Five problems related to suspension noise have been reported for the 2008 Mazda CX9. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
On Tuesday may 31, 2016 I took my Mazda Cx9 to Mazda dealership for the recall, reference ##15v451000. I told the service representative that I was glad to be bringing the car in as it was making noises in the driver front and that the steering seemed loose. I was told that my car was inspected, did not require the recall and that all suspension parts were in good working order. On Sunday, June 5, 2016 while entering the highway while driving my 2 children and elderly mother, my ball joint and lower control arm broke causing an accident on the highway on ramp. I was informed by police that I was lucky this had not occurred moments later (at high speed) as it was likely to have caused a severe or possibly fatal accident. The car was not drive able and required me tow my vehicle and find alternative transportation.
2008 Mazda cx-9 grand touring all wheel drive with 20 inch (upgrade) wheels housed in northern va has had a series of suspension system issues. In December 2014 the front driver-side wheel bearing broke while driving from new york to DC. Luckily the roaring sound was noticed and the car was taken to a mr tire in time before the wheel fell off. Front tire wear was also extremely uneven and tires were replaced. Now in summer 2015 a creaking noise while going over bumps and hard turns resulted in the discovery that the front lower ball bearings were loose/had too much play, and we replaced the front lower control arms, swaybar links and bushings, and a broken rear differential mount. Mazda dealer suggests these are normal wear and tear issues. It feels like the suspension system is not designed to manage the weight of the car and normal city/bumpy/pothole driving.
I own a 2008 Mazda cr-9 whose left front wheel fell off the axle while pulling into driveway backwards (with my child in the car) with front wheels turned left. It made a loud noise and I was unable to move the car or turn the wheels. I called for a tow to virginia tire and auto and they diagnosed the left ball joint broken which caused the axle to come out - irreversibly damaging both items so they had to be completely replaced for $1,131. 42!. I kept the damaged lf lower control arm for proof and can send two pictures I took. I want to stress that 5 days earlier, I drove the Mazda to ocean city, a three hour drive. Had the ball joint broken during highway driving - my whole family could have been killed. This is not a situation to be taken lightly and I would like to hear from Mazda (wrote separate letter) since complaints posted on carcomplaints. Com indicate that there have been six (6) similar complaints made since may 2015 indicating there is an investigation under way. These complaints all indicate that the six owners of the 2007-2008 Mazda cx-9 say the lower ball joints "separate in the front suspension and cause the front wheel to dislodge from he car". The national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into reports of lower ball joints breaking (suspension problems). I sincerely hope that Mazda will recall all the 54. 000 cars which could be affected and compensate the owners of the vehicles which had the wheel fall off while the car was moving. This could be a life and death situation and not taken lightly.
When making a u-turn (left turn) at under 10 mph the vehicle made a loud noise and it shuttered to a stop. I called my husband and waited for him to arrive. When he arrived, he (and the police) attempted to push the car in neutral, but the car would not budge. He walked around the car and observed that the front right passenger wheel was turned out and resting against the fender. This exposed the suspension and he saw the ball joint and suspension had broken loose. The ball joint had ripped out from its housing and the suspension bar had broken apart at the wheel. There were parts on the ground along with grey fluid which was coming out from the hole left by the ball joint coupling. The fender was also damaged by the wheel. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for repair. The police officer noted that we were lucky that this did not happen on the highway as it would have likely ended up flipping the car as it was such a severe failure. It took the tow-truck operator over 20 minutes to get he car onto the tow truck as the wheel could not be steered due to the failures.
Tl-the contact owns a 2008 Mazda Cx9. The contact stated that while urning the steering wheel a rattling noise was heard. The failure occurred randomly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v451000 (suspension). However the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. Ec.