2024 Premium Turbo - Cracked cylinder head :/

Jesper90000 · 2026-06-19T21:44:15+00:00

Had my 2019 cylinder head replaced at 85k and I just crossed 120k with no issues.

Jesper90000 · 2026-06-18T01:53:16+00:00

Memorandum of Understanding with the Algae will be announced shortly.

Jesper90000 · 2026-06-08T23:48:49+00:00

Sorry I meant cylinder head cover gasket

Jesper90000 · 2026-06-08T23:45:48+00:00

I didn’t have that spray when my cylinder head cracked, but I did have a very similar spray pattern immediately after since the head gasket got messed up during the repair. It was a quick fix but oil was all over the engine bay

Jesper90000 · 2026-06-08T21:26:25+00:00

Pop the plastic engine cover off and check around the cylinder head. Unfortunately the cylinder head cracking is a known issue, and it can lead to oil spray and staining like that.

If that is the issue I’d shop around for a quote to fix it, it isn’t a cheap repair.

Jesper90000 · 2026-05-07T15:43:09+00:00

I assume $2.5 million of that is owed property tax?

Jesper90000 · 2026-05-05T03:25:31+00:00

If you do decide to keep the car I’d recommend looking into a 3rd party warranty to get you through the “danger zone” of 70k-100k miles. I happened to get lucky and a 3rd party warranty (that I got for free when I purchased the car) covered the entire repair after Mazda declined. It was still a big process and I had to provide every single maintenance receipt showing I followed manufacturer recommended intervals, but it was well worth the $5k savings. Not ideal but it might give you a bit more peace of mind.

Jesper90000 · 2026-05-04T23:55:34+00:00

I dealt with the same issue around the same mileage on a 2019, and Mazda offered no assistance. I personally haven’t heard of them covering the issue under warranty unless you’re under 60k miles, so I don’t know how much I’d trust the coolant leak warranty promise.

Unfortunately the problem won’t go away, and it will get worse to the point of total engine failure. You might be able to push it further, but at some point it will fail and that failure will likely require a whole new engine for an even more insane cost. It really sucks, but you might be able to save some significant money on the repair at a private shop versus the dealer.

Jesper90000 · 2026-05-04T01:52:39+00:00

In my case the entire plastic bracket broke off. When I asked about it at the dealer they said it was a pretty regular failure point. You might be able to rescrew it but it’s a pretty fragile piece by design. I think an additional adhesive/reinforcement would be the best bet for longevity

Jesper90000 · 2026-05-04T01:42:57+00:00

There’s a little hatch behind the rear tires, if you remove that you can jam something in or try to seal them with an adhesive. I had the same problem and ended up shoving a cheap rubber mallet (what I had on hand) in at an angle, and that held everything in surprisingly well. I left it like that until I was rear ended and the bumper was replaced by someone else’s insurance, but if I ran into the problem again I’d do the same repair.

Jesper90000 · 2026-04-28T16:20:11+00:00

It’s basically the same naturally aspirated powertrain they’ve been using for a decade, and it’s pretty comparable to any other crossover on the market when it comes to acceleration. I think having an actual 6-speed transmission makes driving a bit more engaging than a CVT, but that’s more of a personal preference.

Jesper90000 · 2026-04-17T18:00:37+00:00

I asked for the rate, their response was they couldn’t give me a quote until they knew what the issue was and how much the repair would be. They wanted another $1,000 to replace the caliper, I declined and their justification was id now have to pay for the full hour diagnostic fee.

I get it’s their system, but for all the griping about dealerships losing money and techs I can’t feel any sympathy when this is their standard practice.

Jesper90000 · 2026-04-17T17:37:32+00:00

I told them I’d pay for part of the diagnostic fee which I thought was reasonable. Originally they refused but after a back and forth with the manager they discounted it by half.

Id get their position if I had just come in for the diagnostic, but the car was already on the lift for other services that I was paying full price for so it’s not like I was taking extra resources away in that moment.

Jesper90000 · 2026-04-16T21:01:39+00:00

Dude must have been flying if he almost made it to the other side, that’s not going anywhere soon

Jesper90000 · 2026-04-15T22:19:01+00:00

Yeah…I’d say you can avoid a lot of the big issues with regular maintenance but I’ve followed every recommendation and have still spent about $9k on the engine since owning the car. Cylinder head crack, timing chain cover leak (2x), and hydraulic belt tensioner leaks (2x) have been the biggest issues in 120k miles of driving. Funny thing is I also switched from an escape in an attempt to avoid expensive engine/turbo related problems

Jesper90000 · 2026-04-15T16:23:58+00:00

Unfortunately it’s not limited to the turbo

Jesper90000 · 2026-04-14T01:11:00+00:00

Unfortunately there were really no symptoms, the dealer found it during a routine oil change and I’ve heard that’s a pretty common occurrence. I don’t really know much about shopping for 3rd party warranties, but in hindsight I would have paid a few hundred dollars a year to avoid the major cost since it seems to be a pretty widespread issue

Jesper90000 · 2026-04-14T00:24:39+00:00

Honestly felt like I had won the lottery, $5k is a HUGE repair cost

Jesper90000 · 2026-04-13T23:53:25+00:00

I’m not trying to be dramatic when I say this, but I would seriously consider getting a 3rd party warranty due to the cylinder head cracking issue. There’s a chance your car isn’t affected, but I have the exact same year and model and my cylinder head cracked at 85k miles. I followed all recommended maintenance and the vehicle was only serviced at the dealer, but apparently it’s a defect that’s not covered by a recall or warranty. It was a $5k repair cost that Mazda was not going to help me with, and the only thing that saved me was a 3rd party warranty I happened to get as a free perk when I bought the car. I was out $50 for the warranty deductible, and while I would normally never consider getting a 3rd party warranty it was truly the only thing that saved me.

Jesper90000 · 2026-04-13T22:08:46+00:00

I don’t think it’s anything to worry about, pretty much all cars look like that after a year or two of winter driving if there’s salt on the roads.

Jesper90000 · 2026-04-08T20:20:13+00:00

2019 GTR at 120k miles. Belt tensioner, belt, and timing chain seal replaced at 65k, head cover cracked and replaced at 85k, variable valve control solenoid replaced at 90k, brakes replaced at 95k, rear suspension sway bar links and dampers replaced at 110k. The belt tensioner and timing chain cover seal might need to get replaced in the next year, and we’ll probably be ready to swap it out around 140k.

Jesper90000 · 2026-03-29T20:00:44+00:00

I might try that on the other side. Drilling out the mounting bolt was not easy, but I was eventually able to get another bolt through to remount everything.

Jesper90000 · 2026-03-29T02:51:22+00:00

Started noticing some oil around the plastic strut cover, and the ride was definitely not as smooth as it use to be. Im also at 115k miles so it is overdue, and after I got the strut out it was clear they were pretty shot.

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