I was driving 65 mph and the hybrid system malfunction warning came up. Car dropped to 25mph - pressing the gas pedal would not increase the speed. Continued to coast with no acceleration until it came to a stop and shut off
2024 Mazda CX-90 PLUG-IN Hybrid
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all CX-90 PLUG-IN Hybrid 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
Limited mileage data: 3 of 95 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
33 reportsDriving up snowy pass on I-90 approaching the top of Snoqualmie Pass. Vehicle stalled and warning lights flashed critical warning and loss of power. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the highway and would not start or go into drive. After a few minutes, because of speeding and adverse conditions, another driver collided wi…
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Driving up snowy pass on I-90 approaching the top of Snoqualmie Pass. Vehicle stalled and warning lights flashed critical warning and loss of power. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the highway and would not start or go into drive. After a few minutes, because of speeding and adverse conditions, another driver collided with my vehicle from behind. Another following vehicle lost control and ran off the road. Nobody was injured. Mazda has not provided any information to what happened with the vehicle. We added about 12k miles in the 5 months of driving it, so we had lots of testing with it, and never ran into this serious of an issue with this or any other vehicle.
While connected to a level 2 charger, overheating caused both the charger and charging port of the vehicle to melt together such that it was very difficult to disconnect, and both were then unusable – needing replacement. (photos attached) We feel that there should be some safeguard in the vehicle to prevent this situation as it…
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While connected to a level 2 charger, overheating caused both the charger and charging port of the vehicle to melt together such that it was very difficult to disconnect, and both were then unusable – needing replacement. (photos attached) We feel that there should be some safeguard in the vehicle to prevent this situation as it is a fire hazard. There were no warning lights, sounds, nor signals from the vehicle to warn of the problem. We were present when this occurred, so we could disconnect before a potential fire may have occurred. When we called for service, we had to wait two weeks for an appointment, and then were told that the car was not safe to drive until repaired. This was not considered a warranty item even though the car had fewer than 2800 miles and only owned by us for fewer than 7 months. We were charged $5000 for the charging port and cable assembly and $800 labor. (Copies of service receipts attached.) We contacted Mazda regarding our concern and were given Case #00182286. We received a reply by phone telling us that Mazda bears no responsibility for this (they feel ii was the fault of the charger) and that it is an insurance matter. In fact, auto insurance does NOT cover this. Our concern is that it very well may be a safety issue as people usually charge in their garages or near other cars and buildings in public. In either situation, a fire could be a serious hazard for many people.
At 3200 miles the vehicle had a major powertrain malfunction causing the vehicle to throw multiple error codes - Hybrid System Malfunction; Charging System Malfunction; Electrical Leakage Detected. Was instructed to pull over to a safe area immediately. Was unclear how long car would continue to be drivable. Once car stopped it …
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At 3200 miles the vehicle had a major powertrain malfunction causing the vehicle to throw multiple error codes - Hybrid System Malfunction; Charging System Malfunction; Electrical Leakage Detected. Was instructed to pull over to a safe area immediately. Was unclear how long car would continue to be drivable. Once car stopped it became completely immobile. Repeated restart attempts would not let vehicle start ICE engine or shift into gear. Had to be towed via dollies to nearest dealer for diagnosis and repair. Dealer found a failed PTC heater unit as source of problem and replaced it (Mazda part- KMV6-61-FHX). Vehicle is once again drivable, but the dealer has no idea what would cause the unit to fail and how to avoid future problems. Dealer has heard about this with many vehicles and repaired several similarly. We are fortunate to have found a safe place to pull off the road before powertrain shutdown, but if not we would have been stuck on the road with no ability to move the vehicle and occupants to safety. I hope NHTSA can investigate whether a recall of that part or the software that controls it is needed. NHTSA should also look into the failure mode of the vehicle to see if a different approach is safer and more appropriate.
