2007~2015 Should i buy a used 2012 cx-9 - given the ptu issue?

k50

Member
hi everyone, looking for some advice. i am looking to buy a used 2012 cx-9 touring with 62k miles. Its a private seller and the guy "seems" trustworthy, he is the original owner (i saw the title). Car looks to be well maintained, very clean, etc. that said, i now read horror stories about this ptu issue. should i look for something else? are they good reliable cars if one replaces the gear oil every 10k miles? are there tell-tale signs of this issue, by looking under the car or how it drives? good car for a good price, but no price is worth it if the car is going to break down with expensive repairs. Also, i heard there is an extended warranty for 7 years 90k miles, is this correct? would it still hold true if i am not the original owner?

any help would be greatly appreciated!!
 
Is this in fact an AWD vehicle? If not, nothing to worry about. If it is I'd be looking for a FWD vehicle. Fewer maintenance concerns & better gas mileage. Just MHO. 62K, dang it that's less than 10K per year. 118K on my 2011 (FWD) and drives like a new one.
 
hi everyone, looking for some advice. i am looking to buy a used 2012 cx-9 touring with 62k miles. Its a private seller and the guy "seems" trustworthy, he is the original owner (i saw the title). Car looks to be well maintained, very clean, etc. that said, i now read horror stories about this ptu issue. should i look for something else? are they good reliable cars if one replaces the gear oil every 10k miles? are there tell-tale signs of this issue, by looking under the car or how it drives? good car for a good price, but no price is worth it if the car is going to break down with expensive repairs. Also, i heard there is an extended warranty for 7 years 90k miles, is this correct? would it still hold true if i am not the original owner?

any help would be greatly appreciated!!

What does"ptu issue" mean ?
 
PTU = power transfer unit and is part of every AWD vehicle. The PTU transfers power from the transmission to the front half shafts and rear driveshaft. Usually there is a clutch between the rear driveshaft and the rear differential.
All Ford AWD vehicles have had some problems with the PTU. Remember, the first gen CX-9 uses the Ford drive train.
The cause of failure seems to be PTU fluid breakdown from heat. The PTU is connected to the transmission and is mounted behind the engine and covered by the exhaust pipes with the catalytic converter over the top. There is not much fluid in the thing. The fluid is about 1qt of heavy gear oil and it is not easy to change. Worse yet the there was no defined change interval. I believe when the fluid breaks down you get PTU leaking and PTU failure. New PTU=$1600 assuming it doesn*t take the transmission with it.
 
If this one is with the notorious V6 engine that is also used in Fords, I would also stay away because of the waterpump issues.
 
My $0.02...I wouldn't get any pre-2016.5 CX9 just because they handle like crap.
They stuck that big ol' wagon body on a 6 chassis and said "meh, good enuff."
It wallows in curves and dips when braking, as if someone stuck 1000lbs of crap on the roof of a 6.
It's the worst handling Mazda I've ever driven...and I've owned a Tribute.

I'd say get a 6 or a post 2016 CX9.
 
Lol. I disagree sir. When we replace our 2008 cx9 some day, I won't be buying one with a 4 cylinder turbo. Which means brand change unless they go back to a V6 or 5 cylinder turbo perhaps. Not enough torque. Also, physically compare the unibody structure to a Mazda 6 and get back to us. The frame rails are thicker than most suv's of its size and it employs much more high and ultra high strength steels. It is extremely strong and has great crash test results. Most manufacturers share engine platforms but you might research what that actually means. Now for all wheel drive units yes I would go with current body style VS prior just on cost of replacing that ptu alone.
 
Lol. I disagree sir. When we replace our 2008 cx9 some day, I won't be buying one with a 4 cylinder turbo. Which means brand change unless they go back to a V6 or 5 cylinder turbo perhaps. Not enough torque. Also, physically compare the unibody structure to a Mazda 6 and get back to us. The frame rails are thicker than most suv's of its size and it employs much more high and ultra high strength steels. It is extremely strong and has great crash test results. Most manufacturers share engine platforms but you might research what that actually means. Now for all wheel drive units yes I would go with current body style VS prior just on cost of replacing that ptu alone.

The new turbo4 has more torque than the old V6, at lower RPM, so I'm not sure what you are getting at with your first statement. The new direct injection turbo engines are really a totally different animal in comparison to the older turbo engines. They really are quite nice to drive, particularly at high altitude where they lose less power than normally aspirated engines. I have had to rent several cars in the Denver area recently, and I go looking for turbocharged cars in the rental isle now. Long term reliability remains to be seen. Not sure I'd trust it if I towed anything, but it's probably fine for the use 99% of CX-9 owners will subject it to.

The old CX-9 is on a Mazda/Ford platform that was used on a lot of stuff, including the Mazda 6/Ford Fusion and the CX-9/Edge. So, technically, the original post is correct. However, the assertion that the previous generation CX-9 "wallows in curves", etc. is a bit over the top. As I recall, the previous generation was also noted as "the SUV for people that like driving" much like the current one. The platform was designed to allow quite a bit of flexibility (wheelbase, track, etc.) so the idea that they "grafted a big wagon body on the chassis and called it a day" is not supported by facts. They *did* undersize the brake rotors, but that's another story...

As far as the crash test results go, the first generation got decent scores until the IIHS added the roof crush test and the small offset test. In particular, the first generation does not fare well on the small offset test. Then again, most cars from that era also did poorly, so this isn't really a surprise. However, it is inferior to more modern designs.
 
The OP has long ago decided to get or against getting a first gen CX-9. FWIW: Gen 1 CX-9 are very nice. Lots of power, comfort, space and decent handling. Actually very reliable too. As the screams about water pump and PTU subside keep in mind that there is no perfect car. Find a used one where the water pump has been replaced. The OEM water pump is very unlikely to fail at less than 100K miles. Even better, get one where the water pump is old or recently began to leak and take on the job yourself. As for the PTU look for a car with service history that includes some history of PTU fluid change. Or again get one that hasn't failed and do a few fluid changes over a day or two to flush the thing out. You are reading this forum so you know these weak spots. It is not that big a deal to work with this knowledge - because these are nice cars even if at this moment they are a bit older.
 
I just bought an '09 GT AWD with 240,000km, and had the PTU fluid changed right away. And as mentioned, all vehicles have their quarks. My previous car (2002 Pontiac Grand Prix) had a bad transmission when I bought it. 9 years and 200,000km later, she is still performing the same as when I first bought her. Regular fluid changes and maintenance is key.
 
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