190,000 Mazda CX-7 Crossovers Recalled for Possible Suspension Corrosion, Failure

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Mazda is recalling 190,102 CX-7 crossovers in the U.S. for front suspension parts that can rust and fracture, according to filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The 2007–2012 CX-7 has ball joints that can corrode and cause the joint and the front control arms to separate from the wheels, which can lead to unstable handling and a loss of steering. Mazda said it began investigating the problem in August 2015 and had received seven reports of ball-joint separation in North America. As of now, Mazda has also recalled 193,484 CX-9 crossovers in the U.S. for the same problem, despite first learning of it back in May 2012. While broken control arms and ball joints may rattle, these parts also may break off without any audible warning to the driver, according to complaints related to the CX-9 recall.

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Starting in October, dealers will replace both front control arms and schedule repairs based on vehicle age and registration. All 2007–2008 models will be repaired first, followed by 2009–2011 models registered in 21 “salt belt” states, and also Washington, D.C. (see full list here). All other CX-7 owners will then get a final notice to bring their cars in for repair. The CX-7 was discontinued in 2012.

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As Chevy Goes, So Goes GMC: 2017 Canyon Also Adds New V-6, 8-Speed Automatic

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To no one’s surprise, the GMC Canyon is getting a new powertrain for 2017 just like its twin the Chevy Colorado. A new 3.6-liter V-6 and eight-speed automatic transmission replace the old 3.6L V-6 and six-speed automatic for a bit more power and supposedly better fuel economy (although EPA ratings aren’t yet available). A luxury-oriented Denali trim level also joins the lineup for 2017, as does a new All Terrain X option package (pictured above) that adds a few more off-road bits.

As in the Colorado, the new V-6 makes 3 more horsepower and 6 more lb-ft of torque than before, for totals of 308 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. Combined with the taller ratios of the eight-speed automatic and a new cylinder deactivation system, it should provide a small improvement in fuel economy. The base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and 2.8-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder remain unchanged, and still pair with a six-speed automatic, or a six-speed manual on certain rear-drive 2.5-liter models.

We’re a little sad that the Canyon’s All Terrain X treatment doesn’t go quite as far as the bigger Sierra’s similar package—the Canyon would certainly look cool with the sport bar that comes standard on the Sierra All Terrain X. But the Canyon’s package does add Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac off-road tires and all-weather floor mats on top of the standard All Terrain package, which includes an off-road suspension, hill descent control, 17-inch wheels, side step bars, and a few other pieces of equipment. GMC isn’t sharing pricing yet for the All Terrain X, but it will be offered on the SLE model with either the new V-6 or the 2.8-liter turbodiesel.

As for the Canyon Denali, which we detailed at last year’s Los Angeles auto show, it adds all sorts of chrome trim on the outside (as expected), upgraded leather inside, and Denali badges throughout. The rest of the Canyon range gets minor tweaks including a revised touchscreen infotainment system, standard Teen Driver mode, and a few new exterior colors. Pricing and EPA fuel economy numbers should be available soon for the tweaked 2017 Canyon, which goes on sale in the fourth quarter of this year.

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Stealers Wheel: Thieves Steal More than $200,000 in Wheels and Tires from Texas Dealership

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Last weekend was a bad time to be Chevy dealer in Tyler, Texas. That’s when thieves broke into Peltier Chevrolet and removed more than $200,000 in rolling stock right from the axles of vehicles on the lot. According to a report in Automotive News, the staff arrived in the morning to find 48 vehicles, including Chevrolet Camaros, Traverse crossovers, and Silverado pickups, missing their wheels and tires. Initial police reports indicate the theft began around 1:00 a.m. in the early morning of Sunday, August 21.

Although the lot was secured, the police say the thieves cut the locks on the gates at the rear of the dealership where much of the inventory was kept, and “knocked out” the bright security lights that are generally on at night. Although security footage shows a large box truck arriving at 1:22 a.m., the lack of lighting prevents the video from revealing the number or identities of the alleged thieves.

The manager of the dealership currently pegs the loss at between $200,000 and $250,000, and notes that most of the wheels were of the 20- to 22-inch variety, while others were “nothing out of the ordinary.” While the estimated monetary loss sounds unbelievable for wheels and tires for 48 cars, consider that original-equipment tires—without wheels and tire-pressure monitoring sensors—for the Camaro SS run approximately $1100 for a set of four. Adding to the loss is the fact that many of the vehicles were damaged by being dropped directly to the ground or placed improperly on blocks.

Doing do the arithmetic reveals that the perps were no strangers to the business end of an impact wrench. Barring the presence of a few formula-skewing, three-wheeled Morgans or Robin Reliants among the 48 burgled cars, the theft amounts to a total of 192 wheels. Considering the approximately four-hour window that the police figure it took to perpetrate the crime, that’s a theft rate of one wheel every 1.25 minutes. And the thieves removed nearly 1000 lug nuts in the dark. Whoever the perps are, clearly Rowdy Burns needs to hire these guys. They also must have been packing plenty of spare battery packs for the cordless impact guns that we assume they used in the heist.

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Now, of course, comes the hard part: Turning all that rolling stock into cash without attracting too much attention. Good luck with that.

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