Mazda Mazda5 Reliability by Year
Best & Worst Years, Problems & Recalls β NHTSA Data
Comparing used Mazda Mazda5 options? We analyzed 10 model years (2006β2015) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
Model-year trends show patterns. Run a VIN check for the exact Mazda Mazda5 you plan to buy.
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Mazda Mazda5 has 406 owner complaints and 15 safety recalls across model years 2006β2015. The most reported issue area is STEERING. 2006 drew the most complaints; 2015 drew the fewest.
- Make
- Mazda
- Model
- Mazda5
- Model years analyzed
- 2006β2015 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 406
- Safety recall campaigns
- 15
- Crash-related complaints
- 28
- Fire-related complaints
- 8
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2006 (78 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2015 (7 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- STEERING
- Reliability signal
- Poor
Mazda Mazda5: Which Years to Avoid & Which to Buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used β lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record β lower risk starting points.
β 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.
What the Complaint Data Suggests
PoorThe MAZDA MAZDA5 has 406 NHTSA complaints and 15 recalls on record. 28 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 406 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 15 federal recall campaigns
- 28 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
π NHTSA Safety Recalls
15 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.
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
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Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2006β2015. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
π§ Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 406 NHTSA complaints.
π NHTSA Complaint Reports
406 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.
Weld failure can cause the board to tip and dump the user on the ground. This is a hazard because this piece of equipment is design for disabled users who can't stand. User found the cracked weld before it broke completely. The board was sagging from horizontal. I notified the manufacturer, then had the part repaired by a local fabricator. I have pictures showing the failure.
2015 MADZDA S. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE.
LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT RANDOM TIMES.SRS LIGHT COMES ON AND POWER STEERING LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING. YOU HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT FOR IT TO WORK AGAIN. IT'S VERY SCARY NOT KNOWING WHEN THIS WILL RANDOMLY HAPPEN AS YOUR DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I SEE WHERE OLDER MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR STEERING BUT NOT NEWER ONES.
MY 2015 MAZDA5 WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE HIGH SPEED ROLLOVER CRASH WITH 4 KIDS IN IT. THEY WERE ON A DEAD END ROAD THAT RAN PARALLEL TO A DIVIDED HIGHWAY. UPON THE INITIAL IMPACT THE FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE THEN ROLLED SEVERAL TIMES, LANDING DRIVERS SIDE DOWN 150-200 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT. NEITHER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS VISIBLY TWISTED. ALSO MY SONS SEATBELT CAME UNDONE ON IMPACT, RESULTING IN SEVERAL CRITICAL INJURIES THAT REQUIRED HIM TO BE AIRLIFTED TO A CHILDREN'S TRAUMA CENTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR, ROADS DRY AND IT WAS DAYLIGHT, A LITTLE AFTER 5PM.*DT *TR
MY VEHICLE WAS RECALL FOR STRUT FAILURE ON THE REAR LIFT GATE. THE RECALL REPAIR WAS COMPLETED MID 2017. RECENTLY THE STRUTS FAILED. THE CARR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR AND IT WOULDN'T STAY UP. MAZDA IS UNWILLING TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS (WITHOUT CHARGE) STATING THE PART IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW AND IT CURRENTLY HAS 18,500 MILES IN THE ODOMETER. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN GENTLY USED AND THIS PART SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED SO QUICKLY. IT IS POOR PRACTICE TO REPLACE ONE DEFECTIVE PART WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MAZDA 5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V393000 (PARKING BRAKE); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. RAMSEY MAZDA OF RAMSEY, NEW JERSEY (436 STATE ROUTE 17) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL AND STATED THAT THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE IN TWO WEEKS ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION; HOWEVER, THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
SINCERELY, [XXX] DATE: 2017/10/17 ADDRESS: [XXX] PHONE: [XXX]
I bought this vehicle as is, about 2 months past, after driving it home I felt after pressing the Brakes pedal that it is not responding until I press 2 or 3 times. I went bnack to the dealer the next day and made a complain. They sent me to their Mechanic who diagnosed the problem to be the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit Assembly. It is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of my family was put at risk because of the fact that I have to pump the brakes to slow the vehicle. Yes the problem was confirmed by the independent Mechanic recomended by the dealer, with a detailed estimate. No inspection was performed by the manufacturer, police or insurance representatives. The service light was on from the day I bought the vehicle.
Power steering became stiff hard to turn, steering pulls left or right when driving over bumps on the road also brakes became spongy.
The car became hard to steer, and I noticed the power steering light was on. It is a safety risk due to increased difficulty steering car and a risk for myself and other drivers on the road. This just occurred today and has not been investigated by an other parties. No warning or incidents prior to steering becoming difficult.
The driver door handle stopped functioning on a 7-year-old low milage (<25k) Mazda 5. The malfunction is common among Mazda's and can be easily found when searching the internet. A small groove on the internal door handle mechanism breaks off and lets the spring pulling the handle back slip out. In most cases, this causes the door to be unable to open (from the outside or inside). However, in my case, the door would not latch closed anymore. Having a driver side door not close while driving is a safety issue and a vehicle where the door does not stay closed should not be operated. This problem is known to Mazda and a recall was issued for certain Mazda models in the past - but not for the 2014 Mazda 5. (see this web-site for a description: https://www.realmazdaparts.com/blog/mazda-door-handle-problems) This issue came up without warning, leaving us on a trip with a door that was suddenly not latching closed anymore. Therefore, this is a safety hazard that may arise on any moment and Mazda should address it by replacing the internal part of the door handle with one that is not subject to premature failure.
