Hello,

The 2007 Mazda CX-7 that I have lately been driving started spitting out clouds of heavy blue smoke smelling like burnt oil. The smoke comes out non-stop for a few minutes right after I resume driving following short (minutes to an hour or so) stops with still warm engine. The smoke never occurs in the mornings after the car has cooled down overnight. But now I always leave a grocery store parking lot enveloped in a cloud of heavy stinky smoke.

I have read that this is a known problem/design fault of a seal in the turbo device that leaks oil. Local Mazda dealer refuses to give me any information about (a) possible causes of the smoke; (b) whether this is covered by one of many recalls; (c) the cost to fix the turbo. They suggest that I first pay $180 for the diagnostics and then they will give me the quote. The problem is pretty much known for this model, so there has to be at least a rough estimate of the total cost of fixing it.

A call to Mazda USA haven't been any more useful, they only suggested to talk to the dealer first.

I was wondering if there was a way to get an estimate of the repair cost (is it $50 or $1,500?) and whether this could be covered by any warranty.

I would greatly appreciate any suggestion on where to find this info.

Thanks,
h.

First, I would find a new Mazda dealer if you have one anywhere near you. Yours obviously has no use for customer service.

Failing that, I would be on the phone to Mazda and not listen to them telling me to talk to the dealer. I would explain that the dealer doesn't want to hear about it.

It is a known issue. It mentions oil changes and possible turbo seal failures. If the turbo seal failed, from what I'm reading, it should be covered.

Stand your ground and don't allow them to brush you off.

Regardless, you need only provide proof of ownership and the VIN. The dealer is required to inform you of any and all recalls directly related to your specific VIN.
You can often look online for various sites that can tell if a recall is even close to applying to your vehicle.
The best option is to contact your local dealer and go through the process.
They will likely tell it like it is since honesty is in their best interest.

Regardless, you need only provide proof of ownership and the VIN. The dealer is required to inform you of any and all recalls directly related to your specific VIN.
You can often look online for various sites that can tell if a recall is even close to applying to your vehicle.
The best option is to contact your local dealer and go through the process.
They will likely tell it like it is since honesty is in their best interest.

Thank you for responding. From talking to them personally I have gotten an impression that honesty is their second interest, extortion is number one. They are the same people who once wanted to charge me $180 for that leaky gas tank cap, also a faulty design problem. When I mentioned relevant recalls regarding the blue smoke, they said they had nothing to look up because I hadn't paid the diagnostics fee, even though the car and all the related paperwork were in front of their desk. Mazda USA has said that this is the dealer's business model (yes, I somehow had to discuss somebody else's business models instead of possible causes of smoking exhaust) and I can't change it.

Maybe I should pay the diagnostics fee for them to be able to confirm that the problem is in the turbo seal, fix it and waive the diagnostics fee. Most probably they would say that the three-year warranty has expired and that it is my responsibility to pay them in full-- what do I do in this case?

I guess part of the dealer's attitude comes from the fact that they are the official dealers for many-many other european and japanese manufacturers. They are not that familiar with Mazdas.