Water pump failed and ruined the engine. There was little to no warning.

- Cumming, GA, USA

I bought a vehicle from Carvana 11/2021 with not quite 59k on it. On 6/21/2023, with 77K miles, my car had a catastrophic engine failure. I was driving my grandchildren ages, 3-12 years of age home. Safety was definitely at risk with speeds of 70 freeway were completed right before engine stopping. The mechanic shop has confirmed the car giving 3 codes related to timing belt/water pump and the other code which confirms engine failure. No warning lights had come on until I tried to restart it. Since this situation is most recent, I have not had anyone else inspect the vehicle. I am working through my options and will take recommendations for resolution.

- Vancouver, WA, USA

My transmission is slipping -??.

- Carmel, NY, USA

Sudden failure of water pump located inside the engine caused engine to shut down immediately while driving 70 mph on busy expressway. Extremely dangerous situation due to heavy traffic and high speeds traveled. Only by sheer luck were we able to coast across 4 lanes of traffic to an exit ramp and barely make it into a parking lot after crossing 2 more lanes on the frontage road. Very difficult to steer and brake due to no engine power. Repair cost was $4,433. Two subsequent follow up repairs for check engine light and oil control valve issues related to water pump failure were required and covered under initial repair warranty. Research on web indicates this is a common problem with this engine with many complaints occurring soon after 100k miles. In many cases customers reported having to replace the engine or sell the car for parts due to the high cost of repair. Locating the water pump inside the engine block was a terrible design fault and extreme safety hazard when it fails.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

Water pump defect that led to pump failure, which led to catastrophic engine failure without any prior warning. The defect is in the internal chain-driven water pump. The pump is meant to circulate coolant through the engine while the engine is running. However, the defect allows coolant to leak from water pump into the oil pan and/or other engine components, mixing it with the engine-€™s oil and leading to destruction of the engine. Mazda-€™s internal data indicates that the company began receiving reports of premature water pump failures in vehicles identical to mine (mine is a 2014 Mazda CX-9) by at least June 2007, yet Mazda continued to sell the vehicle without fixing the defect and failed to warn customers of the defect. The owner's manuals say nothing about water pump maintenance because the water pump should last the life of the Mazda vehicle. My water pump failed and destroyed my engine at just a mere 72,400 miles. The water pump problem is caused by the elastomer bellow, which is made with hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, which is damaged by hot coolant. Due to problems with the seal, coolant leaks into other components because the water pump is located above the crankshaft. An engine will allegedly fail once coolant mixes with engine oil and travels through the engine. Mazda allegedly has done nothing to fix the water pumps and won't recall the vehicles to offer free repairs. The automaker is also not reimbursing owners who may pay thousands of dollars for repairs related to failed water pumps. When I took my CX-9 to my Mazda dealer because it was leaking coolant, the dealer informed me I needed a new water pump but then said that because of that they should just replace the engine, for a total cost of approx. $9,000. Dealer gave no explanation of why it concluded before looking inside engine or at timing chain why I must buy a new engine because of bad water pump. Clearly dealer knew defect was the reason but withheld that info. That's fraud

- Potomac, MD, USA

- Water pump failed causing coolant to mix with oil. This repair cost was around $3,900. - Luckily this failure happened on our community road and was able to pull into our driveway. Mechanic stated that if this happened on the highway or regular road, this could have caused a major incident and possibly a blown motor. - No, but complaints of similar issues have been reported via my online research. - Just by the mechanic I had my vehicle towed to. - There was no indication of an issue until the water pump failed.

