Mazda CX 9 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Mazda CX 9 options? We analyzed 10 model years (2014–2023) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Mazda CX 9 has 511 owner complaints and 11 safety recalls across model years 2014–2023. The most reported issue area is ENGINE.
- Make
- Mazda
- Model
- CX 9
- Model years analyzed
- 2014–2023 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 511
- Safety recall campaigns
- 11
- Crash-related complaints
- 22
- Fire-related complaints
- 3
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2015 (35 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ENGINE
- Reliability signal
- Poor
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
PoorThe MAZDA CX 9 has 511 NHTSA complaints and 11 recalls on record. 22 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 511 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 11 federal recall campaigns
- 22 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Oct 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
11 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
STEERING
STEERING
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2014–2023. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 511 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
511 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The issue is the steering colomn. There is a bolt that comes loose when driving on "irregular roads". my safety was at risk because if this bolt decided to come out i would not have control of the vehicle. I was told that the steering wheel would disconnect from the steering colomn or the steering wheel would completly detatch. The problem was confirmed and inspected by the Mazda dealership. No warning messages appeared on the dash, only notable symptom was an intense clunking sound coming from behind the steering wheel.
The contact owns a 2022 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that the vehicle was being operated with the front driver's side seat warmer activated to the highest heat level. After driving for several hours, the vehicle was parked. While exiting the vehicle, the contact experienced pain in the rear thigh area of each leg. Upon inspect the contact discovered that the rear thigh area of both legs had sustained burning and blistering despite having pants on as a barrier during the failure. During the injuries, the contact was wearing pants. The contact was later treated at the local urgent care center for first-degree burns and blistering caused by excessive heat from the seat warmer. The manufacturer was notified of the injuries and advised to have the vehicle examined by the local dealer. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to detect a failure in the operation of the seat warmer, and no problem was found. The contact inquired about the temperature of the seat warmer and what its highest temperature level is; however, that information was not provided, and the manufacturer stated that it is the temperature at which the occupant felt comforable with. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 53,000.
I am reporting a safety concern involving multiple loose windshield header bolts and cowl panel fasteners on my 2022 Mazda CX-9. The issue was discovered on 1/28/26 at approximately 44,000 miles. Several bolts securing the windshield header and cowl panel area were found loose. These components support parts located at the base of the windshield. Loose fasteners in this area raise concern about potential windshield instability, movement of the cowl panel, and possible detachment or structural compromise over time. This condition could create a safety risk, particularly at highway speeds, including driver distraction from vibration or noise, potential windshield instability, and possible failure of components mounted near the base of the windshield. The Mazda dealer is aware of this issue. I was informed that they have repaired at least 15 similar vehicles, including those associated with a Roman Service member, indicating a possible pattern. Despite this, Mazda did not cover the repair cost. Given that multiple bolts were improperly secured and that the dealer has seen numerous similar cases, this appears to be a potential manufacturing or assembly defect affecting multiple vehicles. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue for possible investigation and recall consideration.
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally report a potential safety issue with my 2022 Mazda CX-9, which is a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle under limited warranty until March 2026 and powertrain warranty until March 2029. It has 36,000 miles on it. Recently, I noticed a crack forming near the front combination light on the front bumper. The vehicle has not been involved in any accident, collision, or external impact. Upon researching, I found TSB Bulletin No.: 09-022/20, titled FRONT BUMPER CRACKED NEAR THE FRONT FENDER/FRONT COMBINATION LIGHT, which addresses similar cracks in 2016–2019 CX-9 models (VINs lower than JM3TC******306028). Although my vehicle falls outside the bulletin’s specified range, the crack appears identical in location and nature—suggesting a possible design or material stress issue that may extend beyond the listed VINs. When I brought this to the dealership’s attention, they declined coverage under warranty, citing the TSB’s limited applicability. Mazda corporate echoed the same response. I find this deeply concerning. Why is this issue being dismissed based solely on VIN range, without a proper inspection or consideration of safety implications? The crack is adjacent to lighting components and could compromise structural integrity. This is not a cosmetic flaw—it’s a potential safety hazard. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter and help facilitate a resolution, including repair or replacement of the bumper. It is disappointing that safety concerns are being overlooked in favor of technical exclusions and cost considerations. I urge NHTSA to consider expanding the scope of investigation to include newer CX-9 models not currently covered by the TSB. Importantly, I’ve seen many other CX-9 owners reporting similar bumper cracks in vehicles outside the TSB VIN range, particularly in Facebook owner groups. This suggests the issue may be more widespread than currently acknowledged and deserves broader attention.
