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2014 Mazda CX-9

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2014 Mazda CX-9 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 61.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

28 reports with mileage · 26 unknown

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 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

Engine complaints

19 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 27, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

I purchased a 2014 Mazda CX-9 back in May of 2020 w/ roughly 60k on the dash. Literally 7 months later w/ about 72k on the dash, the day after Christmas I was driving to work (I worked in the next state over) on the highway my car just shut down. No warnings, no check engine lights NOTHING! It just completely shut off and would …

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I purchased a 2014 Mazda CX-9 back in May of 2020 w/ roughly 60k on the dash. Literally 7 months later w/ about 72k on the dash, the day after Christmas I was driving to work (I worked in the next state over) on the highway my car just shut down. No warnings, no check engine lights NOTHING! It just completely shut off and would not turn on. Thankfully because of the holiday the highway was pretty empty and I was able to swing my car across the interstate so I wouldn’t get hit by oncoming traffic. After getting out and deciding to check my oil I noticed it looked milky. I had no idea what that meant so I had it towed to a Mazda dealership in the state I live in. It was going to cost me almost $8,000 to put in a new engine because the water pump that was placed inside of the engine failed, which in turn caused my engine to seize. The extended warranty I had on my vehicle was worthless so I ended up paying out of pocket. Thankfully Mazda worked with me and had me prove that I kept up maintenance on the truck so the price was chopped in half. This happened right at the beginning of Covid when the entire world was suffering financially. I still had to make my car payments on top of shelling out 4k on a truck I hadn’t even had for a year. This is a huge issue with a lot of people that own the same vehicle and is extremely dangerous! I could’ve killed someone or worse myself when my vehicle stalled out on the highway.

NHTSA ODI #11597219

Mileage unknown · Mar 12, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion System

The water pump failed causing water to mix with the oil and damage the head gasket. Estimates recommend replacing engine. The service engine light came on and we took it to our trusted mechanic right away. Got the estimates from two mechanics for this repair and then towed the car to Mazda dealer who confirmed the problem. W…

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The water pump failed causing water to mix with the oil and damage the head gasket. Estimates recommend replacing engine. The service engine light came on and we took it to our trusted mechanic right away. Got the estimates from two mechanics for this repair and then towed the car to Mazda dealer who confirmed the problem. We wrote to Mazda's corporate office and was told they would not fix it. My car has 68,000 miles and was regularly serviced. It is currently sitting dead in my garage. We bought this car in 2015 brand new from the Mazda dealer in Monroeville, PA. This is outrageous! I spoke with someone else who also owns a Mazda and the same thing happened to his car. From articles I have read and attached, this problem is occurring in many Mazdas. What needs to be in place for Mazda to take responsibility and fix this problem by recalling the affected vehicles?

NHTSA ODI #11576989

Mileage unknown · Aug 12, 2023
Engine

Water pump failed and ruined the engine. There was little to no warning.

NHTSA ODI #11538157

Mileage unknown · Jun 24, 2023
Engine

I bought a vehicle from Carvana 11/2021 with not quite 59k on it. On 6/21/2023, with 77K miles, my car had a catastrophic engine failure. I was driving my grandchildren ages, 3-12 years of age home. Safety was definitely at risk with speeds of 70 freeway were completed right before engine stopping. The mechanic shop has confirme…

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I bought a vehicle from Carvana 11/2021 with not quite 59k on it. On 6/21/2023, with 77K miles, my car had a catastrophic engine failure. I was driving my grandchildren ages, 3-12 years of age home. Safety was definitely at risk with speeds of 70 freeway were completed right before engine stopping. The mechanic shop has confirmed the car giving 3 codes related to timing belt/water pump and the other code which confirms engine failure. No warning lights had come on until I tried to restart it. Since this situation is most recent, I have not had anyone else inspect the vehicle. I am working through my options and will take recommendations for resolution.

NHTSA ODI #11528675

Mileage unknown · Mar 26, 2023
Engine

My transmission is slipping ….

NHTSA ODI #11513857

Mileage unknown · Nov 26, 2022
Engine

Sudden failure of water pump located inside the engine caused engine to shut down immediately while driving 70 mph on busy expressway. Extremely dangerous situation due to heavy traffic and high speeds traveled. Only by sheer luck were we able to coast across 4 lanes of traffic to an exit ramp and barely make it into a parking…

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Sudden failure of water pump located inside the engine caused engine to shut down immediately while driving 70 mph on busy expressway. Extremely dangerous situation due to heavy traffic and high speeds traveled. Only by sheer luck were we able to coast across 4 lanes of traffic to an exit ramp and barely make it into a parking lot after crossing 2 more lanes on the frontage road. Very difficult to steer and brake due to no engine power. Repair cost was $4,433. Two subsequent follow up repairs for check engine light and oil control valve issues related to water pump failure were required and covered under initial repair warranty. Research on web indicates this is a common problem with this engine with many complaints occurring soon after 100k miles. In many cases customers reported having to replace the engine or sell the car for parts due to the high cost of repair. Locating the water pump inside the engine block was a terrible design fault and extreme safety hazard when it fails.

