Mazda CX-5 owners filed 1,846 complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for model years 2015–2025 (see the Car Problem Index for all 60 models), and NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the same years. The 2016 Mazda CX-5 drew the most complaints (510); across all years, owners complain most about engine (27% of complaints).
Key findings
- Worst model year: 2016, with 510 complaints, led by exterior lights (161) and 5 recalls.
- Complaints vs recalls: Engine drew 507 complaints but one recall, so for most of these owners the repair falls to warranty or their own pocket, not a free recall fix.
- Spike years, compared with a typical model year: 2016 (4.1 times as many complaints), 2018 (2.8 times as many complaints), 2019 (2.2 times as many complaints).
- Earliest-failing area: transmission / powertrain complaints came at a median 7k mi.
- Fire and crash reports: 16 complaints mention a fire and 112 a crash, with 59 injuries reported.
Mazda CX-5 complaints and recalls by model year
| Model year | Complaints | Top problem areas |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 4 recalls | 123 | Body structure (26), Transmission / powertrain (19), Engine (14) median 34k mi · 11 crashes |
| 2016 5 recalls | 510 | Exterior lights (161), Electrical system (71), Brakes (66) median 31k mi · 31 crashes · 10 fires |
| 2017 1 recall | 148 | Electrical system (44), Engine (15), Brakes (14) median 19k mi · 5 crashes |
| 2018 3 recalls | 348 | Engine (177), Transmission / powertrain (41), Brakes (32) median 15k mi · 19 crashes · 1 fire |
| 2019 2 recalls | 270 | Engine (131), Electrical system (46), Transmission / powertrain (32) median 17k mi · 7 crashes · 2 fires |
| 2020 no recall | 106 | Electrical system (30), Engine (17), Brakes (13) median 3k mi · 9 crashes |
| 2021 no recall | 145 | Engine (78), Transmission / powertrain (16), Electrical system (12) median 19k mi · 9 crashes |
| 2022 no recall | 63 | Exterior lights (23), Engine (13), Electrical system (6) median 4k mi · 5 crashes · 2 fires |
| 2023 no recall | 62 | Brakes (11), Engine (10), Electrical system (9) median 16k mi · 8 crashes |
| 2024 no recall | 44 | Brakes (7), Engine (7), Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (6) median 24k mi · 4 crashes · 1 fire |
| 2025 no recall | 27 | Brakes (9), Engine (6), Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (6) median 4k mi · 4 crashes |
One recall campaign often covers several model years, so the recall column adds up to 15, more than the 9 separate campaigns. Newer years have had less time to collect reports.
Most-reported Mazda CX-5 problems, and what they cost to fix
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Recalls | Median mileage | Estimate the repair |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 507 | 27% | 1 | 30k mi | Engine overhaul cost |
| Electrical system | 262 | 14% | 0 | 14k mi | Alternator / electrical repair cost |
| Exterior lights | 213 | 12% | 1 | 40k mi | Headlight replacement cost |
| Transmission / powertrain | 192 | 10% | 0 | 7k mi | Transmission repair cost |
| Brakes | 185 | 10% | 0 | 16k mi | Brake repair cost |
| Wipers / visibility | 93 | 5% | 1 | 7k mi | Wiper replacement cost |
| Fuel system | 93 | 5% | 2 | 24k mi | Fuel pump repair cost |
| Body structure | 93 | 5% | 1 | 13k mi | — |
Top problem areas only; one complaint can count twice.
What Mazda CX-5 owners report
Owners’ own words; dollar figures are what they reported.
Engine
Confirmed cracked cylinder by dealership, LED to dumping of oil while vehicle was in motion on the highway. Vehicle/engine could have caught fire at any moment. There were no engine warnings that appeared on the dash. This is consistent with other CX-5 complaints on nhtsa. Vehicle had 55,000 miles on it at time of incident, and needed $8,000 worth of repair. Please recall!!
2019 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11693919
I started observing oil leaks and took it to the dealership. They changed the gasket for 2500$ and the oil leak worsened. Dealer is asking for $4500 to replace a bad cylinder head. I am told that this is a common Mazda manufacturing defect and Mazda denied the repair cost coverage request. Any help would be really appreciated.
2018 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11730506
Related recalls: 19V497000 (2018–2019): An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.
507 owners reported engine problems; the engine overhaul cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Electrical system
Daytime running light on driver's side was replaced in dec 2017 when the vehicle had 14,000 miles. Now the daytime running light on the passenger's is burnt out. The dealer wants $1,200 to replace it. I thought LED is supposed to last "forever". Also, the auto bright doesn't work. Dealer wants to $100 to troubleshoot.
2016 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11222282
The display screen appears to initiate "ghost actions". It will change songs, put phone calls on mute/hang up, change display settings etc. On its own. I looked this issue up online and it seems to be very common with 2017 and newer mazdas. I took it to the Mazda dealership and they wanted to charge me $150 for a diagnosis and another $500 for a screen repair.
2019 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11612892
None of these 262 electrical system complaints is matched by a recall on these model years, so a repair is covered only by warranty or paid by the owner.
262 owners reported electrical system problems; the alternator / electrical repair cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Exterior lights
The daytime running light on the driver's side headlight assembly failed after 3 years and 60,000 miles. It is an LED, non-replaceable light that is part of the entire headlight assembly. Out of warranty and dealers want in excess of $1,000 to replace the headlight assembly. The LED light should last more than 3 years. This is a safety issue and should be a recall by mazda.
2016 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11173253
Headlamps cooling fan motors Mazda CX-5 2022 make loud noise during driving and for few minutes even after the car is turned off. Car is at about 29,000MILES. Unfortunately, it's past 3YRS old and hence jimclick Mazda dealer is asking for more than $3000 to replace the lights with motor assembly.
2022 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11706338
Related recalls: 20V063000 (2016): If the DRL fails, the vehicle's visibility may be reduced to other drivers on the road, increasing the risk of a crash.
213 owners reported exterior lights problems; the headlight replacement cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Mazda CX-5 recalls
Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for your car’s open recalls.
| Campaign | Announced | Model years | System | Risk (NHTSA's wording) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21V875000 | 2021-11-12 | 2018–2019 | Fuel System, Gasoline | Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 20V063000 | 2020-02-06 | 2016 | Exterior lights | If the DRL fails, the vehicle's visibility may be reduced to other drivers on the road, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 19V497000 | 2019-06-27 | 2018–2019 | Engine | An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash. |
| 18V426000 | 2018-06-25 | 2018 | Air bags | If the air bags do not deploy properly in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury. |
| 17V744000 | 2017-11-21 | 2017 | Trailer Hitches | Contact with the muffler may damage the trailer wiring harness, potentially resulting in the trailer lighting being inoperative, thereby increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 16V644000 | 2016-09-06 | 2015–2016 | Body structure | If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury. |
| 16V203000 | 2016-04-11 | 2015–2016 | Steering | If the steering knuckle separates from the strut assembly, it can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 16V064000 | 2016-02-03 | 2015–2016 | Fuel System, Gasoline | A rupture of the fuel filler pipe may result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire. |
| 16E002000 | 2016-01-19 | 2015–2016 | Visibility (windows, mirrors, wipers) | If the bracket loosens or detaches from the windshield, the safety features of the Smart City Brake Support system may be disabled and therefore increase the risk of a crash. |
What this data can and can't tell you
1,846 unverified owner reports, not adjusted for sales. Method.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint files (nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-25; NHTSA recalls database (nhtsa.gov/recalls), retrieved 2026-09-23. Model years 2015–2025. Free to cite with a link to this page.