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Mazda · NHTSA safety record

2015 Mazda CX-9

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 35 safety complaints about the 2015 Mazda CX-9 with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 5 people were injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the air bags and the steering.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 17 complaints, 49% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 60,500 miles, the median across the 20 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers March 2015 to April 2025 · How this is counted

What is on file

35 complaints on file

35

Complaints

1

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

5

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 17 · 49%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 9 · 26%
POWER TRAIN 3 · 9%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 · 9%
AIR BAGS 2 · 6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 · 6%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 · 3%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 · 3%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 · 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 3%
SEAT BELTS 1 · 3%
SEATS 1 · 3%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 35.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2020 at 5.

8 6 4 2
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2015 to 2025.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2015 Mazda CX-9, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 14.3% 15.1%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

18V717000 · October 12, 2018

Do not drive until repaired

The defect
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless covered in Zone A or Zone B, Mazda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Mazda6, 2010-2012 CX-7, and 2010-2015 CX-9 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
The risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.

Mazda North American Operations · up to 155,436 vehicles across all model years covered

STEERING

16V203000 · April 11, 2016

The defect
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 2, 2015, 2013-2014 Mazda2 vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to August 8, 2014, 2014-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured January 19, 2013, to December 2, 2015, and 2013-2015 CX-9 vehicles manufactured December 6, 2012, to July 31, 2015. The lower mounting nuts and bolts that attach the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle may loosen, allowing the steering knuckle to separate.
The risk
If the steering knuckle separates from the strut assembly, it can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lower mounting nuts and bolts that secure the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle. If the bolts are loose, they will be replaced and then correctly tightened, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9316D.

Mazda North American Operations · up to 578 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

3 injured · crash · 1,200 miles

WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY A CAR AT MINIMUM GOING 40MPH WHILE PROPELLED MY CAR INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE ENTIRE FRONT AND BACK ENDS OF MY CAR ARE SMASHED IN/HANGING ON AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AUTOBODY SHOP INDICATED THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE GONE OFF WITH THAT MUCH DAMAGE. *TR

NHTSA complaint 10701273. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2 injured · 9 miles

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH GETTING IN MY CAR AND FINDING SPIDERS AND SPIDER WEBS. I HAVE BEEN BITTEN BY THEM AND SO HAS MY FIANC. I GOT IN THE CAR YESTERDAY AND A WEB WAS COMING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING VENT TO THE GEAR HANDLE. *TR

NHTSA complaint 11328817. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

towed · 83,183 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MAZDA CX-9. WHILE DRIVING 68-70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. IN ADDITION, SMOKE WAS DETECTED FROM THE ENGINE AND THE CHECK ENGINE, BATTERY, AND OIL WARNING INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE WATER PUMP BLEW UP AND COOLANT ENTERED THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT CALLED HERITAGE MAZDA BEL AIR (1800 BELAIR RD, SUITE C, FALLSTON, MD 21047, (410) 575-1351) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIRS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED REFERENCE NUMBER: 1-2464193497. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,183.

NHTSA complaint 11289680. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My Mazda has been serviced regularly, in fact my next oil change isn't for 2,000 more miles. I was driving when I heard this weird noise. I looked at the dash and the oil light was flashing and the temperature was over heating. I could also feel the vehicle getting sluggish. I pulled over on the interstate. All the lights were on by this time. I popped the hood and there wasn't any coolant in the resivour anymore. I let the car cool down and I added some water as I was 1 mile from the exit where there was a gas station. I had to baby the car to the exit and shut it off whenever it got hot. The oil was full and seemed overfull even..... Mechanic is guessing the coolant leaked if the

NHTSA complaint 11652669, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
We have a 2015 Mazda CX-9 Touring with All-Wheel Drive (AWD). The issue that has been happening is a flashing check engine light (CEL) indicator showing up in the gauge cluster. This issue originally started in October of 2023. I was on the highway doing at least 55 miles per hour (mph). Before the light actually came on, I had already felt the vehicle shaking, and also noticed the acceleration was sluggish. In the blink of an eye, the CEL came on and started flashing. After that point, the CEL stayed on. I was able to get to my destination safely. We took the vehicle to a shop, and told the mechanics the issue, but they could not re-create what happened. We stopped driving the vehicle as

NHTSA complaint 11608589, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2015 transmission problem Mazda dealership unable to affect because transmissions are no longer made for my model

NHTSA complaint 11591627. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

124,000 miles

The contact owns a 2015 Mazda CX9. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle shut off. The contact stated that the engine was overheating. The contact restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled again. The vehicle continued to coast into a parking lot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump, timing chain, cam phaser, timing chain tensioner, and an engine replacement were needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 124,000.

NHTSA complaint 11569248. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The issue is with the design of the Water Pump on this vehicle. From my understanding, this is a common issue with the 2015 Mazda CX-9. What happens is once the water pump starts to fail due to the design, the vehicle starts to stall randomly which poses a safety issue to my family when driving. The vehicle was inspected by a dealership in the area and was ultimately fixed. I was informed that the water pump has been redesigned by the manufacturer to prevent this issue from happening again.

NHTSA complaint 11544460. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My check engine light came on. Thought it was the oil needing to be changed. Oil was extra dark and muggy. Also notice antifreeze low. Fill up antifreeze and change oil. 2 wks later antifreeze back down low. Check engine still on. Got it diagnosed with auto scanner and says camshaft sensor. Went to autoshop, mechanic says it's not cramshaft sensor but water tank leak in engine which was picked up by camshaft sensor. I have yet to find out what else is wrong or if my engine needs to be replaced. For sure the water tank needs replacement. I read from others of their car over heating or completely stopped working. I fear this because I have 3 kids and on weekends I drive on the highway for

NHTSA complaint 11517156, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Mazda CX-9

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2021 39 1 —
2020 19 1 —
2019 53 2 —
2018 128 2 —
2017 61 0 —
2016 106 0 —
2014 54 3 —
2013 68 4 —
2012 221 4 —
2011 170 4 —
2010 195 6 —

Other 2015 Mazda models

CX-5 133 MAZDA3 130 MAZDA6 60 MAZDA5 9

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Mazda on this site — 82 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst