2013 Mazda CX9 needs new engine...WTH... Need advice please.

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My wife bought a brand new 2013 Mazda CX9 in 2013.

Yesterday, with about 83000 miles, the check engine light came on. This morning she took it to the service department.

Service manager told her, and me over the phone, that the timing chain got a little out of place and the water pump leaked a little water into the oil. He said there is no fix except for total engine replacement.

The new engine will cost $10,000 and it is back ordered. It will take 3 months to get a new engine. He said that the current engine will seize up within the next two or three weeks... WTF...

It is already making a knocking noise and the light has only been on for one day.

His recommendation is that we trade it in on a new one. I told him no. That was insane.

What should we do? Any advice would be appreciated.

The powertrain warranty was only good for 60,000 miles. It has about 80,000 miles on it now.
 
Just damn
 
Also, my wife is happy about this news and can't wait to buy a new car. She wants a 2019 Subaru Ascent.

We've never had a Subaru before. Any complaints?
 
I am not happy. I don't understand how this nice car is having a total engine breakdown at only 80,000 miles.

I'm really pissed off...

It's paid off, but it's not going to be worth anything in trade in. Check engine light is permanently on and engine is audibly knocking.

I'm screwed...
 
Other than the engine, it's in perfect condition. Could i sell it to a junk yard for parts?

Should i keep it and start stripping it myself to sell for parts on ebay?
 
Just trade it in and remember to never buy another Mazda. Unless they’ve fixed the design flaw the new motor is going to do the same thing. Stripping and eBaying parts will be time consuming.
 
So, I dont know this engine personally but I did some quick reading. From what I can tell the oil pickups are a little small(imho), that means it is going to be more maintenance sensitive.
It is running a chain instead of a belt, so that is a plus, I'm willing to belt the tensioner went out and that it is probably the primary cause of failure.
Engine arent cheap and it a piston smacked a valve or it spun a bearing it will 100% be cheaper to replace unless you building it yourself.

My advice, get rid of it. Tell the dealer you need to think about it, take a bunch of pictures to show your new car salesmen and go get your wife an early Christmas present.
Subarus are great just keep in mind the maintenance and they will run forever.
 
I'm assuming you took it to the dealership? If I'm wrong ignore my advice.

I would find a private garage and get an estimate for the repair. That would give you a third option to mull.

If it were me I would consider putting a used engine in it.

Of course you have to consider just how happy a new car will make your wife :)
 
As far as Subaru's are concern may want to send a PM to Have Gun Will Travel.He deliver's for a subaru dealer in Durham and he will tell you what is right and wrong with the Ascent if he's driven one.​
 
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Not an uncommon problem. One of my customers had the same thing happen, also with under 100k miles. They happened to be near the Mazda dealer when it happened and swung in for them to look at it. Same price as you got. They traded it in.
 
I dont know if it will help with the Mazda, but I had a similar issue with a VW I owned. I had bought new, timing chain snapped at 97k miles. Always serviced on time, with records. Dealer gave me a similar option, replace the engine or trade it in. I contacted corporate, and after some back and forth with them, showing them the service records etc, they replaced the engine. I dont know if Mazda has a similar setup, but I would definitely contact their corporate entity, and see what they have to say. They cant honestly expect the most expensive vehicle in their lineup to only last 6 years and 80k miles. Thats BS.

Edit: The Customer Experience number at Mazda Corporate is: 800-866-1998
Volkswagen assigned a Regional Manager to investigate, and then made a ruling. They will always deny the first few times, but stick at it.
 
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Pull the dip stick. Does the oil look milky looking??? If it has water in it it should. Have one of the auto parts places hook a code reader to it and see what the codes say. They will usually do this for free but if not a small price to pay to find out what is going. That should tell you if a crank sensor and a cam sensor are no longer in sync.

I don't know this engine as I work on diesels but I never heard of a water pump putting water in the oil.
 
If you trade it in the current condition, you'll get next to nothing for it in value. You may want to consider finding a donor engine from a junk yard and doing (or paying someone to do) a swap. Once it's running without the knock, you should be able to get far better trade value at a dealer other than your local Mazda.
 
