shopping around for an 2008 mazda cx9 gt
- Thread starter julyzoom
- Start date
- :
- 2022 CX-5 Turbo
Other than the "black leather", mine is just like what you described.
Use mine as a sample:
recalls: only one about the power-seat (possibility of moving while in motion due to wiring issue). Any Mazda dealer can check if this has been fixed by VIN.
problems: common issues with '08 are few.
(1) Bad A/C relays is very common. It causes A/C to blow for 30 secs in full force after engine shutoff. Relays can be
changed DIY (info on this forum) or dealer can take care of them (about $5-10 each).
(2) rear windows failed to roll down completely. Sounded like running into obstacles inside the doors.
Turned out that some styrofoam turned loose inside and blocking the windows from roll down. This happened to both rear doors.
Glued them back to fix it. Mine was probably made on Monday by a Japanese worker who had too much sake over the weekend.
So far, no other owners I know had the same issue. Not a common one.
(3) rear differential seals leaking (wet spots, not dripping). Seals replaced under warranty. (AWD only)
A couple owners had the same issue. Something to watch out for.
That is for four years. Not too bad considering my wife's 7-year old Prius have had three recalls, though 0 problem (like a Toyota).
If you plan to buy one from Mazda dealers' used car lots, make sure you get as long warranty as possible (w/o paying extra).
If you buy one from other sources, I suggest you spend a couple hundreds to have a Mazda technician inspect it fully.
Also, check CarFax/Autocheck ($20 at most, CarFax provided by seller might be fake!) for history. CarFax is not sufficient, but necessary to know
about an used vehicle. If the mileage is high (>100k), have Mazda do a cylinder pressure test also to see if the mileage was from
highway driving or not. Highway driving does not cause as much wear as short trips. My wife's Prius only had 38K after 7-8 years.
However, that 38K was accumulated from many many 2-mile trips. I would really worry about the wear of engine compared to
an engine after 100K of pure highway driving. However, other parts such as suspensions are directly related to mileage (and
road surfaces travelled). Mileage still plays a big role.
That is all I have at this point. Good luck.
BTW, do not buy from eBay outside your local area....
Use mine as a sample:
recalls: only one about the power-seat (possibility of moving while in motion due to wiring issue). Any Mazda dealer can check if this has been fixed by VIN.
problems: common issues with '08 are few.
(1) Bad A/C relays is very common. It causes A/C to blow for 30 secs in full force after engine shutoff. Relays can be
changed DIY (info on this forum) or dealer can take care of them (about $5-10 each).
(2) rear windows failed to roll down completely. Sounded like running into obstacles inside the doors.
Turned out that some styrofoam turned loose inside and blocking the windows from roll down. This happened to both rear doors.
Glued them back to fix it. Mine was probably made on Monday by a Japanese worker who had too much sake over the weekend.
So far, no other owners I know had the same issue. Not a common one.
(3) rear differential seals leaking (wet spots, not dripping). Seals replaced under warranty. (AWD only)
A couple owners had the same issue. Something to watch out for.
That is for four years. Not too bad considering my wife's 7-year old Prius have had three recalls, though 0 problem (like a Toyota).
If you plan to buy one from Mazda dealers' used car lots, make sure you get as long warranty as possible (w/o paying extra).
If you buy one from other sources, I suggest you spend a couple hundreds to have a Mazda technician inspect it fully.
Also, check CarFax/Autocheck ($20 at most, CarFax provided by seller might be fake!) for history. CarFax is not sufficient, but necessary to know
about an used vehicle. If the mileage is high (>100k), have Mazda do a cylinder pressure test also to see if the mileage was from
highway driving or not. Highway driving does not cause as much wear as short trips. My wife's Prius only had 38K after 7-8 years.
However, that 38K was accumulated from many many 2-mile trips. I would really worry about the wear of engine compared to
an engine after 100K of pure highway driving. However, other parts such as suspensions are directly related to mileage (and
road surfaces travelled). Mileage still plays a big role.
That is all I have at this point. Good luck.
BTW, do not buy from eBay outside your local area....
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- :
- 2022 CX-5 Turbo
Factory GPS is 10+ year old technology-wise.
Usability and GUI can't match the modern Garmin/TomTom (Mazda is switching to TomTom for CX5).
The NAVI locks you out from entry at speed above 5mph (typical for Toyota and Mazda - share same source of NAVI system from Denso).
This is a major complaint from folks who try to enter address while vehicle is in motion (doing so at red lights is allowed - i,e, vehicle is stationary.)
Voice command is lousy - I don't use it at all.
Anyway I will rank it a 3 out of 10.
However, factory GPS takes inputs from steering angles and VSS (vehicle speed sensor), which allow NAVI system to continue locating your vehicle
on the map even when GPS signals are lost (cases when you are in forests, among tall buildings, in tunnels, etc).
Update costs you about $200. Yes, it is a ripoff. I usually do it every 3-5 years.
The newest map is probably 2009 version for 2008 models. For later models, 2010 map is available.
(see mazdanavigation.com for more)
Did I answer your questions?
I haven't done this before, but considered it. Care to elaborate?
- :
- 2022 CX-5 Turbo
"Lots of frauds" is what I meant.
You can consider it if you have a trusted person local (to where the seller is) that can assist you.
Or, if you are willing to fly over there to inspect the car, do the transaction and arrange shipping.
Escrow account could be bogus. EBay guarantee means very little because it will take you a long
time and huge effort to get your money back.
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Ah, I see. I wouldn't think of buying a car from an unknown (to me) dealer or private party without inspecting it myself or having a trusted 3rd party handle it. You're right, too much risk to purchase a car based solely on the seller's word.
