2011 Mazda CX-7 Owner Complaints

The low beam wiring gets hot and melts the connectors to the bulb connection. The low beam headlights have been replaced 8 times in a year due to low visibility. It's like turning off the headlights but they are still on. It's been going on for years. I've taken it to Mazda and the mechanic told me they had a vehicle there now with the same problem and have not figured out the problem yet. Wiring harness has been replaced to the low beam, the connectors and bulbs replaced fuzes and nothing seems to fix it, the battery keeps needing to be replaced as well, alternator has been replaced. This is a safety issue due to the fact that the low beams are so dim the driver can't see to drive without using high beam headlights to drive and they are just like having regular low beams on.. I've used halogen as well as led trying to fix it nothing has worked

NHTSA ID

11754388

Incident

May 7, 2021

My wheel on front driver's side is wobbly and I just decided to look up for any recalls and I'm lucky we didn't have a major accident I drive the interstate almost daily also I want to report that my door handles have had to be replaced 6 times since we've bought the car in 2019

NHTSA ID

11738584

Incident

May 18, 2026

Mazda has messed up headlights and it is very dangerous. I have to drive with high beams on continuously! The low beams point straight down to the road, looks like even with the bumper, you cannot see anything. It looks like you don’t have lights on. Took it to dealer and they say it’s the housing and it’s a Mazda thing and don’t do anything to fix it. I have tried every bulb available for Mazda and nothing helps. They need to fix this. I see SEVERAL owners with the same complaints! Please don’t overlook this as it is very dangerous and may cause deaths.

NHTSA ID

11708962

Incident

Dec 31, 2019

My mechanic told me to check with Mazda as there might be a recall that has not been taken care of yet. I called Mazda and they told me there were 3 recalls (2 of which my mechanic already fixed) and the airbag recall. Told me not to drive, but would not provide any vehicle to use and would not set an appointment until December 8th, 2025.

NHTSA ID

11701786

Incident

Nov 25, 2025

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda CX-7. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V429000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact called an independent mechanic, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was contacted. The dealer declined to tow the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11647366

Incident

Mar 10, 2025

I can not see at night. I have replaced the bulbs several times, and tried the most expensive bulbs. Nothing helps. You can only see with the high beams on, and that’s not safe for other drivers

NHTSA ID

11617337

Incident

Sep 28, 2024

Recall on air bag throwing metal

NHTSA ID

11608442

Incident

Aug 14, 2024

I called Mazda to report that my air bag warning light came on and they told me it had been replaced on Jan 8, 2019 and was not under recall. Not sure what to do as light stays on all the time while driving.

NHTSA ID

11608220

Incident

Aug 8, 2024

The headlights are UNSAFE! Extremely dim. We have replaced the bulbs and gotten great LED lights but the issue is still there. Sometimes I feel like my lights aren’t even on but they are, I cannot see. Please can you fix this. They just keep getting worse. I would have to drive with high beams on just to be safe. I don’t drive at night in my car if I don’t absolutely need to because of this issue.

NHTSA ID

11582921

Incident

Jan 1, 2023

During a rainy evening I could not see with the wipers on max speed and the headlights on low beam. I couldn't see the road unless a car was in front of me or I turn on my high beams. My son was in the car with me and several times I had to go at a crawling speed and still barely stayed on the road because of low visibilty. This has happened more than once and I feel unsafe driving now because I feel like I'm driving with no lights on at all these days without rain and rain makes it 10x worse.

NHTSA ID

11571776

Incident

Feb 8, 2024

Just bought this car used and the very first night I realized that the headlights are very very very dim. After online research, it seems this is a common issue with make model&year.

NHTSA ID

11508615

Incident

Feb 22, 2023

Low beam headlights are so poor that they barely illuminate the roadway when driving at night. I've replaced them with Sylvania Silverstar Max bulbs as well as tried LED bulbs and neither help. Makes the car almost worthless to drive at night due to the limited visibility. It has slowly gotten worse since my purchase of the vehicle in 2016.

NHTSA ID

11507587

Incident

Feb 1, 2017

Transmission went out at 150,232 Also car has a lot blond spots

NHTSA ID

11481096

Incident

Aug 5, 2022

We purchased a set of headlights and taillights via Amazon from Perde on 12/8/20 after verifying they would fit the vehicle-confirmed with the description provided online. The product that was delivered is defective and presents a fire/electrical safety concern. We installed them, which we had issues initially with the turn signals. While we worked to figure that piece out, we left in the new ones as the ones we had to replace were in worse shape. About a month after they were installed we noticed the headlights weren't working so replaced the bulbs-one of which appeared to be burned/melted. We thought this was a fluke, replaced the bulbs and this worked for a little while. Then about another month passes, my son was pulled over by the police due to both taillights being out. This also presents a safety issue with other drivers on the road not being able to see the vehicle at night. When we inspected the taillights, we found that both taillights bulbs had also burned/melted and the socket appeared to have burn marks on them. We believe this is a major safety issue given it could have caused an electrical fire in the vehicle. I have photos of this, and we still have the headlights and taillights we have since replaced with a different manufacturer. There were no warning lights on the vehicle, this was discovered after we pulled them off to inspect after having numerous issues replacing bulbs. When I contacted the company today their responses do not seem to indicate any concern on their part about this issue. They offered to replace them, however, there is no way I am going to put their parts on any of my vehicles ever again.