On [XXX], San Diego, CA. (car is new purchase of 1 month 1 week old, 1250 miles, outside temp of 60 degrees, 3/4 battery charge, full tank of gas) Slowed to a stop at a red light in morning rush hour traffic. Engine sputters and multiple warnings appear on dash, including "Hybrid System Malfunction" "I ActiveSense Malfunction" "…
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On [XXX], San Diego, CA. (car is new purchase of 1 month 1 week old, 1250 miles, outside temp of 60 degrees, 3/4 battery charge, full tank of gas) Slowed to a stop at a red light in morning rush hour traffic. Engine sputters and multiple warnings appear on dash, including "Hybrid System Malfunction" "I ActiveSense Malfunction" "check engine" etc etc. CAR DIES IN LANE OF TRAFFIC AND LOCKS IN PARK. Attempted to restart 5-6 times, car would start and die immediately with same warnings. 7th restart and engine starts but had to finish drive in sport due to "Hybrid System Malfunction". Per NHTSA and dealer, all previous recalls had been performed/addressed prior to purchase date of [XXX]. Left car with dealer on [XXX] to address and repair issue. Completely unsafe for vehicle to suddenly die in traffic, with no way to move to the side of the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On [XXX], I was driving on [XXX] near Pasadena at normal speed of traffic when suddenly an error message “Hybrid System Malfunction” appeared on the dash board along with check engine light, and the car began to stall slowing down to nearly full stop almost immediately. When I pressed gas pedal, it would not accelerate. Becau…
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On [XXX], I was driving on [XXX] near Pasadena at normal speed of traffic when suddenly an error message “Hybrid System Malfunction” appeared on the dash board along with check engine light, and the car began to stall slowing down to nearly full stop almost immediately. When I pressed gas pedal, it would not accelerate. Because I was in the far right lane, I had just about enough time to pull over onto the shoulder before the car stopped completely. The car was in EV mode (using all electric power) when this incident occurred with 20 miles of electric range still left. I was lucky that no cars were right behind me as the traffic was moving about 60 mph or my car could have been rear-ended when it came to such an abrupt stop. I put the car in park and turned off the engine, then turned it back on after a couple of minutes. The dashboard was flashing “Hybrid System Malfunction” and “check engine” light was on but I was able to drive it because it had switched to gas power mode. I immediately drove the car to New Century Mazda in Alhambra where I purchased it on [XXX]. The Mazda app on my phone captured two Vehicle Issues Detected at the same time: Hybrid System Malfunction: There is a possibility of restricted power output” and “i-ACTIVSENSE malfunction.” The Hybrid System Malfunction was the most serious and frightening of a series of malfunctions that my car experienced since it was purchased two months ago. On [XXX] (4 days after purchase) the car displayed “Approaching Vehicle Audible System (AVIS) Malfunction,” on [XXX], a “Brake!”light came on when we started the car after it had been parked, which disabled the steering wheel and the gear shift preventing us from driving (problem resolved by turning the car on and off several times). On [XXX], another vehicle issue was detected: “Air bag system and seatbelt pre-tensioner system malfunction.” Car was fully inspected by Mazda dealer in mid-January. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Hybrid system electrical leakage. Literally makes the car unusable. Dozens of examples on both Reddit and Facebook.
I have a recall open on my CX-90, took the car to the dealership and they informed me that the car was fixed, the recall is 6223J, but it is still happening it happened a day after the reprogramming, it is not fixed and I'm not sure if the fix is good I have a full video about it, I was able to record date and time when it was …
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I have a recall open on my CX-90, took the car to the dealership and they informed me that the car was fixed, the recall is 6223J, but it is still happening it happened a day after the reprogramming, it is not fixed and I'm not sure if the fix is good I have a full video about it, I was able to record date and time when it was recorded,I did a gif to be able to upload it to the website
While driving CX90 PHEV vehicle, a "HAZARD" error displayed on the dashboard and the vehicle stopped driving/accelerating completely. Displayed error reported a Hybrid System Malfunction and instructed driver to switch from hybrid to normal setting. Vehicle would not accelerate despite switch to normal setting and power remain…
