← New search

2018 Mazda CX-5

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most CX-5 years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Mazda CX-5 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 133.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 83 of 348 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Engine. Review the 177 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

19 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports

What owners actually said

348 reports
Mileage unknown · Dec 27, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

This vehicle has stalled out while driving at least 4-5 times since purchasing it in 2018, although issues started about 2020 or 2021. It usually starts with the radio console either malfunctioning or going dead completely while I’m driving and several minutes later (usually after stopping at a red light but sometimes while act…

Read full complaint

This vehicle has stalled out while driving at least 4-5 times since purchasing it in 2018, although issues started about 2020 or 2021. It usually starts with the radio console either malfunctioning or going dead completely while I’m driving and several minutes later (usually after stopping at a red light but sometimes while actively driving) the car stalls out in the middle of traffic. It starts up after few minutes but it’s a very dangerous situation. It also sometimes hesitates when putting my foot on the gas, as if there’s a fuel injection problem. I already got all the recalls fixed but there’s obviously other significant problems with this vehicle. If it causes me to get injured I will be taking legal action.

NHTSA ODI #11562198

Mileage unknown · Dec 15, 2023
Engine

Crack Cylinder Head less than 50,000 miles

NHTSA ODI #11560355

Mileage unknown · Dec 15, 2023
Air Bags

SRS Airbag light went off and ODB-II reader indicated passenger side supplemental restraint module error. We called Mazda October 20,2023 as the vehicle was nearing end of warranty period for the airbags system (warranty ended October 30, 2023). Mazda stated they could get the vehicle in on November 12, 2023, which is after wa…

Read full complaint

SRS Airbag light went off and ODB-II reader indicated passenger side supplemental restraint module error. We called Mazda October 20,2023 as the vehicle was nearing end of warranty period for the airbags system (warranty ended October 30, 2023). Mazda stated they could get the vehicle in on November 12, 2023, which is after warranty period and we would be required to pay to fix the car. An online search quickly resulted in seeing many other people with the same model of Mazda having the same issue for the passenger seat. I called national Mazda today, December 15, 2023 and they said that the vehicle is now 45 days out of warranty and no longer their problem.

NHTSA ODI #11560313

84,000 miles · Nov 14, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a scheduled service appointment. During the inspection, the contact was informed that the vehicle had a cracked cylinder and the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a scheduled service appointment. During the inspection, the contact was informed that the vehicle had a cracked cylinder and the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the repair would not be covered under the warranty due to the warranty being expired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

NHTSA ODI #11555061

Mileage unknown · Nov 7, 2023
Service Brakes

Two bolts simultaneously dislodged brake caliper which, in turn, disconnected brake fluid hose resulting in loss in brake responsiveness.

NHTSA ODI #11553982

Mileage unknown · Oct 25, 2023
Engine

Defective cylinder head resulting in oil leak. Confirmed and inspected by dealer. No warning messages or symptoms. Just smell of burning oil.

NHTSA ODI #11551898

Mileage unknown · Oct 13, 2023
Engine

I just had my vehicle in for routine maintenance and oil change and three days later it started leaking oil, staining my driveway, with the leak getting progressively worse then my check oil light went on, and the day I brought it in, and it was smoking under the hood. My safety and the safety of others on the road was at risk. …

Read full complaint

I just had my vehicle in for routine maintenance and oil change and three days later it started leaking oil, staining my driveway, with the leak getting progressively worse then my check oil light went on, and the day I brought it in, and it was smoking under the hood. My safety and the safety of others on the road was at risk. At the routine maintenance visit they found no issues with the vehicle. After bringing it into the dealership they diagnosed it as a cylinder head crack needing replacement. We had another dealership look at the diagnostic video and explain that this is poor manufacturing. It’s just over 60,000 miles but is still within our warranty from a timeline aspect. Upon research we found this is happening to many people with a Mazda’s from year, 18 to 21. There are many forums about this. Upon an online search we found this problem documented as tsb SA-031/21. I am disappointed that the Mazda company is aware of the faulty cylinder heads in this vehicle, and now I am responsible for the maintenance charge.

NHTSA ODI #11549770

Mileage unknown · Oct 9, 2023
Forward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure

Was driving at low speed and out of nowhere the warning lights came on , smart city , abs, among others. It's caused by this vehicles front facing camera and or front radar emblem malfunctioning causing the vehicle to slow down , low power , and steering wheel jerking making mechanical sounds. There's a tsb as well.

NHTSA ODI #11548943

Mileage unknown · Oct 8, 2023
Engine

I own a Mazda that I purchased new in 2018. I have kept up with the maintenance to a “T”. I have never abused it. About a month ago I started smelling a strange smell. Like smoke or burnt oil. A couple of weeks later, the engine oil level light came on and the engine was low on oil and that’s when I started seeing that the mot…

Read full complaint

I own a Mazda that I purchased new in 2018. I have kept up with the maintenance to a “T”. I have never abused it. About a month ago I started smelling a strange smell. Like smoke or burnt oil. A couple of weeks later, the engine oil level light came on and the engine was low on oil and that’s when I started seeing that the motor was leaking oil, and I just found out that the engine head cylinder has a crack. I found out that these vehicles have a defect from the factory on this part that cracked, “Engine Head cylinder”. And now to repair it, it is going to cost me around $6,000. The warranty has run out.

NHTSA ODI #11548906

Mileage unknown · Sep 29, 2023
Seat Belts

Back seat seat belt cord unlatched from main holding while in use with passenger.

NHTSA ODI #11547415

Official recalls

3

21V875000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Nov 12, 2021

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 causing the fuel pump to fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.

19V497000 · Engine; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Jun 27, 2019

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Engine

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.

Consequence: An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.

Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.

Consequence: An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.

18V426000 · Air Bags:side/window

Jun 25, 2018

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda CX-5 vehicles. In the event of a side impact or rollover crash, the side curtain air bags may not properly unfold during deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the air bags do not deploy properly in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2718F.

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