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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.

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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 · Jan 27, 2023
Engine

Mechanic stated engine cylinder head oil hole leak. Seems to be manufacturer defects

NHTSA ODI #11503964

Mileage unknown · Jan 25, 2023
Unknown Or Other

We were driving down the highway in light to medium traffic. Weather was about 40 degrees, no rain. The moonroof suddenly exploded. It does not appear to have been hit by anything. Luckily the shade was drawn so glass didnt go inside the car.

NHTSA ODI #11503560

Mileage unknown · Jan 4, 2023
Electrical System

The informational screen will just start going "haywire"--someone described it as a "ghost touch!" It will change screens without warning, going through my saved contacts and calling or deleting them. Changing channels etc..---it is more than a nuisance, it can be a hazard!

NHTSA ODI #11500221

Mileage unknown · Dec 31, 2022
Engine

Cracked cylinder head, significant oil leaking, no engine lights. No past collisions in vehicles or indicator engine was running hot. Dealership reported they see no history of fault codes on vehicle computer.

NHTSA ODI #11499627

Mileage unknown · Dec 29, 2022
Engine

On 12/23 I was driving on the highway approaching exit 43 A-B on I-95 N and the engine oil light came on, I started monitoring the temperature of the car and it was holding steady, neither was it dropping nor was it overheating. I continued driving for a minute more, I am half mile away from home at this point and I smelled burn…

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On 12/23 I was driving on the highway approaching exit 43 A-B on I-95 N and the engine oil light came on, I started monitoring the temperature of the car and it was holding steady, neither was it dropping nor was it overheating. I continued driving for a minute more, I am half mile away from home at this point and I smelled burning oil. I pulled the car over and opened up the hood, I turned on the flashlight on my phone and I could see oil on the engine floor. I called up Mazda dealership near me and they were closed for the holidays so I left voicemails. After a couple of days of no answers, I was able to get through to someone and they said they'll take the car in however they can't guarantee if they will be able to even look at it until after the holiday, I speak to the service manager and mention that I have an upcoming trip out of state for Christmas, they said they did not have any loaner cars available either. I got my car towed to the dealership anyways. Next day I get a phonecall from them stating that the oil pump and pressure was fine and they suspect it was the engine head that was causing the leak and that it would cost me 6000$ to fix it. Along with that I need to get my belt tensioner fixed which would be around 680$. The car's estimated value is about 12000$ and I am being asked to pay more than half its value after owning it for 4 years to fix something that was caused by wear and tear. I also did a little digging and I've found that my car falls under ones that have been identified by Mazda to probably have a defective engine head. I am attaching the reports that I have discovered in my research with this submission. I am imploring for assistance in this matter as I cannot afford this expense and I would not like to part ways with something that has been reliable for the last 4+ years. Dealership- Wellesley Mazda

NHTSA ODI #11499444

Mileage unknown · Dec 28, 2022
Forward Collision Avoidance

Automatic Emergency Brake comes on at random. Driving at medium speed, no cars in view, car brakes and dashboard displays EMERGENCY BRAKE. Has not yet been inspected by a dealer because car is out of warranty. 2018 Mazda CX5 with only 19,000 total miles driven.

NHTSA ODI #11499151

Mileage unknown · Nov 10, 2022
EngineFuel/propulsion System

After driving for approximately 1 minute, the vehicle approached a stop sign and car stalled and would not restart. When attempting to restart vehicle, engine was firing but not turning over. Attempted to jump start the vehicle with no success until vehicle was given throttle at which point it restarted. No lights were illuminat…

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After driving for approximately 1 minute, the vehicle approached a stop sign and car stalled and would not restart. When attempting to restart vehicle, engine was firing but not turning over. Attempted to jump start the vehicle with no success until vehicle was given throttle at which point it restarted. No lights were illuminated prior to the incident, but when the vehicle stalled the battery light and check engine light illuminated.

NHTSA ODI #11493143

Mileage unknown · Oct 26, 2022
Service Brakes

Calipers sticking causing brakes to wear down every 3 months.

NHTSA ODI #11490923

33,000 miles · Oct 24, 2022
Fuel System, Gasoline

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while in a parking lot, the vehicle failed to accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The fuel warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence; however, the fuel gauge was fluctuating. The contact then received noti…

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The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while in a parking lot, the vehicle failed to accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The fuel warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence; however, the fuel gauge was fluctuating. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. After months of calling the manufacturer, the contact was given an appointment and had the recall repair performed at the dealer. Upon return of the vehicle, the contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact was then informed by the dealer that two additional unknown parts were defective and were not covered under the recall. The contact repeatedly called the manufacturer for assistance and was informed that the vehicle was no longer under warranty and had to be repaired out of pocket. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 33,000.

NHTSA ODI #11490565

Mileage unknown · Sep 30, 2022
Engine

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine Heads Cracked How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Smoke from engine bay and fumes entering cabin via AC vents. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes…

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What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine Heads Cracked How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Smoke from engine bay and fumes entering cabin via AC vents. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Inspected by Mazda dealer and confirmed defective header from manufacture. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lamps, burning smell Burning oil smoke from engine bay. Smoke order enters cabin via AC vents odor very strong. Appeared at 28,000 odometer mileage.

NHTSA ODI #11487320

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