2011 Mazda CX-7 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Aug 3, 2026 · 153 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other CX-7 years
More complaints than other years 4th of 7 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 153 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Mazda CX-7. That ranks 4th out of 7 CX-7 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (51 complaints, 33%), typically at around 48,000 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 4 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.

Mazda CX-7
2006–2009 Mazda CX-7 (ER) Classic wagon. Photographed in Cronulla, New South Wales , Australia.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: OSX, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2011 Mazda CX-7 problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Suspension51 · ~48,000 mi
Air Bags42 · ~61,500 mi
Exterior Lighting38 · ~53,000 mi
Steering16 · ~108,000 mi
Electrical System7 · ~4,200 mi
Power Train7 · ~64,262 mi
Unknown or Other7
Engine5 · ~40,000 mi
Service Brakes5 · ~25,482 mi
Visibility/wiper4 · ~81,500 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Suspension problems5133%48,000“air bags suspension” (20%)—
Air Bags4227%61,500——
Exterior Lighting3825%53,000——
Steering1610%108,000——
Electrical System75%4,200——
Power Train75%64,262——
Unknown or Other75%———
Engine53%40,000——
Service Brakes53%25,482——
Visibility/wiper43%81,500——
Structure32%72,000——
Vehicle Speed Control32%53,968——
Wheels32%100,000——
Fuel/propulsion System21%57,935——
Latches/locks/linkages21%9,600——
Visibility21%20,650——
Engine and Engine Cooling11%9,500——
Fuel System, Gasoline11%9,500——
Lane Departure11%———
Seats11%74,000——
Tires11%64,262——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 56 complaints
2011: 3201132012: 112013: 5201352014: 442015: 102015102016: 28282017: 562017562018: 20202019: 8201982020: 222021: 3202132022: 112023: 2202322024: 552025: 2202522026: 33

n = 153 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2011 Mazda CX-7 recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not driveOct 31, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V782000 · 69,879 vehicles

Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2007-2012 CX-7, CX-9, and 2009-2012 Maza6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V356 and 17V012.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not driveOct 12, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V717000 · 155,436 vehicles

Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Mazda6, 2010-2012 CX-7, and 2010-2015 CX-9 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not driveJun 29, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V429000 · 205,377 vehicles

Problem: Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 Mazda6, and 2007-2011 CX-7 and CX-9 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 16V356 and all vehicles that were not remedied under that campaign are now covered by this one.

Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball jointAug 11, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V593000 · 190,102 vehicles

Problem: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2012 Mazda CX-7 vehicles manufactured February 14, 2006, to May 9, 2012. In the affected vehicles, water may enter the front suspension ball joint fittings. If the water is contaminated with salt, such as from driving on snowy roads that have been treated, the ball joint may corrode and separate from the lower control arm, resulting in a loss of steering control.

Risk: A loss of steering control can increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower control arms, free of charge. As a priority, Mazda will first address all affected 2007-2008 vehicles as well as 2009-2011 vehicles currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia. West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. The remaining vehicles will be addressed as parts are available. The recall began September 20, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9716H.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

The low beam wiring gets hot and melts the connectors to the bulb connection. The low beam headlights have been replaced 8 times in a year due to low visibility. It's like turning off the headlights but they are still on. It's been going on for years. I've taken it to Mazda and the mechanic told me…

Electrical System · received Aug 3, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11754388

My wheel on front driver's side is wobbly and I just decided to look up for any recalls and I'm lucky we didn't have a major accident I drive the interstate almost daily also I want to report that my door handles have had to be replaced 6 times since we've bought the car in 2019

Air Bags · received May 18, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11738584

Mazda has messed up headlights and it is very dangerous. I have to drive with high beams on continuously! The low beams point straight down to the road, looks like even with the bumper, you cannot see anything. It looks like you don’t have lights on. Took it to dealer and they say it’s the…

Exterior Lighting · received Jan 5, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11708962

My mechanic told me to check with Mazda as there might be a recall that has not been taken care of yet. I called Mazda and they told me there were 3 recalls (2 of which my mechanic already fixed) and the airbag recall. Told me not to drive, but would not provide any vehicle to use and would not set…

Air Bags · received Nov 27, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11701786

The contact owns a 2011 Mazda CX-7. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V429000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact called an independent mechanic, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was contacted. The…

Air Bags · received Mar 10, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11647366

Other Mazda CX-7 years

← 2010 CX-7 · 2012 CX-7 →

YearComplaintsRecalls
2013 CX-710
2012 CX-7394
20111534
2010 CX-71555
2009 CX-7655
2008 CX-71914
2007 CX-75284

See all Mazda CX-7 problems by year, every Mazda model, or the Mazda VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Mazda CX-7?

Owners most often report suspension, air bags, exterior lighting problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 51 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2011 Mazda CX-7?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2011 Mazda CX-7 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other CX-7 model years, the 2011 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.