225 of the 3,269 complaints filed about the Mazda CX-5 are about the glass, mirrors and wipers — 7% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2014.
225
Complaints
7%
Share of all complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Have a cracked windshield from a chip near the wiper area Mazda says needs to be replaced But they are on National back order Was told that when the windshield caves in or collapses Then an emergency order can be put in
NHTSA complaint #11755455 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The windshield of my 2026 Mazda CX-5 suddenly fractured and developed a severe crack without any external road hazard or heavy stone impact. Under micro-photography, the root of the crack presents as a smooth, continuous stress fracture ("white line") with no physical crater or concentric shattering pattern. The authorized Mazda dealer and Safelite AutoGlass provided entirely contradictory diagnostic locations regarding the alleged "impact point," proving the source of the failure is highly ambiguous. On this vehicle, a standard, everyday micro-pit from normal road dust triggered a catastrophic structural fracture across the glass. This is a disproportionate failure indicating excessive internal manufacturing residual stress or structural pressure from the vehicle frame rather than owner wear-and-tear. Furthermore, this severe fracture directly obstructs the driver's forward vision and threatens the calibration and safety functionality of the i-Activesense forward-facing safety cameras mounted behind the rearview mirror, creating a sudden, severe driving safety hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11747280 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
About a week ago, a "telematics error" message displayed, a single red light on the SOS button turned on, and it started beeping loudly. This has repeated multiple times. In this state the vehicle cannot automatically summon emergency help following a crash, and I cannot manually trigger an SOS call. More recently, June 17th, a new symptom has occurred. Vehicle's touchscreen display would not turn on. This display is required to access heating/cooling features including defrost/defog, and is used to show the backup camera. The dealer has informed us that these issues were all caused by a manufacturer-initiated over-the-air software update. We are currently scheduled to have a new software update installed to replace it on June 22nd.
NHTSA complaint #11744809 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Read windshield just shattered while driving down the highway. No object hit the windshield. On I-95 near PHL airport, near exit for Rt 420
NHTSA complaint #11742819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The mechanical motor assembly inside the adaptive front-lighting headlamp unit has failed on my 2022 Mazda CX-5. This mechanical malfunction severely compromises nighttime driving illumination, creating a direct road hazard by reducing forward visibility during essential evening commutes. An initial repair and parts request was submitted to Mazda several months ago, but no corporate response or resolution was ever received. The vehicle and component are currently available for inspection at Yark Mazda in Toledo, OH, where technicians have confirmed the headlight motor failure. Because the prior request went unanswered, the dealership has advised me to contact Mazda corporate directly to follow up. No dashboard warning lights appeared prior to the component failure.
NHTSA complaint #11741454 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
(I am the owner of the car and am filling this out for my daughter who was driving it at the time, I was not with her during the incident) While driving down the road in the rain the wipers just stopped working. I have not had any dealers ID the specific problem yet. We replaced the wiper 20amp fuse and it did not fix the problem. There were no warning lamps and there are still no warning lamps. My safety was put into danger when I could not see out the window. I was nearly at work so I waited for the rain to slow down some was able to make it to work. The rain cleared while I was at work and it has not rained since. It is available for inspection upon request.
NHTSA complaint #11740504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
Description of Safety Defect: The driver-side exterior rearview mirror vibrates excessively, escalating into a violent shake depending on vehicle speed, crosswinds, and road surfaces. The issue is highly pronounced at highway speeds (65+ mph) and deteriorates aggressively as speed increases, particularly on open, wind-swept highways with like MA-3. The resulting violent vibration causes severe visual distortion, creating a blurred, "low-resolution" image that makes it incredibly difficult to accurately judge the distance, speed, and presence of overtaking vehicles. When checking the driver-side blind spot, this rapid blurring induces sudden, brief physical dizziness and vertigo, posing an immediate safety hazard during high-speed lane changes. The passenger-side mirror remains perfectly stable and clear under identical driving and road conditions. Attempts to Correct / Dealer History: The vehicle has been taken to an authorized dealership (Tulley Mazda, Nashua, NH) twice for this specific issue: On 03/18/2026 (Mileage: 5,862), Repair Order #XXX/1 noted the complaint. The technician verified the vibration on a road test but dismissed it as a "normal characteristic of the vehicle". On 04/21/2026 (Mileage: 6,846), Repair Order #XXX was opened because the condition worsened and began occurring at lower speeds. A ride-along was conducted, and the Shop Foreman confirmed the defect. Upon mirror disassembly, the technician found "loose internal components causing the issue". Current Status: Under warranty, the dealership replaced the body door mirror assembly (Part KJL1-69-181C) and the mirror glass/holder (Part TK71-69-1G7). However, the violent shaking remains completely unresolved and continues to worsen at high speeds. The dealership is now refusing further diagnostic or repair work, claiming the vehicle is "within spec," despite the persistent visual distortion and subsequent driver vertigo. No crash yet, but the defect is serious safety concern.
NHTSA complaint #11738442 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
This vehicle was purchased two months ago. In that time the windshield has sustained multiple significant chips on multiple occasions during routine highway commuting. Some of these are in the line of sight of the driver, causing distractions or visibility issues. Prior to purchasing this vehicle I owned a 2012 Toyota Corolla, which traveled the same route every day and did not receive any significant windshield chips over a period of years. It seems that the windshield of the Mazda is particularly fragile and/or brittle compared to other windshields and suffers chips and cracks too easily.
