Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 19 safety complaints
about the 2020 Mazda CX-9 with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the seats.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 5 complaints, 26% of the total.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers February 2020 to June 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
19 complaints on file
19
Complaints
1
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
1
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 5 · 26%
5 26%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 · 21%
4 21%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 · 16%
3 16%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 · 16%
3 16%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 · 11%
2 11%
POWER TRAIN 2 · 11%
2 11%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 11%
2 11%
AIR BAGS 1 · 5%
1 5%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 · 5%
1 5%
STRUCTURE 1 · 5%
1 5%
TIRES 1 · 5%
1 5%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 · 5%
1 5%
048
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 19.
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 2026 at 6.
8 6 4 2
202020212021222022232023252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2020 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 2020 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.
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2020-2021 CX-9 vehicles equipped with 60/40 split bench second-row seats. The left-side second-row seat may unexpectedly slide forward during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
The risk
A seat that slides forward during a crash can transfer excessive force onto a belted occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the internal parts of the affected second-row seats, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 4, 2021. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5221I.
Mazda North American Operations · up to 8,648 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
1 injured · crash · towed · 130,000 miles
The contact owned a 2020 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, a second vehicle crashed head-on into the front of the vehicle. During the head-on crash, no air bags inside the vehicle deployed. The contact sustained a concussion and right eye injury and later received medical attention. A Police report was filed at the scene. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a local storage facility. No information was available concerning the second vehicle's occupants. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 130,000.
NHTSA complaint 11747446. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The mazda Cx-9 is having the same fuel pump issues that was recalled up until 2018 models. The issue with the lean codes and faulty fuel pump continues
NHTSA complaint 11745213. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Prior to [XXX] The vehicle ran rough and sputter excessively. I took car to local repair shop. Diagnostic equipment determined the fuel injector needed to be replaced. Vehicle ran better but continued to sputter and ride rough on occasion. Prior to [XXX], the vehicle stopped operating properly. The vehicle would not travel faster than 20 mph and sometimes would stop completely in the middle of the road. This was a hazardous situation. The vehicle seemed to be starved for fuel. All warning lights were displayed on the short trip home. Being too dangerous to drive the vehicle was towed to a different repair shop. Diagnostic equipment determined the throttle body needed to be replaced. This …
NHTSA complaint 11741400, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Warning signal front camera sensor system malfunction Forward Smart City Brake Support malfunction When this initial happen the steering wheel becomes hard to maneuver than releases The front and back cameras are clear from any debris or obstructions What should I do next?
NHTSA complaint 11724926. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
TIRES
All 4 of my BH255/50R20 XL 109v NOKIAN WR G4 vehicle tires are exhibiting abnormal tread degradation and excessive sidewall cracking. The tire defect includes a circumferential crack along the top of all 4 tires, where the top of the tire's sidewall and tread base meet. Upon tire inspection, the structural integrity and safety of these tires with continued usage is questionable. The tires in question are only 26 months old and have approximately 31K miles of usage.
NHTSA complaint 11721291. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The information screen is getting 'spider cracks" spreading across the face and turning opaque making the information unreadable. Mazda is apparently aware of this defect and issued a TSB for earlier models. Dealers were unhelpful and quoted $1000 - $3000 to repair depending on the VIN.
NHTSA complaint 11714995. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed September 27, 2021.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
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.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst