NHTSA — Steering Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
71,600 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Mazda CX-9 steering problems

steering problem

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2008 Mazda CX-9 Owner Comments

problem #17

Mar 032021

CX-9

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My control arms bearings and joints are rusted and the dealership says they aren't covered they were fixed 5 years ago and they are definitely separated and hazardous

- Lacrescent, MN, USA

problem #16

Mar 112021

CX-9

  • miles
Lost control brakes failing and steering and wheel lc about to fall off dealerships saying recall was completed but it's definitely not

- Lacrescent, MN, USA

problem #15

Nov 252019

CX-9

  • 132,000 miles
Mazda Cx-9 problem 130,000 miles-on November 25th, as I was dropping my children to their schools, the defrost suddenly stops working. I try to turn the fan/heater all the way, but to no avail. I had to use a towel to wipe the windshield. As I pulled into a curved side, the engine turns off, I turned the ignition key to off, then starts the engine again, and the engine light comes on. I pulled out and drove about six hundred feet and parked. I call a mechanic and I drove it again for a mile to the shop. He opens up the hood and pour in some coolant and all the coolant were on the floor. He immediately told me that coolant leaks and oil is probably mixed and causes the engine failure. He told me I had to change the engine, because fixing it will cost me over ten grand. I drove it home, then the following morning, I took to a different shop, they did the diagnosis and relate the same story that check codes showed three codes: P0016, crank position sensor correlation bank one sensor a. 1285 cylinder head over temperature, 1299 cylinder head temp protection. The codes indicate an overheat scenario that resulted in engine shut down. They check oil and found milky substance instead of oil. Pressure check for coolant leak pushed milky oil out of dipstick tube. Head gasket has failed due to overheating and the coolant has contaminated the engine oil. Their recommendation is to replace the engine, assembly and flush cooling system. Their total estimate is $10,900. I can't afford to pay for this service repair. I cannot even spend that much of money on another car. We bought this car thinking that it will take us for some time before we'll need another car. I contacted Mazda customer experience, and their response was, "wish there were never part failures", now, I'm stuck. So this is my story!!! safety issues: Sudden engine shut off, defrost malfunction and steering wheel.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #14

Feb 012018

CX-9

  • 237,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 Mazda Cx-9. the contact stated that the air bag indicator was illuminated. While driving 20 mph, the steering wheel was loose and pulled while making turns. Additionally, the passenger side of the vehicle shook. The vehicle was taken to CJ wilson Mazda (8910 w 159th St, orland park, il 60462) where it was diagnosed that a wheel alignment was needed and a tie rod replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and did not assist. The failure mileage was 237,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #13

Dec 182017

CX-9

  • 112,000 miles
I had the recall done on the a arms and ball joints replaced and it's only been a year also the rear stablizer links have failed also again after factory replacement.

- Ilion, NY, USA

problem #12

Jul 302016

CX-9

  • miles
I had a recall notice about potential defect on the airbag system that can cause personal injury on my Mazda C-X 9 2008. I contacted the dealer close to my resident as prescribed on the recall notice. They said they will get back with me as soon as the parts are available. It has been more than 3 months and I have not got any response from the dealer. I will be very grateful to get a follow up to see that this my car is fixed. Thanks very much in advance.

- Baton Rouge, LA, USA

problem #11

Jan 262016

CX-9

  • 65,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was making a left turn on a parking lot when I heard a loud crunch coming from the front of the vehicle and fully lost control of the car. When I came outside to see what happened I saw that ball joint on my front left (driver side) broke, the wheel with part of the axel fully out, and that break fluid was spoiled all over. Imagine this happening on the fighter when I was driving with two of my young kids!!

