Owners have filed 492 complaints
about the 2014 Mazda CX-5 with NHTSA between 2013 and 2025.
The largest single group is the electrical system.
Across this model's run it ranks 3 of 14 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 100
Against the median year of the Mazda CX-5. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 18
3.5% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 76
45% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a
system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and
knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.
Body
2948.3%
Windshield
1830.0%
Floor Shift
35.0%
Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
35.0%
Rearview Mirrors/Devices
23.3%
Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System
23.3%
Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch
23.3%
Interlock/Lockout
11.7%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
133.5%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
5614.9%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
5715.2%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
7921.1%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
9926.4%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
4411.7%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
246.4%
150,000+ miles
30.8%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jun 2013peak 22Dec 2025
Recalls on the 2014 Mazda CX-5
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 2016431183,808 units in Canada
Structure
On certain vehicles, the anti-corrosion treatment of the outer tube of the rear lift gate stay may be insufficient. Over time, the outer tube of the rear lift gate stay may corrode and break off, which could increase the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will replace both rear door stays.
Recall 2016152220 units in Canada
Suspension
On certain vehicles, the nut and bolt holding the strut assembly to the knuckle may not have been tightened properly during the manufacturing process. Over time, this could cause the strut assembly to separate from the knuckle, resulting in a loss of steering control which would increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction : Dealers will inspect and replace the nut and bolt holding the strut assembly to the knuckle if found loose.
Recall 201604954,374 units in Canada
Fuel System
Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 301 – Fuel System Integrity. During rear impact crash testing, the fuel filler pipe ruptured, causing fuel spillage exceeding the limit specified by the standard. As a result, a collision involving the rear of the vehicle could result in a fuel leak. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will remove a bolt on the left rear side member attaching the bracket to the fuel filler pipe. This will change the load path during a rear crash impact preventing filler pipe rupture.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Bethlehem, PACrash
WHEELS
Lower ball joints, lower control arms, and axles failed on the front right and front left of the vehicle while driving. The wheels were partially disconnected with no ability to steer or drive my vehicle. Both failures happened within 2 1/2 months. After the right side failed, the auto mechanic checked the left side yet it failed regardless of all inspections including the annual state requirement. During both failures I was fortunate to be driving through turns at slow rate of speed. Serious injuries and more likely casualties would have occurred had I been driving at a higher rate of speed through traffic when the failures occurred.
NHTSA complaint #11492406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bethlehem, PACrash
SUSPENSION
Lower ball joints, lower control arms, and axles failed on the front right and front left of the vehicle while driving. The wheels were partially disconnected with no ability to steer or drive my vehicle. Both failures happened within 2 1/2 months. After the right side failed, the auto mechanic checked the left side yet it failed regardless of all inspections including the annual state requirement. During both failures I was fortunate to be driving through turns at slow rate of speed. Serious injuries and more likely casualties would have occurred had I been driving at a higher rate of speed through traffic when the failures occurred.
NHTSA complaint #11492406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 37,880 milesLouisville, COCrash
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VEHICLE MOVING UNDER 5 MPH IN A CITY PARKING GARAGE. WHILE ENTERING A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS STRIKING THE CEMENT WALL BARRIER AT A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET AWAY. BOTH FOOT BRAKE AND EMERGENCY BRAKE WERE APPLIED. ALL DASH INDICATOR LIGHTS TURNED ON UNTIL AUTO "OFF" BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED. VEHICLE MILEAGE = 37880. NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED. AUTO WAS TAKEN SAME DAY TO AUTHORIZED (USAA) COLLISION REPAIR FACILITY. REPAIR ESTIMATE AND PHOTOGRAPHS HAVE NOT PROCESSES AT THIS WRITING. DIRVER HAD SEAT BELT ON AND NO INJURIES REPORTED. NO PASSENGERS.
NHTSA complaint #11281460 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 49,000 milesMarietta, GACrash
SERVICE BRAKES
I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR THREE YEARS AND THE POWER BRAKES HAVE FAILED THREE SEPARATE TIMES. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENS THE PEDAL IS EXTREMELY HARD TO PUSH AND WILL NOT GO DOWN. EACH TIME I WAS DRIVING IN CITY TYPE TRAFFIC. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO JIM ELLIS MAZDA IN MARIETTA GA. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND RECOMMENDED A BRAKE FLUID FLUSH HAVING SAID THE FLUID WAS DIRTY. ALSO SAID I NEEDED REAR BRAKE PADS DUE TO WEAR BUT THEY WERE FINE.I DID REPLACE THEM WITH NEW AS A PRECAUTION AS I AM A RETIRED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN. I WILL ATTACH A PHOTO OF THE PADS.THE CAR HAS 49000 MILES ON IT AND WAS PURCHASED CERTIFIED PRE OWNED IN OCTOBER 2016. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR NOW SINCE WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS MAY OCCUR AGAIN. EACH TIME THE BRAKES FAILED IT WAS HOT WEATHER AND THE OCCURRENCE WAS SEPT 2ND 2019.
