Rod bearing failure and Mazda won't warranty for a new engine

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adforce

Member
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2010 CX9 GT
I am new to this forum but thought I would seek some advice on my situation. I have a 2010 CX9 GT with almost 36k miles on it. A couple weeks back it started making knocking/grinding noise when accelerating around a left hand turn and the noise was steadily getting worse each day. After 2 trips to the dealer it was discovered that 2 rod bearings were bad and that the engine needs to be replaced. Also, the dealer is claiming that there was only 2 qts of oil in it when they got it and Mazda won't warranty it because of the low oil level.

I am baffled as to how there could only be 2 qts of oil in it when I checked the oil level several times once the sound started happening and of course periodically between oil changes otherwise. I always do my own oil changes at the recommended intervals between 5000 and 7500 miles with 5w20 Amsoil Signature series along with Amsoil oil filters. I follow the standard procedure of the engine being warm but shut off for a couple mins when checking the oil too. Every time I checked the oil there was oil up the sides of the dipstick well past the top dot and the oil covered the dipstick consistently starting just below the top dot. Out of all the cars I have owned this vehicle has always been the hardest to check the oil level and as such I have always removed the dipstick, wiped, and reinserted a couple times to get a better reading. Also, I have only ever added oil in between oil changes a couple times. This engine has never used oil more than .5 qt in between oil changes. So how the engine could use 3.5 qts of oil over 6000 miles is beyond me. Especially with no signs of oil leaking or burning oil. I know I put 5.5 qts of oil in last time when I changed the oil.

Any thoughts on the oil usage, discrepenancy between oil level when I checked vs what the dealer says, and how to get to Mazda to cover the repair?

At this point they are only willing to cover the labor which leaves me with a $3500 bill to replace the engine.
 
Yes, I asked that. The service manager said he didn't know what the oil usage tolerances were on that engine and would have to check. No way that engine should ever use 3.5 qts over 6000 miles. Even if it did use that then I would have seen a puddle on the garage or smoke out the exhaust. I had neither of them.

With the crappy dipstick, if it had really been at 2 qts, then it wouldn't have even shown on the dipstick at all. That clearly wasn't the case when I checked multiple times. Something isn't adding up...
 
So the morale is to ALWAYS top off the oil before letting the dealer see it. Sad.
 
reread my post... I stated oil was checked multiple times before taking to the dealer and it was full. That's not the problem but thanks for the obvious answer...

Clearly what I have learned is take a picture of the dipstick with time/date stamp when I check my oil level from now on. Oil was full on 2/14 when I dropped my car off at the dealer for the first trip and somehow the dealer is saying oil was down to 2 qts on morning of 2/20 when I dropped it off for 2nd trip. Car was in the garage and minimally driven except to the dealer to take the tech for a ride so they would actually hear the issue this time on 2/19. There is no way I could misread the dipstick as 2 qts of oil won't even register on the dipstick.
 
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As I said go above that dealership. They will always try to get out of doing warranty work. If they keep giving you a hassle threaten them with a lawyer. They would rather lose 3500 in warranty work than more than that in labor and then court fees along with anything you would want out of the hassle of having to take them to court
 
I already contacted Mazda customer service today and did threaten lawsuit. They said they would be in contact within 2 days.
 
Matlock?

They would not give a s*** about any pictures even with time date stamps. Pictures prove nothing more than you may know photoshop.

Normal people don't take pictures of dipsticks, only people who are nervous of having to pay for an engine rebuild take pictures because they have noticed a problem and are trying to cover their asses.

Good luck with the efforts, I suggest paying it and moving on. Now that one dealer has decided to not honor work, you are in a database so trying another dealer is a waste of time.

I would like to say something more positive but telling you that "It will be fine, Try another dealer" is not going to help you.
 
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Oil pan is off and rod ends are off so car not going anywhere. I am planning on moving forward with repair work but will not drop this with Mazda corporate. I am in no way trying to screw over Mazda or the dealer. I would also not post on here looking for advice if I wasn't being truthful in my side of the story. I am baffled as to how/why this could occur too. Car will be traded in as soon as the new engine is in and I will never buy another and will never do business with this dealer again. Shame since I loved my speed6 that I just recently traded in on a ctsv and the cx9 had been a good car to this point.

I always heard dealers and Mazda corp were a pain to deal with, especially with any level of mods, so on my speed6 I only installed a CAI prior to warranty being done. Guess even without mods the dealers and Mazda corp are a pain.
 
Because when mods are done they know that the car has been run hard, not to mention mods alter how the car was meant to run. My fiances boss has a BMW and she can only get work done at the dealer or they void her warranty, she has to pay $700 for an oil change, tire rotation, and to top up other fluids and bs inspection. Mazda dealers suck in general, their parts people get pissy just cause you ask them to look up a part without a vin. It's especially funny when I get stuff for my 323 as they scratch their head wondering why they can't get anything

If they warranted every little thing they wouldn't make any money at all. It's a buisness, not help the consumer shop
 
adforce said:
reread my post... I stated oil was checked multiple times before taking to the dealer and it was full. That's not the problem but thanks for the obvious answer...

