There are 12 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2008 Mazda CX-7in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THESE HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS AND EVEN INSIDE THE CAR DOME LIGHTS ARE DANGEROUSLY DIM. EVEN WITH LIGHTS ON BRIGHT IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE
BOTH REAR BRAKE LIGHT BULBS MELTED THROUGH THE LIGHT ENCASING.
IN NOVEMBER OF 2016 MY RIGHT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. WENT TO PURCHASE A $100 BULB AND WHEN THE MECHANIC WENT TO REPLACE IT HE ADVISED THE BULB COULD NOT BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE HOUSING TO HOLD THE BULB WAS MELTED. HE ADVISED THIS IS ABNORMAL FOR THE HOUSING TO MELT AND MOST VEHICLES WOULD NOT HAVE THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER, HE ADVISED HE HAS SEEN THIS HAPPEN A LOT WITH CX-7 VEHICLES. HE SUGGESTED THAT I REACH OUT TO MAZDA FOR ASSISTANCE SINCE THIS, HE FELT, WAS A DEFECT OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. I CALLED MAZDA FILED THE COMPLAINT HOWEVER THE REP SET EXPECTATIONS FOR A CALL BACK THAT I NEVER RECEIVED. FAST FORWARD, THE LEFT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS DOING THE SAME. I CALLED MAZDA AND SPOKE WITH CHRISTOPHER AND HE SAID MAZDA COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME BECAUSE THEY APPARENTLY SENT ME AN E-CERTIFICATE LAST NOVEMBER WHEN I CALLED IN ABOUT THE RIGHT SIDE ASSEMBLY. I ADVISED HIM THAT I DID NOT RECEIVE IT AND EMAILED IT TO ME AGAIN. I ASKED HIM WHAT ASSISTANCE COULD BE PROVIDED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE RIGHT SIDE ASSEMBLY AND HE ADVISED THERE WASN'T ANY. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS BEING A SAFETY ISSUE I COULD NOT SIMPLY JUST REPLACE THE BULB, THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY FOR BOTH SIDES NOW NEED TO BE REPLACED. I THEN SPOKE WITH THOM AND HE ALSO DENIED ASSISTANCE. I FEEL THIS IS VERY UNFAIR. THE HOUSING WHICH HOLDS THE BULB MELTING IN BOTH ASSEMBLIES HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF MY VEHICLE. THIS IS A MANUFACTURE'S DEFECT AND I THINK MAZDA SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. THERE IS NOTHING I COULD'VE DONE TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING. I KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE VEHICLES OLDER THAN MINE AND THEY DO NOT HAVE THIS ISSUE. WHAT ARE MY RECOURSES AT THIS POINT? THIS IS VERY UNFAIR. TO OFFER $300.00 ON A PART THAT COST $2000.00 (BOTH SIDES) IS NOT REASONABLE. THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN BECAUSE ITS A SAFETY ISSUE. NO LIGHTS.
THERE ARE SEVERAL RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE INCLUDING AIR BAGS. WE HAVE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OVER THE YEARS TO GET ANY OF THESE DONE WITH ZERO SUCCESS. THE DEALERSHIP JUST KEEPS TELLING US TO COME BACK. OUR AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OUT ALL THE TIME. THE LIGHTS FILL WITH WATER AFTER WASHING OR IF IT RAIN CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS TO SHORT OUT AND BLOW THE BULBS. THE ENGINE RATTLES EVERYTIME YOU CRANK THE CAR AND THEN GOES AWAY. WE HAVE CHANGED THE OIL REGULARLY AND IT STILL DOES IT.
I TRIED TO CALL A DEALER AT MAZDA BUT THEY DO NOT CALL ME BACK FOR THE RECALL. I WILL TRY AGAIN BUT I THINK THEY GOING TO CHARGED ME. I CAN'T AFFORD IT. HOW CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE? I CAN'T DRIVE AT NIGHT BECAUSE THE FRONT LIGHT HAS FOG INSIDE AND I CAN'T BARELY SEE. I CAN'T STOP QUICK BECAUSE THE BREAK ARE BAD AND TREMBLING THE WHOLE CAR INCLUDING THE WHEEL. THE AIR BAGS ON THE COMPUTER SIGNAL IS ON ALL THE TIME AS WELL FOR THE LIGHT. THE BREAKS ARE REALLY BAD ! MOST OF THE TIME ON THE HIGHWAY. IT IS AN UNSAFE CAR. SYSTEM IS NOT RELIABLE. I WANT TO GET RIDE OF THIS DANGEROUS CAR ASAP.
