CSR

Mazda · NHTSA safety record

2019 Mazda CX-9

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

Owners have filed 53 safety complaints about the 2019 Mazda CX-9 with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the gasoline fuel system and the tires.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 23 complaints, 43% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 26,500 miles, the median across the 14 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers March 2019 to August 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

53 complaints on file

53

Complaints

1

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

0

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 23 · 43%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14 · 26%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7 · 13%
POWER TRAIN 5 · 9%
SUSPENSION 4 · 8%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 3 · 6%
STRUCTURE 3 · 6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 · 4%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 4%
STEERING 2 · 4%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 · 4%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 · 2%
0 12 23

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 53.

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 2023 at 14.

16 12 8 4
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

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 2019 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 15.9% 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

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

21V875000 · November 12, 2021

The defect
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
The risk
Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.

Mazda North American Operations · up to 121,038 vehicles across all model years covered

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

19V770000 · October 28, 2019

The defect
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2019 CX-9 vehicles equipped with Sumitomo Falken ZIEX CT50 A/S tires, size P255/50R20 104V, having date code 1619. An incorrect rubber compound may have been used in the tire's manufacturing, allowing the tread to separate and detach.
The risk
A detached tire tread can decrease vehicle stability and increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four tire serial numbers, replacing the tires as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 4, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4019J.

Mazda North American Operations · up to 146 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.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

crash

I was backing out of a parking spot while watching the backup camera when I felt a bump as if I hit something but the camera was showing I have enough space to the cars behind me. It turns out the backup camera image was frozen on the display and I had hit a car parked behind my car. Please investigate and make the manufacturer solve problems with the hardware or the software. Make sure the display shows a warning when the camera fails and the vehicle drives backwards. There may be children behind the car. Shifting into park and then into reverse again caused the camera to work correctly.

NHTSA complaint 11627211. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

towed · 61,000 miles

The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a red light the dash board warning lights suddenly activated and illuminated and while driving the vehicle would not properly accelerate. Shortly after parking in the driveway and exiting the vehicle moments later flames and smoke was present coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The husband used water to extinguish the flames and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer. During the incident no injuries were reported and no fire or police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not determined and no repairs were performed. The failure mileage was 61,000.

NHTSA complaint 11477407. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
It’s now in the shop being torn down for further inspection but it looks to be a cracked cylinder head leak .

NHTSA complaint 11758684. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The engine cylinder head developed an internal coolant leak, allowing coolant to enter the combustion chamber. This caused engine overheating and smoke coming from the tailpipe while driving. A dealer performed a coolant pressure test confirming coolant leaking into the combustion chamber, and wet/dry compression testing on all 4 cylinders showed low and inconsistent readings consistent with cylinder head coolant intrusion (Cylinder 1: 105/125 psi, Cylinder 2: 115/125 psi, Cylinder 3: 110/175 psi, Cylinder 4: 160/190 psi). Overheating creates a risk of sudden loss of power and potential engine failure while driving, including on the highway. The problem has been confirmed and diagnosed by

NHTSA complaint 11749615, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My 2019 Mazda CX-9 (VIN [XXX]) suffered catastrophic cylinder head failure on the SKYACTIV-G 2.5T engine at approximately 124,000 miles. The failure is consistent with Mazda TSB 01-013/21 (and successors 01-007/22, 01-010/24), in which Mazda acknowledged that cylinder heads on this engine can crack at the stud bolt hole and exhaust manifold flange due to manifold deformation and residual production stress. The first warning came in mid-May 2026, when the engine temperature warning illuminated during normal driving. An independent mechanic replaced the thermostat. The warning returned within a week, and the thermostat was replaced a second time with a higher-quality part. Four to five days

NHTSA complaint 11745033, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
- Coolant leak at cylinder head and turbo at only 63,000 miles. - Safety issue because no warning lamps or messages appeared and potential for car to overheat without coolant circulating in the system. Car could breakdown at worst time and location. Leaking coolant onto exhaust created potential for fire. - Problem has not been confirmed by dealer yet. Appointment is upcoming. - Symptoms of the problem were leaking coolant on ground, low coolant level, heater not working properly. - First appeared 1/29/2026.

NHTSA complaint 11714720. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mazda has a current service alert ("SA", SA-001/23) for issues with their Gen 6 Infotainment Center Display, which covers issues (e.g. ghost touch, surface peeling, spider cracks, and white dots) and defects the occur on the primary display of the car. This display provides the driver with essential car operational information. This service alert applies to may of their vehicles in the 2014-2021 range, dependent on model. This VIN provided [XXX] ) is associated with a 2019 CX-9 that within the last month started displaying spider cracks at 2 of the 4 corners of the display. Even though this is a known (manufacturer) issue with other cars that utilize this display, the local Mazda dealership

NHTSA complaint 11710439, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

56,199 miles

The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that a State Inspection was performed on the windshield for cracks. The contact stated that while driving in the rain, the front windshield wipers turned on independently with the switch in the off position. The contact was unable to turn off the windshield wipers. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. When the vehicle was restarted, the front windshield wipers had turned off. The contact stated that the failure persisted and worsened. The contact stated that occasionally the windshield wipers failed to turn off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The

NHTSA complaint 11706077, 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 —
2018 128 2 —
2017 61 0 —
2016 106 0 —
2015 35 2 —
2014 54 3 —
2013 68 4 —
2012 221 4 —
2011 170 4 —
2010 195 6 —

Other 2019 Mazda models

CX-5 270 MAZDA3 74 CX-3 27 MX-5 11

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