2024 Mazda CX-5

Component failure: potential thermal (heat-related) breakdown of the EPS control module, steering rack electronics, or associated wiring harness. Description: After approximately two hours of continuous highway driving, a critical Red Steering Wheel Warning Light illuminates intermittently in the center dashboard. This indicates a severe system fault and imminent threat of total loss of power steering assist while operating at highway speeds presenting an extreme safety hazard. The vehicle is under the bumper-to-bumper warranty and was brought to authorized Mazda service for the warranty repair. The dealership refused to perform a deep electronic diagnostic of the EPS module. The service manager released the vehicle back to me, claiming the issue cannot be duplicated unless it is driven for two hours and no active codes are showing. He is claiming this is a lane assist issue and the vehicle is safe. This is not a lane assist issue as it was occurring for the complete two hour trip and not on a specific road area that the lane assist could not detect. By refusing to escalate a critical steering failure to manufacturer engineers, the dealership has forced me to continue driving a potentially unsafe vehicle with a known steering defect in order to “prove” the malfunction occurs.

Incident Description: On multiple occasions in January and February 2026, while operating a 2024 Mazda CX-5 in reverse on low-friction surfaces (snow/ice) with a slight incline, the vehicle suffered a total systemic failure. System Failures: While reversing at low speeds, the engine spontaneously shut off without warning. This resulted in an immediate loss of power braking and power steering. Simultaneously, the electronic gear selector (shifter) became non-functional, preventing the vehicle from being placed into 'Park' to stop the uncontrolled rearward slide. Safety Risk: The vehicle became a "runaway" object on several occasions. In one instance, the vehicle narrowly avoided crushing a pedestrian against another parked car, stopping only when the tires reached a different surface texture. In a separate incident, the vehicle slid uncontrolled down a residential hill, striking snowbanks. There is a grave concern regarding whether the Supplemental Restraint System (airbags) remains functional during these engine-stall events, as the dealer could not confirm occupant protection status during a total power loss. Inspection & Reproduction: The vehicle was presented to an authorized Mazda dealer on March 3, 2026. The service department attempted to replicate the issue by reversing over soapy water on a gravel surface. However, due to the high friction of the gravel, they were unable to induce the specific tire-slip/low-traction conditions required to trigger the malfunction. No error codes were found during an informal scan, and no warning lamps or messages appeared prior to or during the failures. Component for Inspection: The vehicle is available for inspection. I believe the failure is rooted in the traction control or engine management software, which appears to improperly shut down the powertrain when it detects specific wheel-spin patterns in reverse, subsequently disabling critical safety systems including brakes and transmission locks.

I bought this car brand new with 51 miles on it on 7/24 and have taken it to the dealership mechanics twice for the same problem. Within 3 seconds of “letting go” of the steering wheel, the car veers and pulls directly into the right berm. The car requires continuous redirection of the steering wheel to get it to drive straight on. The dealership where I purchased this has not reported this defect to the manufacturer despite me requesting it. The car was inspected prior to me purchasing it, and upon me noticing that it veers off the road, I took it back to the dealership garage (on 7/31) and the mechanics reported that they had rebalanced and realigned the tires.The mechanics also told me they had realigned the front and rear axles and said that they had probably been affected by being strapped down tightly on the delivery truck (?). I picked up the car the same day (7/31) after they said they fixed it, and within 10 miles of leaving the dealership, I noticed that the car continued to pull me off the road to the right. I turned around and returned to the mechanics’ and requested they report this to the manufacturer. The car has remained at the dealership mechanic’s since 7/31. No warning lights or messages have ever shown on the car. I consider this a major safety hazard as the car is constantly and consistently veering either off the road into the berm, or into the right lane if attempting to pass.