Is Mazda as reliable as Honda?
Mazda comes out ahead: Mazda 1.48 vs Honda 2.95 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Honda owners filed 2× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Mazda owners.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Mazda vs Honda at a glance
| Mazda | Honda | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 1.48 | 2.95 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.10 | 0.13 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #5 | #14 |
| Models covered | 6 | 8 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 2,262,356 | 9,790,001 |
| Owner complaints | 3,337 | 28,838 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 94.8% | 91.9% |
| Top complaint areas | Engine 28.9% · Electrical system 14.9% · Brakes 10.4% | Engine 22.4% · Electrical system 21.1% · Fuel / propulsion 15.4% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 83 (5.1 million) | 175 (15.5 million) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign.
What drives the numbers
- Mazda's count is driven most by 2016 CX-5 complaints about lighting and electrical system (512, 15.3% of Mazda's complaints). Other models with rates above Mazda's overall 1.48: CX-9 (2.19).
- Honda's count is driven most by 2017–2018 CR-V complaints about engine and fuel / propulsion (3,951, 13.7% of Honda's complaints). Other models with rates above Honda's overall 2.95: Pilot (5.06), Odyssey (4.37), Ridgeline (4.79).
Mazda vs Honda complaints per 1,000 sold, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mazda | 1.18 | 3.00 | 1.34 | 2.32 | 1.59 | 0.75 | 1.14 | 0.51 |
| Honda | 1.71 | 3.03 | 3.14 | 5.04 | 3.77 | 2.18 | 1.53 | 2.82 |
What Mazda and Honda owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Mazda
- Engine28.9% · 966
- Electrical system14.9% · 498
- Brakes10.4% · 348
- Powertrain / transmission9.9% · 332
- Lighting6.8% · 226
- Fuel / propulsion6.6% · 220
Honda
- Engine22.4% · 6,452
- Electrical system21.1% · 6,084
- Fuel / propulsion15.4% · 4,446
- Forward collision avoidance12.8% · 3,687
- Steering11.8% · 3,394
- Powertrain / transmission8.4% · 2,408
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Compact SUVs: Mazda CX-5 vs Honda CR-V
The Mazda CX-5 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda CX-5 1.56 vs Honda CR-V 2.66 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (29% and 23.5% of complaints).
1.56 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,749 complaints / 1,118,367 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 29% · Electrical system 14.4% · Lighting 11.5%
2.66 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 7,382 complaints / 2,776,986 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2015, 2017–2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 23.5% · Fuel / propulsion 20.1% · Forward collision avoidance 16.9%
Compact cars: Mazda Mazda3 vs Honda Civic
The Mazda Mazda3 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda Mazda3 1.24 vs Honda Civic 1.96 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Mazda3's most-cited area is electrical system (19.9%); the Civic's is steering (42.3%).
Mazda Mazda3
1.24 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 613 complaints / 493,813 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2017, 2020, 2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2010, 2012
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 19.9% · Brakes 13.4% · Engine 10.6%
1.96 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 4,680 complaints / 2,389,931 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2013
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2016–2019, 2022, 2023
- Top complaint areas:
- Steering 42.3% · Electrical system 9.7% · Fuel / propulsion 9.6%
Midsize cars: Mazda Mazda6 vs Honda Accord
The Mazda Mazda6 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda Mazda6 1.27 vs Honda Accord 2.65 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Mazda6's most-cited area is engine (22.5%); the Accord's is electrical system (23.3%).
Mazda Mazda6
1.27 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 284 complaints / 223,990 sold, MY 2015–2021 NHTSA
- Too few sold to rate:
- 2022
- Better years:
- 2013, 2017, 2021
- Years to avoid:
- 2009–2011, 2014, 2018
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 22.5% · Electrical system 14.8% · Brakes 14.1%
2.65 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 5,675 complaints / 2,138,731 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2011
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2018–2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 23.3% · Engine 22% · Fuel / propulsion 17.2%
Three-row SUVs: Mazda CX-9 vs Honda Pilot
The Mazda CX-9 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda CX-9 2.19 vs Honda Pilot 5.06 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (57.3% and 38.2% of complaints).
Mazda CX-9
2.19 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 457 complaints / 208,611 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2015, 2020
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2010–2012, 2018
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 57.3% · Electrical system 10.3% · Powertrain / transmission 9.2%
5.06 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 5,285 complaints / 1,045,328 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2008, 2014, 2015
- Years to avoid:
- 2016–2021, 2025
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 38.2% · Electrical system 30.5% · Fuel / propulsion 14.3%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Is Mazda as reliable as Honda?
Mazda comes out ahead: Mazda 1.48 vs Honda 2.95 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Honda owners filed 2× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Mazda owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Mazda or Honda?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Mazda logs 0.10 per 1,000 sold and Honda 0.13. Those are 7% of Mazda's complaints and 4% of Honda's.
Where do Mazda and Honda rank overall?
Mazda ranks #5 and Honda #14 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Mazda and Honda owners complain about most?
Mazda: engine (28.9%), electrical system (14.9%), brakes (10.4%). Honda: engine (22.4%), electrical system (21.1%), fuel / propulsion (15.4%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Mazda or Honda?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 83 Mazda recall campaigns covering 5,085,667 vehicles and 175 Honda campaigns covering 15,493,854. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Mazda CX-5 more reliable than the Honda CR-V?
The Mazda CX-5 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda CX-5 1.56 vs Honda CR-V 2.66 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 1,118,367 and 2,776,986 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the CX-5: 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021. Years to avoid on the CR-V: 2015, 2017–2019, 2021, 2023, 2024.
Is the Mazda Mazda3 more reliable than the Honda Civic?
The Mazda Mazda3 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda Mazda3 1.24 vs Honda Civic 1.96 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 493,813 and 2,389,931 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Mazda3: 2008, 2010, 2012. Years to avoid on the Civic: 2008, 2016–2019, 2022, 2023.