Another car popped up on my radar. A 2007 Mazda CX-7 with 110,000 miles, low miles for its age. Is the 2.3 really as bad as the internet says? How reliable is the rest of the car?
2007 Mazda CV-7
- Thread starter iontrap
- Start date
I have a friend that had an 09 cx7 and had issues with it and he traded it in for the new highlander in 2014 after the warranty ran out but hadn't had more issues with the mazda yet and didn't feel to push it and still owns the highlander today.
This is what the wiki page about that engine says
L3s produced prior to 2010 are notorious for losing tension in the chain. The loose timing chain causes the timing of the engine and the VVT in particular to be improperly timed, often resulting in pistons colliding with the valves.[citation needed]
In 2010 the L3-VDT was revised to fix some of the common failures: the shape of the cylinder head was reworked, possibly to concentrate fuel near the sparkplug, the ECU was made faster and featured more air/fuel cells to reduce the chance of the engine leaning out. Another change was a fix for the timing chain tension issues. The turbo seals were also updated.
While the 2.0 L Ford EcoBoost engine and its later 2.3 L variant share a cylinder block with the L3-VDT and are derived from the Mazda L architecture, little else is shared between the EcoBoost and L3-VDT and they should not be confused with one another. The EcoBoost engines have different turbochargers, Ford-designed heads, different direct injection systems along with featuring Ford's Ti-VCT variable valve timing system instead of Mazda's S-VT.[9]
This is what the wiki page about that engine says
L3s produced prior to 2010 are notorious for losing tension in the chain. The loose timing chain causes the timing of the engine and the VVT in particular to be improperly timed, often resulting in pistons colliding with the valves.[citation needed]
In 2010 the L3-VDT was revised to fix some of the common failures: the shape of the cylinder head was reworked, possibly to concentrate fuel near the sparkplug, the ECU was made faster and featured more air/fuel cells to reduce the chance of the engine leaning out. Another change was a fix for the timing chain tension issues. The turbo seals were also updated.
While the 2.0 L Ford EcoBoost engine and its later 2.3 L variant share a cylinder block with the L3-VDT and are derived from the Mazda L architecture, little else is shared between the EcoBoost and L3-VDT and they should not be confused with one another. The EcoBoost engines have different turbochargers, Ford-designed heads, different direct injection systems along with featuring Ford's Ti-VCT variable valve timing system instead of Mazda's S-VT.[9]
Don't let the internet scare you away, instead use it as a learning tool. Just like the 6.Blow stories of my power stroke engine that were drummed up as the worst engines around. But it did deserve some of that & what I did was to learn what to expect. Learn what the remedies or fixes were. Armed with that ammo I got one of the best deals IMO 75k wun ton dually for 17k out the door. 
Some of that bad reputation can lead to a good deal & good buy if you're willing to except some repairs. Mazda has been making vehicles for quite some time now so I'd expect them to produce something that got me down the road just fine most of the time. Biggest thing is how was it treated & one may not truly know but there are obvious signs sometimes. How trashy is the interior, service records, how old are the tires, what condition is it in overall. An 07' can look pretty bad by now if it was treated pretty badly. Sounds like 110k is still low enough that it might be worth the gamble if you check everything out that you can. Get a Carfax & see how many owners. If it's had like 5 owners then it may be time to look elsewhere. When it's been tossed around owner to owner it increases the odds of some abuse & neglect IMO. Good luck & buying a used vehicle is always a gamble. Best to try your best to get a reputable aftermarket warranty coverage.
Some of that bad reputation can lead to a good deal & good buy if you're willing to except some repairs. Mazda has been making vehicles for quite some time now so I'd expect them to produce something that got me down the road just fine most of the time. Biggest thing is how was it treated & one may not truly know but there are obvious signs sometimes. How trashy is the interior, service records, how old are the tires, what condition is it in overall. An 07' can look pretty bad by now if it was treated pretty badly. Sounds like 110k is still low enough that it might be worth the gamble if you check everything out that you can. Get a Carfax & see how many owners. If it's had like 5 owners then it may be time to look elsewhere. When it's been tossed around owner to owner it increases the odds of some abuse & neglect IMO. Good luck & buying a used vehicle is always a gamble. Best to try your best to get a reputable aftermarket warranty coverage.
