2008 Mazda CX-7 Exterior lighting Problems
- Complaints
- 14about this part
- Share
- 7%of 192 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 68,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 14 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 2008 Mazda CX-7, 7% of the 192 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 68,000 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10972337, filed 2017-04, 130,000 miles“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #10356383, filed 2010-09, 44,600 miles“Mazda got stuck and had no power the first time second time happened october 9,2013 car kept shutting off and finally could not move. Turbo once again twice in 5 months and I only had this pre-owned vehicle for 7 months.”
NHTSA complaint #10548244, filed 2013-10, 59,000 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10823967, filed 2016-02“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #10984826, filed 2017-05Related service bulletins
- 10154529Mar 15, 2019Some customers may complain of condensation/fog inside the front (headlamp/headlight) or rear (taillamp/taillight) combination lights. The recent new models have been fitted with…
- 10153332Jan 3, 2019Some customers may complain of condensation/fog inside the front (headlamp/headlight) or rear (taillamp/taillight) combination lights. The recent new models have been fitted with…
- 10134701Mar 22, 2018Some customers may complain of condensation/fog inside the front (headlamp/headlight) or rear (taillamp/taillight) combination lights. The recent new models have been fitted with…
- 10118468Aug 9, 2017When dealing with customer complaints of excessive condensation and/or water within the headlamp unit, first determine if all the bulb sockets (including O-ring), seals and…
- 10111011Mar 9, 2017Take caution when cleaning plastic headlight lenses. Damage can occur when using some cleaners that contain strong acid, alkaline cleanser or organic solvent. Damage caused by…
- 10092413Apr 28, 2016Some customers may complain about improper operation of the auto-dimming mirror. This may be caused by an obstruction of the front and/or rear light sensor(s) (e.g. Hanging a…
- 10213417Feb 5, 2016Passenger fAirbag deactivation (PAD) indicator light illumination
- 10213421Jan 25, 2016Condensation/Fog in front and rear combination lights
- 10100888Jan 25, 2016Some customers may complain of condensation/fog inside the front (headlamp/headlight) or rear (taillamp/tail-light) combination lights. The recent new models have been fitted…
- 10098885Nov 24, 2014When dealing with customer complaints of excessive condensation and/or water within the headlamp unit, first determine if all the bulb sockets are present and correctly…
Exterior lighting: other model years
Other parts of the 2008 Mazda CX-7
53 complaintsEngine
44 complaintsSuspension
41 complaintsEngine cooling
40 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
14 complaintsElectrical system
12 complaintsOther or unknown
8 complaintsSteering
8 complaintsFuel system
7 complaintsEquipment
6 complaintsTires
4 complaintsWheels
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Mazda CX-7
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology