Car Model Guide/ Mazda/ 6/ GH/ 2.0 MZR-CD

2.0 MZR-CD RF7J

The 2.0 diesel, and the engine Mazda replaced mid-generation because of it. Particulate-filter management is poor and injector seals leak combustion gases into the oil, so a neglected one destroys itself slowly and expensively.

Overview

The 2.0 MZR-CD is the RF7J diesel version of the Mazda 6 hatchback (GH), sold 2007–2010 with 140 PS and manual_6. Avoid unless documented at level 5. Poor particulate-filter management and leaking injector seals contaminate the oil, and Mazda replaced this engine mid-generation because of it. 4 failure modes are recorded against its engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, 2 of which are walk-away items without documented proof. Prices on this page are illustrative placeholders rather than a sourced market sample. See the methodology for how the bands are derived.

Mazda 6 hatchback (GH) · photo Mazda 6 GH Sport Dynamic Front by Thomas doerfer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Power140 PS

Torque330 Nm

Years2007–2010

Fueldiesel

DriveFWD

EnginesRF7J

Biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 4 recorded in total.

6High risk

Injector seal leaks and oil contamination€600–€1,800partly checkablewalk away
Corrosion at the arches, sills and boot floor€300–€2,000checkablewalk away
DPF clogging and forced regeneration€250–€1,800partly checkable

Risk level −44 · Walk-away failures −24 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →

System by system9 systems reviewed · 6 with no recurring fault reported

Engine✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Fuel system⚠ attentionInjector seal leaks and oil contamination, €600–€1,800. Walk away without proof.

Intake & air✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Cooling✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Emissions⚠ attentionDPF clogging and forced regeneration, €250–€1,800.+1 more in this system

Transmission✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Electrics✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Suspension & brakes✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Body & interior⚠ attentionCorrosion at the arches, sills and boot floor, €300–€2,000. Walk away without proof.

Pre-facelift or facelift, this engine spans both

The same badge either side of the changeover. Bands are split at the facelift year from the generation record.

Phase	Years	Low	Average	High	Good buy	What differs
pre Pre-facelift	2007–2009	€800	€1,450	€2,450	€1,150	The specification the car launched with.
LCI Facelift (LCI)	2010	€900	€1,550	€2,650	€1,250	Revised nose and trim; 2.2 MZR-CD replaced the 2.0 MZR-CD diesel

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Faults recorded against this engine, its components and its chassis, ranked by likelihood × repair cost. Costs are indicative ranges with a stated labour basis.

Injector seal leaks and oil contaminationRF7J 2.0 MZR-CD€600–€1,800

Carbon and tar building around the injectors, a chuffing noise at idle, a rising oil level and a diesel smell to the oil. The injector seats leak combustion gases into the head and, in turn, contaminate the engine oil. Combined with poor particulate-filter regeneration behaviour, that slowly damages everything the oil is supposed to protect. Mazda replaced this engine with the 2.2 partway through the generation.

Check: Look for black tarry deposits around the injectors, check the oil level and smell it, and treat any unexplained rise as this fault until proven otherwise.

Later parts: Replaced by the 2.2 MZR-CD during the generation

FuelcommonPartly detectablewalk away without proofevidence: documented90–180k km

Corrosion at the arches, sills and boot floor6 platform€300–€2,000

Bubbling paint along the rear arches and sills, and scaling or perforation in the boot floor and around the rear suspension mounts. This generation's corrosion protection doesn't match the reputation the make carries, and cars in salted climates suffer early. It's the fault that ends these cars, because the mechanicals usually outlast the body.

Check: Put it on a ramp and look at the arches, the sills and the boot floor in good light before you look at anything else. Walk away from perforation rather than negotiating on it.

Body & corrosioncommonDetectable at viewingwalk away without proofevidence: documented

DPF clogging and forced regenerationDPF€250–€1,800

Warning light, limp mode, oil level rising above the maximum mark from fuel dilution. The filter needs sustained hot running to regenerate. A car used for short urban trips never completes a regeneration cycle.

Check: Read the DPF soot load and the distance since the last regeneration on a scan tool, and check the engine oil level and smell it for diesel. Ask what the car was used for. A short-trip city diesel is the wrong car regardless of mileage.

EmissionscommonPartly detectableevidence: documented120–250k km

EGR cooler leakEGR cooler€400–€1,000

Coolant loss with no visible external leak, white smoke, sweet smell. The EGR cooler cracks internally and leaks coolant into the intake. BMW recalled affected diesels over a fire risk from glycol deposits igniting.