NHTSA ODI #11494956

Mileage unknown · Nov 23, 2022
EngineFuel/propulsion System

Water pump defect that led to pump failure, which led to catastrophic engine failure without any prior warning. The defect is in the internal chain-driven water pump. The pump is meant to circulate coolant through the engine while the engine is running. However, the defect allows coolant to leak from water pump into the oil pan …

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Water pump defect that led to pump failure, which led to catastrophic engine failure without any prior warning. The defect is in the internal chain-driven water pump. The pump is meant to circulate coolant through the engine while the engine is running. However, the defect allows coolant to leak from water pump into the oil pan and/or other engine components, mixing it with the engine’s oil and leading to destruction of the engine. Mazda’s internal data indicates that the company began receiving reports of premature water pump failures in vehicles identical to mine (mine is a 2014 Mazda CX-9) by at least June 2007, yet Mazda continued to sell the vehicle without fixing the defect and failed to warn customers of the defect. The owner's manuals say nothing about water pump maintenance because the water pump should last the life of the Mazda vehicle. My water pump failed and destroyed my engine at just a mere 72,400 miles. The water pump problem is caused by the elastomer bellow, which is made with hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, which is damaged by hot coolant. Due to problems with the seal, coolant leaks into other components because the water pump is located above the crankshaft. An engine will allegedly fail once coolant mixes with engine oil and travels through the engine. Mazda allegedly has done nothing to fix the water pumps and won't recall the vehicles to offer free repairs. The automaker is also not reimbursing owners who may pay thousands of dollars for repairs related to failed water pumps. When I took my CX-9 to my Mazda dealer because it was leaking coolant, the dealer informed me I needed a new water pump but then said that because of that they should just replace the engine, for a total cost of approx. $9,000. Dealer gave no explanation of why it concluded before looking inside engine or at timing chain why I must buy a new engine because of bad water pump. Clearly dealer knew defect was the reason but withheld that info. That's fraud

NHTSA ODI #11494654

Mileage unknown · Aug 31, 2022
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

- Water pump failed causing coolant to mix with oil. This repair cost was around $3,900. - Luckily this failure happened on our community road and was able to pull into our driveway. Mechanic stated that if this happened on the highway or regular road, this could have caused a major incident and possibly a blown motor. - No, b…

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- Water pump failed causing coolant to mix with oil. This repair cost was around $3,900. - Luckily this failure happened on our community road and was able to pull into our driveway. Mechanic stated that if this happened on the highway or regular road, this could have caused a major incident and possibly a blown motor. - No, but complaints of similar issues have been reported via my online research. - Just by the mechanic I had my vehicle towed to. - There was no indication of an issue until the water pump failed.

NHTSA ODI #11482138

Mileage unknown · Nov 3, 2021
Engine

I purchased a 2014 Mazda CX-9 on 12/14/2019. On Monday 10/18/2021 I was driving on the Hwy on the way home and my check engine light came. I had my mechanic check it out and he said the computer read a P0019 code. So on 10/20/2021, I took it to the dealer where I originally purchased it and this was the same code they found. At…

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I purchased a 2014 Mazda CX-9 on 12/14/2019. On Monday 10/18/2021 I was driving on the Hwy on the way home and my check engine light came. I had my mechanic check it out and he said the computer read a P0019 code. So on 10/20/2021, I took it to the dealer where I originally purchased it and this was the same code they found. At the local dealership, I was told that apparently, the water pump needed to be replaced due to water coolant in the oil pan. I had absolutely no warning. No leaking, no smell of coolant. This vehicle only has 88,000. Upon further research and to my surprise is that the water pump in the Duratec 37 engine and make and model has a design flaw with the water pump located in the engine with the timing chain. That is the number one problem that fails first due to the water pump gaskets wearing degrading without any warning pump has become damaged due to pump bearings too. I had my vehicle serviced with four oil changes over the past 28,000 miles since I purchased it. These late-model vehicles being built today I know do not burn that much oil nowadays. I also found out, the iVCT 3.7 Duratec is in the 2008-2015 Mazda CX-9 which I have the 2014 model. This 3.7 V6 uses a timing chain-driven water pump. I also found out this kind of water pump is prone to failing at the pump bearings which allows the timing center to move around. Once it’s bad enough coolant is dumped into the engine where it mixes with the oil dripping from the water pump into the oil pan. This is where the real problems begin. Coolant mixing with oil is not good. It can cause corrosion and lots of internal wear as the Duratec 3.7 engine oil is no longer able to properly lubricate moving parts and shut down the engine. Base on the number of oil changes I had during this time I'm sure it had nothing to do with the water pump failure issue. This is solely a Mazda manufacturing flaw with the design. At this time my warranty does not want to cover the repair. Thanks