The windshield wiper sprayers don't work properly when it gets significantly below freezing. This is incredibly dangerous on highways where it snows and the roads are salted, allowing for the snow to be thrown up as mud. This ends up in the windshield wipers just spreading mud all over the windshield and reducing visibility to near 0. Having this occur while driving at lower highway speeds makes this incredibly dangerous. Having to pull over on the highway when it's snowing isn't great, especially when some mountain highways have concrete walls with no shoulder. Using fluid that is rated for below freezing also causes this to freeze, suggesting that it may be related to wind chill while traveling at speed. It's also definitely not an issue with the overall system or the fluid because the rear windshield wipers still work. This is probably due to the way they designed this to move the emitters off the hood. A search for the term, "mazda cx-9 windshield wiper frozen", shows many such reports online. Some have complained to Mazda only to have this ignored by them. There were on indicators in the vehicle to show that that was a potential problem.
My wife has a cold. She picked it up during several uncomfortable hours in the emergency room. Our driveway is on a bit of a slope. She stopped the car, put it in park (she thought), turned off the engine, and got out. Something in the dashboard compartment had blocked the shift lever and the car was actually in reverse. It started rolling backwards down the driveway. She grabbed it and tugged with all her might and actually succeeded in stopping it when it got to the street. She managed to prevent our car from rolling into our neighbor's parallel parked car immediately across from our driveway. She also managed to hurt her arm quite badly. X-rays and CAT scans and exposure to every sniffling, coughing person in the ER later, and we learned she was lucky and did not break any bones, just sprained her elbow and shoulder. Very very lucky that she didn't get knocked under the wheel by the still open door of the car! My question is this: Can automakers create a safety device to prevent this? If the engine is off and the car is not in park, and no driver is detected in the driver's seat, can they automatically apply the brake? There could be a button or switch to undo the brake for towing. It seems the technology to do this has been around for decades, but the X-ray tech, the ER admissions nurse, my wife's orthopedist, even the lady at our insurance company all had stories of similar happenings. How can such a safety device become standard?
Read 14 more owner reports
While driving on the highway, my car was struck by lightning. Please see attached PDF for details.
When driving with adaptive cruise control engaged I have had multiple incidents where the forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking engages when there is no vehicle in front of me. Similarly, with adaptive cruise control engaged and approaching a red light, I have had multiple incidents where the cruise control does not sense the stopped cars and does not automatically engage the brakes
1.Instrument cluster panel brightness does not adjust either too dim or too bright Mazda dealer stated no failures were found twice same responded. 2. Lane Keep Assist this feature never worked even on the straight road since I bought July 2022. Mazda doesn't have a capability and mislead the consumers. I found a some report by [XXX] that said Mazda i-ACTIVSENSE received an overall score of 27/100 making it the worst ranked tech in the study. I went dealership service 3 times for repair, but its answers no fault code found no problem at all that they repeated repeated repeated Please investigated this cx-9, Thank You! INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Concern is still present. The vehicle vibrates the entire chassis at highway speeds. Mazda states it’s normal but it may vibrate other components loose which could cause an accident. The issue is in the drivetrain
The contact owned a 2020 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, a second vehicle crashed head-on into the front of the vehicle. During the head-on crash, no air bags inside the vehicle deployed. The contact sustained a concussion and right eye injury and later received medical attention. A Police report was filed at the scene. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a local storage facility. No information was available concerning the second vehicle's occupants. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 130,000.
The mazda Cx-9 is having the same fuel pump issues that was recalled up until 2018 models. The issue with the lean codes and faulty fuel pump continues
Prior to [XXX] The vehicle ran rough and sputter excessively. I took car to local repair shop. Diagnostic equipment determined the fuel injector needed to be replaced. Vehicle ran better but continued to sputter and ride rough on occasion. Prior to [XXX], the vehicle stopped operating properly. The vehicle would not travel faster than 20 mph and sometimes would stop completely in the middle of the road. This was a hazardous situation. The vehicle seemed to be starved for fuel. All warning lights were displayed on the short trip home. Being too dangerous to drive the vehicle was towed to a different repair shop. Diagnostic equipment determined the throttle body needed to be replaced. This was done prior to [XXX]. I drove the car less than 5 miles after the 2nd repair and the same behavior returned. Vehicle would sputter run rough sometimes stop etc. All warning lights were displayed. Vehicle seemed to be starved for fuel. Vehicle was towed back to the repair shop. Next step will be to contact Mazda dealership in Huntsville AL and see if they will accept the Vehicle for repairs after I have it towed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Warning signal front camera sensor system malfunction Forward Smart City Brake Support malfunction When this initial happen the steering wheel becomes hard to maneuver than releases The front and back cameras are clear from any debris or obstructions What should I do next?