Check: Check coolant level and look for unexplained top-ups in the service history. Verify the recall was carried out. It's free and searchable by VIN.

EmissionsoccasionalPartly detectableevidence: manufacturer120–250k km

Ranked by probability × repair cost, not by how loudly a failure is discussed. Inherited from the engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, each written once.

Pre-purchase inspection

The same issue records, reordered into the sequence you can actually check them in: cold start, static, drive, paperwork.

4 checks · saved in this browser ·

1Static checksEngine off, ideally on a lift.

Injector seal leaks and oil contaminationwalk away without proofLook for black tarry deposits around the injectors, check the oil level and smell it, and treat any unexplained rise as this fault until proven otherwise.Corrosion at the arches, sills and boot floorwalk away without proofPut it on a ramp and look at the arches, the sills and the boot floor in good light before you look at anything else. Walk away from perforation rather than negotiating on it.

2PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.

EGR cooler leakCheck coolant level and look for unexplained top-ups in the service history. Verify the recall was carried out. It's free and searchable by VIN.

3OBD scanMandatory. A seller who refuses a scan has answered the question.

DPF clogging and forced regenerationRead the DPF soot load and the distance since the last regeneration on a scan tool, and check the engine oil level and smell it for diesel. Ask what the car was used for. A short-trip city diesel is the wrong car regardless of mileage.

Mileage and servicing

What the odometer does and doesn't tell you here, plus the service items whose neglect causes the expensive failures above.

No mileage figure makes this engine safe. What you need is evidence of injector-seal and filter work, and most cars don't have it.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Injector seals Leaking seats contaminate the oil and destroy the engine slowly	look for carbon around the injectors	€600–1,800
Oil level and condition A rising or diesel-smelling level is the warning	check before you buy	free
DPF history Regeneration behaviour is the known weakness here	ask directly	€500–1,400 if blocked

What to pay

What this engine sells for, against the median of every engine in the chassis. All figures are illustrative placeholders. See the basis chips.

median €1.5k

€0.8k€1.1k€2.6k

Cheapfind the reasonGood buyif it checks outFairnormal moneyOverpricedneeds justifying

Asking price (€)Mileage (km)

Enter an asking price to get a verdict against this variant's band: cheap, fair, good buy or overpriced.

United States vs Europe

1 EUR = 1.08 USD · 2026-07

🇪🇺 Europe · EUR€1,150band €800–€2,650

🇺🇸 United StatesNot sold2.0 MZR-CD RF7J was never a US-market car

What that meansNo US band exists to compare. Any car you find there's a private import, parts and specialist knowledge are thinner, and the price says more about import cost than about the market.

US figures are the EU band converted at a stated rate. No US market differential is modelled: we hold no sourced US asking prices, and inventing one would be worse than saying so. What the comparison does show for real is availability. Most of this range was never sold in the US.

ModelMazda 6 2.0 MZR-CD
ChassisGH
EngineRF7J
Years2007–2010
MarketCentral EU
Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07

Good buy at or under the marker · Median asking price · bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile · dashed line is the gh median, all 4 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. Any car without documentation for injector seal leaks and oil contamination and corrosion at the arches, sills and boot floor should be priced as if the repair is still owed. Full breakdown by facelift phase →

Buyer notes

Our judgement, kept separate from the records it's built on.

Our read, not a record

This is the rare entry in this database with a genuine avoid against it. The 2.0 MZR-CD suffered poor particulate-filter behaviour and injector seals that leak combustion gases into the oil, which contaminates it and does slow damage to everything the oil touches. Mazda replaced the engine with the 2.2 partway through the generation, which tells you what you need to know. If you're set on a diesel 6, find a 2.2. If a 2.0 is the only one in budget, the money is better spent on a petrol.

Everything above this line comes from the issue and specification records. This paragraph is our judgement on top of them. See how we reach it.

Full specification

Manufacturer figures for this engine and body, as recorded in the variant and engine data.

Engine code	RF7J 2.0 MZR-CD
Configuration	I4, turbocharged · 1998 cc
Fuel / injection	diesel · common rail
Model years	2007–2010
Facelift phase	Sold either side of the 2010 facelift, 2007–2009 pre, 2010 LCI
Power / torque	140 PS · 330 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual
Gearbox families
Drivetrain	FWD
Economy (real-world)	5.5–6.8 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU