Owners have filed 77 complaints
about the 2017 Mazda MAZDA6 with NHTSA between 2017 and 2026.
The largest single group is the other & unspecified.
Across this model's run it ranks 15 of 18 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 — 24
Against the median year of the Mazda MAZDA6. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 13
2.6% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 100
60% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
1,000 – 9,999 miles
525.0%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
735.0%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
210.0%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
315.0%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
210.0%
150,000+ miles
15.0%
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.
Apr 2017peak 5Jul 2026
Complaints that involved harm
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
at 23,000 milesPonte Vedra Beach, FL1 injured
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I WAS DRIVING IN AN URBAN AREA, ON A CITY STREET, AND THE CAR AHEAD OF ME WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN. AS MY VEHICLE WAS SLOWING, I COVERED THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ANTICIPATION OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE NEED TO BRAKE. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS JUST ABOUT CLEAR AND THERE WAS STILL PLENTY OF DISTANCE BETWEEN US. AT THAT TIME, THE SMART CITY BRAKE SUPPORT ENGAGED AND BROUGHT MY CAR TO A VIOLENT STOP. I FELT IMMEDIATE PAIN IN 2 LOCATIONS OF MY BACK, DUE TO THE JOLT. THERE WAS NOT AN IMPENDING ACCIDENT. IT WASN'T EVEN CLOSE.
NHTSA complaint #11306704 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 6,400 milesYorba Linda, CACrash
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
BACK-UP CAMERA FROZE PROVIDING A FALSE PICTURE ON CABIN SCREEN, WHICH CAUSED A COLLISION. CAR WAS IN REVERSE BACKING UP. CABIN PICTURE SHOWED OBJECT OUTSIDE OF WARNING RANGE. SEE ATTACHED PICTURE. IF A CHILD WAS BEHIND THE CAR THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT.
NHTSA complaint #11112253 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Puyallup, WA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The infotainment touchscreen display in my 2017 Mazda 6 is experiencing a "ghost touch" defect, where the screen registers inputs without being touched. The defective touchscreen is available for inspection upon request. While driving, the system randomly changes settings, switches menus, activates functions, and changes audio or navigation screens without driver input. This creates a safety hazard because it distracts the driver and requires attention to be diverted from the road to address the unexpected screen activity. The issue occurs repeatedly and can happen at any time while the vehicle is in motion. The condition has been reported numerous times to an authorized Mazda dealership, Puyallup Mazda 608 River Road, Puyallup, WA 98371, 253-845-1766. The dealership acknowledged the complaint but stated the ghost touch condition is not covered under Mazda's extended warranty program for infotainment system defects and declined to replace the screen. My vehicle is included in the Mazda Connect Infotainment Class Action Settlement and extended warranty program, which addresses infotainment system malfunctions. Despite exhibiting the widely reported 'ghost touch' defect, the dealership refused to repair the condition under the extended warranty, leaving a known driver-distraction hazard uncorrected. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership, but no repair has been performed. The defective infotainment screen remains installed and available for inspection. Prior to the defect becoming severe, the touchscreen occasionally registered unintended inputs. The condition progressively worsened and now frequently activates functions without any user interaction. No warning lights, diagnostic messages, or other vehicle alerts appeared before or during the malfunction. This unresolved defect poses an ongoing driver-distraction risk and could increase the likelihood of a crash.
NHTSA complaint #11753322 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lantana, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The center mounted Mazda Connect infotainment system in my 2017 Mazda 6 Touring sedan is defective. The screen randomly & intermittently changes display modes while the vehicle is on (driving or parked). It began about 2024 & getting worse. One second it will be on navigation then it arbitrarily switchs to phone settings or set a random destination in the navigation screen or change radio channels. the routine is entirely random and is never the same results. There are no dash warning lights, no EWL, no indications of any kind before, during or after. Resetting the infotainment system does not resolve the issue. road conditions or speed do not change the issue. outside temperature seems to affect the unit more because the hotter the ambient temp, the worse the issue seems to be. likewise, high humidity & high temperature causes more issues. The vehicle is garaged in South Florida. removing the SD card from the center console (the navigation maps from Mazda) does not affect the issue. replacing the Mazda navigation SD card does not make any change in the frequency, duration or intensity of the issue. moving the jog dial on the center console will allow interfacing the infotainment system, however, not touching the jog dial still has an issue. The issue is becoming a hazard while driving because the turn-by-turn navigation randomly routes to random destinations and when cancelled, it randomly picks another point of interest and starts all over again. The radio cannot stay on a single frequency, it scans through presets. The issues are distracting and the vehicle is out of factory warranty. The dealership cannot reproduce the issue after 3 separate visits for regular maintenance. The reverse camera (also using the screen) works normal most of the time. I had a single issue where the camera would not turn on while in reverse. disconnecting the main 12v battery reset the camera and it has been working since that isolated issue. (Case No. [XXX] (W.D. Ky) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI
NHTSA complaint #11745149 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Agoura Hills, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The infotainment screen is malfunctioning through (i) screen cracking/webbing from the inside and (ii) ghosting, i.e., random system reboots and control changes (including volume increases). The ghosting malfunctions occur when driving and can be incredibly distracting and jarring because they are unexpected and randomly occur. The screen cracking is spreading to nearly half the screen to a point where it is not visible in certain lights. This appears to be a well-known issue for Mazda and the cost to address and repair is in the thousands. Mazda does not seem to be taking any corrective action to address this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11742820 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Delray Beach, FL
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Ghost touch screen sudden changes in the volume to the maximum while driving. The Mazda dealership where I bought the car said I would need to pay for it, because the car is not under warranty. Mazda said they would not cover the repair.
NHTSA complaint #11739550 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 175,000 milesBlythewood, SC
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the engine choked, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that when the vehicle accelerated to 60 MPH, the choking and stalling failure ceased. The contact stated that the instrument panel was inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was diagnosed as PCM failure. The contact was informed that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
NHTSA complaint #11729881 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Essex, MD
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Ghost touch concern on infotainment touchscreen, similar/same as SSPB6 which was issued for earlier Mazda3 models and extended to other Mazda models. When car is on and touchscreen is not disabled, it exhibits phantom touches, making it unsafe and unusable as it acts like it is being tapped all across the screen. this is especially dangerous when using the navigation which was nearly a $1000 added cost, as it stops the map from being centered on the car location and moves the viewport around as the phantom touches occur.
NHTSA complaint #11718687 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Palmdale, CA
Other/I am not sure
The car seat involved is a Nuna RAVA convertible car seat that was sent to the manufacturer solely due to a safety recall. I declined the self-repair recall option and requested that Nuna perform the recall service, which they agreed to. During recall servicing, Nuna inspected the car seat and advised in writing that internal Styrofoam/EPS foam in the headrest was missing or broken and that the car seat is not recommended for continued use and is not safety tested in that condition. Despite determining that the seat is unsafe, Nuna returned the car seat to me without providing a replacement, credit, or other safety remedy. The manufacturer has stated that the damage is unrelated to the recall and has refused to replace the seat, offering only a discount toward purchasing a new car seat. As a result of the recall process, I am left without a usable car seat for my child. The car seat has been inspected by the manufacturer and remains available for inspection upon request. I am requesting assistance with recall compliance, as the recall has resulted in an unusable child safety product with no remedy provided.
NHTSA complaint #11709957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Palmdale, CA
Carry Handle, Shell, Base
The car seat involved is a Nuna RAVA convertible car seat that was sent to the manufacturer solely due to a safety recall. I declined the self-repair recall option and requested that Nuna perform the recall service, which they agreed to. During recall servicing, Nuna inspected the car seat and advised in writing that internal Styrofoam/EPS foam in the headrest was missing or broken and that the car seat is not recommended for continued use and is not safety tested in that condition. Despite determining that the seat is unsafe, Nuna returned the car seat to me without providing a replacement, credit, or other safety remedy. The manufacturer has stated that the damage is unrelated to the recall and has refused to replace the seat, offering only a discount toward purchasing a new car seat. As a result of the recall process, I am left without a usable car seat for my child. The car seat has been inspected by the manufacturer and remains available for inspection upon request. I am requesting assistance with recall compliance, as the recall has resulted in an unusable child safety product with no remedy provided.
NHTSA complaint #11709957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Palmdale, CA
Insert, Padding
The car seat involved is a Nuna RAVA convertible car seat that was sent to the manufacturer solely due to a safety recall. I declined the self-repair recall option and requested that Nuna perform the recall service, which they agreed to. During recall servicing, Nuna inspected the car seat and advised in writing that internal Styrofoam/EPS foam in the headrest was missing or broken and that the car seat is not recommended for continued use and is not safety tested in that condition. Despite determining that the seat is unsafe, Nuna returned the car seat to me without providing a replacement, credit, or other safety remedy. The manufacturer has stated that the damage is unrelated to the recall and has refused to replace the seat, offering only a discount toward purchasing a new car seat. As a result of the recall process, I am left without a usable car seat for my child. The car seat has been inspected by the manufacturer and remains available for inspection upon request. I am requesting assistance with recall compliance, as the recall has resulted in an unusable child safety product with no remedy provided.
NHTSA complaint #11709957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pomona, CA
SERVICE BRAKES
On a clear lane with the forward car 5 car lengths away with traffic flowing, the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) activated slowing my car down from 65mph to 30mph. I deactivated AEB on my exit and changed the AEB distance from “normal” to “near”.
NHTSA complaint #11701744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pomona, CA
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On a clear lane with the forward car 5 car lengths away with traffic flowing, the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) activated slowing my car down from 65mph to 30mph. I deactivated AEB on my exit and changed the AEB distance from “normal” to “near”.
NHTSA complaint #11701744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On a clear lane with the forward car 5 car lengths away with traffic flowing, the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) activated slowing my car down from 65mph to 30mph. I deactivated AEB on my exit and changed the AEB distance from “normal” to “near”.
