Mazda CX-7 Problems

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We contacted Mazda on your behalf and this is the response we received from their technical people: "It sounds like there is a bit of confusion as to what the light relates to as the vehicle is also equipped with a gauge to indicate Adblue Level. It sounds like the customer may be relating the light as a level indicator. The light can be an indication of a system malfunction of some type, this would need to be diagnosed which it sounds like may have occurred. Depending on the cause will dictate the parts required to be replaced. There are separate components and not all concerns require tank replacement. The comments suggesting there is a massive problem and the tank could go at any time are bit unfounded and sound like unfounded Internet chatter. Our recommendation would be to let the dealership perform the diagnosis and repair. If the repair is completed by a Mazda Dealer as a Retail Repair using Genuine parts the parts are covered by our Whole of Life Parts Warranty." It might not be an answer, but it does give you a guide to the cause, as the warning light might be an indicator of another problem.