenger hub on our 2014 - 127K miles. MAN that was a beast to get the old hub off. Rusted on tight to the carrier. Ugh. Got it off and back together eventually, only to find that there was still wobble... the lower control are pivot bushing was worn too. Sigh. Next job :(
 
Were the links and bushings visibly worn? Or were they causing other issues or symptoms? I've replaced the struts on our 2014, but haven't really looked at any bushings or end links, and we have over 125K miles on our car.
The bottom part of the link (Rear Stabilizer Link) where it mounts to the little plate was visibly broken and was no longer connected and this may have explained why the car didn't feel so stable when cornering at highway speeds previously. For the bushings, I haven't had a chance to take a look at it to confirm but that's what my mechanic said when I brought it in for an inspection. I originally brought the car in to check for a audible rubbing noise when turning my steering wheel to the left/right at low speeds but he was unable to replicate the issue. If you're planning to do a tire rotation soon, might be a good idea to take a look at your bushings/links to see if there's anything odd about them.

The worn bushings being torn may explain why my car vibrates a lot when going over bumps/uneven pavements but it could also be my front struts as well as I feel as if they're close to end of life and need to be replaced soon. For the front struts, what did you go with? I'm debating whether the go for the KYB, OEM or something else different but I am not sure if mixing and matching fronts/rears would be a good idea.
 
I am extremely pleased with the KYB struts I installed a couple of years ago. They look identical to the OEM struts I removed and handle the same on my ‘13. They were priced very well considering I purchased the entire strut assembly.

I’d consider OEM for the rear shocks though if you want to replace the shock mount. The KYB shocks do not come with the mount like OEM. I reused the OEM mounts and they’re holding up well. One of my rear shocks was busted and leaking fluid, so I decided to do full replacement all around.
 
KYB struts/shocks here also. I replaced the rears after I blew them out carrying a heavy load of lumber and concrete from the hardware store to fix a broken fence in my yard. Then a few months later I swapped out the fronts as they seemed to be making some bouncing noises/feelings over bumps.
 
I mean... he was pretty clear on what he's done?!?!?

Not necessarily. Maintenance can mean different things to different people, depending on whether they follow the manual or whether they do preventative maintenance that isn't described in the manual. There is no line item for transmission oil change or differential oil change in the manual, which means that you don't have to do it to maintain the factory warranty. Thus it isn't considered as a maintenance item by Mazda. Of course, many disagree, and they do follow a maintenance interval as suggested by other owners or based on previous experience with other vehicles.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for more specifics, especially in this "grey area" of transmission maintenance. We are here to learn, first and foremost.
 
Not necessarily. /edit for brevity/
And this is why I am not a moderator. :D

You are are right, of course. I wouldn't consider any fluid change to be outside of "just maintenance". But I did think Diff Fluid was absolutely a line item. My dealer suggest it every 30k, and... I like and trust my dealer. :D
 
And this is why I am not a moderator. :D

You are are right, of course. I wouldn't consider any fluid change to be outside of "just maintenance". But I did think Diff Fluid was absolutely a line item. My dealer suggest it every 30k, and... I like and trust my dealer. :D

I believe that in the owner's manual, diff fluid was mentioned, but it basically just said to change it if the diff gets submerged in water. There was no specific time or mileage interval. If/when Mazda gets a warranty claim, they check the service history against what is outlined in the owner's manual, not the dealer's recommendations. This is mainly because every dealer is different, and the dealer has the freedom to suggest whatever they want in terms of services, when they should be performed, and so on, so that they can earn more profit.

In any case, usually if someone says that the car was "dealer-maintained," you can be fairly safe in assuming that most/all of the services outlined in the manual were done at the right intervals, or maybe even done early. But the question of transmission service is worth asking because you just never really know for sure.
 
'13 w/ 285,118 miles (~458,852 km)


1.jpeg
2.jpeg
 
If it was serviced and runs good probably the going rate

At this time a $5k used car can be questionable at current prices
 
I was kinda surprised about KBB private party assessment (I only sell cars private...never trade)...on mine at 68k miles... IIRC.. I paid around $32k back in summer of 2014

I thought it would be less..

Screen Shot 2022-05-15 at 1.18.32 PM.png
 
I was kinda surprised about KBB private party assessment (I only sell cars private...never trade)...on mine at 68k miles... IIRC.. I paid around $32k back in summer of 2014

I thought it would be less..

View attachment 310136
You should be aware that when KBB shows 2% of vehicles qualifying as "excellent" they are not referencing that specific year's make or model. It's 2% of all vehicles including late model, low mileage across all brands. This is evident if you plug in a 2021 with low mileage showing the same 2%.

Tons of expired lease cars hit the market at 3 years and 36,000 + or - eating into the 2% along with similar actual sales with similar age and miles or less. From a practical standpoint, somewhat older vehicles with CPO or transferable extended warranties still in force that are in great shape may sit between excellent and very good pricing even if KBB does not take it into account.

It's highly unlikely a vehicle of your vintage and mileage would qualify as excellent. Even if it's a clean car not in need of immediate routine service, once you start adding up any tire wear, brake wear, paint chips, a little carpet wear, whatnot, and then have it compared to those other late model, low mileage cars. you're out of excellent and down to very good, probably a $2,000 reduction if it otherwise qualifies.

I record my trade value quarterly and have so far used "excellent". I'll be knocking it down to very good next time as it is now a 2 year old model with 13,000+ miles. It's super clean, just a couple of small paint chips, but I see dealers offering the same vehicle within 200 miles with a few more miles on them at or near what KBB shows as an excellent trade value, a dog that wouldn't hunt. In private party sale I suppose you never know. Somebody who really wants the car and doesn't like negotiating may pay up. How often does that happen on a $20,000 vehicle?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Pacific Norhwest car market is definitely inflated. I’ve always sold for above KBB pricing and also a no salt area.

no intent to sell…. CarGurus shows this range up to $25k what dealers are asking in my area. I’d be fine with $18-$20 myself
 
Last edited:
Back