Mazda CX-5 Reliability
Quick answer
The Mazda CX-5 has 1.36 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold across the 2015–2022 model years. In CarWhere's ranking of 26 SUVs by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the CX-5 places 4th: one of the lowest complaint rates in that group. Across model years 2012–2026, owners filed 2,251 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and the electrical system, and NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
1.36
Complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022)
2,251
NHTSA owner complaints (2012–2026)
9
Recall campaigns
5
Years to avoid
Most-reported Mazda CX-5 problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2012–2026, by the component owners named, filed 2012–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 518 | 23% | 13 | 5 | 5 |
| Electrical system | 438 | 19% | 14 | 9 | 10 |
| Powertrain / transmission | 261 | 12% | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| Exterior lighting | 221 | 10% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 217 | 10% | 38 | 1 | 16 |
| Visibility / wipers | 211 | 9% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Body structure | 129 | 6% | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| Speed control / throttle | 107 | 5% | 27 | 0 | 11 |
Of all 2,251 complaints, 110 (5%) report a crash, 16 (1%) a fire and 56 (2%) an injury.
For 2020-and-newer models (487 complaints), the most-reported areas are the engine (136), the electrical system (74), the brakes (64), automatic emergency braking (50).
Mazda CX-5 complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's years-to-avoid analysis, which compares each CX-5 model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | Speed control / throttle | — |
| 2013 | 194 | 1 | Electrical system | — |
| 2014 | 377 | 4 | Electrical system | Avoid |
| 2015 | 133 | 4 | Body structure | — |
| 2016 | 512 | 5 | Exterior lighting | Avoid |
| 2017 | 150 | 1 | Electrical system | — |
| 2018 | 124 | 3 | Engine | Avoid |
| 2019 | 273 | 2 | Engine | Avoid |
| 2020 | 110 | 0 | Electrical system | — |
| 2021 | 150 | 0 | Engine | Avoid |
| 2022 | 65 | 0 | Exterior lighting | — |
| 2023 | 67 | 0 | Service brakes | — |
| 2024(new) | 47 | 0 | Service brakes | — |
| 2025(new) | 29 | 0 | Service brakes | — |
| 2026(new) | 19 | 0 | Electrical system | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Mazda CX-5 recalls
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns across Mazda CX-5 model years 2012–2026. The ones below cover the most model years. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V644000Sep 6, 2016 | 2013–2016 | Body structure — body / hatchback/liftgate | Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015,… |
| 16V203000Apr 11, 2016 | 2014–2016 | Steering | Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 2, 2015, 2013-2014 Mazda2 vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to August 8, 2014, 2014-2016 CX-5 vehicles… |
| 16V064000Feb 3, 2016 | 2014–2016 | Fuel system — storage / tank assembly / filler pipe and cap | Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Mazda CX-5 vehicles manufactured June 27, 2013, to February 2, 2016. The affected vehicles have a fuel filler pipe that may rupture in the event of a crash.… |
| 16E002000Jan 19, 2016 | 2014–2016 | Visibility / wipers — windshield | Pilkington North America, Inc. (Pilkington) is recalling certain replacement windshields, model FW04026 GTY, manufactured November 23, 2015, to December 16, 2015 for use in Mazda CX-5 vehicles that are equipped with the Smart City Brake… |
| 21V875000Nov 12, 2021 | 2018 and 2019 | Fuel system — delivery / fuel pump | Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially… |
Best and worst CX-5 years
- Years to avoid: 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021.
- No model year stands out as clearly better than the rest.
- 2024–2026: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
Mazda CX-5 years to avoid: the verdict for every model year →
What to inspect on a used Mazda CX-5
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Driver aids: ask about false automatic-braking events and check for warning messages on the dash.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Mazda CX-5 can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Mazda CX-5 reliability FAQ
Is the Mazda CX-5 reliable?
The Mazda CX-5 has 1.36 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold across the 2015–2022 model years. In CarWhere's ranking of 26 SUVs by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the CX-5 places 4th: one of the lowest complaint rates in that group. Across model years 2012–2026, owners filed 2,251 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and the electrical system, and NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Mazda CX-5 problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2012–2026, the most-reported areas are the engine (518), the electrical system (438), the transmission (261) and exterior lighting (221). For 2020-and-newer models, the most-reported areas are the engine, the electrical system and the brakes. One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Mazda CX-5 should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021 as years to avoid. Each model year is compared only with other CX-5 years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Mazda CX-5 last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 0.4% of 19,604 used CX-5 listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 3.7% had passed 150,000. Among those 10+ years old, 2.5% are past 200,000 miles. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Mazda CX-5 have?
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns covering Mazda CX-5 model years 2012–2026. The one covering the most model years is 16V644000 (body structure, 2013–2016). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Mazda CX-5?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure CX-5 reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Mazda CX-5, model years 2012–2026, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Complaints per 1,000 sold divides the 1,517 complaints for the 2015–2022 model years by 1,118,367 vehicles sold in the US in those calendar years (published sales figures), times 1,000.
- The SUVs ranking uses the same complaints and sales, weights serious complaints double and adjusts for vehicle age, then compares 26 models. See the full ranking.
- Year flags compare each CX-5 model year only with other CX-5 years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the CX-5 compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.