- Livingston, NJ, USA

problem #10

Nov 152015

CX-9

  • 136,300 miles
While taking a right hand turn in the parking lot of logan airport, and travelling about 5-10 mph, my car made a loud noise and came to a sudden and abrupt halt. I stepped out of the car and discovered that the driver's side front tire had disconnected from the steering arm. The car was immobilized, and I was not able to move it out of the way of other traffic in the airport parking lot, causing chaos in the parking lot and causing them to temporarily shut down an entire floor of the parking lot while they struggled to tow the car out of the way. The car was subsequently towed to a Mazda dealership and the tire arms and ball joints were repaired pursuant to a recall (8515G). The front tires were also unevenly worn and replaced, very likely from the ball joint / steering arm issue, and cost $481.55. Mazda would not reimburse for the tires because I could not locate receipts to prove I had rotated the tires at the appropriate intervals, specifically stating "our dealer was unable to confirm if the wearing of the tires were due to the recall item as there was no supporting documentation indicating the proper maintenance on the tires". I do not believe most people keep records of every oil change / tire rotation they have done, but the wear was very consistent with what would be expected for ball joint issues. Furthermore the car had been inspected by the state of Massachusetts in the month of September, and no uneven wear was found at that time, giving further indication that the uneven wear was linked to the ball joint / tire rod issue. Fortunately this did not occur one day earlier while towing a boat on the highway with my disabled son, this could have easily been a multi fatality accident. I have literally had nightmares over this possibility. This is an extremely dangerous situation.

- Mendon, MA, USA

problem #9

Sep 232015

CX-9

  • 118,000 miles
Was driving on neighborhood road, heading toward a state highway when all of the sudden a large boom occurred and I lost total control of the car and went up the curb and onto the sidewalk. I thought I'd blown a tire but got out and saw the entire wheel was disconnected - the suspension ruined. Would be happy to share pictures mechanic says ball joint, cv joint came completely off as well as brake fluid all over. I read online about similar issues and that NHTSA has an open investigation under NHTSA action number: PE15022. Consider this another case! I'm thankful there were no people that I swerved into when losing control! this is clearly a safety hazard- ay least in states where salt is used on roads, like here in mn I expect Mazda to take responsibility and pay for these repairs please contact me with additional info or next steps. Thank you! information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Forest Lake, MN, USA

problem #8

Jun 102015

CX-9

  • 46,557 miles
08 Mazda Cx-9 making loud noise underneath vehicle. Made a right turn(5mph) in residential area. While making the turn the left side suspension/steering came apart causing vehicle to come to a sudden stop. Vehicle was towed and later repaired at a Firestone auto care. Vehicle needed repairs to control arm assembly(remove-replace F control arm/lower one side).. left new cv complete assembly(remove/install F axle shaft assembly-left). Sway bar link(remove/replace F stabilizer bar control link-both). Replace front shock/strut assemly-both sides. Sudden stop also caused damage to left front tire that had to be replaced. Total amount of repairs $1,756.96. Providing this information after reading on internet that NHTSA was investigating similar complaints involving this vehicle and front end problems.

- Hoffman Estates, IL, USA

problem #7

Jun 062015

CX-9

  • 121,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On 06 June 2015 at approximately 1400 my wife was making a left hand turn through an intersection at approximately 15 mph. Near the end of the turn the front passenger wheel broke loose turning nearly 90 degrees to the right and jammed itself into the rear of the fender well. The car was immediately immobilized and came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the intersection. Looking at the damage it was obvious that the lower ball joint had failed and broke completely free. This caused the wheel to turn nearly 90 degrees to the right which subsequently ripped out the cv axle from the transmission. Had this occurred at highway speeds the results could have been deadly. The vehicle had to be towed to a repair facility where the control arm/ball joint assembly, the cv shaft, and sway bar link was replaced. There is also fender well and body damage that will have to be repaired. On 10 July 2015, I noticed an unusual instability while negotiating wide turns on the highway. It felt as if the vehicle had a wheel loose. While turning to the right, the vehicle would abruptly turn even sharper to right almost causing an unintentional lane change. After coming out of the turn I could feel the vehicle suddenly correct itself. Once I arrived at my residence I jacked up the front end of the vehicle to inspect the front wheels. The front passenger wheel seemed normal (was repaired in June 2015 as mentioned above). Much to my dismay when inspecting the front driver side wheel, I discovered that the ball joint on this side is now broke. It is not separated, but is clearly broken as evidenced by the excessive movement and clunking noise when moving the wheel from side to side as it is suspended above the ground from the car being on a jack. I will be having this repaired this week once parts arrive from the local Mazda dealer. Bottom line: I no longer feel safe in this vehicle.

