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2016 Mazda CX-5

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most CX-5 years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Mazda CX-5 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 133.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

335 reports with mileage · 175 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 161 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 71 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 66 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

31 crash reports10 fire reports13 injury reports

Wheels complaints

3 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 27, 2022
EngineVehicle Speed ControlWheels

I own a 2016 Mazda CX-5 Touring with AWD. I purchased it brand new from a dealer--no miles on it. It's been a great car until this Sudden Unintended Acceleration problem (about 60K miles now). It's happened 5 or 6 times--twice when in a drive thru. It seems that if I am idling (not pressing on gas or brake) the car will some…

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I own a 2016 Mazda CX-5 Touring with AWD. I purchased it brand new from a dealer--no miles on it. It's been a great car until this Sudden Unintended Acceleration problem (about 60K miles now). It's happened 5 or 6 times--twice when in a drive thru. It seems that if I am idling (not pressing on gas or brake) the car will sometimes suddenly accelerate. I have used suggestions to brake, then place car in neutral. That seemed to resolve the problem. However, recently I pulled up to my (rural) mailbox and the car tried to accelerate out of control. I had the brake on (was on a downhill) when it happened, so this was scary. I really had to press down more on the brake pedal, then shifted to neutral, then to park. The acceleration finally stopped. I did not observe tachometer readings during this or other events, but will pay more attention if/when this happens in the future. I do not drive with both feet, and as these incidents have occurred I have been able to maintain more composure and analyze what is going on. I am not getting my foot caught in the mat and I'm not mistakenly pressing on the accelerator. I've been to my local Mazda dealer (Sport Durst in Durham) on May 13, 2022 and they were unable to replicate the problem, so could not repair or even troubleshoot it. The car was T-boned about a year ago, with some damage to the passenger front tire. Could that have anything to do with my problems? My partner feels this could be an issue with the Throttle Control Sensor (hardware) or with the software managing throttle control (much more difficult to diagnose, he says). I wanted to ask: for anyone experiencing this problem, did replacing the Throttle Control Sensor or diagnosing software problems resolve the issue? And, do you have any recommendations for me? Since the car is (barely) out of warranty, (just over 6 yrs/60,000 miles) would filing a claim with Mazda be a good approach? Would you suggest I just trade the car in?

NHTSA ODI #11476063

41,000 miles · Jul 24, 2018
Wheels

DRIVING ON RTE 95 S IN PA. WHEN THE RIGHT REAR YOKOHAMA GEOLANDAR G91A TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENTIRE CENTER TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL AND TOOK OFF DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THE TPMS DID NOT ALERT ME AND ONLY THE SIDEWALLS ARE LEFT. MAZDA AND YOKOHAMA COULDN'T CARE LESS WHEN I CONTACTED THEM.

NHTSA ODI #11113252

20,700 miles · Dec 28, 2016
Parking BrakeService BrakesWheels

ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE STAYS ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING CAUSING BRAKES EXCESSIVE WEAR AND BRAKE FAILURE. FIVE 2016 CX5 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED IN SAME 5 MONTH PERIOD CAME TO DEALERSHIP WITH SAME PROBLEM. PROBLEM FIRST DETECTED BY SQUEAKING. PROBLEM GETS WORSE UNTIL DIFFICULT TO STOP WHEN BRAKING. GRUMBLING NOISE IN FRONT CAUSED BY B…

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ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE STAYS ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING CAUSING BRAKES EXCESSIVE WEAR AND BRAKE FAILURE. FIVE 2016 CX5 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED IN SAME 5 MONTH PERIOD CAME TO DEALERSHIP WITH SAME PROBLEM. PROBLEM FIRST DETECTED BY SQUEAKING. PROBLEM GETS WORSE UNTIL DIFFICULT TO STOP WHEN BRAKING. GRUMBLING NOISE IN FRONT CAUSED BY BAD BEARINGS. PROVIDING DEALER RECORDS AND PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN ORDERED. CONCERNED THAT MAZDA HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WHICH MAY NOT MANIFEST ITSELF FOR A YEAR OR MORE AFTER PURCHASE. MAZDA IS STILL SELLING THE 2016 MODELS SINCE THE 2017'S HAVE BEEN DELAYED. MAZDA HAS HAD REAR BRAKE PROBLEMS IN ITS PREVIOUS MODELS OF CX5 BUT DOES NOT ADDRESS ISSUES ON THE 2016. CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE MAY BE SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED BY THIS BRAKING ISSUE. CAR HAS BEEN IN SERVICE SINCE NOVEMBER 17 2016 BECAUSE SUITABLE PARTS ARE STILL ON ORDER. WORRIED THAT WITH TIME PARTS WILL DETERIORATE AGAIN. PLEASE SEE PART NUMBER OF THE EPB UNIT STILL OUTSTANDING ON ATTACHMENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10937942

Official recalls

4

20V063000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

Feb 6, 2020

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016 CX-5 vehicles. The LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) may fail while driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the DRL fails, the vehicle's visibility may be reduced to other drivers on the road, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlights, and replace the sealing gasket or headlight assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 20, 2020. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4320A.

16V644000 · Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate

Sep 6, 2016

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, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9916H.

16V203000 · Steering

Apr 11, 2016

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 manufactured January 19, 2013, to December 2, 2015, and 2013-2015 CX-9 vehicles manufactured December 6, 2012, to July 31, 2015. The lower mounting nuts and bolts that attach the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle may loosen, allowing the steering knuckle to separate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the steering knuckle separates from the strut assembly, it can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lower mounting nuts and bolts that secure the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle. If the bolts are loose, they will be replaced and then correctly tightened, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9316D.

16V064000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:filler Pipe And Cap

Feb 3, 2016

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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rupture of the fuel filler pipe may result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will alter the attachment between the fuel filler pipe and the left rear side of the bracket of the fuel filler pipe, free of charge. The recall began on February 25, 2016. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 9216B.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Mazda CX-5 problems