What breaks most · 2006 to 2016 model years
Mazda Mazda5 problems by year
Owners have filed 412 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mazda Mazda5 across model years 2006 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2006 for suspension complaints, 2008 for steering complaints and 2009 for steering complaints. The quietest years are 2011, 2014 and 2013.
- Years to check closely: 2006, 2008, 2009
- Fewest complaints: 2011, 2014, 2013
- Complaints on file
- 4122006 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 200678 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 298 fires · 28 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 48kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 15Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | 5 | 3 | Suspension (20) | |
| 61 | 3 | 2 | Steering (21) | |
| 67 | 4 | 2 | Steering (37) | |
| 64 | 4 | 3 | Steering (17) | |
| 57 | 2 | 1 | Air bags (13) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (1) | |
| 37 | 4 | 1 | Fuel system (8) | |
| 24 | 4 | 1 | Brakes (5) | |
| 12 | 0 | 1 | Brakes (4) | |
| 9 | 3 | 1 | Unknown or other (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (1) |
What fails on the 2006 Mazda Mazda5
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 26% |
20 | 1 | Shop suspension parts for the 2006 Mazda Mazda5 |
| Tires | 23% |
18 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 13% |
10 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2006 Mazda Mazda5 |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 12% |
9 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2006 Mazda Mazda5 |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 8% |
6 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2006 Mazda Mazda5 |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 6% |
5 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2006 Mazda Mazda5 |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
4 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2006 Mazda Mazda5 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 4% |
3 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
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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Both front wheel bearings need to be replaced 1 year/12,000 miles after being installed. Service was done by the dealer. Caused excessive tire wear on the inside tread requiring near one year old tires to be replaced to pass inspection.
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Took car in due to recall notice for power steering failure for replacement part. New part installed was defective and resulted in loss of steering ability.
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This model of mazda steering wheel stop rotating mostly on highway. At time it become too stiff to ove for 5 to 10 minutes and then it comes back on it is worrying me as it may cause an unvoidable crash.
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 Mazda5 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2006, 2008, 2009 carry the most filings on the Mazda Mazda5. The 2006 alone has 78 complaints, led by suspension.
What is the most common Mazda Mazda5 problem?
On the 2006 model year, the most-reported component is suspension with 20 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mazda Mazda5 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mazda Mazda5 complaints that include mileage is about 48,000 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.