THE OEM BULBS IN THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE TOO HOT AND AFTER SOME TIME THE BULBS BURN THROUGH THE PLASTIC, CAUSING THE BRAKE LENSES TO GET CLOUDY, THE PLASTIC TO MELT ONTO THE BULB, AND THE RED TINT TO FADE IN THE BRAKE LIGHTS. MY CAR IS LIKE THIS AND EVERY 2008 CX-7 I'VE SEEN HAS THE SAME THING - CLOUDY AND BURNED BRAKE LENSES FROM THE BULBS BURNING A HOLE IN THE BRAKE LENSE PLASTIC.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA CX-7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CLEAR TAIL LIGHTS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO DECIPHER WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS NO RED COLORING FOR THE BRAKE LIGHTS. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE BULB WAS PINK, NOT RED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000. UPDATED 01/04/17*LJ
JUST REALIZED AFTER CHANGING BACK LIGHT THAT BOTH SIDE OF REAR LIGHTS HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM , LIGHT BULBS ARE GETTING EXTREMELY HOT DURING USING AND THIS BURNT THE PLASTIC PART THAT IS PART OF THE REAR LIGHTS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MAZDA CX-7. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR EXTERIOR LIGHT WOULD BURN A HOLE IN THE TAIL LIGHT COVER, MELTING THE PLASTIC. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE AT A CHARGE BUT THE CONTACT DECLINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,880. UPDATED 02/22/12 *BF UPDATED 03/01/12
DUE TO DEFECTIVE SEALS ON THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, MOISTURE BUILDS UP INSIDE THE LENS CAUSING VERY POOR VISIBILITY AT NIGHT DRIVING...THIS IS ON THE INSIDE, NOT THE OUTSIDE OF THE LENS....HAD PURCHASED EXTENDED 7 YEAR 70K MILE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY BUT MAZDA SAYS IT FROM GOING THROUGH CAR WASHES...WHAT A SCAM..GUESS SOMEONE HAS TO GET HURT FOR THEM TO FIX THERE DEFECTIVE PARTS...MY WIFE WON'T DRIVE THE CAR AT NIGHT.. LAST MAZDA I BUY..THEIR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SERVICE IS HORRIBLE...THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED...LOOK AROUND, THEY ARE ALL FOGGED UP!! *TR
HEADLIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY DIM. INSIDE HOUSING FOR HEADLIGHTS IS MELTED FROM OVERHEATING, MAKING HEADLIGHTS INEFFECTIVE. DRIVING AT NIGHT IS NOT SAFE AND DOWN RIGHT DANGEROUS. VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR ALL YEARS OF THIS VEHICLE.
TAIL LIGHT LENSES / PLASTIC IN THE HOUSING FOR STOP LIGHTS, FLASHERS / SIGNAL LIGHTS AND BACK UP LIGHTS IGNITED SLOWLY AND MELTED AWAY. I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS BURNING IN MY CAR AND AFTER A THOROUGH SEARCH, I NOTICED THAT MY LEFT TAIL LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING AND THE BRAKE LIGHT / STOP LIGHT APPEARED TO BE SMOKY. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE LIGHT BULB TO CHECK THE TAIL LIGHT HOUSING, I NOTICED THAT THE PLASTIC LENS WITHIN THE TAIL LIGHT HOUSING HAD MELTED AND A STRONG SMELL OF BURNT PLASTIC WAS FELT IMMEDIATELY. I REMOVED ALL THE BULBS WITHIN THE HOUSE TO CHECK FOR FURTHER MELTDOWN OF THE PLASTIC LENS BUT AT THIS TIME, IT APPEARS THAT ONLY THE BRAKE LIGHT LENS HAS MELTED TO THE POINT THAT I CAN NOW SEE THE WHITE LIGHT COMING THRU THE OUTER SHELL OF THE RED LENS IN THE STOP LIGHT. I HAVE KEPT BOTH LIGHT BULBS FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT TAIL LIGHTS, TO SHOW THE MELTED PLASTIC AROUND THE BULBS AND I LEFT THE MELTED LENS IN THE TAIL LIGHT HOUSING TO PROVE THAT THERE WAS A MELTDOWN WITHIN THE TAIL LIGHT HOUSING. NOTE THAT THE BULBS I REMOVED 7743-12VOLT, ARE ALL ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FROM WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER ON 12/7/2007. I AM NOT SURE IF I SHOULD WORRY ABOUT THE MELTDOWN EVENTUALLY BECOMING A ELECTRICAL FIRE INSIDE THE TAIL LIGHT HOUSING. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026