NHTSA ID

11441742

Incident

Sep 18, 2021

Low beam headlights burn out every 6 months, no matter the quality of bulb. Casings are discolored on the inside and light doesn't project beyond about 4 feet, doesn't reach the car bumper in front of me. Cannot be corrected with lens cleaning kits or improved with brighter bulbs. Very dangerous. I cannot see in low light or dark at all. I've had this car since 2013 and it gets progressively worse. Many forums online with same issue reported.

NHTSA ID

11439822

Incident

Sep 18, 2013

THIRD OWNER OF VEHICLE. GOT A NOTICE FROM NHTSA AND MAZDA DUE TO REGISTRATION OF NEW TO US VEHICLE ON FEBRUARY 25, 2021. SET UP APPOINTMENT ON FEBRUARY 26, 2021 WITH NELSON MAZDA OF COOL SPRINGS FOR 10:15 A.M. ON MARCH 3, 2021. I INFORMED THE PERSON THAT THERE WERE TWO RECALLS, BUT I ONLY WANTED THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL DONE BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY REPLACED THE BAD PARTS ON THE OTHER RECALL WITH FAR SUPERIOR AFTERMARKET PARTS AND THEREFORE DIDN'T NEED/WANT THE OTHER RECALL WHICH WAS FOR DEFECTIVE BALL JOINTS. MY WIFE DROPPED OFF THE VEHICLE FOR THE AIRBAG RECALL. THEY INFORMED US A LITTLE WHILE LATER THAT WE HAD TO GET BOTH RECALLS DONE OR THEY COULDN'T DO EITHER BECAUSE THEY WOULD GET FINED BY MAZDA. I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT I ALREADY REPAIRED THE BALL JOINT ISSUE TO MY LIKING AND THAT THE BAD PARTS WERE NO LONGER ON THE VEHICLE. I WOULD SIGN OFF ON IT. HE SAID THEY COULDN'T DO EITHER. I ASKED HIM IF WAS THE REFUSING TO DO THE AIRBAG RECALL THAT HAS PROVEN TO BE DEADLY AND SEND MY WIFE BACK ON THE ROAD WITH A DEFECTIVE PART INSTEAD OF FIXING IT, HE SAID YES. I CONTACTED MAZDA CUSTOMER CARE AND SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE AND KIND OF GOT THE SAME RESPONSE. I TOLD HER THAT THE AIRBAG RECALL AND THE BALL JOINT RECALL ARE TWO DIFFERENT RECALLS NOT CONTINGENT ON EACH OTHER AND REBUKED HER THAT MY WIFE'S LIFE WAS WORTH LESS THAN A ALLEGED FINE THAT THE DEALER COULD GET. I ALSO TOLD HER THAT THEIR REFUSAL TO DO A RECALL ON A KNOWN DEADLY DEFECTIVE PART WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS THERE AT THE SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT TIME WITH PARTS IN HAND WAS ILLOGICAL AND PUT THEM IN A LIABILITY LEGALLY NOW THAT THEY HAVE REFUSED TO PERFORM THE MANDATED RECALL.

NHTSA ID

11398998

Incident

Mar 3, 2021

Mileage

241,000 mi

TOOK MY CAR TO GET A ALIGNMENT DUE TO THE SHAKING OF THE WHEEL WHEN COMING TO A STOP, WHEN TAKING MY CAR TO BE LOOK AT, I WAS ADVISED THAT THE CONTROL ARM OF MY CAR WAS BAD, IN WHICH I WASN'T AWARE OF. ON MAY 1ST I HAD THE CONTROL ARM REPLACED. NOW I RECEIVED LETTERS AN CALLS ABOUT THE AIRBAG RECALL. ON JUNE 15TH TOOK MY CAR TO JAKE SWEENEY MAZDA AFTER RECEIVING A CALL ABOUT THE RECALL. WHILE IN THE WAITING ROOM WAITING FOR THE AIRBAG TO BE REPAIRED, THE SERVICE PERSON [XXX] CAME BACK OUT AND TOLD ME THAT I HAD ANOTHER RECALL FOR THE LOWER CONTROL ARM OF THE CAR, IN WHICH I JUST HAD REPAIRED ON MAY 1ST, UNAWARE OF THE RECALL, WHICH I FOUND OUT ON JUNE 15TH. AFTER EXPLAINING TO THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED, HE TOLD ME THAT HE NEEDED TO STILL FIX WHAT HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE, WITH THE UPDATED PARTS. ON JUNE 16TH, I SUBMITTED MY REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST ON JUNE 18TH I RECEIVED AN E-MAIL BACK STATING THAT ALL REPAIRS DONE BY THIRD PARTY WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. I TRIED CALLING AND SPEAKING WITH AN SUPERVISOR, WHO STILL ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY. SO I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW WHEN THEIR PARTS ARE RECALLED WITHOUT RECEIVING LETTERS ARE CALLS ABOUT IT. I PAID $855.80 TO GET THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS REPAIRED. I PROVIDED THEM WITH THE COPY OF MY BANK ACCOUNT, ALONG WITH THE RECEIPT COPY OF THE THIRD PARTY VENDOR WHO FIXED THE REPAIRS. I WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR MY $855.80. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

