Mazda CX-7 Problems

The CX-7 is a well-built, roomy, medium-sized SUV with the choice of 2.5-litre petrol engine and a 2.2-litre diesel. The diesel is the more economical of the two. Reliability is not a concern, you can buy with confidence.

So many things affect road noise, which makes it difficult to fix. There’s the road surface itself, the tyres, and the noise insulation in the vehicle. The Honda CR-V might well be quieter, but could still be noisy on the roads you drive on. If the road noise is the thing that is making you switch vehicles, then it might be worth talking to a tyre dealer about a tyre that might be quieter than the ones on your Kluger. If you want to go down that road, you could try a Mazda CX-5 or CX-7, a Kia Sorento or Sportage, Toyota RAV4.

Call in at your nearest Mazda dealer and have them explain it to you. Without seeing it I couldn't tell you what it is.

It’s not too difficult to repair, but it might be costly. Have it assessed by another mechanic or dealer and get a quote on fixing it.

I wouldn’t expect them to touch the transmission when replacing the turbocharger. You could have another mechanic check the work done.

I would rule out the CX-7 on the basis of poor fuel consumption, the performance of the iX35 petrol version is a little lacking, the Tucson is a better car, but I would suggest the X-Trail is probably your best bet.

Sludge build-up is a turbocharger killer, but sludge won't build up if the car is regularly serviced and the oil is changed so it's always fresh. The problem is usually only with cars that haven't been serviced. Other seven-seaters you could look at are the Kia Sorrento, Hyundai Santa Fe, or Toyota Kluger.

There have been a number of reports of engines failing because the oil has become contaminated with diesel fuel, so you're not alone there. I would urge you to request a goodwill payment from Mazda for at least part of the cost of a new engine. As your car is eight years old and has done 120,000 km you're unlikely to get a new engine from Mazda, but I think you have a good claim for a part payment. Once the engine is replaced I would suggest you change the oil more regularly than is recommended by Mazda.

If the car still has drive in the forward gears, but refuses to drive in reverse, it’s a reasonable bet that there’s wear or damage to the transmission’s intrinsic bits that select or control reverse gear. If the transmission was simply low on fluid or had a bad pump or torque converter, it wouldn’t go anywhere in either direction.

A transmission specialist will probably have seen this problem before and will be able to advise of the extent of the damage. Either way, don’t drive the car any farther as you may do more damage.