Clearly what I have learned is take a picture of the dipstick with time/date stamp when I check my oil level from now on. Oil was full on 2/18 when I got my car back from the first trip to the dealer and somehow the dealer is saying oil was down to 2 qts on morning of 2/20 when I dropped it off. Car was in the garage and minimally driven except to the dealer to take the tech for a ride so they would actually hear the issue this time on 2/19. There is no way I could misread the dipstick as 2 qts of oil won't even register on the dipstick.
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I read it just fine. You didn't state you checked the oil level "the morning of" taking it to the dealer. Just "several times" during a "couple week" period. That's good enough for me, but I'm not the one who can authorize the repair.

One of you is flat wrong. So make your case with them. Good luck, and I mean it.

Any sarcasm you detect in my post is intended to say that WE as owners shouldn't have to go to ridiculous lengths. And I find it equally ridiculous, that if you had just topped the oil before going in, they would not have a leg to stand on, even if you had intentionally run it dry for 3000 miles.
 
Do you have your receipts when you changed your oil? Did you keep a log of the mileage and date of said oil changes? If not you are going to have a long uphill battle! I hope you have deep pockets as you maybe in court for years over this. Good luck
 
I am sorry to hear about this a d I hope they do Honor the work because I do not actually think you should pay this.
 
Yes, I provided receipts of oil/oil filter purchases along with a log of mileage and date for oil change.

Of course I can't really sleep because my mind is going nonstop about why the inconsistency on reading oil. Has anyone ever noticed that the 3.7L engine causes significant oil to be pushed into the dipstick tube during operation and that maybe if you don't wait several minutes after turning car off that it could cause a wildly inaccurate oil level reading? I always thought that if anything, the difference between waiting 5 or so minutes and waiting 30 minutes would just mean there would be more oil in the pan at the 30 min reading but maybe with this engine there is significant oil being pushed into the dipstick which causes you to think there is more oil then there actually is.

Still wouldn't explain how I went through 3.5 qts of oil over 6000 miles but at least would explain why when the dealer checked 90 mins after I dropped off the car there was no oil on the dipstick vs when I checked on multiple different days after just driving the car.
 
Did you check the oil after they did or have them show you? I had I tire place tell me I had 3 bent rims that needed to be replaced immediately, when they showed me there was one, and the mechanic told me I wouldn't ever notice it. Just one of their ways to get more money

Btw I wish I only went through3.5 quarts in6000 miles
 
An abundance of pressure coming out of the dipstick could be a sign that the PCV is malfunctioning.

PCV is a critical part in managing the balance between oil loss and engine internal pressure.
 
The service manager never told me about the low oil until yesterday when they said Mazda was denying coverage. They had actually checked the oil on 2/20 according to their pictures which was the day I dropped it off. They took pictures with time/date stamp which is why I was being a smart ass before and saying I should take pictures too. Why he never told me on 2/20 when we talked is beyond me. Needless to say, no they never showed me the oil level since the oil pan is now off along with the rod ends. All he showed me were the pictures.

Oil was never coming out the dipstick for me but every time I checked the oil it definitely would start reading on both sides of the dipstick very high up but the dipstick was only consistently covered starting right after the top dot.

Also, the service manager sent me the warranty info on when Mazda will warranty oil consumption. They won't do anything until the car is using 1 qt per 1500 miles which I had 6000 miles on that oil change and it was 3.5 qts low. So even by Mazda's ridiculous consumption threshold the motor would have been on the edge of getting warranty work just for that.
 
I retract my original statement. Pursue it, it sounds blatantly like a mechanical fault, not maintenance.
 
adforce said:
The service manager never told me about the low oil until yesterday when they said Mazda was denying coverage. They had actually checked the oil on 2/20 according to their pictures which was the day I dropped it off. They took pictures with time/date stamp which is why I was being a smart ass before and saying I should take pictures too. Why he never told me on 2/20 when we talked is beyond me. Needless to say, no they never showed me the oil level since the oil pan is now off along with the rod ends. All he showed me were the pictures.

Oil was never coming out the dipstick for me but every time I checked the oil it definitely would start reading on both sides of the dipstick very high up but the dipstick was only consistently covered starting right after the top dot.

Also, the service manager sent me the warranty info on when Mazda will warranty oil consumption. They won't do anything until the car is using 1 qt per 1500 miles which I had 6000 miles on that oil change and it was 3.5 qts low. So even by Mazda's ridiculous consumption threshold the motor would have been on the edge of getting warranty work just for that.
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What state are you in? I have some connections at Mazda I can see if I can reach the regional site and get you contact info and also intercede on your behalf.
 
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