NHTSA complaint #11701744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mansfield, OH
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
The part was purchased via Rock auto and installed at home DIY. The vehicle failed to return form "maintenance" mode for the rear parking brake. Took it to a Mazda dealer and they determined the Calipers were both manufactured incorrectly or the "spline gear" in the rear of the caliper that meshes to the Electronic Parking Brake actuator. This caused the parking brake to stay in maintenance mode, making it unusable for parking nor emergency braking, making the vehicle undrivable. It also caused Damage that incurred costs for parts and labor of the vehicle. The vehicle can still be driven and the only way to know its potentially unsafe is the light in the dash for the brake maintenance mode. At this time its unclear if this is the only issue with this part. Jason at Dynamic Friction technical support is investigating.
NHTSA complaint #11668599 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brown Deer, WI
ENGINE
Coolant leaked into my engine system . Now dealership says a new engine is needed
NHTSA complaint #11667202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sherman Oaks, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My sunroof exploded while I was driving on the 405 S freeway. It can be inspected at any time as I haven’t had it repaired or inspected by anyone yet. It happened while I was driving at least 65 mph in the fast lane. It sounded like a gunshot and startled me greatly. Glass flew everywhere and I believe hit cars around me as I heard multiple vehicles honk. This was a very scary and dangerous experience. There were no warnings and I’ve never had any issues with my sunroof. Nothing fell on my vehicle or impacted the glass. Thankfully no one was hurt but this is extremely concerning.
NHTSA complaint #11651544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sherman Oaks, CA
STRUCTURE:BODY
My sunroof exploded while I was driving on the 405 S freeway. It can be inspected at any time as I haven’t had it repaired or inspected by anyone yet. It happened while I was driving at least 65 mph in the fast lane. It sounded like a gunshot and startled me greatly. Glass flew everywhere and I believe hit cars around me as I heard multiple vehicles honk. This was a very scary and dangerous experience. There were no warnings and I’ve never had any issues with my sunroof. Nothing fell on my vehicle or impacted the glass. Thankfully no one was hurt but this is extremely concerning.
NHTSA complaint #11651544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
St., FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Infotainment system continually has ghost touches and opens apps, changes radio stations glitches on the screen while the car is driving making it extremely dangerous to drive as it affects volume also. Sometimes it will just start blaring at full volume. Happens everytime I drive
NHTSA complaint #11634413 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Jose, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Infotainment system randomly clicks and selects items on the screen while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11633549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 50,000 milesFort Edward, NY
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving at slower speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, there was a delay before the vehicle responded. Additionally, the contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the contact became aware of a fuel leak on the driveway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the fuel tank was rusted and the fuel sending unit needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired because the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11624935 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 50,000 milesFort Edward, NY
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2017 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving at slower speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, there was a delay before the vehicle responded. Additionally, the contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the contact became aware of a fuel leak on the driveway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the fuel tank was rusted and the fuel sending unit needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired because the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11624935 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Arlington, VA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
From the information I have gathered, this is a common issue affecting many Mazdas ranging from 2014 to 2018. The issue is what the Mazda Community calls "Ghost touch" Our infotainment screens will start clicking buttons on its own including increasing the volume or switching screens. Additionally songs will switched. Why is this a safety hazard? This causes a distraction that can occur at any moment. For instance, if you are driving down the highway and all of a sudden your volume goes up to an unpleasant volume, your natural reaction is to turn down the volume, causing a distraction. Same can be said about song switching or screen repeatedly changing.
NHTSA complaint #11604619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
State College, PA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The infotainment system randomly changes screens, places calls, alters routes while vehicle is in use. It makes for a dangerous distraction while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11595855 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
State College, PA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The infotainment system randomly changes screens, places calls, alters routes while vehicle is in use. It makes for a dangerous distraction while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11595855 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fremont, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My display infotainment system is acting weird and when I am driving all of a sudden it auto touches and changing brightness, increasing volume, changing tracks when playing music. It's very distracting and pose a serious safety risk. When I looked on the internet, there are a lot of people who also posting about the same issue. Please consider this as priority and fix it.
NHTSA complaint #11593346 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Miami, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The issue I'm experiencing seems to be common, and is called the "infotainment ghost touch screen issue" The electric screen that shows maps, radio stations, chapters in books I'm listening to, driving directions, etc. starts fluctuating wildly whenever I'm approaching traffic lights. This causes a series of loud beeps and screen fluctuations that are not only distracting but startling --especially if I'm not listening to the radio and the car is quiet. The warranty on the electronic screen has expired but the car is in perfect shape other than this issue (which Mazda knows about). The screen is very expensive to fix or replace. Recently, when the infotainment screen fluctuates the mileage and other dashboard screens start fluctuating as well; they're in my line of vision and are distracting and therefore dangerous, especially on Miami's already dangerous highways. I'd like to bring the car to the Mazda dealership and have this issue fixed without incurring a cost.
NHTSA complaint #11593467 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.