Transmission clunk, thud and jolt

J

juandehavasu

Member
:
2013 Mazda CX-5 Touring AWD
I purchased my CX-5 Touring AWD, Automatic on May 5th...it now has nearly 13,000 miles on the odo. Save to say the car has seen a lot of highway miles. The problem is a very abrupt and hard downshift from 6th or 5th gear into 4th gear...this only occurs at highway speeds when passing or under load ie. climbing a hill. The downshift is severe and jolts the entire car. I first reported this issue a week after taking delivery while on a trip to Montana..."it sounds normal" was the dealers response. At 8,000 miles the car was returned to the dealership and again declared AOK after resetting the codes, checking the tranny fluids and driving the car around the block. On 8/13, I sent a certified letter to Mazda outlining the problem and requesting their immediate help...no response. On 8/21, I emailed Mazda and asked if they were going to pursue the problem...to date no response. Yesterday, I called my Mazda salesperson and was told that two other customers have reported the same issue. At sixty-five years young I have owned about two hundred cars in my lifetime...this was my first and LAST Mazda. On Monday I will be pursuing the Arizona State Lemon Law against Mazda. To anyone considering the purchase of a new CX-5 I would strongly suggest that you drive it at highway speeds and "jump on it" a few times to be certain that you don't get a clunk, thud and jolter.
 
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Good luck, most likely it's normal. This transmission was not designed to perform like typical slushbox. Not sure what the "jolter" is about. Many of us have observed the somewhat harsh downshifts under those conditions.

The other 200 cars you owned had different trannys.

IMO the lemon law approach won't accomplish much.

Note: I've put 7K miles on CX-5 in 5 months, usually cruising at 75+ when on freeway.
 
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Agreed that the lemon law probably won't work because, a problem needs to be identified and acknowledged and three tries at a repair didn't work. At least that is my understanding. Ed
 
I've heard of that "problem" before and I think Mazda is currently aware that people have this glitch. Maybe they haven't come out with a good enough tranny reflash to solve the problem? In my opinion, deal with this small glitch. If not, get the Escape and come back when the Ford Mytouch starts getting glitches.

Good Luck
 
I'm not sure it's even a problem, more like a characteristic of the Skyactiv transmission which has a more direct feel than old school slushboxes. I started a thread about this calling it a "somwhat harsh downshift" at high speeds like 75+ mph under load, going up hill, into headwinds, etc.

If the techs at Mazda thoroughly checked out the subject vehicle numerous times and everything was normal, I wouldn't expect anything to result from lemon law approach. Maybe a tranny software update will come later.
 
It's wait and see now. My dealer now has two more vehicles with the same issue. The "characteristic" if it were within the defines of "normal" should be consistent under similar circumstances...it is not. The tranny will do the abrupt jolt shift and then react fine for the next mile or two with flawless downshifts. After cruising for awhile it's back to the jolt shift and then smooth again. I have my doubts that Mazda designed the new tranny to behave in this manner. The AZ Lemon Law may be unique in that the vehicle does not need to be undriveable or in the shop repeated times. The owner only needs to demonstrate that the vehicle is not performing as represented, future value may be affected and that reliability may be compromised.
 
Blank showing again, so I will edit:

The inconsistent rough downshift is because the conditions are not exactly the same even if they seem to be very similar (passenger/cargo load, headwind, tailwind, sidewind, speed, slope of road, throttle position, etc. varies).

Proving vehicle is not performing as represented, future value affected or reliability compromised will be a bit of challenge. But let us know how this goes via AZ lemon law.
 
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I'd say that you should Mazda to do a change of transmission fluid and see if that resolves the problem.

These automatics may have the so called "life time" fluid fill, but as many owners have come to know, replacing fluids is critical for drivetrain components, and fresh fluid may get rid of the debris from the break-in period.
 
It has happened to have occurred several times my early model as well. :'(

I brought it to the dealers attention during first oil change, but they could not duplicate. Even did a ride-along with tech, and it would did not do it.

It is a severe jolt, and is not a normal shift. If it was rear wheel drive, I swear it feels like it could pop a wheelie.

Also there is big lag-time going from reverse to drive, I have accidentally peeled out due to car not dropping into gear in a timely fashion.(braindead
 
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So what you guys are describing is a "severe jolt" on downshift, which understandably would be cause for concern.

Maybe that's different than the occasional harsh downshift (the "somewhat harsh downshift" that I described earlier in another thread) that most of experience at high speeds under load.
 
Also there is big lag-time going from reverse to drive, I have accidentally peeled out due to car not dropping into gear in a timely fashion.(braindead
Click to expand...

I have the same problem going from reverse to drive. (uhm)
 
Well, well...finally got Mazda's attention with the LL complaint. A Mazda "factory tech" attached a "tracker" to the vehicle last week and discovered a "glitch" in the shifting codes. I inquired about the damage already done to the drivetrain from the jolting shifts and the tech refused to respond. I agreed to wait another seven days for Mazda engineers to "review" the problem. I will probably request a new tranny and AWD transfer unit plus a warranty extension if the "tracker" info comes back as I suspect it will. If you too are experiencing shifting issues with your CX-5 use the Better Business Bureau or Lemon Law process in your state to get Mazda's attention. Contrary to what some of the other posters have stated the CX-5 does have major tranny issues.
 
I'd think that a warranty extension should suffice in your situation. Asking them to replace half of the driveline because you think it's life was shortened is probably a stretch. But hey, aiming for the stars may get you the moon.

