Is Mazda as reliable as Toyota?
Toyota comes out ahead: Mazda 1.48 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Mazda owners filed 1.6× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Toyota 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 Toyota at a glance
| Mazda | Toyota | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 1.48 | 0.94 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #5 | #2 |
| Models covered | 6 | 12 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 2,262,356 | 15,629,831 |
| Owner complaints | 3,337 | 14,637 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 94.8% | 96.2% |
| Top complaint areas | Engine 28.9% · Electrical system 14.9% · Brakes 10.4% | Powertrain / transmission 16% · Engine 14.6% · Electrical system 13.9% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 83 (5.1 million) | 198 (15.8 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).
- Toyota's count is driven most by 2019–2020 RAV4 complaints about engine and fuel / propulsion (1,563, 10.7% of Toyota's complaints). Other models with rates above Toyota's overall 0.94: Highlander (1.46), Venza (2.00), Tundra (1.06).
Mazda vs Toyota 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 |
| Toyota | 0.86 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 1.03 | 1.28 | 1.04 | 0.95 | 0.74 |
What Mazda and Toyota 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
Toyota
- Powertrain / transmission16% · 2,340
- Engine14.6% · 2,143
- Electrical system13.9% · 2,028
- Fuel / propulsion11.9% · 1,744
- Brakes11.8% · 1,725
- Air bags9.6% · 1,404
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 Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda CX-5 1.56 vs Toyota RAV4 1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold. The CX-5's most-cited area is engine (29%); the RAV4's is electrical system (21.5%).
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%
1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 3,483 complaints / 3,155,248 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2019–2021, 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 21.5% · Engine 17.8% · Fuel / propulsion 13.6%
Midsize cars: Mazda Mazda6 vs Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda Mazda6 1.27 vs Toyota Camry 0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Mazda6's most-cited area is engine (22.5%); the Camry's is powertrain / transmission (18.5%).
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%
0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,348 complaints / 2,788,813 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2016, 2017, 2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2008–2012, 2018–2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 18.5% · Engine 15.4% · Brakes 14.4%
Compact cars: Mazda Mazda3 vs Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda Mazda3 1.24 vs Toyota Corolla 0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Mazda3's most-cited area is electrical system (19.9%); the Corolla's is air bags (20.9%).
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%
0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,586 complaints / 2,339,849 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2009–2011, 2019, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Air bags 20.9% · Engine 16.8% · Powertrain / transmission 13.7%
Three-row SUVs: Mazda CX-9 vs Toyota Highlander
The Toyota Highlander has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda CX-9 2.19 vs Toyota Highlander 1.46 complaints per 1,000 sold. The CX-9's most-cited area is engine (57.3%); the Highlander's is powertrain / transmission (31.1%).
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%
1.46 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,546 complaints / 1,749,226 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2017–2023
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 31.1% · Brakes 11.8% · Electrical system 10.5%
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 Toyota?
Toyota comes out ahead: Mazda 1.48 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Mazda owners filed 1.6× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Toyota owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Mazda or Toyota?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Mazda logs 0.10 per 1,000 sold and Toyota 0.10, within 10% of each other. Those are 7% of Mazda's complaints and 11% of Toyota's.
Where do Mazda and Toyota rank overall?
Mazda ranks #5 and Toyota #2 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 Toyota owners complain about most?
Mazda: engine (28.9%), electrical system (14.9%), brakes (10.4%). Toyota: powertrain / transmission (16%), engine (14.6%), electrical system (13.9%). 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 Toyota?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 83 Mazda recall campaigns covering 5,085,667 vehicles and 198 Toyota campaigns covering 15,819,237. 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 Toyota RAV4?
The Toyota RAV4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda CX-5 1.56 vs Toyota RAV4 1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 1,118,367 and 3,155,248 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the CX-5: 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021. Years to avoid on the RAV4: 2008, 2019–2021, 2023, 2024.
Is the Mazda Mazda6 more reliable than the Toyota Camry?
The Toyota Camry has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Mazda Mazda6 1.27 vs Toyota Camry 0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 223,990 and 2,788,813 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Mazda6: 2009–2011, 2014, 2018. Years to avoid on the Camry: 2008–2012, 2018–2020.