- Coweta, OK, USA

problem #6

May 152015

CX-9

  • 104,000 miles
I was making a right turn from a parking lot onto a road with my two children in the car when a loud crunch happened, the vehicle jerked left while still moving forward and I was unable to steer or break. The car came to an abrupt stop and I couldn't get the driver's door open. I walked around to the front of the car while in traffic and noticed loose parts that had been ejected from the wheel, leaking break fluid, and the driver's side front wheel was no longer attached and had wedged under the car. The car was unable to be moved out of the road thus creating a traffic jam. The tow truck driver said the control arm was broken and that my girls and I are lucky that we were not seriously injured. The car was towed to the Mazda dealer service department 4 days ago and I have not heard from them. Is this something that is covered under tread liability laws? I have photos of the car/wheel that were taken at the scene if needed.

- Leesburg, VA, USA

problem #5

Mar 072015

CX-9 6-cyl

  • 112,080 miles
I had been hearing a knocking noise in my car when I went to make left or right hand turns for approximately a week. After having my mechanic investigate he took a look at the ball joints, they are 'non-serviceable, ' which means they are a sealed unit. He said from what he could tell they were fine. Later that day I attempted to pull out of a parking space. My wheels were spinning in the snow, I got out and took a look and my front left tire was off! the ball joint was no longer attached the car. The only thing securing the wheel to the car was the tie rod. After having it towed to my garage both lower control arms were replaced on the vehicle (one per side) along with the cv joint. They were replaced with Mazda parts. Inspection on the passenger right side revealed there was barely any grease in that ball joint. I had luck on my side that day otherwise I am certain someone would have died.

- Troy, NY, USA

problem #4

Jul 182010

CX-9

  • 33,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mazda CX9. The contact was driving approximately 15 mph when the steering wheel became extremely stiff. The contact was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and was involved in a crash with another vehicle. The driver was injured. A police report was available. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair facility where repairs were made to the body damage. Prior to the crash, the contact was advised by an authorized dealer that the vehicle exhibited a power steering fluid leak. The dealer was unable to make repairs because the parts needed were not readily available and on back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 33,000 and the current mileage was unknown.

- South Cairo, NY, USA

problem #3

Nov 052007

CX-9

  • 100 miles
From day 1 the car has been road-crazy...you have to continually correct to left and right...dealership says from "crown in the road"....have had it re-aligned numerous times..has 25K now and front tires are nearly worn out...has 20" wheels (which they no longer offer as option).

- Battlefield, MO, USA

problem #2

Feb 072010

CX-9

  • 70 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mazda CX9. After driving 200 miles the contact noticed that the contact steering wheel began to malfunction. While driving approximately 22 mph, the steering wheel moved to the left 80% of the time without him touching it. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and after inspecting in, the dealer stated that they were unable to repair it. The contact drove a 2009 model and stated that the vehicle had the identical steering failure. The vehicle was not been repaired when the complaint was filed. The manufacturer has not been informed of this failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 70 and the current mileage was 17,000.

- Dublin, OH, USA

problem #1

Jan 012008

CX-9

  • 100 miles
2007, 2008 & 2009 Mazda CX9 has steering problems. When you don't hold it tightly, the car will veer to the left 80% of the time and 20% to the right. The car will not go straight at any speeds and on even pavements such as a car park.

- Dublin, OH, USA

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