NHTSA ODI #11439290

80,000 miles · Mar 16, 2021
EngineUnknown Or Other

I PURCHASED A 2014 MAZDA CX NINE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. THE OTHER DAY I WAS DRIVING AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE MY FAN GOT REALLY LOUD SO I PULLED OVER AND TURNED UP THE HEAT AND TURNED OFF ANY AC. ALL THE SUN STEAM STARTED COMING OUT OF MY ENGINE AND THE CAR DIED. AFTER TOWING IT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TWO OPT…

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I PURCHASED A 2014 MAZDA CX NINE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. THE OTHER DAY I WAS DRIVING AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE MY FAN GOT REALLY LOUD SO I PULLED OVER AND TURNED UP THE HEAT AND TURNED OFF ANY AC. ALL THE SUN STEAM STARTED COMING OUT OF MY ENGINE AND THE CAR DIED. AFTER TOWING IT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TWO OPTIONS. I COULD EITHER BUY A BRAND NEW CAR OR PAY $13,000 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. APPARENTLY THE WATER PUMP BROKE AND THE ENGINE SEIZED UP. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. NO LEAKING, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NOTHING' I LATER FOUND SEVERAL REVIEWS SAYING THIS WAS AN ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE & MODEL. I STILL OWE OVER $16,000 ON THIS CAR AND NOW I HAVE TO GET A NEW CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11403345

Official recalls

3

18V717000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Oct 12, 2018

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Mazda6, 2010-2012 CX-7, and 2010-2015 CX-9 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.

16V203000 · Steering

Apr 11, 2016

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 2, 2015, 2013-2014 Mazda2 vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to August 8, 2014, 2014-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured January 19, 2013, to December 2, 2015, and 2013-2015 CX-9 vehicles manufactured December 6, 2012, to July 31, 2015. The lower mounting nuts and bolts that attach the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle may loosen, allowing the steering knuckle to separate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the steering knuckle separates from the strut assembly, it can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lower mounting nuts and bolts that secure the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle. If the bolts are loose, they will be replaced and then correctly tightened, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9316D.

15V451000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm; Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

Jul 20, 2015

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase will be for model year 2010-2014 vehicles in the same states. Finally, all remaining vehicles will be remedied. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 8515G.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting.

Consequence: Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase will be for model year 2010-2014 vehicles in the same states. Finally, all remaining vehicles will be remedied. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 8515G.

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting.

Consequence: Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase will be for model year 2010-2014 vehicles in the same states. Finally, all remaining vehicles will be remedied. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 8515G.

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

1

PE15022 · Lower Ball Joint Separation

Opened Jun 9, 2015 · Closed Aug 20, 2015

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint

In an July 7,2015 letter to NHTSA, Mazda identified a safety defect that could result in lower ball joint separation in approximately 193,484 model year (MY) 2007 through 2014 Mazda CX-9 vehicles (NHTSA Recall No. 15V-451,Mazda 8515G).Mazda indicated that damage to the ball joint boot may allow water to enter the front suspension ball joint fitting during use which may result in premature ball joint wear and a progressively looser joint.In January 2014, Mazda implemented redesigned lower control arms in production vehicles to improve the durability of the lower ball joints.The redesign involved changing the shape of the top surface of the ball joint boot cover and adding a suspension plate to the undersurface of the knuckle.Mazda's recall will replace the defect lower control arms with the redesigned parts.ODI's analysis of information collected during PE15-022 identified a total of 62 ball joint separation incidents, including 34 identified in ODI complaints and 31 identified in Mazda complaints and field reports (3 of the Mazda records involve vehicles/incidents that were also reported to ODI).When Mazda's design change was implemented, most of the field experience related to lower ball joints involved complaints of noise and premature wear-out.Only 1 of the ODI and 6 of the additional Mazda separation complaints identified in ODI's analysis were reported prior to January 2014.Significant increases in the number and trend in separation complaints were observed in 2015, when 30 of the ODI complaints and 16 of the additional Mazda complaints were reported.The report trend appears to be accelerating, with 29 of the reports received after ODI opened PE15-022 on June 9, 2015.There has been one crash reported to ODI related to the alleged defect (VOQ 10746510). This investigation is closed based on Mazda's recall.The 34 VOQs associated with this investigation are: 10747358, 10746510, 10744897, 10743509, 10736229, 10735938, 10734763, 10734302, 10734290, 10733813, 10732578, 10732217, 10732154, 10731850, 10730736, 10730280, 10730143, 10730114, 10726622, 10726480 10726448, 10726168, 10725839, 10725567, 10725488, 10725427, 10725390, 10717510, 10714469, 10695142, 10668978, 10648429, 10640541, 10546535