What breaks most · 2012 to 2026 model years
Mazda CX-5 problems by year
Owners have filed 2,434 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mazda CX-5 across model years 2012 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2016 for exterior lighting complaints, 2014 for electrical system complaints and 2018 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2024 and 2023.
- Years to check closely: 2016, 2014, 2018
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2024, 2023
- Complaints on file
- 24342012 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 2016510 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 12517 fires · 73 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 31kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 20Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (1) | |
| 194 | 6 | 1 | Electrical system (58) | |
| 377 | 7 | 4 | Electrical system (132) | |
| 133 | 11 | 4 | Body and structure (27) | |
| 510 | 31 | 5 | Exterior lighting (161) | |
| 148 | 5 | 1 | Electrical system (44) | |
| 348 | 19 | 3 | Engine (177) | |
| 267 | 7 | 2 | Engine (130) | |
| 106 | 9 | 0 | Electrical system (30) | |
| 143 | 9 | 0 | Engine (77) | |
| 63 | 5 | 0 | Exterior lighting (23) | |
| 61 | 8 | 0 | Brakes (10) | |
| 42 | 4 | 0 | Unknown or other (10) | |
| 27 | 4 | 0 | Brakes (9) | |
| 14 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (6) |
What fails on the 2016 Mazda CX-5
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 32% |
161 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2016 Mazda CX-5 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 14% |
71 | 4 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2016 Mazda CX-5 |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 13% |
66 | 6 | Shop brakes parts for the 2016 Mazda CX-5 |
| Unknown or other | 11% |
57 | 5 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 10% |
51 | 5 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 8% |
42 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 8% |
39 | 6 | Shop engine parts for the 2016 Mazda CX-5 |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 4% |
19 | 3 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2016 Mazda CX-5 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The controls on the Windshield Wiper/Headlight Control Stalk are not visible when driving at night. The setting markings on the Control Stalk are completely dark at night. This creates a safety hazard when driving at night in the rain and turning on your windshield wipers or changing your headlight settings is needed.
-
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.
-
Oil leak from defective head that occurred behind exhaust manifold leaking hot oil onto the hot exhaust causing the potential for fire. Leak started at 44,000 miles. This manufacture defect is not being covered by Mazda or a recall even though the high potential of fire and serious injury.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mazda CX-5 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2016, 2014, 2018 carry the most filings on the Mazda CX-5. The 2016 alone has 510 complaints, led by exterior lighting.
What is the most common Mazda CX-5 problem?
On the 2016 model year, the most-reported component is exterior lighting with 161 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mazda CX-5 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mazda CX-5 complaints that include mileage is about 31,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.