For the past few months there was a clunking noise from the front end when going over bumps and on turns. I had Mazda dealer and a private mechanic look at the suspension and both said that there was wear and the ball joints needed replacing. I asked both if there was a 'safety issue' as recently as 2 weeks ago and was assured that there was not a safety issue or a prospect of eminent failure. HAH!!!

July 22 at under 20 miles an hour there was a loud bang just after a right turn and the joint broke, ruining the cv joint/axle and the rim. The NHTSA had opened an investigation last month for 2007-2008 CX 9's lower ball joint failure but there has not been a recall as of yet. Well see what happens. I had planned on replacing the ball joints before October but this failure is costing me about twice what it would have. Am about ready to get rid of it and get something else. Doubt that I will see any money from Mazda on this issue.