- Nashua, NH, USA

I purchased a 2014 Mazda CX-9 on 12/14/2019. On Monday 10/18/2021 I was driving on the Hwy on the way home and my check engine light came. I had my mechanic check it out and he said the computer read a P0019 code. So on 10/20/2021, I took it to the dealer where I originally purchased it and this was the same code they found. At the local dealership, I was told that apparently, the water pump needed to be replaced due to water coolant in the oil pan. I had absolutely no warning. No leaking, no smell of coolant. This vehicle only has 88,000. Upon further research and to my surprise is that the water pump in the Duratec 37 engine and make and model has a design flaw with the water pump located in the engine with the timing chain. That is the number one problem that fails first due to the water pump gaskets wearing degrading without any warning pump has become damaged due to pump bearings too. I had my vehicle serviced with four oil changes over the past 28,000 miles since I purchased it. These late-model vehicles being built today I know do not burn that much oil nowadays. I also found out, the iVCT 3.7 Duratec is in the 2008-2015 Mazda CX-9 which I have the 2014 model. This 3.7 V6 uses a timing chain-driven water pump. I also found out this kind of water pump is prone to failing at the pump bearings which allows the timing center to move around. Once it-€™s bad enough coolant is dumped into the engine where it mixes with the oil dripping from the water pump into the oil pan. This is where the real problems begin. Coolant mixing with oil is not good. It can cause corrosion and lots of internal wear as the Duratec 3.7 engine oil is no longer able to properly lubricate moving parts and shut down the engine. Base on the number of oil changes I had during this time I'm sure it had nothing to do with the water pump failure issue. This is solely a Mazda manufacturing flaw with the design. At this time my warranty does not want to cover the repair. Thanks

- Desoto, TX, USA

I purchased a 2014 Mazda cx nine a year and a half ago. The other day I was driving and I don't know where my fan got really loud so I pulled over and turned up the heat and turned off any ac. All the sun steam started coming out of my engine and the car died. After towing it to the local dealership I was told that I had two options. I could either buy a brand new car or pay $13,000 to have it repaired. Apparently the water pump broke and the engine seized up. I had absolutely no warning. No leaking, no check engine light, nothing' I later found several reviews saying this was an issue with this make & model. I still owe over $16,000 on this car and now I have to get a new car.

- Kirkland, WA, USA

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Cx-9. contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle decelerated and the steering ceased without warning. The contact depressed the brake pedal which failed to engage. The contact allowed the vehicle to idle with both feet off the pedals which allowed the vehicle to come to a complete stop. The contact turned the vehicle off and back on which resumed to normal vehicle operation for about 2-3 minutes however, the failure recurred. The contact inspected the vehicle for leaks but found none. The contact stated that the coolant bottle was empty. The contact checked the oil which looked milky and dirty. Lee edwards Mazda (2218 louisville avenue, monroe, la 71201 (318) 388-3540) was contacted and informed of the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the water pump gasket was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred. The manufacture was not made aware of the failure. The mileage was 70,000.

- Monroe, LA, USA

The water pump failed on the vehicle and coolant leaked into the engine oil. The vehicle all of a sudden started shaking, the engine shut off and the vehicle lost power. The engine is now damaged beyond repair. The vehicle has an internal water pump and the owner's manual does not recommend any maintenance to the water pump. This vehicle had all of the recommended maintenance completed at an authorized Mazda dealer, the vehicle was in a parking lot when the engine unexpectedly shut off. While no one was injured when the vehicle lost all power and the engine shut off, it is something that should be looked into.

- Canyon Lake, CA, USA

I noticed a rough noise when I started the 2014 Mazda Cx-9. I chose to ignore it thinking it was because of the cold weather. Got to the highway on the way home to Kansas City from columbus, oh. Several miles later when filling gas, I noticed a weird smell like that of a burning rubber or coolant. The car got me home same but I noticed slight smoking from the engine when I got home.took it to the mechanic and he advised it was the water pump. He didnt have the right tools to replace it so I took it to a Mazda dealership who advied getting a new engine. It's been over three weeks and I'm still waiting or the dealership to find an engine they could replace with. Total cost, $4K - $5K. Extremely frustrated that Mazda wouldnt recall cars with this type of engine/ water pump problem!

- Lenexa, KS, USA

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Cx-9. while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle lost power and stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that there was an odor of coolant fluid and smoke appeared from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to napleton's countryside Mazda (6060 South la grange road, countryside, il 60525, (708) 354-2700) to be diagnosed, which was still pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.