NHTSA complaint #11735897 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The air conditioning compressor clutch suddenly would not engage, leading to reduced visibility out of the windshield during humid weather in Oklahoma springtime and extended times for windshield to defog. Temperatures inside the vehicle also rose to very high levels without air conditioning available, even with windows down while driving. No crash or injuries but this presented an unsafe situation for a vehicle with only 39,000 miles and purchased new from the dealership. There were no indicator lights, messages, or warnings, other than observation that air conditioner vents were no longer blowing cold air when selecting the AC button after problem occurred. Problem was verified by both an independent mechanic and our Mazda dealership. AC system was overcharged from the factory per diagnostic results, leading to internal AC compressor short and early component failure.
NHTSA complaint #11733145 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2021 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rear back glass fractured without impact. The contact stated that the vehicle had just been parked for several minutes prior to the failure when the contact returned from a doctor's appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that the failure had occurred four times since June 2023. In addition, the contact stated that the rear seat was covered with shattered glass. The contact was instructed by the insurance company to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11695018 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The driver side mirror vibrates at speeds above 65 miles per hour especially with windy conditions. Went to the dealer they replaced the mirror assembly with the issue still remaining. Mazda answer is that is common in CX 5 models. It is a safety issue as it really limits visibility for vehicles behind.
NHTSA complaint #11691337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The driver-side power door mirror on my 2023 Mazda CX-5 vibrates excessively at highway speeds above 75 mph, especially on windy days. The vibration is so severe that it causes a blurred and distorted view, making it difficult to clearly see vehicles in adjacent lanes. This poses a significant safety risk, as it impairs my ability to make safe lane changes and monitor surrounding traffic. I brought the issue to the attention of my Mazda dealership during a scheduled service appointment, but they dismissed it as "normal" and quoted approximately $700 to replace the mirror - despite the fact that this appears to be a known issue with Mazda vehicles. Numerous owners of recent Mazda models have reported similar problems online, yet Mazda has not issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) for the 2023 CX-5. I am attaching a previous TSB (09-002/13) that Mazda released for earlier CX-5 models (2013–2014), which addressed the same mirror vibration issue through structural reinforcement and mirror replacement. This suggests the problem may still persist in newer models. The mirror is available for inspection upon request. No warning lights or messages were displayed, and the issue began shortly after I started driving the vehicle on highways. Link to previous TSB - [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11684928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH in an intense rainstorm, the windshield became foggy. The contact activated the HVAC system to clear the windshield, but only hot air was coming from the vents. The contact stated that the hot air made the foggy windshield worse. The contact used a towel to wipe the inside of the windshield. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred during intense rainfall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
NHTSA complaint #11681576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Monday I walked outside and my vehicles back windshield was broken. Oddly enough, there was a big hole on both ends, but the middle began to disintegrate. I got a new glass installed on Wednesday and Thursday morning. I went to get in my car and the new glass was broken. The tech told me that Honda had a recall for the defroster wires Having the same issue, causing the back windshield to break. Although I had not been running my defroster for several months, he said the wires were getting hot even though they were turned off and shattering the windows. Since this is the second windshield that has busted in a week, I assume that Mazda is having the same issue however they have not yet issued a recall.
NHTSA complaint #11666526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Car will slam on brakes even if car is in opposite lane farther away. We have received sooo many chips amd cracks on windshield with 2 weeks. We purchased used and was informed windshield was replaced once already.
NHTSA complaint #11636988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
The windshield on our new 2025 Mazda CX-5 is defective. Objects viewed through the windshield are distorted, to include the Active Driver’s Display (colloquially known as the HUD). Drivers and passengers are impeded from clearly seeing and focusing on objects visible throughout the front of the vehicle. Objects to include road signs are distorted, lose clarity which result in unnecessary and dangerous distractions. This problem significantly degrades the vehicle’s usability, safety and ultimate enjoyment.
NHTSA complaint #11637207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The side mirror defrosters are not operable. This is an extreme safety hazard to be able to see my surroundings while driving. This function should operate when the rear defroster is activated and is not working. I cleared the side mirror prior to leaving my house, during driving the mirror frosted back over causing me to not see other vehicles. The alert when a car is next to me would not function due to ice build up. If a crash were to happen due to the safety features not properly working, this could cause issues. This seems it should come standard on all Mazda vehicles considering there safety satisfaction. This is the third Mazda I've owned and I've never had a complaint until now.
NHTSA complaint #11624734 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
The outside mirrors failed to rotate open, and you could not see behind the vehicle. The mirrors rotate inward when the doors are locked and are supposed to open fully when the doors are unlocked. These outside mirrors can freeze when rotated in during freezing temperatures. When the vehicle is unlocked, the mirrors if frozen, can be kept from rotating out to the locked position. This condition causes the mirror motor assembly to fail and that prevents the mirrors from rotating to the outboard and locked position. Latter year models have an added option to turn the rotating feature off but no retrofit option was added to earlier model yesrs.
NHTSA complaint #11622304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Front windshield wipers stopped working, front windshield washer still working. Fuse was checked, fuse is good.Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety is put at risk because of lack of visibility when driving in rain. The problem has been confirmed by a Mazda dealership. The vehicle and the components have been inspected by a Mazda dealership. No warning lights or messages appeared before or after the front windshield wipers stopped working. So if a person is driving the car, there is no indication that the front windshield wipers will not work if it starts raining and the driver would need to use the front windshield wipers. This is a safety hazard because the driver will not be able to see, possibly causing an accident. This Mazda CX5 does not have automatic front windshield wipers (they do not come on automatically when it starts raining).
NHTSA complaint #11622026 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Display went dark and did not display. This is not the only time it happens. It acts like someone’s touching the screen even when in motion. It prevents the reverse camera from displaying.
NHTSA complaint #11620857 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.