Best Mazda Years to Buy by Model
The best Mazda years to buy: the 2022 Mazda3, 2013 Mazda6 and 2020 CX-9 — the cleanest federal complaint records for each model. Years to skip include the 2010 Mazda3 and 2016 CX-5. Based on 7,478 NHTSA owner complaints across 6 Mazda models, rated model year by model year.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, recall campaigns & service bulletins · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · How we rate model years
Best Mazda years, model by model
| Model | Best years | Years to skip | Years on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mazda Mazda3 | 201720202022 | 200820102012 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Mazda CX-5 | No standout year yet | 20142016201820192021 | 14 (2012–2025) |
| Mazda Mazda6 | 201320172021 | 20092010201120142018 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Mazda CX-9 | 20152020 | 20082010201120122018 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Mazda MX-5 | No standout year yet | None rated avoid | 15 (2011–2025) |
| Mazda CX-3 | No standout year yet | None rated avoid | 12 (2014–2025) |
Verdicts are each model’s own, rated against that model’s history; counts behind them are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
The cleanest year for each Mazda model
2022 Mazda Mazda3: 23 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2017, 2020 and 2022 · Best Mazda3 years →
2013 Mazda Mazda6: 22 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2013, 2017 and 2021 · Best Mazda6 years →
2020 Mazda CX-9: 19 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2015 and 2020 · Best CX-9 years →
Years to skip, in detail
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Mazda years to buy?
By model: Mazda3 2017, 2020 and 2022; Mazda6 2013, 2017 and 2021; CX-9 2015 and 2020. Each matches that model's own best-years page, built from NHTSA owner-complaint and recall records.
Which Mazda years should I skip?
By model: Mazda3 2008, 2010 and 2012; CX-5 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021; Mazda6 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2018; CX-9 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2018. The full breakdown is on the Mazda years-to-avoid page.
Which Mazda models have no years to avoid?
The MX-5 and the CX-3 — no model year of these rates "avoid" in current federal data.
How are the best Mazda years chosen?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity, converted to a rate per year on the road and compared with the rest of that model's own history; the lowest rates among years with enough road time earn "best". Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.