How long will you keep your 2012 CX-9 GT FWD

Hi All
I have a 2012 CX-9 GT FWD with almost 60k miles. It has been a wonderful car so far with no issues. Frankly I had no idea about the common problems related to transfer case, water pump etc.
I dont think I have replaced the transfer case fluid. Heck I had no idea until I started reading stories here. I havent actively looked for symptoms of issues with say transfer case. There is no burnt smell per se. The only issue I see now is increased wind noise and that is definitely because of the weather stripping getting old.
So I am wondering
1. Are these problems mainly for AWD or they apply to FWD also?
2. After how many miles/age on an average some of these issues start showing up?
3. Are there any common issues beyond these that I should watch out for?
4. Overall how long are you keeping your CX-9 from those model years?

I will now go back to reading more and getting more anxious. :)
 
Hi All
I have a 2012 CX-9 GT FWD with almost 60k miles. It has been a wonderful car so far with no issues. Frankly I had no idea about the common problems related to transfer case, water pump etc.
I dont think I have replaced the transfer case fluid. Heck I had no idea until I started reading stories here. I havent actively looked for symptoms of issues with say transfer case. There is no burnt smell per se. The only issue I see now is increased wind noise and that is definitely because of the weather stripping getting old.
So I am wondering
1. Are these problems mainly for AWD or they apply to FWD also?
2. After how many miles/age on an average some of these issues start showing up?
3. Are there any common issues beyond these that I should watch out for?
4. Overall how long are you keeping your CX-9 from those model years?

I will now go back to reading more and getting more anxious. :)

If you only have FWD, you don't have the transfer case to worry about.

You still get to worry about the water pump failing (usually 70k and up), and a variety of much less catastrophic things breaking just like any other vehicle with that mileage.
Check your oil for color frequently(chocolate milk=bad) and monitor your coolant level to watch for the water pump issue.
Other wear items like suspension components, brakes, etc. will let you know on their own.

Now's the time to get the fluids changed... coolant, transmission, brake if you haven't already. All of those are easy DIY, so no need to pay the stealer any labor.

As for the topic question, I will be keeping my 2008 for quite some time.
 
If you only have FWD, you don't have the transfer case to worry about.

You still get to worry about the water pump failing (usually 70k and up), and a variety of much less catastrophic things breaking just like any other vehicle with that mileage.
Check your oil for color frequently(chocolate milk=bad) and monitor your coolant level to watch for the water pump issue.
Other wear items like suspension components, brakes, etc. will let you know on their own.

Now's the time to get the fluids changed... coolant, transmission, brake if you haven't already. All of those are easy DIY, so no need to pay the stealer any labor.

As for the topic question, I will be keeping my 2008 for quite some time.

Thanks for the prompt response!!
 
we have a 2011 that just turned over 100k miles. we had our transfer case replaced around 80k miles under warranty, but as previously stated, not an issue for you.

other than that i have replaced the rear shocks (right side was starting to leak)around 95k miles. i need to do the front struts, too, i feel like they are transmitting a lot of noise. everything else has been normal maintenance items; bought the vehicle with 30k miles.

in general i feel like the cx-9 is a very solid vehicle. we haven't had the water pump issue, but we just replaced the one in our '06 bmw 330i with 183k miles that ran $1500 (various hoses and thermostat as well); and they tried to run up the price after they got started until i confronted them with the known part prices. i don't think the cx-9 will approach that, so whatever it is when it happens... that is a known wear part after many miles and we have budgeted for it.

honestly, you should rest easy with your cx-9. try owning a jeep cherokee or a bmw. i have done it, at the same time, what warning light am i gonna get today?! i didn't like the jeep enough to keep it. i saw how many people were having problems with many known issues on the forums. our bmw i have loved so much i have learned how to diy on most of the issues so it has been affordable, if a bit annoying...

oh, to answer your question, gonna keep it a long time...
 
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(BMW water pump) ran $1500 ... i don't think the cx-9 will approach that, so whatever it is when it happens... that is a known wear part after many miles and we have budgeted for it.

Sorry to say, but you couldn't be more wrong about the water pump. Replacing the water pump on a gen 1 CX-9 at a dealer will cost at least $1800 because they will pull the engine and is a full day's work when all said and done. The pump is located inside the timing chain cover and is a major repair. Not only is it expensive, but it can happen without warning and trash your entire engine if you aren't monitoring things closely. Search water pump in this forum for the stories.

