The wiring harness on the headlight for my Mazda CX-9 has and continues to melt, causing the bulb to be useless. The only issue that will seem to correct this issue is installing new headlights. According to my research this is a problem that is common to Mazda CX-9 vehicles.
2015 Mazda CX-9
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2015 Mazda CX-9 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 61.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all CX-9 years →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
20 reports with mileage · 15 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 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Exterior Lighting complaints
2 reportsI'VE ONLY HAD MY MAZDA FOR 10 MONTHS AND HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM TWICE. THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT SOCKET HAS MELTED AND RENDERING THE BULB USELESS. I NOTICED THE SOCKET HAD BEEN SPLICED INTO THE OLD HARNESS SO I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALER SERVICE. THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE TO INSTALL A COMPLETE NEW HARNESS. TO REMOVE THE LIGHT…
Read full complaint
I'VE ONLY HAD MY MAZDA FOR 10 MONTHS AND HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM TWICE. THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT SOCKET HAS MELTED AND RENDERING THE BULB USELESS. I NOTICED THE SOCKET HAD BEEN SPLICED INTO THE OLD HARNESS SO I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALER SERVICE. THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE TO INSTALL A COMPLETE NEW HARNESS. TO REMOVE THE LIGHT FIXTURE, THE BUMPER WILL NEED TO BE REMOVED. THE ESTIMATE FOR THIS WAS $643.25! I PURCHASED THE WIRING HARNESS AND WITH HELP INSTALLED IT THROUGH THE PORTS IN THE REAR OF THE FIXTURE IN JANUARY 2019. RECENTLY, THE LIGHT STOPPED ILLUMINATING AGAIN ONLY TO FIND THIS SAME SOCKET HAS MELTED AS THE PREVIOUS ONE DID. IF THIS PATTERN PERSISTS, IT COULD COST $1300 PER YEAR TO HAVE MAZDA FIX IT. THE SPLICED HARNESS TELLS ME THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE! BEFORE BUYING THIS MAZDA I FOUND A REVIEW ON KELLY BLUE BOOK'S WEBSITE WITH ONE FRUSTRATED OWNER THAT HAD A SIMILAR REOCCURRING PROBLEM EVERY 3 MONTHS. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT IT MAY BE AN ANOMALY. I BELIEVE UPON INVESTIGATION YOU WILL FIND IT'S MORE OF A PERPETUAL SAFETY HAZARD, INCONVENIENCE AND EXPENSE. I WILL SEND DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOS WITH THIS REQUEST FOR A RECALL INVESTIGATION.
Official recalls
218V717000 · 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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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