2011 Mazda CX-7 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
100/100
#1 most-complained of 4 CX-7 years
The 2011 Mazda CX-7 ranks worst of 4 model years tracked, with a Complaint Index of 100 and 153 complaints, 4 recalls including 3 do-not-drive airbag recalls. Suspension, Wheels & Tires issues lead at 36% of complaints.
- Complaints
- 153
- Recalls
- 4
- incl. Do Not Drive
- Crashes / fires
- 8 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 4 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 20
- 18 city / 24 hwy
Top 2011 Mazda CX-7 problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires55 (36%)
- Airbags42 (27%)
- Electrical System40 (26%)
- Steering16 (10%)
- Engine8 (5%)
- Other7 (5%)
- Transmission & Powertrain7 (5%)
- Structure & Body6 (4%)
- Visibility & Wipers6 (4%)
- Brakes5 (3%)
What owners report
- Front ball joints can let water in, corrode, and separate, causing a front tire to come off while driving at low speed.
- Passenger frontal airbag inflators can fail to deploy in a rear-end crash, leaving occupants to hit the steering wheel or sustain whiplash.
- Steering can suddenly pull to one side or fail to respond, leading to loss of control and collision with an embankment or curb.
- Dash cluster and instrument panel lights stay illuminated in daylight or regardless of headlight setting, making gauges hard to read and headlamp use easy to forget.
- Some owners describe unintended surges of acceleration from a stop, with the vehicle lurching forward despite light pedal pressure.
- A cracking noise from the windshield has been reported at startup in cold weather.
2011 Mazda CX-7 recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 19V782000Oct 31, 2019Airbags69,879 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2007-2012 CX-7, CX-9, and 2009-2012 Maza6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V356 and 17V012.
- NHTSA 18V717000Oct 12, 2018Airbags155,436 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Mazda6, 2010-2012 CX-7, and 2010-2015 CX-9 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
- NHTSA 17V429000Jun 29, 2017Airbags205,377 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 Mazda6, and 2007-2011 CX-7 and CX-9 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 16V356 and all vehicles that were not remedied under that campaign are now covered by this one.
2011 Mazda CX-7 fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 18 MPG
- Highway
- 24 MPG
- Combined
- 20 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $4,000
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2011 compared with other CX-7 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Mazda CX-7 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2011 CX-7 has the highest Complaint Index (100) of the 4 model years with data and ranks worst overall, so it carries an 'Avoid' verdict relative to other CX-7 years.
- What is the top problem area for the 2011 Mazda CX-7?
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires complaints are the most common, making up 36% of all complaints (55 of 153), with a median failure mileage of 56,131 miles.
- Does the 2011 Mazda CX-7 have recalls?
- Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2011 CX-7, 3 of which are do-not-drive recalls covering airbag inflators and one covering front suspension ball joints that can corrode and separate.
- How does the 2011 CX-7 compare to other years?
- NHTSA data shows the 2011 CX-7 has a Complaint Index of 100 versus 67 for 2010, 33 for 2012, and 0 for 2013, making 2011 the worst-ranked year of the four.
- What mileage do 2011 CX-7 problems typically show up at?
- The median mileage at failure across all reported problems is 50,000 miles, though individual problem areas vary, with Steering issues showing a median of 108,000 miles.