2023 Mazda CX-5 Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 23, 2026 · Filed: October 24, 2026

While driving on the highway with my children in the car. My sunroof suddenly exploded. The sound was so loud, glass was everywhere. I wasn’t driving through construction, I wasn’t driving under a bridge, there was typical morning traffic which is on the lighter side. I was driving around 55 mph with the front defrost button and seat warmers on. Temperature was set 66 degrees in the car. This was so scary. My children who are [XXX] and [XXX] were so scared. They started screaming and my youngest started crying because huge chunks of glass were on him and all over the vehicle. I contacted The Mazda dealership and they took pictures when I drove the car to them. There was not any warning lights or sensors that appeared before or after the explosion. When I stopped the vehicle I did not find any object Inside my vehicle that could have fallen on the sunroof. Nothing was found inside my car. The sunroof literally looks like the glass broke outward. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: September 25, 2026 · Filed: October 20, 2026

At approximately 48,000 miles, my vehicle displayed a "Blind Spot Sensor(s) Malfunction" warning message on the dashboard without any prior warnings or symptoms. I contacted the dealership, which recommended having the system inspected by a local body shop, indicating that repairs would likely be less expensive. The body shop diagnosed the issue as a failed driver's side (left) blind spot sensor. However, they recommended replacing both sensors, stating that these components are problematic and prone to failure. $3K repair. My concern is that the blind spot monitoring system is an important vehicle safety feature designed to alert drivers to vehicles in adjacent lanes, particularly when changing lanes. Failure of this system eliminates an important safety aid and potentially increases the risk of a collision. It is concerning that a safety-related component would fail at only 48,000 miles, particularly given the body shop's indication that these sensors are known to be problematic. I believe this premature failure warrants investigation to determine whether there is a broader reliability or manufacturing defect affecting the blind spot monitoring system.

Incident: October 18, 2026 · Filed: October 20, 2026

Windshield formed a crack after 3 years without any debris hitting it. Headlight leveling motor malfunction after 1 year. Brake caliper failure after 3 years.

Incident: June 1, 2026 · Filed: October 5, 2026

I began hearing a loud engine noise similar to a lawn mower whenever my headlights would come on which includes just when I unlock my car. When I first took it back to the Mazda dealership for servicing and mentioned this to the service manager he told me it was an issue with the headlights that they’ve been seeing. They returned the car to me and said they did not hear it. Then after my warranty ended it got worse and when I brought it back to the dealership they stated they had never heard of this happening before and said that I brought my car for an air-conditioning issue. When identified that a service manager had told me that this is something they’re saying they then agreed to pay to have the headlight fixed. Initially they told me I was gonna have to pay approximately $1500 out-of-pocket because my warranty had ended to have it replaced. As I proved that I told them about this before the warranty was ended they covered the cost of it and replaced it. Two weeks ago the noise came back. When I look on the Internet and put in the search terms of loud noise when headlights come on is a common complaint. This seems to be a design flaw which is affecting the headlights causing a safety issue. Mazda should address this and issue a recall in my opinion.

Incident: August 24, 2026 · Filed: September 28, 2026

At 44,000 miles, a loud whirring noise started to occur that is due to the failing of the internal LED cooling fan in my left headlamp. I cannot use my headlights, which is a safety concern.

Incident: September 3, 2026 · Filed: September 4, 2026

When my car starts up, engine rpm is around 1500 or above 1000. If I would switch to reverse, the car sudden jerks back stronger and quicker than I expected even though my foot isn’t on the accelerator pedal and have pressed the brake lightly.

Incident: September 1, 2026 · Filed: September 2, 2026

On 09/01/2026 at approximately 55 mph, I was driving with adaptive cruise control engaged. The vehicle ahead decelerated abruptly. My vehicle began braking hard with no input from me for a fraction of a second. A red BRAKE warning appeared in the instrument cluster with an audible alarm. I then applied the brake pedal hard. On first contact the pedal barely moved from its rest position and was extremely firm. About a second into my application, while still traveling at over 25 mph, pedal resistance dropped sharply and pedal travel increased substantially. I had to push the pedal several inches farther to get back to comparable deceleration. The pedal did not pulse or vibrate. I came to a matching speed roughly one car length from the vehicle ahead, and only because I kept braking hard. I did not see an MRCC Cancelled message, though the BRAKE warning occupies the same part of the display, so I cannot say whether the initial deceleration came from Mazda Radar Cruise Control or Smart Brake Support. No brake, ABS, or DSC warning lamp illuminated before, during, or after the event, and none has since. There were no symptoms beforehand, and the brakes have worked normally since. Failed component: unknown. I cannot determine whether the change in pedal feel came from the brake booster, the DSC hydraulic control unit, the master cylinder, or the driver assistance system handing brake control back to me. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone and no service center has reproduced the issue. The vehicle is available for inspection if needed. If a driver assistance system is commanding brake pressure and withdraws it during the driver intervention, total deceleration can drop at the moment when the driver still wants to stop aggressively to avoid a crash. Suddenly, the driver has to find the extra pedal travel while still closing on the obstacle. I slowed to a safe speed in time. With less room, or less attentiveness, I may not have been able to.

Incident: August 8, 2026 · Filed: August 18, 2026

We purchased a certified pre-owned Mazda CX-5 from Wellesley Mazda in [XXX] on XXX. As soon as we got home and tried to exit the vehicle, we noticed that the driver's seatbelt was not releasing. Since then, we have noticed that the seat belt has not latched or unlatched properly. Our concern is that a manufacturer-certified vehicle was delivered to a consumer with an intermittently failing primary locking restraint mechanism. There should have been a 160-point inspection done before this car was delivered in order for it to be considered pre-owned. This car is driven by our son who has been put at risk by a faulty restraint device. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: July 2, 2026 · Filed: July 2, 2026

The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete engine stall while idling immediately after fueling the gas tank to capacity on a day with high ambient temperatures (over 100°F). Leading up to the stall, the vehicle was subjected to temporary auxiliary loads (Max AC running and active steering input). Immediately following the stall, the vehicle exhibited a hard-start condition and would not catch fire. After sitting turned off for several minutes, the vehicle restarted normally. The incident left no Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) or Check Engine Lights. Independent of this event, the vehicle intermittently exhibits a raw gasoline vapor smell inside the cabin at idle, alongside slight hesitations during low-speed steering maneuvers. This presents a safety hazard due to unexpected loss of motive power immediately after refueling in high-traffic gas station environments.

Incident: June 17, 2026 · Filed: June 26, 2026

Check Engine Light Code P0524 - Low Oil Pressure. Everything check out fine. Checked all the suggested TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) possibilities from a respected and qualified service center. Cleared the code and it keeps coming back on.