All 4 of my BH255/50R20 XL 109v NOKIAN WR G4 vehicle tires are exhibiting abnormal tread degradation and excessive sidewall cracking. The tire defect includes a circumferential crack along the top of all 4 tires, where the top of the tire's sidewall and tread base meet. Upon tire inspection, the structural integrity and safety of these tires with continued usage is questionable. The tires in question are only 26 months old and have approximately 31K miles of usage.
The information screen is getting 'spider cracks" spreading across the face and turning opaque making the information unreadable. Mazda is apparently aware of this defect and issued a TSB for earlier models. Dealers were unhelpful and quoted $1000 - $3000 to repair depending on the VIN.
The vehicle will hesitate/stall while driving down the road. The vehicle has done this multiple times and has actually shut off on 2 different occasions while at a stop. on 2 occasions now the vehicle has not wanted to start. I have taken vehicle to Mazda dealership and they can never duplicate it. When they check for any codes, the vehicle computer does not give accurate times when happened. This last date I took it to them 6/9/25, the computer said it happened 4000 miles ago. The time before, I took it in the morning it happened, 5 min after it happened and the computer said it happened 10 starts ago. The last time, 6/9/25 they said they suspect fuel pump going bad, but until the vehicle gives a "check engine" light or dies all together they are not 100% sure. The vehicle is unsafe if it dies in the middle of the freeway/road with no warning to myself or the other vehicles around me. This has been going on for at least 1 year now, maybe longer Dealership has all records. Seeing how the 2018 & 2019 Mazda CX-9 had fuel pump recalls makes me wonder if the 2020 should have been included in this recall. This has been an on going problem.6/7/25 was most recent incident.
Vehicle randomly displays "smart brake system malfunction," "forward smart city brake malfunction" and " front radar system malfunction." This has been going on for at least a year. I will be driving on a highway, trying to accelerate and these messages will pop up. I'm not able to accelerate when these messages pop up and I have to turn on my hazard lights and pull over to the side of the road. The only thing that clears these warnings are for me to completely shut down my car and restart it. Luckily I have been able to get over to the side of the road on the highway without an accident, but these warning lights pop up when it's sunny out and there is no reason for the car to act the way it does. I took my car to the dealer the first time it happened and paid several hundred dollars for them to tell me that they don't know why it happened. There are several forums posted online with people having the same issues. Online posts say to make sure the sensors are clean and that the malfunction can activate if it's too hot, rainy, snowing or foggy? In my experience, it has happened only when it has been sunny. When the system decides to malfunction, the car will not accelerate, and it could make it easier for the car to be hit by another car. It's like the car just shuts down.
I've had it repaired for over 30+ times. I'm tired of the car not being fixed. The last visit I was told maybe its the way I drive.
The vehicle was overheating and a message came up that power will be reduced. Then it would go away and come up every 3 minutes while driving. I brought it to the service center, we filled it up with coolant and the issue kept coming back this time with a lot of white smoke coming out at vehicle start up. My mechanic said this is a bigger issue most likely to do with a coolant leak at the cylinder head. There is a technical service bulletin but no recall as of yet.
Showing 20 of 511 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact Mazda CX 9
These pages show model-year patterns across 10 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Mazda CX 9, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Mazda CX 9 has 511 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Mazda CX 9 has 11 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 22 of the Mazda CX 9's 511 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Mazda CX 9 vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Mazda CX 9 vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Mazda CX 9 has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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Mazda CX 9 reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Mazda CX 9 reliable?
Poor. The Mazda CX 9 has 511 NHTSA owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is ENGINE. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Mazda CX 9 years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2015 (35 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Mazda CX 9 problems?
Top reported issues: ENGINE (264 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (79 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (49 complaints).
Does the Mazda CX 9 have recalls?
Yes — 11 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Mazda CX 9. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.