NHTSA complaint #11253824 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 1 milesPortland, OR2 injured
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
OUR SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING 55MPH ON A WINDY ROAD. SOUNDED LIKE A RIFLE SHOT. NO CLIFFS ABOVE US. NO DRAMATIC TEMP OR PRESSURE CHANGED. SEEMED LIKE A SPONTANEOUS EVENT.
NHTSA complaint #11098284 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 80,000 milesReseda, CA1 injured
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ON THREE OCCASIONS, WHILE PARKING MY VEHICLE AND REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, MY VEHICLE SLIPPED AND AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATED FORWARD WITHOUT ME PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRED ON MAY 17, 2018 WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK MY VEHICLE AND IT AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT ME PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL AND CAUSED ME TO CRASH INTO 2 POLES THAT WHERE PLACED IN FRONT OF A DOORWAY IN THE PARKING LOT. THE SECOND ISSUE I HAVE WITH THIS VEHICLE IS THE POWER BUTTON ON THE IGNITION WILL NOT TURN OFF WHEN I PRESS THE OFF BUTTON. IN ORDER FOR THE POWER TO TURN OFF, I HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY PRESS THE BRAKE, MOVE THE PARKING GEAR BACK AND FORTH AND PRESS THE IGNITION BUTTON SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE POWER SHUTS OFF.
NHTSA complaint #11096946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Landers, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car's electrical system doesn't fully turn off after being put in park and turning the ignition off. The electrical system stays on, despite the engine and ignition turned off. It's a BIG problem that I've seen a lot of other people report. And yet Mazda refuses to address the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11704343 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cottonwood, AL
AIR BAGS
I was driving down the road and my right side curtain airbag deployed. I did let my insurance company know but was told that they couldn’t do anything for me since it was not an accident. I called the local Mazda dealership and they told me that they could inspect the vehicle but it would not be on them. That it could have been a rat that chewed on something to cause it to deploy because I was not the first owner of the vehicle. There was no other damage other than the airbag and where it came through on the side.
NHTSA complaint #11670101 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 135,000 milesEarlysville, VA
STEERING
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at a slow speed and attempting to parallel park, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine before the steering wheel seized. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's husband exited the vehicle to inspect the vehicle, and another person stopped to assist and became aware that the ball joint had detached. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering knuckle had separated from the strut assembly, causing the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V203000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
NHTSA complaint #11662815 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 86,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 190,000.
NHTSA complaint #11660608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Arvin, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CAR ACCESSORIES WILL NOT SHUT OFF WHEN I PUT VEHICLE IN PARK. THIS IS DANGEROUS DUE TO CAUSING THE BATTERY TO COMPLETELY DRAIN LEAVING ME STRANDED.
NHTSA complaint #11633341 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Congers, NY
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Auxiliary power will not turn off when vehicle is turned off. Radio , lights interior power , etc….. car turns off when button is pressed but interior power does not .
NHTSA complaint #11595830 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Congers, NY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Auxiliary power will not turn off when vehicle is turned off. Radio , lights interior power , etc….. car turns off when button is pressed but interior power does not .
NHTSA complaint #11595830 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bridgeton, MO
POWER TRAIN
I was waiting at a traffic signal to make a left turn, with my foot on the brake. The car accelerated aggressively, with no warning, like the pedal was pushed to the floor. I stood on the brake and shoved the shifter into park - coming to a stop in the middle of the intersection, Fortunately my wheels were pointed straight and the car did not race into oncoming traffic. My [XXX] father was in the car with me. Thankfully, my grandchildren were NOT in the car. You could smell the gas and brakes. It was NOT driver foot placement, nor was it floor mats. Vehicle has ~ 75K miles, and I am terrified of this happening again. I had driven this car regularly in rush hour stop & go traffic for years with no event like this ever before. Apparently sudden unintended vehicle acceleration is a recognized problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11594255 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bridgeton, MO
ENGINE
I was waiting at a traffic signal to make a left turn, with my foot on the brake. The car accelerated aggressively, with no warning, like the pedal was pushed to the floor. I stood on the brake and shoved the shifter into park - coming to a stop in the middle of the intersection, Fortunately my wheels were pointed straight and the car did not race into oncoming traffic. My [XXX] father was in the car with me. Thankfully, my grandchildren were NOT in the car. You could smell the gas and brakes. It was NOT driver foot placement, nor was it floor mats. Vehicle has ~ 75K miles, and I am terrified of this happening again. I had driven this car regularly in rush hour stop & go traffic for years with no event like this ever before. Apparently sudden unintended vehicle acceleration is a recognized problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11594255 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bridgeton, MO
SERVICE BRAKES
I was waiting at a traffic signal to make a left turn, with my foot on the brake. The car accelerated aggressively, with no warning, like the pedal was pushed to the floor. I stood on the brake and shoved the shifter into park - coming to a stop in the middle of the intersection, Fortunately my wheels were pointed straight and the car did not race into oncoming traffic. My [XXX] father was in the car with me. Thankfully, my grandchildren were NOT in the car. You could smell the gas and brakes. It was NOT driver foot placement, nor was it floor mats. Vehicle has ~ 75K miles, and I am terrified of this happening again. I had driven this car regularly in rush hour stop & go traffic for years with no event like this ever before. Apparently sudden unintended vehicle acceleration is a recognized problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11594255 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Salt Lake City, UT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Car fails to shut off completely. The motor stops, but the electronics (dash, radio, etc.) and things like the A/C still are on. Searching forums shows it is a faulty gear shift sensor that detects that the car is in park.