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda5. The contact stated that the passengerβs side rear door failed to open or close all the way. The contact stated that there was a 1-2-inch gap between the door and the door latch. The contact reached out to the local dealer to have the vehicle inspected however, the contact was unable to schedule an appointment for the vehicle to be inspected. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,078.
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda5. The contact stated that while driving over a minor bump in the roadway at any rate of speed, the brake pedal would depress to floorboard without warning. The contact stated that the brakes would resume normal operation soon after failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to three separate independent mechanics however, each mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE OFTEN HAS A CLUNKING SOUND AND A SLIGHT / BRIEF HESITATION BEFORE THE BRAKES ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION WHEN THIS OCCURS. I'VE HAD THE ISSUE INSPECTED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS (4-5 TIMES) AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. I WAS INFORMED THAT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT IS BY DESIGN WHICH IS WHAT LED ME TO SUBMIT THIS REQUEST. THE ISSUE HAPPENS APPROXIMATELY 75-80% OF THE TIME. I DID NOT NOTICE THIS ISSUE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED (NEW IN JAN, 2015) BUT NOTICED IT APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AFTER PURCHASE. SINCE THEN THE ISSUE HAS GRADUALLY INCREASED IN FREQUENCY AND HAPPENS NOT EVERY TIME THE BRAKES ARE USED BUT HAPPENS OFTEN EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN.THE DATE OF OCCURENCE BELOW DOES NOT APPLY SINCE IT HAPPENS EVERY DAY AND IS STILL OCCURRING. ALSO, THE SPEED AND THE MILEAGE DOESN'T APPLY SINCE IT HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS AND HAS HAPPENED REGULARLY SINCE ABOUT 79000 MILES.
SINCE PURCHASE FROM DEALER, THE TIRES CONSISTENTLY DEVELOPED EDGE WEAR /CUPPING ON THE INNER EDGE OF BOTH FRONT AND BACK. THE FIRST SET WERE REPLACED AFTER APPROX 23K MILES. AFTER APPROX 25K MILES THE SAME PATTERN OF WEAR HAD OCCURRED FRONT AND BACK. AT FIRST WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED, ALIGNMENT WAS INSPECTED AND I WAS TOLD THE MATTER WAS PROBABLY DUE TO POOR TIRES. WITH THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRING AGAIN, I'VE CONTACTED MAZDA FOR ASSISTANCE.
SUNROOF SHATTERED WHILE DOING NORMAL DRIVING. NOTHING HIT THE SUNROOF OR THE CAR, THE SUNROOF SIMPLY SHATTERED AND GLASS FELL ON ME, AND MY CHILDREN. WE WERE DRIVING ON A STATE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 70 (THE SPEED LIMIT). THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND OR IN FRONT OF ME.
I OWN A 2014 MAZDA 5. AFTER TWO YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. THE NUMBER 1 AND 4 CYLINDER ROD BEARINGS FAILED COMPLETELY. IT HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. PROPER OIL CHANGES WAS MAINTAINED DURING THIS PERIOD. THEY TOOK THE MOTOR APART FOUND CLEAN OIL, AND SHAVINGS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MAZDA 5. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE REVVED AT A HIGH RATE AS IF THE VEHICLE WOULD TAKE OFF. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE ENGINE WAS WARMED UP. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
THE CAR WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY AND AN EIGHT INCH CRACKED DEVELOPED. THERE WERE NOT ANY CHIPS IN THE WINDSHIELD AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS A STRESS CRACK. WAS NOT VERY HAPPY. WHEN INVESTIGATING I LEARNED THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IT SEEMS LIKE MAZDA SHOULD ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM TO KEEPS BUYERS COMING BACK.
EVERY TIME I TOOK MY CAR IN TO DEALER FOR SERVICE I QUESTIONED THE UNUSUAL EARLY AND UNEVEN WEAR ON THE TIRES. THEY MAKE A LOUD NOISE WHEN DRIVING. I HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES (TOYO PROXES) AT 22,000 MILES. THE BRAKES HAVE ALWAYS SHAKEN AND VIBRATED SINCE AROUND 17,000 MILES. THIS WILL OCCUR AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE INTERSTATE AND AT LOW SPEEDS. THE BRAKE PADS ARE FINE. NORMAL WEAR ON ALL PARTS OF VEHICLE. AGAIN VERY UNUSUAL EARLY WARPING OF THE ROTORS FOR NO REASON. I FEEL BOTH ARE MANUFACTURER DEFECTS AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT NO CHARGE TO ME. CURRENTLY I ONLY HAVE 35,200 MILES ON MY 2012 MAZDA AND I PURCHASED IT IN JULY OF 2011. I WILL PROBABLY NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER MAZDA BECAUSE I EVEN PURCHASED ADDITIONAL WARRANTY COVERAGE AND THEY DO NOT COVER ANYTHING FOR YOU. I SEE OTHER PEOPLE ON HERE HAVE HAD THE SAME COMPLAINTS BUT WHEN YOU GO TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT SERVICED THEY LOOK AT YOU LIKE YOU HAVE 3 HEADS. TODAYS DATE 10/25/2015.
Showing 20 of 406 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Before You Buy, Check the Exact Mazda Mazda5
These pages show model-year patterns across 10years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
π Understanding This Data
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 β but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Mazda Mazda5 has 406 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 Mazda5 has 15 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. 28 of the Mazda Mazda5's 406 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions β 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 β 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 Mazda5 vehicles on the road β not any specific car. Two Mazda Mazda5 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 β 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 Mazda5 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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