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While driving CX90 PHEV vehicle, a "HAZARD" error displayed on the dashboard and the vehicle stopped driving/accelerating completely. Displayed error reported a Hybrid System Malfunction and instructed driver to switch from hybrid to normal setting. Vehicle would not accelerate despite switch to normal setting and power remaining. Driver powered off vehicle and error remained on display. Driver again powered off vehicle after short wait and error was no longer displayed. Vehicle could then be driven in normal setting. Dealership and manufacturer have been notified with a request for immediate assistance. Vehicle is new and has only been driven for approx. 6 months. No advance warning signs appeared. Internet search reflects a Mazda owners' forum page [XXX] suggests that error has been known for several months with no resolution or recall. A vehicle that shuts down while driving in traffic is a hazard to us all. Responses are requested from both Mazda and NHTSA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CX90 PHEV Premium Plus new purchase 12/2023. 1/24/2024: "Hybrid System Malfunction, Have the vehicle Inspected " On a busy freeway with big rigs and other cars during rush hour traffic (5:25pm), going about 70 MPH. Only 1700miles on car so far. 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit outside. 2mi left on charge, full tank of gas. Car completel…
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CX90 PHEV Premium Plus new purchase 12/2023. 1/24/2024: "Hybrid System Malfunction, Have the vehicle Inspected " On a busy freeway with big rigs and other cars during rush hour traffic (5:25pm), going about 70 MPH. Only 1700miles on car so far. 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit outside. 2mi left on charge, full tank of gas. Car completely unable to accelerate all of the sudden on busy highway once this light came on. Was able to pull off to shoulder, albeit challenging as unable to accelerate and navigate through fast cars in right 2 lanes. Was able to restart car, and go at limp speed but unable to get fast enough to merge back. Called tow truck. Car towed to Mazda dealership. Then unable to get off flatbed of the tow truck as would not go into reverse. Tow guy called me and the staff at Mazda called their Service Manager, had to reset that code. (Something glitch kicked in and locked the car from being able to shift gears). Mazda Service was responsive, worked on and got diagnostics the next day. Stated that it was a computer system glitch. So they restarted the whole system. light is gone and car drives during their testing. They can't explain it. So computer and electronic glitch and system misread leads to a MECHANICAL malfunction that stops the car to be able to be accelerated on freeway. I am a mom of 3 young kids, and lucky I am alive.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
1RQ26002 · Momentary Increase In Steering Effort After Recall Remedy
Opened Jan 26, 2026 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:rack And Pinion
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 26 complaints and several Early Warning Reporting (EWR) Field Reports alleging intermittent and brief increases in steering effort (described as “sticky steering”) during the drive cycle in model year (MY) 2024 CX-90 vehicles manufactured by Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) subject to Recall 24V2022. In each complaint, the vehicle had the recall remedy completed prior to the reported incident. Recall 24V022 addresses a sudden and unexpected change of steering effort while driving caused by excessive worm gear friction force. After receiving the recall 24V022 remedy, consumers report sudden increases of steering effort while driving. Sudden and unexpected change of steering effort while driving may increase the risk of a crash. ODI is opening this Recall Query (RQ) to assess the adequacy of the remedy for Recall 24V022 and to identify the cause(s) of the conditions leading to the post-remedy reports. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Steering
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 26 complaints and several Early Warning Reporting (EWR) Field Reports alleging intermittent and brief increases in steering effort (described as “sticky steering”) during the drive cycle in model year (MY) 2024 CX-90 vehicles manufactured by Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) subject to Recall 24V2022. In each complaint, the vehicle had the recall remedy completed prior to the reported incident. Recall 24V022 addresses a sudden and unexpected change of steering effort while driving caused by excessive worm gear friction force. After receiving the recall 24V022 remedy, consumers report sudden increases of steering effort while driving. Sudden and unexpected change of steering effort while driving may increase the risk of a crash. ODI is opening this Recall Query (RQ) to assess the adequacy of the remedy for Recall 24V022 and to identify the cause(s) of the conditions leading to the post-remedy reports. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Steering:rack And Pinion
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 26 complaints and several Early Warning Reporting (EWR) Field Reports alleging intermittent and brief increases in steering effort (described as “sticky steering”) during the drive cycle in model year (MY) 2024 CX-90 vehicles manufactured by Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) subject to Recall 24V2022. In each complaint, the vehicle had the recall remedy completed prior to the reported incident. Recall 24V022 addresses a sudden and unexpected change of steering effort while driving caused by excessive worm gear friction force. After receiving the recall 24V022 remedy, consumers report sudden increases of steering effort while driving. Sudden and unexpected change of steering effort while driving may increase the risk of a crash. ODI is opening this Recall Query (RQ) to assess the adequacy of the remedy for Recall 24V022 and to identify the cause(s) of the conditions leading to the post-remedy reports. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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