See my DIY here to evaluate how much is involved in replacing this part even when not pulling the engine.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yjma0fz8erwwot0/AABFWhv7jUDn-E1Fl669LHUja?dl=0
 
I am planning to drive my 2012 GT FWD (53,000 miles) until (a) it dies, (b) requires a repair that is so expensive it would be cheaper to write the car off, (c) I come into enough money that spending some on a newer car seems like a fine idea, or (d) 2024. I don't know what I'd buy to replace it, but another CX-9 GT FWD looks like a good bet. I neither need nor want an AWD, so I am unlikely to buy a Signature trim model. I can't do auto repairs myself, so I am somewhat constrained in that regard, if the water pump goes before 2024, my better half and I will have to take stock to determine whether it's a good idea to spend more money on the car.
 
we have a 2011 that just turned over 100k miles. we had our transfer case replaced around 80k miles under warranty, but as previously stated, not an issue for you.

other than that i have replaced the rear shocks (right side was starting to leak)around 95k miles. i need to do the front struts, too, i feel like they are transmitting a lot of noise. everything else has been normal maintenance items; bought the vehicle with 30k miles.

in general i feel like the cx-9 is a very solid vehicle. we haven't had the water pump issue, but we just replaced the one in our '06 bmw 330i with 183k miles that ran $1500 (various hoses and thermostat as well); and they tried to run up the price after they got started until i confronted them with the known part prices. i don't think the cx-9 will approach that, so whatever it is when it happens... that is a known wear part after many miles and we have budgeted for it.

honestly, you should rest easy with your cx-9. try owning a jeep cherokee or a bmw. i have done it, at the same time, what warning light am i gonna get today?! i didn't like the jeep enough to keep it. i saw how many people were having problems with many known issues on the forums. our bmw i have loved so much i have learned how to diy on most of the issues so it has been affordable, if a bit annoying...

oh, to answer your question, gonna keep it a long time...

Thx


I am planning to drive my 2012 GT FWD (53,000 miles) until (a) it dies, (b) requires a repair that is so expensive it would be cheaper to write the car off, (c) I come into enough money that spending some on a newer car seems like a fine idea, or (d) 2024. I don't know what I'd buy to replace it, but another CX-9 GT FWD looks like a good bet. I neither need nor want an AWD, so I am unlikely to buy a Signature trim model. I can't do auto repairs myself, so I am somewhat constrained in that regard, if the water pump goes before 2024, my better half and I will have to take stock to determine whether it's a good idea to spend more money on the car.

Thx
 
nothing like reading the forums to sour you on your car, lol...
we've had our '12 FWD Touring since 2013, former rental. I intentionally sought out a FWD instead of a AWD to avoid the transfer case issue, and to get the better MPGs.
only issue we've had was the power brake booster failing; I replaced it myself and only later found out about a recall on some of them (IIRC, my VIN wasn't covered. I could have inquired further, but the part was only like $100)
brakes and tires have been the only other expense; oh, and the drivers window motor failed.
we're going to keep it for awhile, I hope, have about a year of payments left, and around 70K miles so far.
it seems the big expenses come around 100K, that's when you should be doing the coolant and plugs, might do them sooner, IDK.
 
Thanks. That is very similar to my story as well. I also got my 2012 GT with around 15k miles in 2013. Now it has 60k miles and I havent needed any repair. I just replaced my engine air filter and man, that had got dirty. I put a K&N filter just for the heck of it :). And now the car seems to be quite responsive. I am sure the K&N has very little to do with it because my other filter had become just too dirty.
After this thread and reading all threads, I looked at the oil color and it looked fine. There was no milkshake or chocolate milk look to it. I have also now started to monitor the coolant level.
The car runs perfectly fine. So looks like I will just continue to watch out.
 
Good to know. Still, we have had zero out of pocket repairs (other than maintenance) in 70k miles. If we have to spend $1800 I am cool with that.

Also, there is a difference between known issues and common issues. Common issues are known, but known issues may not necessarily be common. I have seen the water pump issue so it is known, but I am not convinced it is common.

That is to say, I am not gonna let it keep me up at night. And, being frugal people, it is well, well within our budget!

Sorry to say, but you couldn't be more wrong about the water pump. Replacing the water pump on a gen 1 CX-9 at a dealer will cost at least $1800 because they will pull the engine and is a full day's work when all said and done.
 
I have a 2012 CX-9 AWD with a TC replaced under warranty at 56k miles. So now worried if the TC would fail again. I plan on changing out the TC fluid every 7-10k miles. But some people reported that even after draining the fluid, TC may fail. Plus the water pump failing at 70k miles is another worry. so what is your opinion as to keep the cx-9 and hope for the best? Or trade it in when it might still fetch a good price and buy something else. please advise. Or buy extended warranty? I want to keep the cx-9 as long as possible but reliability issues worry me.
 
Sorry to say, but you couldn't be more wrong about the water pump. Replacing the water pump on a gen 1 CX-9 at a dealer will cost at least $1800 because they will pull the engine and is a full day's work when all said and done. The pump is located inside the timing chain cover and is a major repair. Not only is it expensive, but it can happen without warning and trash your entire engine if you aren't monitoring things closely. Search water pump in this forum for the stories.

See my DIY here to evaluate how much is involved in replacing this part even when not pulling the engine.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yjma0fz8erwwot0/AABFWhv7jUDn-E1Fl669LHUja?dl=0

This. Our 2010 is about to reach 100k and this is my main concern. On average, the quotes I got from both a dealer and independent mechanic is around 2k. This is just to replace the water pump to mitigate replacing the engine should the water pump fail. And there is no guarantee that a new water pump will not fail. Its basically just prolonging the issue. This is a huge design flaw. I really despise the Ford DNA of the 1st gen CX-9.
 
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