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: 15 of 127 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.
Engine. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. 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.
4 crash reports1 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
127 reports
Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2023
Electrical System
There is a recall for Mazda 2016-2017 infotainment screens where they will show signs of cracking under the plastic and the screen will reboot. I have a 2018 CX-9 and Mazda corporate acknowledged the issue but only offered 15% of the price of a replacement part instead of replacing it. They said my VIN was not part of the origin…
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There is a recall for Mazda 2016-2017 infotainment screens where they will show signs of cracking under the plastic and the screen will reboot. I have a 2018 CX-9 and Mazda corporate acknowledged the issue but only offered 15% of the price of a replacement part instead of replacing it. They said my VIN was not part of the original recall. I informed them this was a safety concern and then did not care. Case number - [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11536484
Mileage unknown · Jul 31, 2023
Seat Belts
The seat belt in the center seat of the middle row of seats is locked in unusable position.
NHTSA ODI #11535473
Mileage unknown · Jul 20, 2023
Engine
Started smelling coolant through AC and noticing that temp would momentarily spike to 240 before going back down to 200. My independent mechanic diagnosed it as a coolant leak in the cylinder head related to Mazda Tech Service Bulletin 01-002/23 (https://www.tsbsearch.com/Mazda/01-002-23). Took it to Mazda dealership, they confi…
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Started smelling coolant through AC and noticing that temp would momentarily spike to 240 before going back down to 200. My independent mechanic diagnosed it as a coolant leak in the cylinder head related to Mazda Tech Service Bulletin 01-002/23 (https://www.tsbsearch.com/Mazda/01-002-23). Took it to Mazda dealership, they confirmed a coolant leak and wish to replace the whole engine. Problem is that vehicle 1) has 105K miles and is not under warranty 2) Mazda engines are on back order and may not be available until November. I am going through an appeal process with Mazda right now to try to get some relief from a 9K repair bill. Disappointed that this known issue ( several threads in the Mazda forums ) is not getting the attention from Mazda that it deserves.
NHTSA ODI #11533550
Mileage unknown · Jul 17, 2023
Engine
A coolant leak appeared around 62,000 miles. Car started overheating and come to find that I had no more coolant left in the reservoir. I filled it back up and drove it to the mechanic, after almost a week in the shop and have been quoted over $2k for the fix. There is a TSB out on this issue. It is a known issue apparently from…
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A coolant leak appeared around 62,000 miles. Car started overheating and come to find that I had no more coolant left in the reservoir. I filled it back up and drove it to the mechanic, after almost a week in the shop and have been quoted over $2k for the fix. There is a TSB out on this issue. It is a known issue apparently from a casting defect in the heads / block.
NHTSA ODI #11532749
Mileage unknown · Jun 16, 2023
Engine
A coolant leak appeared around 60,000 miles. I caught it in the right time as I had no more coolant left in the reservoir. I filled it back up and drove it to the Mazda dealership - I did not overheat at all so no warning lamps appeared. Upon taking it into the Mazda dealership, the engine was pulled and it was discovered …
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A coolant leak appeared around 60,000 miles. I caught it in the right time as I had no more coolant left in the reservoir. I filled it back up and drove it to the Mazda dealership - I did not overheat at all so no warning lamps appeared. Upon taking it into the Mazda dealership, the engine was pulled and it was discovered that the cylinder head was cracked. This requires a new engine. There is a TSB out on this issue. It is a known issue apparently from a casting defect in the heads / block.
NHTSA ODI #11527344
Mileage unknown · Jun 12, 2023
Visibility/wiper
My sunroof exploded while driving.
NHTSA ODI #11526531
Mileage unknown · Jun 5, 2023
Engine
coolant leaks at the cylinder head around the exhaust manifold , safety was compromised by car overheating in the middle of extremely high level traffic, problem confirmed by Mazda dealership, only inspected by dealership, there was no warning indicators from the vehicle. I could smell antifreeze the day before it overheated.
NHTSA ODI #11525408
Mileage unknown · May 22, 2023
Engine
A known faulty cylinder head in these cars is breaking. A simple search of the web shows numerous owners have had the same problem. Mazda dealers KNOW it is a problem. They have upgraded the part, but it comes at a cost of approximately $7800 to owners of said vehicles.
NHTSA ODI #11523363
Mileage unknown · May 18, 2023
Engine
Engine cylinder head cracks open due to bad design where turbo puts too much weight and vibration resukting in coolant leaking out of engine. Mazda has a bulletin out for this issue and I took it to a Mazda dealer for repair. They confirmed this was the issue.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 CX-9 vehicles. The wiring harness may disrupt electrical communications and disable the passenger frontal air bag, turn signals, and/or engine starting system.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The passenger frontal air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury. Inoperable turn signals prevent the driver from signaling to other drivers, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wiring harnesses, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3419E.
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
0
No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
2018 Mazda CX-9 Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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