What breaks most · 2012 to 2018 model years
Mazda CX-5 problems by year
Owners have filed 764 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mazda CX-5 across model years 2012 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2014 for electrical system complaints, 2016 for exterior lighting complaints and 2013 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2012 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2014, 2016, 2013
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 7642012 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2014253 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 405 fires · 24 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 21kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 18Across 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) | |
| 142 | 6 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (33) | |
| 253 | 4 | 4 | Electrical system (68) | |
| 90 | 5 | 4 | Body and structure (24) | |
| 225 | 19 | 5 | Exterior lighting (60) | |
| 27 | 2 | 1 | Unknown or other (11) | |
| 26 | 4 | 3 | Brakes (10) |
What fails on the 2014 Mazda CX-5
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 27% |
68 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2014 Mazda CX-5 |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 22% |
55 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 13% |
33 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 13% |
32 | 1 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 11% |
29 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2014 Mazda CX-5 |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 11% |
27 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2014 Mazda CX-5 |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 8% |
21 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2014 Mazda CX-5 |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 6% |
16 | 2 | Shop brakes parts for the 2014 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.
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Vehicle won't shut completely off. Infotainment system remains on, doors won't lock and key fobs won't work. All after pressing the start button in order to shut it off.
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Driver side daytime running lights stopped working after 3.5 years. This is a common problem for the mazda cx-5 2016 model year. Mazda knows about the issue but is not issuing a recall. The cost to repair the issues is over $1,000.00 just to replace the worn out led's.
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Vehicle does not shut off when pressing the start/stop button due to known gate at shifter issue in sb 05-007/15. My vehicle warranty expired due to milage before the sb was even released.
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 30, 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, 2014, 2016, 2013 carry the most filings on the Mazda CX-5. The 2014 alone has 253 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Mazda CX-5 problem?
On the 2014 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 68 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 21,000 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.