NHTSA complaint #11593296 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Round O, SC
VISIBILITY/WIPER
There is a pressure crack that goes almost all the way across my front windshield, there are no chips or dings in the glass. Second you can smell gas fumes near the back of the car but no gas is leaking
NHTSA complaint #11583118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Round O, SC
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
There is a pressure crack that goes almost all the way across my front windshield, there are no chips or dings in the glass. Second you can smell gas fumes near the back of the car but no gas is leaking
NHTSA complaint #11583118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 77,000 milesBoynton Beach, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shutoff. The screen and vehicle remained powered on. The battery was drained, and the contact replaced the battery. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
NHTSA complaint #11578236 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 77,000 milesBoynton Beach, FL
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shutoff. The screen and vehicle remained powered on. The battery was drained, and the contact replaced the battery. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
NHTSA complaint #11578236 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 120,000 milesFremont, CA
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the heater core. The contact was informed that the heater core needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,311.
NHTSA complaint #11558841 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Austin, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In the past year the car has consistently given a “Set to P” message when parked and already shifted to Park, and doesn’t completely turn off (though the engine does). We have to turn the car back on, jam the car to P and try again. Internet tells me this was recalled for 2013-2014 cx-5s just before vehicles starting with the same VIN info as mine.
NHTSA complaint #11537371 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Poughkeepsie, NY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
We have had numerous times that the vehicle ignition system will not turn off after pushing the stop button. The motor will stop but the ignition and radio system stay on. The car must be restarted(sometimes numerous times) and shut down before the ignition system shuts down. I have seen many other owner's complaints about this same problem on (carcomplaints .com).
NHTSA complaint #11537070 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 191,493 milesDe Soto, MO
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that when he turned off the vehicle, the radio remained operational. The contact disconnected and reconnected the battery. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 191,493.
NHTSA complaint #11536857 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
West Caldwell, NJ
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
UNKNOWN - A few months ago, I started to have an issue when turning off the vehicle. After putting the vehicle in park and pressed to turn off the vehicle, the radio/GPS screen would stay on and a warning message stating the car must be in ‘P’ark. I would restart the car, put it in neutral, turned it off, but the same message kept popping up and would beep at me when trying to close the door. I jiggle the stick multiple times and tried different ways to turn off the car, now taking as many as 10 times before the radio/GPS screen turns off and the message goes away. I made an appt with the closest dealer, but I have to wait for 4 weeks for the car to be inspected & corrected. This seem like a safety hazard not knowing if the car is actually in park and turned off so the battery doesn’t drain. There should be a recall issued by Mazda to correct this issue as many people have posted the same problem over many years.
NHTSA complaint #11532877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Stillwater, OK
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When the vehicle is put in park and the button is pressed to turn off the vehicle, the radio display screen stays on. I have to recrank the car, put it in a different gear, and then back into park and try again. Sometimes I do this process up to 10 times in order for the display screen to turn off. When the display screen stays on, the battery is drained within hours.
NHTSA complaint #11525487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Everett, WA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
A couple of months ago we started to have an issue when trying to turn off our vehicle. A warning message stating the car must be be in 'P' to turn off keeps popping up even though the shift stick is in the correct position. We have to jiggle the stick multiple times before the car turns off. This can be a safety hazard if the car is in fact not safely in the park position after being able to turn off the car. The vehicle was recently serviced for an oil change and we were reminded of the issue and were told this is a known issue. They recommended to change the shift switch to resolve it.
NHTSA complaint #11523862 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 70,000 milesJoppa, MD
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to immediately turn off. After several attempts, the contact was able to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #11516704 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 70,000 milesJoppa, MD
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to immediately turn off. After several attempts, the contact was able to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #11516704 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cheyenne, WY
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2014 Mazda CX5 will not turn off, keeps telling me to put it in park - then it tells me key fob battery low, which it is not. I have to turn the car on/off, on/off, on/off to get it to shut off.
NHTSA complaint #11515241 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.