- Lemont, IL, USA

My wife took our 2014 Mazda Cx-9 to Liberty Mazda for a check engine light that came on the evening before she already and an appointment for another issue. She asked them to check the light as well. After their findings they told sue the car had a catastrophic water pump engine failure. This water pump is located inside the timing chain cover and leaks coolant in to the engine. At this point we were handed over to a sales rep. Who informed us this was a foolish design with the water pump located in the powertrain behind the timing chain cover. This causes catastrophic engine failure with no warning this is wrong and should not happen. We talked to jason the sales manager who reiterated the same message and said he would put in a good word for me if cooperate called about my complaint. He did and cooperate offered us the eplan on a new car. Approximately $2,000 for a car valued at $12-14,000.00 this engine was manufactured by Ford for Mazda and the Ford escapes have the same trouble. Please feel free to contact

- Hartford, CT, USA

The engine sputtered and stopped without warning while driving. It turned out the water pump went out and spilled water internally in the engine. The car has 73,000 miles on it and it appears that this has been happening to other owners of this vehicle routinely, and Mazda has kept this design flaw and safety concern a secret. It is costing over $2,200 to repair, and I believe that Mazda should be held accountable for it. Thank you. (xxxx) parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Arlington, TX, USA

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Cx-9. while driving 45 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise and detected a strong odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and taken to an independent mechanic who found an internal fracture of an oil leak. The mechanic stated that the transfer case may need to be replaced. The dealer (quirk Mazda, 111 mcgrath hwy, quincy, MA 02169, (617) 773-8000) was contacted and indicated that there was no recall campaign to provide a remedy from the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified and stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The VIN and failure mileage were not available.

- Worchester, MA, USA

I was slowly approaching a stop light when our 2014 Mazda Cx-9 started having vibrations, which at first came from underneath, between the driver's row and the 2nd row passenger. It immediately felt as if the car's engine was about to fail. I managed to make that right turn, carefully stepping on the brakes, and crossed a rail-road crossing. The car was running at a speed of 20 mph. I slowed down to make another right turn towards my destination, then the engine abruptly died. The battery and check engine lights suddenly lit up on the dashboard. From the intersection's stop light to the location where the engine failed, it was a distance of approximately 0.5 mile. My wife came and picked up our 3 children from the corner of the street. My brother-in-law came to my location with jumper cables and gave my engine's battery a jump-start. The engine started but the vibrations were stronger. The car ran for another 0.3 mile before it died again. I had the car towed to the Mazda dealership from where I purchased the car. After 1 day I was told that the incident was possibly due to a bad tank of gas. Another day later, I was told that something else was wrong with the engine, and that it was unrelated to the earlier suspicion of bad gas. After 5 business days, I was told that the engine's cylinder 6 needs a new cylinder head. The other option was a complete engine overhaul. The car has never been in an accident, and has approximately 81,000 mileage. The estimated cost for repairs was $5,834. This is a very serious safety issue that warrants an investigation. Had the car experienced engine failure on a busy interstate, my family and others could've been seriously injured or even killed.

- Nyack, NY, USA

I started my car at home to allow it to warm up while I got the kids ready for school. My cars starts with keyfob (no key) once we was all ready we left home to go to school. I proceeded to drive my car to the school (without the keys, apparently I left them on the table and forgot to grab them) we arrived at the school. I parked, turned the car off and entered the building. When I returned to leave, I was unable to since I did not have my car keys. My Mazda CX9 will shift into gear and drive without the fob within proximity to the vehicle this clearly violates FMVSS 114 S5.2.2- except as specified in S5.2.4, the vehicle must be designed such that the transmission or gear selection control cannot move from the 'park' position, unless the key is in the starting system therefore, I was stranded, I contacted Mazda service (because in the past it seemed as when I got into the car to leave without the keys, I could not shift our of park) to ask they said that is how it was meant to operate. This is a major safety concern. 1) my car can be moved without the key fob 2) no notice that key fob is missing 3) be stranded due to not having keys.

- Hurricane, WV, USA