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Mazda · NHTSA safety record

2022 Mazda CX-5

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

62

Complaints

5

Crashes

2

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2022 Mazda CX-5 have filed 62 safety complaints with NHTSA between February 2022 and June 2026. The most complained-about system is the exterior lighting, named in 23 of them (37%). The typical failure was reported at 3,963 miles, the median across the 7 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Complaints rose 38% year on year: 18 in the twelve months to 2026-Q1, against 13 in the twelve before.

No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 62.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 23 37%
ENGINE 13 21%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 9 15%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 10%
POWER TRAIN 5 8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 6%
SERVICE BRAKES 4 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 5%
STRUCTURE 3 5%
AIR BAGS 2 3%
TIRES 2 3%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 18.

2022 2026
2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

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

I was driving to Home Depot after work around 6PM PST on [XXX] and must have fallen asleep at the wheel about a.1/4 of a mile from my house and left the road way after a turn. I hit my head so hard I had to be treated for a head injury and the car dialed 911 for me to report a crash. The airbags nor any other safety system triggered besides detecting a crash and dialing 911. My car was deemed totalled by insurance and had to go to the hospital. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11630840. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire

Heating element on front windscreen burning and smoking causing windscreen to crack and is very obviously defective.

NHTSA complaint 11552935. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire

The vehicle unexpectedly caught fire and the results could have been catastrophic. Almost new car under warranty. All details are in the uploaded PDF letter and photos. I have contacted Mazda and they claim they do not investigate, only insurance company will investigate. My insurance company will pay me for the total loss but does not plan to investigate. I think this is dangerous and unconscionable. Thank you for any help or guidance.

NHTSA complaint 11560007. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

crash · towed

I was driving in slow moving traffic with vehicles ahead and behind. The vehicle ahead of me slowed, so I applied brakes and began to slow as well. While I was on the brakes slowing at a normal rate with plenty of distance to the vehicle ahead, my vehicle unexpectedly activated automatic emergency braking. It abruptly applied full brakes and came to a complete stop, even though traffic ahead was still rolling. There was zero chance of collision, with ample following distance, minimal speed differential, and brakes already applied. The audible alert triggered at the same time as the emergency braking, providing no advance warning. The vehicle following me was unable to stop in time and

NHTSA complaint 11472866, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Humming sound coming from driver’s side headlight as soon as unlock bottom pressed in key fob. This sound comes from a faulty cooling fan inside the headlight and is a known defect. Humming sound progressed to very slow pitch indicating that fan function is diminishing over time. Mazda will replace the headlight but required me to pay $200 toward it. This should be a recall with replacement at no cost to the consumer as they are aware of the defect.

NHTSA complaint 11745931. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The mechanical motor assembly inside the adaptive front-lighting headlamp unit has failed on my 2022 Mazda CX-5. This mechanical malfunction severely compromises nighttime driving illumination, creating a direct road hazard by reducing forward visibility during essential evening commutes. An initial repair and parts request was submitted to Mazda several months ago, but no corporate response or resolution was ever received. The vehicle and component are currently available for inspection at Yark Mazda in Toledo, OH, where technicians have confirmed the headlight motor failure. Because the prior request went unanswered, the dealership has advised me to contact Mazda corporate directly to

NHTSA complaint 11741454, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Timing chain cover ended up leaking oil everywhere. Was told this was a known issue with Mazda CX-5 and there was even a service bulletin out.

NHTSA complaint 11738237. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My 2022 Mazda CX-5 Signature began producing a loud whirring/rattling noise from the driver-side front headlight assembly. After investigation, the noise was identified as coming from the internal cooling fan located inside the LED headlight unit. The cooling fan, which is integrated into the bi-LED headlamp assembly, appears to be failing prematurely due to bearing wear. This is a known widespread defect on 2019–2023 Mazda CX-5 models. Mazda has already issued Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 09-015-23, which acknowledges the noise issue and instructs dealers to replace the entire front combination light assembly under warranty. However, no formal recall has been issued. The root cause

NHTSA complaint 11736447, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

37,000 miles

The contact owns a 2022 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at nighttime at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from the headlights. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with an unknown headlight fan bearing failure. The vehicle was not repaired because the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.

NHTSA complaint 11734094. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sunroof explosion while driving on the interstate and glass shards shot down on us. Sounded like a gunshot by head and it exploded.

NHTSA complaint 11734137. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Mazda CX-5

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2024 41 0 —
2023 59 0 —
2021 143 0 —
2020 106 0 —
2019 265 2 —
2018 347 3 —
2017 148 1 —
2016 510 4 —
2015 133 3 —
2014 377 3 —
2013 194 1 —

Other 2022 Mazda models

CX-30 32

Every Mazda on this site — 81 vehicles, 161 recall campaigns and 2 open investigation s.

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

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