2016~2023 Is the CX-9 "DIY" friendly?

[AWE46M3]

I don't suspect that I'll see a ton of responses to this, but thought I'd ask anyway... How "DIY" friendly is the CX-9? I'm fairly accustomed to doing my own basic maintenance (oil, filters, brakes, spark plugs, etc.) so I'm just curious as to others experiences with this vehicle.

Don't currently own one, so this is sort of just part of my "due diligence."

 

[ohmboy]

Can only speak of oil changes. Very easy as long as you pull up on a couple of 2x’s. The extra 5 inches is priceless.

 

[KEF534]

I've just changed the front brake pads on mine, and the hardest bit of the job was lifting the wheels back on!

 

[PTguy]

Rear brakes:

Spark plugs are due at 40,000 and available only from a dealer. About $100 a set.

 

[AWE46M3]

^^^ Any idea about what is so special with the plugs that they can only be obtained from a dealer?

 

[danmm7]

They are Mazda branded. No NGK or Denso options. This is the main reason for the super high price. At least they are very easy to change.

 

[AWE46M3]

Ah, that's interesting. Good to know!

 

[sm1ke]

Mine has been really easy to work on in terms of regular maintenance like oil changes and air filters. Have not had to do brakes yet but its nice to know that there are resources out there, like the vid PTguy posted.

Mod-wise it's been just as easy, but I haven't attempted anything significant yet, only bulb-swapping, cable-running, aftermarket intake install and Sprint Booster install.

 

[jal142]

I can't speak to how easy the current generation is to work on, but the previous one is not too bad. I've found Mazda's service manual easy to follow on the few occasions I've looked through it.

The one thing about it, though, that may be applicable to the current model, is that there just isn't much activity on these forums in comparison to other vehicles that sell in higher volumes. For example, I own a Subaru and a Honda in addition to the CX-9, and if I ever need to do anything to those cars, I can find walkthroughs, videos, etc. for just about anything you can think of on youtube or on fourms. The resources for the CX-9, on the other hand, are more limited. On the CX-9, I find myself blazing new trails.

 

[AWE46M3]

I can't speak to how easy the current generation is to work on, but the previous one is not too bad. I've found Mazda's service manual easy to follow on the few occasions I've looked through it.

The one thing about it, though, that may be applicable to the current model, is that there just isn't much activity on these forums in comparison to other vehicles that sell in higher volumes. For example, I own a Subaru and a Honda in addition to the CX-9, and if I ever need to do anything to those cars, I can find walkthroughs, videos, etc. for just about anything you can think of on youtube or on fourms. The resources for the CX-9, on the other hand, are more limited. On the CX-9, I find myself blazing new trails.

Funny, I just noted the same thing in another thread. In the past I have joined other message boards and gotten a lot of technical information but they were far more active. I would have thought the CX-9 would have a similar following given the volume, price point, and the fact that the baseline platform seems like it would be pretty attractive.

Not a knock on the folks on this board, but I wonder if this is a demographics thing or if Mazda is just "missing" that part of the market.

 

[PTguy]

"I would have thought the CX-9 would have a similar following given the volume, price point, and the fact that the baseline platform seems like it would be pretty attractive.

"Not a knock on the folks on this board, but I wonder if this is a demographics thing or if Mazda is just "missing" that part of the market."

The volume isn't there compared to the other brands you mention. You might be right about Mazda drivers being less DIY that some other brands.

 

[AWE46M3]

^^^ Fair point about some of the other brands/vehicles I compared to, but after 4+ years of sales I would think there's enough volume to generate a little more chatter on forums like these. Then again, if these are attracting a certrain type of buyer, then I suppose it doesn't matter if they sold 10X more than some of their competitors.

 

[Carfo]

Funny, I just noted the same thing in another thread. In the past I have joined other message boards and gotten a lot of technical information but they were far more active. I would have thought the CX-9 would have a similar following given the volume, price point, and the fact that the baseline platform seems like it would be pretty attractive.

Not a knock on the folks on this board, but I wonder if this is a demographics thing or if Mazda is just "missing" that part of the market.

mazda is a very small company and the cx9 is probably their least sold vehicle. Definitely won’t find as many discussions on the internet compared to other 3rd row SUVs.

 

[youri]

Volume is a big culprit. If only about 10% of buyer for any brand are active in forums, then mazda, is at a huge disadvantages in terms of active forum users. Most don't realize how small a company mazda actually is. In the last quarter of 2019, in the U.S. Ford was the best seller with 565 000 units sold, followed by Toyota ( 515k ), Chevrolet ( 497k) Honda (317k). Mazda in the same period sold: 70 000. (source: https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2020-us-vehicle-sales-figures-by-brand/)

Visually this is even more impressive when you extrapolate to yearly figure (i couldn't find accurate yearly numbers). Ford (2.260M), Toyota (2.060M), Chevrolet (1.988M) Honda (1.268M). Mazda in the meantime sold 280,000. That is 1 million less user than honda per year, and 2 millions less than Ford.

Of course, demographics is also at play here. VW sales in the U.S. are close to Mazda, as well as the luxury brand such as BMW and Audi, which have pretty decent online community. This may be more akin to brand fidelity/cult following for VW and the fact that they have a very strong presence outside of the U.S. (compared to mazda). And the luxury brands also have cult following and a host of people with the budget and to mod their car for more performance, or a large group of older vehicle owners trying to avoid very expensive repairs.

That being said, the CX-9 forum based is also hurt by the low volume and the fact that it is only available in a few market. If you look at the mazda 3 forum base, it is actually pretty healthy (not just on mazdas247 but taking into consideration the multiple forums devoted to it).