New to Mazdas - is the new 2013 CX-9 reliable?

A

Andrepaul

Member
Hello,

I have owned Honda's all my life but now I have my eye on the new 2013 CX-9. I understand that the engine is linked to Ford in some way. Can someone tell me if the engine is designed by Ford and who manufactures it and where (US or Japan). I have had minimal to no mechanical issues with my '03 and '07 CR-Vs and I was wondering if the CX-9 engine will be as trouble-free as the Hondas. If not, what are some issues that are inherent with that engine?

Thanks

Andre
 
The 2013 CX-9 is a face lifted version of the previous model. Mechanically it is the same.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_CX-9

"The Duratec 37 is a 3.7 L (3721 cc/227 CID) version of the Cyclone V6 intended to power heavier or premium vehicles. The Duratec 37's additional displacement comes from an increase in bore diameter to 95.5 mm (3.76 in), stroke remains identical to the Duratec 35s at 86.7 mm (3.41 in).
A Hiroshima, Japan assembled Mazda MZI 3.7 was installed in the 2008 Mazda CX-9 and was the first 3.7 L Cyclone V6 to see production. The first Duratec 37 saw production in the 2009 Lincoln MKS."
 
The Mazda MZI 3.7L engine is a direct variant of the Ford Duratec (Cyclone) family of engines. Specifically the Duratec 3.7 was first installed in the 2008 CX-9 as an upgrade to the 2007 3.5L. Basically, this engine is a Ford designed unit that Mazda builds in japan. The engine is mated to an Aisin sourced six speed transmission that work very well together.

The CX-9 was designed specifically for the North American (US) market and is not sold in either Europe nor Japan. It is one of the most reliable mid-sized SUVs that you can buy. Consumer Reports rates the reliability of the CX-9 just below that of the Toyota Highlander and above that of the Honda Pilot.

Here's how the competition stacks up in reliability rating from CR....
Highlander - 52% above ave.
CX9 -45% above ave.
Pilot - 30% above ave.
Traverse - 12% above ave.
Durango - 10% below ave.
Grand Cherokee - 12% below ave.
Sorrento - 34% below ave.
Explorer - 226% below ave.
 
It's not a single article but just some data I pulled out from the website. I have an annual subscription to their site. You have to drill down on the overview of each vehicle to get the reliability data which is based on the most recent owner surveys.

Check out this
and this
and this
and this
 
I know that all this discussion on the qualities of the CX-9 is compelling but the thing that sent me over the edge to buy two weeks ago was the $8000 off the MSRP. The new face on the 2013s is looking good but I like the look the 2012s as well. Because the 2013s were going to be late to market Mazda made 2012s well into the end of last summer. Mine was built in August and that is unheard of in the auto industry. As a result, there are so many leftover 2012s in the Boston area that all the dealers are wheeling and dealing.
 
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MZI 3.7L is based on Duratec 3.7 with revised intake manifolds.
Apparently Mazda did not trust Ford's transmission, they went with Toyota's.
 
Is that a bad thing? According to Wikipedia they supply nearly 5 million units a year......

"Aisin AW supplies automatic transmissions to 35 automotive manufacturers around the world, virtually every major OEM. These include General Motors, Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Saab, Audi, VW, Volvo, Hyundai among others."

The AWF-21 6 speed automatic transmission is used on the following vehicles....
Ford Five Hundred, Ford Fusion -till 2009, Mercury Montego, Mercury Milan -till 2009, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, Mazda6, Mazda CX-7, Mazda CX-9, Land Rover LR2
 
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ceric said:
MZI 3.7L is based on Duratec 3.7 with revised intake manifolds.
Apparently Mazda did not trust Ford's transmission, they went with Toyota's.
Click to expand...

The 6-speed automatic used by Ford was actually co-developed with General Motors. The 6AT in the CX-9 is made by Aisin, a company in which Toyota has a 30% ownership stake.

The Aisin unit has proven far more reliable and much more responsive to driver input. The Ford/GM unit operates like most domestic transmissions- it upshifts as soon as possible to maximize fuel economy and is reluctant to downshift in most situations. In the 2010-up Fusion/Milan/MKZ, it has experienced a much higher than average rate of failure also.
 
Speaking of cross breeding cars and parts, can anyone tell me why the GM traverse and it's offshoots are the spitting image body style to the CX-9? They look like exactly the same car when parked side by side, with only finishing touches/facia to distinguish them. It's spooky.

The wheelbase and other measurements are slightly different, but the exterior and interior similarities suggest that a Mazda snuck into someones garage late at night and did it with their GM SUV. (butthump)
 
Lol. Lot's of inbreeding in the automotive world for sure. Kinda like wall street, the top 2 percenters all know each other and talk. and share.
 
