Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 23 of 106 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.
Electrical System. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports0 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
106 reports
32,000 miles · Sep 25, 2025
Engine And Engine CoolingVehicle Speed Control
The contact owns a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while the cruise control was activated and driving 65 MPH in the middle lane of a busy six-lane highway, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was suddenly stalled and coasted to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. The contact was able t…
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The contact owns a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while the cruise control was activated and driving 65 MPH in the middle lane of a busy six-lane highway, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was suddenly stalled and coasted to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure and was unable to confirm that the failure had occurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,000.
NHTSA ODI #11689633
Mileage unknown · Aug 27, 2025
Forward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure
While driving my vehicle the systems sensors are affected by nearby drivers which cause the car to stall in the middle of traffic going between 40 and 75 miles per hour.
NHTSA ODI #11683539
Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2025
Air Bags
While traveling on an Interstate highway, my passenger side curtain airbag suddenly deployed without any warning while I was driving. There was no collision or impact, there was no debris on the road, or any significant bumps in the road. There was a very loud explosive sound and then my entire passenger side was covered in b…
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While traveling on an Interstate highway, my passenger side curtain airbag suddenly deployed without any warning while I was driving. There was no collision or impact, there was no debris on the road, or any significant bumps in the road. There was a very loud explosive sound and then my entire passenger side was covered in blue. The sound was so loud that it left my ears ringing and left me badly shaken up. I lost all visibility out of my passenger side as all of my side windows and mirrors were obscured, and I knew there was traffic in that lane along side of me. It felt very dangerous and I had to rely on my lane change sensors to safely pull to the side to assess any damage. There was no evident sign of any impact to my car. All of the glass was intact, there were no scratches, dents or missing paint. The airbag fully deployed for no apparent reason and I was extremely lucky that I was not injured and that my reaction did not cause an accident when this happened. The car was taken to a Mazda dealership to assess, and they did not find any damage either, but said there was no mechanical error on the part of the car, so it is still unexplained. I had it evaluated by an autobody/collision shop, again no damage was determined, their scan showed a diagnostic code that there was a "circuit short to ground".
NHTSA ODI #11682340
Mileage unknown · Aug 15, 2025
Unknown Or Other
Display screen (Infotainment system) will randomly change the settings of my vehicle and call people or change display features or volume control or directions that is distracting and dangerous to me as I drive.
NHTSA ODI #11680956
Mileage unknown · Aug 1, 2025
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other
The infotainment screen in the vehicle suffers from Phantom/Ghost touching, rending a safety hazard as while following navigation it can act on it's own, becoming a large distraction.
NHTSA ODI #11677811
Mileage unknown · Jul 30, 2025
Unknown Or Other
Mazda has a known issue with their infotainment system and ghost touch. There was a recent lawsuit but ghost touch is not covered under the class action lawsuit. The screen will call people, change setting, and just click a bunch of things. This is extremely distracting when driving if I’m constantly having to fight to stay on m…
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Mazda has a known issue with their infotainment system and ghost touch. There was a recent lawsuit but ghost touch is not covered under the class action lawsuit. The screen will call people, change setting, and just click a bunch of things. This is extremely distracting when driving if I’m constantly having to fight to stay on my navigation screen and make sure it is not calling people. It’s a very well known issue that Mazda will not fix it and quotes around $500-700 to fix with a part that will eventually have the same issue. I have tried pleasing with Mazda and basically been told too bad. I just want my screen to work and not have to fight it constantly
NHTSA ODI #11677154
Mileage unknown · Jul 29, 2025
Engine
I noticed an oil leak. I had it diagnosed and its a crack in the cylinder head, right above the exhaust manifold. This is known issue for Mazda's online. There is oil spilling everywhere. The oil burns off as it is driving. Smoke fills my car.
NHTSA ODI #11677045
Mileage unknown · Jul 28, 2025
Electrical System
I own a 2020 Mazda CX-5 equipped with the Mazda Connect infotainment system. The touchscreen display malfunctions regularly by randomly selecting menu items, jumping between screens, zooming in and out, and activating functions without any input from me. These “phantom touch” events occur even when the vehicle is in Drive, which…
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I own a 2020 Mazda CX-5 equipped with the Mazda Connect infotainment system. The touchscreen display malfunctions regularly by randomly selecting menu items, jumping between screens, zooming in and out, and activating functions without any input from me. These “phantom touch” events occur even when the vehicle is in Drive, which means the touchscreen should be disabled — yet the system behaves as if it’s receiving constant false touch input. When this happens, I cannot back out of screens or use the physical control knob or buttons, making it extremely distracting and unsafe while driving. The dealer initially diagnosed it as a screen laminate issue, which they said isn’t covered under warranty. However, this appears to be a known defect in the CMU (Connectivity Master Unit) that Mazda has not properly addressed in many cases, even though there is an ongoing class action settlement about it. The CMU passed their diagnostic test, but the issue persists — and others have reported receiving full replacements despite passing those same tests. Mazda refuses to escalate or repair unless the screen kit fails first. I believe this is a defect affecting driver safety, especially since it continues while the vehicle is moving.
NHTSA ODI #11676624
52,000 miles · Jul 21, 2025
Power Train
The contact owns a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked abnormally while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The manufacturer was notified by the dealer about the failure, and …
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The contact owns a 2020 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked abnormally while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The manufacturer was notified by the dealer about the failure, and the manufacturer agreed to partially cover the cost of the repair. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
NHTSA ODI #11674985
Mileage unknown · Jul 19, 2025
Engine
Engine developed multiple oil leaks from oil seal and timing cover. The leaks could result in engine failure and endanger driver and/or passengers. No warning lights activated, was found at routine oil change. Defect was reported to manufacturer, but warranty had expired, and they refused accept responsibility. Research reve…
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Engine developed multiple oil leaks from oil seal and timing cover. The leaks could result in engine failure and endanger driver and/or passengers. No warning lights activated, was found at routine oil change. Defect was reported to manufacturer, but warranty had expired, and they refused accept responsibility. Research revealed this vehicle is known to have this defect.
NHTSA ODI #11674729
Official recalls
0
No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