Can the engine just be rebuilt? Still pricey but not $10k. I'd call around some shops-
 
Another thing, the chain tensioner can momentarily loose tension and allow the timing to jump a tooth on start up.
 
I called a buddy at a local garage and got a second opinion.

He said that this is a common issue with the cx9. The problem is that the faulty water pump is located between the engine and transmission. To replace the water pump they have to pull the whole engine and transmission. He said, according to his shop computer, that's 15 hours of labor at a total cost of about $1300 plus the cost of a new water pump.

And he said something about a bearing with a special coating on it. Once the bearing gets wet with coolant the special coating comes off and there is no fixing it. You have to replace the engine. His advice was also, go trade it in before the engine freezes up.
 
If it’s leaking coolant into the oil then it will wipe out the bearings in quick order. Antifreeze is a terrible lubricant.

Like has been mentioned these engines have a history of leaking water pumps which in and of itself isn’t a major deal. The problem here is that the water pump is internal so it gets in the oil and does damage.

$10k seems high but then I don’t know what labor is involved to change it. I personally would trade it in now and move on.


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Sounds like a terrible design if they're prone to this sort of failure. I've always felt any modern engine design should last 200K miles with proper maintenance.

I'd try my luck with Mazda corporate, and see if they can help you out. Otherwise, try and trade out of it.

I was first going to recommend an oil change and water pump replacement, and then drive it and see if it actually dies, but with the cost of labor to fix the water pump, its risky.
 
I called a buddy at a local garage and got a second opinion.

He said that this is a common issue with the cx9. The problem is that the faulty water pump is located between the engine and transmission. To replace the water pump they have to pull the whole engine and transmission.

The pump and timing chain are on the front of the engine. It requires the engine to be out of the car to perform the repair. Its alot easier, and the way its assembled, to pull engine/trans as an assembly.
 
1- Yell at Mazda for selling a junk motor with these kinds of issues (I'll never buy new Mazdas. It's a Japanese car with Italian car problems at Toyota prices)
2- If they won't help, look for a used motor and swap it in just to get you as much money out of it in trade/sale as you can.
3- Grab the Subaru, she'll love it and it'll run forever if you maintain it.
4- Never buy a Mazda.
 
Agree worth the phone call to corporate, they may have a under the counter program in place for this.

Don't understand why the have to complicate things by putting water pumps inside the engine.
Chevy did this with their engines and you need a special tool to keep the chain under tension when
you replace the water pump. $20 on Amazon. Saturn too.

Replacement engine from LKQ under $3K and have a shop do the repair.
https://www.lkqonline.com/2013-Mazda-cx9-Engine-Assembly/-hWFPjKKcnnP
 
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Also, my wife is happy about this news and can't wait to buy a new car. She wants a 2019 Subaru Ascent.

We've never had a Subaru before. Any complaints?
You better check on the CV transmission maintenance schedule.
Like change the trans fluid every year.
 
But it is without a doubt the smoothest transmission on the market.
Until a year or so down the road after you didn't follow the schedule.
I would bet a rebuild on one would bring tears to your eyes.
 
Until a year or so down the road after you didn't follow the schedule.
I would bet a rebuild on one would bring tears to your eyes.
Straight from Subaru
"For example, the 2018 Subaru Outback should have its CVT fluid inspected by a dealership pro every 30,000 miles, according to the owner's manual. Eventually, the CVT fluid will need to be flushed and replaced -- but it can last up to 100,000 miles or more in some cases before it goes bad."
Seems like any other trans service to me. I dont own a subaru, and they dont fit my needs so I doubt I ever will. But I check my fluids(diffs and trans) ever fall and spring, check my coolant every September, and change my oil religiously.
Maintenance is the life of any mechanical thing.
 
Also, my wife is happy about this news and can't wait to buy a new car. She wants a 2019 Subaru Ascent.

We've never had a Subaru before. Any complaints?

well if you got to get new car, and Subaru fits the needs, you can't do much better- but when it gets out of warranty it gets pricey. We went with extended warranty- I am to old to turn wrenches lol
 
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