Mazda CX-5 electrical problems

Infotainment Issue (Ghost Touch Issue). Mazda has been experiencing problems with the Infotainment Issue (all around the globe.. I am located in Mexico. Not sure if this channel is the right way to ask for help outside the USA); in different models such as Mazda 3, CX5, etc. My Mazda CX5 is a 2019 year model with only 10,000 miles. The "Ghost Touch Issue" started just after the 3 year warranty expired. I have the extended warranty but Mazda just confirmed this issue is not covered anymore and I need to pay approximately $1,000 US Dlls to fix the issue (and only 3 months warranty... recommendation not to park the car under the sun which for me is ridiculous). This "Ghost Touch Issue is more than an annoyance. IT IS DANGEROUS. The vehicle itself says not to play with the system while driving. When the volume goes to max suddenly on the radio and channels or worse, settings suddenly change beeping with each change (this issue causes music stations to skip around back and forth, unattended phone calls, etc); and IT IS IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO BE DISTRACTED. I got involved in a "small" car accident in 2013 due to a distraction while driving due to this crazy "ghost infotainment issue" on my vehicle. Mazda is aware of this issue and issued a service bulletin for 2014-2016 Mazda 3´s to have the screen fixed for no cost. What Mazda is waiting for to fix-make a recall and fix the issue at once? As outlined before this is a Manufacturer issue and they need to get accountable of this. Thanks in advance for your follow up and attention.

Mazda ships a defective touchscreen that will degrade and eventually register phantom inputs to the infotainment system. In my vehicle, the screen was able to randomly access my settings, including for safety (blind spot monitoring) and display (driving units, heads up display, etc) and start messing with my settings. When I was using maps, the screen would randomly zoom into different spots, or change my destination, or modify settings. This was an enormous distraction and rendered the screen useless. Also, I was never sure if I stopped the car from changing settings related to vehicle safety because I can't keep my eyes on the screen while I'm driving. It was just registering random inputs all over the screen while the vehicle was in motion.

The vehicle display registers false “phantom” touches, causing it to behave erratically. Mazda issued a service bulletin for 2014-2016 Mazda 3 models but this affects most Mazda models through at least 2020 including our 2017 CX-5. Mazda has not acknowledged this for other vehicles. My 2016 Mazda 3had the repair completed under a service bulletin. Unfortunately the dealer will charge a diagnostic fee for this vehicle. Mazda does offer a repair part for this issue, where they previously required complete CMU replacement, so they know it’s a problem. This results in sudden and random changes in volume, navigation, radio, etc with no intervention, causing a significant distraction and safety concern.

There is a known “ghost touch” issue with this vehicle. I did not realize that until recently but the infotainment screen will randomly activate when at low speeds and/or stopped. This has caused distractions while driving as sometimes it will actually initiate phone calls on its own. Mazda has a technical service bulletin on this but has issued no recall

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.

There is a known issue with the infotainment systems of several makes/models within a certain date range of Mazda vehicles called Ghost Touch. It seems to mainly occur in very hot or cold weather. The touch screen will press different buttons on the screen on its own, which can be quite dangerous while driving: maps will start directing you to a different location, if you are on a call, it may put the person on hold or call another party. Music skips and pauses. It can cause extremely distracted driving (ie: trying to hang up on someone it has dialed on its own or switch directions back to the original address). Dealerships know about the issue but require a test to be done at the cost of the owner to prove the issue, and then they may or may not cover the cost of the fix. This should be a recall to fix this, but have not. Here is the service alert: [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I have reported this same issue to NHTSA since 2021, and the issue persists to date. Other model years of Mazdas (2017, 2018) including my vehicle have been experiencing "ghost touch". This is an issue that Mazda addressed under a recall for the 2014-2016 models, however, has failed to extend. This poses as severe safety issue as the vehicle randomly increases the volume and will change settings that can either startle the driver and/or make visibility of the cluster impossible especially while driving at night. Please address this issue. There are numerous complaints with this specific year and model alone; but I am certain if searches were conducted on other models, the same issue will be found.

The vehicle unexpectedly caught fire and the results could have been catastrophic. Almost new car under warranty. All details are in the uploaded PDF letter and photos. I have contacted Mazda and they claim they do not investigate, only insurance company will investigate. My insurance company will pay me for the total loss but does not plan to investigate. I think this is dangerous and unconscionable. Thank you for any help or guidance.