11330916

Incident

May 1, 2020

EVERY SINCE I FIRST PURCHASED MY CAR, MY DOOR HANDLES ARE VERY LOOSE, I'VE HAD TO GET THE DRIVER ONE FIXED AND IT'S LOOSE AGAIN. IT CAUSES ME TO NOT BE ABLE TO USE THAT DOOR. ALL MY WINDOWS WILL NOT GO UP ONCE I PUT THEM DOWN AND THEY ARE ALSO MAKING NOISES. MY HEADLIGHTS ARE DIMMER FROM WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR, AND I HAVE TO KEEP REPLACING THEM BECAUSE THEY KEEP GOING OUT. *TR

NHTSA ID

11330621

Incident

Aug 31, 2018

DIM LIGHTS KEEP BURNING OUT ALL OTHER LIGHTS WORK FINE

NHTSA ID

11292180

Incident

Dec 30, 2019

Mileage

68,000 mi

THE HEADLIGHT BULBS BURN OUT MULTIPLE TIMES A YEAR AND ON TOP OF THAT, THE LENS HAVE FOGGED UP TO THE POINT THAT I WAS FORCED TO REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE DURING DUSK, NIGHT AND DAWN HOURS. THE FOG SEEMS TO BE FROM THE INSIDE, SINCE NO AMOUNT OF EXTERIOR CLEANING WOULD HELP. THE REAR BREAK LIGHTS ARE ALSO FOGGED UP AND THE INSIDE RED PLASTIC IS ALSO MELTED. THESE ARE SOME MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES. I HAVE REPLACED THE HEADLAMPS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE NEW ONES WILL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE IN THE YEARS TO COME.

NHTSA ID

11291802

Incident

Dec 25, 2019

Mileage

109,000 mi

DRIVE SIDE FRONT TIRE CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH. BALL JOINT SEPARATED. CAR SLIDE HIT CUB AND TIRE ON PASSENGER SIDE WAS HIT AND BLEW OUT. THERE IS RECALL ON BALL JOINT. I DID NOT GET NOTICE.

NHTSA ID

11255321

Incident

Sep 12, 2019

Mileage

156,000 mi

THE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS ARE VERY DIM, REPLACED BULBS SEVERAL TIMES AND CAN NOT SEE 10 FEET IN-FRONT OF CAR. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED A PART ON BOTH LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS BUT I STILL CANNOT SEE 10 FEET IN-FRONT OF VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11205875

Incident

Jan 5, 2018

ON-GOING ISSUES WITH GAS PUMP SHUTTING OFF AT PUMP. TOOK CAR TO GET IT CHECK. BACK AND FORTH WITH DEALER TO FINE ISSUE FOR OVER SEVERAL MONTHS PERIOD. ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON TWICE. CUSTOMER REQUEST DEALER TO CHECK FUEL SYSTEMS. GAS LEAK DISCOVERED, ALONG WITH CLOGGED FUEL VAPOR LINES. SPIDER WEBS NEAR FUEL LINES. CUSTOMER SUSPECT FUEL SYSTEM DEFECT. DEALER SUGGEST FUEL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. SINCE OUT OF WARRANTY, CUSTOMER REACH OUT TO MANUFACTURER.

NHTSA ID

11190501

Incident

Mar 20, 2019

MY HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT. I HAVE TO PUT IN NEW HEAD LIGHT BULBS EVERY FEW MONTHS. I HAVE CHANGED THE HEAD LIGHT BULB ON BOTH SIDES FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR. CURRENTLY MY RIGHT HEAD LIGHT IS OUT AGAIN. I PURCHASED ANOTHER BULB AND HAVE TO PAY FOR A MECHANIC TO FIX MY HEAD LIGHT THIS WEEK.

NHTSA ID

11180674

Incident

Feb 9, 2019

THE TRANSMISSION JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULD NOT REVERSE THE VEHICLE

NHTSA ID

11176010

Incident

Feb 9, 2019

Mileage

99,000 mi