Keep us up to date with their findings if you can.
 
juandehavasu said:
I purchased my CX-5 Touring AWD, Automatic on May 5th...it now has nearly 13,000 miles on the odo. Save to say the car has seen a lot of highway miles. The problem is a very abrupt and hard downshift from 6th or 5th gear into 4th gear...this only occurs at highway speeds when passing or under load ie. climbing a hill. The downshift is severe and jolts the entire car. I first reported this issue a week after taking delivery while on a trip to Montana..."it sounds normal" was the dealers response. At 8,000 miles the car was returned to the dealership and again declared AOK after resetting the codes, checking the tranny fluids and driving the car around the block. On 8/13, I sent a certified letter to Mazda outlining the problem and requesting their immediate help...no response. On 8/21, I emailed Mazda and asked if they were going to pursue the problem...to date no response. Yesterday, I called my Mazda salesperson and was told that two other customers have reported the same issue. At sixty-five years young I have owned about two hundred cars in my lifetime...this was my first and LAST Mazda. On Monday I will be pursuing the Arizona State Lemon Law against Mazda. To anyone considering the purchase of a new CX-5 I would strongly suggest that you drive it at highway speeds and "jump on it" a few times to be certain that you don't get a clunk, thud and jolter.
Click to expand...

New to the forum, but having similar issues since I picked mine up in May. You should call Mazda customer support, take it in for service. I'm on the long road you're starting, and the answer is going to be "works as designed". There is not/will not be a reflash for the 2013 -- the CX-5 "should" have a switchable eco/sport mode, but it doesn't, and we're all stuck in eco mode. The SkyActive Automatic is designed to maximize fuel economy, even if the gear doesn't make sense (e.g. 6th gear at 35MPH on a flat road). I've put it in manual mode and watched the instant MPG, and even if it's identical in 3rd/4th/5th/6th, the SkyActive will choose 6th.

I have another post on here that links to Edmunds forums, I think I was the only person in America shouting about this issue in June, nice to know I'm not crazy (Jeremy from TopGear praised the SkyActive transmission to death...I think it's gross). As I said in my other post, I spent at least 100 days in rental cars in 2011, I'm used to feeling out a ride (new or beaten), and the thing about the CX-5 is how unpredictable the transmission makes it. The engine has plenty of power, but downshifting three gears on the highway in a merge can be the difference between life and death. I drive about 80% in manual mode, and hate every minute of it.
 
jeisensc said:
New to the forum, but having similar issues since I picked mine up in May. You should call Mazda customer support, take it in for service. I'm on the long road you're starting, and the answer is going to be "works as designed". There is not/will not be a reflash for the 2013 -- the CX-5 "should" have a switchable eco/sport mode, but it doesn't, and we're all stuck in eco mode. The SkyActive Automatic is designed to maximize fuel economy, even if the gear doesn't make sense (e.g. 6th gear at 35MPH on a flat road). I've put it in manual mode and watched the instant MPG, and even if it's identical in 3rd/4th/5th/6th, the SkyActive will choose 6th.

I have another post on here that links to Edmunds forums, I think I was the only person in America shouting about this issue in June, nice to know I'm not crazy (Jeremy from TopGear praised the SkyActive transmission to death...I think it's gross). As I said in my other post, I spent at least 100 days in rental cars in 2011, I'm used to feeling out a ride (new or beaten), and the thing about the CX-5 is how unpredictable the transmission makes it. The engine has plenty of power, but downshifting three gears on the highway in a merge can be the difference between life and death. I drive about 80% in manual mode, and hate every minute of it.
Click to expand...

No wonder you are having difficulties dealing with Mazda. They will have difficulty in taking your concerns seriously, especially with some of the comments made above.

For example:

. You mentioned that instant MPG readout gives identical MPG reading at 35mph on flat road in 3rd/4th/5th/6th, therefore you must actually believe it. Wow. Note: It's not identical.

. You mentioned hyperbole about "downshifting three gears on the highway in a merge can be the difference between life and death". A fact that you need to be aware of this is a common occurance with a 6 speed transmission in fast merging situations at 40-60mph, the top speed in 3rd gear is 81 mph, no kidding. Hardly a inappropriate downshift for maximum acceleration to get to legal highway speed limit. Wow.

So much for having credibiltiy when talking to your SA at Mazda service department (hope you didn't mention extensive "rental car" experience or whatever)...
 
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jeisensc said:
The engine has plenty of power, but downshifting three gears on the highway in a merge can be the difference between life and death. I drive about 80% in manual mode, and hate every minute of it.
Click to expand...

If the engine has plenty of power, why do you need to downshift 3 gears to merge to not die??

I'm also wondering if you actually test drove the car before you bought it. You didn't mention any abnormalities, just that you don't like the way it was designed to work.
 
UPDATE. Met with a Mazda rep at the selling dealer on 9/12, and the shifting problem was acknowledged. Reflashed the tranny software with the "most recent updates" four (4) times. No improvement. Pending Lemon Law Arbitration.
 
Interesting to read all this.

I tested the CX-5 automatic and enjoyed the test drive in manual mode. The shift was smooth and better than my '08 bimmer in manual mode. But I guess for day to day drive, driving in manual mode doesn't really make a lot of sense - if one wants to shift all the time, might as well get a real manual. It sounds to me that the automatic shifts to high gears too soon too often, so various situations often demands multiple downshift, and in some cars the downshift may be harsh.

I'd certainly wait for the 2.5 unit to see how things turn out. My '02 CR-V has 160HP with a 4 spd auto and handles traffic quite well, so the CX-5 should get a bit more power for the American roads. An eco mode would be helpful too.
 
Interesting to read, it would be nice to hear what Mazda's response is. Has the Mazda service department said they are done? Since they reflashed 4 times and acknowledged the problem, that particular vehicle sounds suspect.
 
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