Andrepaul, welcome to the forum.

For reliability reporting, I suggest visiting True Delta. http://www.truedelta.com/

As for me, my 2008 with 55k miles, I have not had any issues except for having to replace my front rotors & pads (some earlier CX-9's like mine didn't come with the best rotors)

The BIGGEST thing here - If you buy an all wheel drive, it has become apparent that the transfer case which is exclusive only to all wheel drive models, is a direct Ford drop in part, the same exact transfer case used in the Ford Edge. This transfer case has a limited life span before it starts spewing oil. Looks to need constant maintenance on the transfer case.
So if you decide to buy AWD, keep that in mind.

The engine core (cylinder heads and block) are from Ford. All aluminum, really not a bad engine at all. They send them over to Japan and Mazda goes to work. Mazda throttle body, Mazda starter, mazda intake manifold, Japanese transmission which is very reliable (except for the said mentioned transfer case), mazda computer modules, etc. It's just the block & heads that are the Ford base. And unfortunately, it appears the wheel bearings on the vehicle are Ford wheel bearings. I've not had any problems with mine, but a couple people on here have.

I've started up and drove around some Ford 3.5 engines in Ford vehicles (CX-9 bored to 3.7 since 2008) and the Fords sound completely different and act different. Mazda refines it a whole bunch.

Good luck in your buying decision!
 
helbigtw said:
Andrepaul, welcome to the forum.

For reliability reporting, I suggest visiting True Delta. http://www.truedelta.com/

As for me, my 2008 with 55k miles, I have not had any issues except for having to replace my front rotors & pads (some earlier CX-9's like mine didn't come with the best rotors)

The BIGGEST thing here - If you buy an all wheel drive, it has become apparent that the transfer case which is exclusive only to all wheel drive models, is a direct Ford drop in part, the same exact transfer case used in the Ford Edge. This transfer case has a limited life span before it starts spewing oil. Looks to need constant maintenance on the transfer case.
So if you decide to buy AWD, keep that in mind.

The engine core (cylinder heads and block) are from Ford. All aluminum, really not a bad engine at all. They send them over to Japan and Mazda goes to work. Mazda throttle body, Mazda starter, mazda intake manifold, Japanese transmission which is very reliable (except for the said mentioned transfer case), mazda computer modules, etc. It's just the block & heads that are the Ford base. And unfortunately, it appears the wheel bearings on the vehicle are Ford wheel bearings. I've not had any problems with mine, but a couple people on here have.

I've started up and drove around some Ford 3.5 engines in Ford vehicles (CX-9 bored to 3.7 since 2008) and the Fords sound completely different and act different. Mazda refines it a whole bunch.

Good luck in your buying decision!
Click to expand...


So what actually happens to the transfer case? Leaks...or catastrophic failure? Does this happen to cars that have fluid changes regularly?
 
Leaks, yes. Failures, yes. Common, yes. Possibly do to sludge and venting issues.

Fluid changes are not required by Mazda, but at $100 a pop (24 months) are highly recommended by burned owners.
 
Crud, we just placed an order through Mazda for a new AWD CX-9 for my wife. I might have to think twice about the purchase if this is an inherent design issue that surfaces frequently......
 
I didn't know about it either when I bought the car last year. It really only surfaced on the Mazda/Ford user forums, but there's lots of useful posts worth reading right now. The >$1200 repair is covered normally, but will still be a pain and has happened to some fairly recent models.

Those of us with 2WD are breathing a sigh, but if you really need AWD where you live, it's a calculated risk.

And you might be ok if you pay close attention and change the fluid every year. Better to read the threads and listen to the folks that are dealing with it.
 
Having the AWD is a luxury for us since we hardly need it and since we haven't paid for the car yet we have the option to buy a front wheel drive version instead of AWD if this will add a layer of reliability for us. My wife is used to having almost zero car issues so I'm trying to replace her current car with something with that level of reliability but in a new SUV that is larger/nicer than her '03 CR-V.

While I'm at it I'm also wondering if there are there any known inherent issues with the 2WD version??

Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Nothing serious comes to mind - and nothing you would not find in the AWD too, such as bearings, brakes, noises, body parts alignment, gas vent issues, mirrors etc.

Some of them here. http://www.truedelta.com/Mazda-CX-9/problems-730

Can only say one thing for sure,.. The more toys they load on the new 2013 GT AWD, the more likely they will require fixing.

You should drive the FWD and AWD back to back, then make your decision. They have different qualities.
 
If you want reliability and don't need the AWD, go with FWD.
Fewer parts to fail (transfer case, differential, to name two).
Go with Sports or Touring than GT. Same reason.

I have had 2-3 issues, but all very minor ones that dealer took care of during oil changes.
 
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