CSR
Check a VIN

Look up

About

Mazda · NHTSA safety record

2023 Mazda CX-50

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

60

Complaints

9

Crashes

0

Fires

3

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2023 Mazda CX-50 have filed 60 safety complaints with NHTSA between May 2022 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the brakes, named in 15 of them (25%). The typical failure was reported at 57,000 miles, the median across the 5 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (2)

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

23V275000 · April 18, 2023

The defect
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2022-2023 CX-30 and 2023 CX-50 vehicles. The anti-lock brake system (ABS) Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) may be damaged, which can result in reduced braking ability.
The risk
Reduced braking ability can increase the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the ABS HCU, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 12, 2023. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 5823D.

Mazda North American Operations · up to 2,410 vehicles across all model years covered

TRAILER HITCHES

23V135000 · March 1, 2023

The defect
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2023 CX-50 vehicles equipped with a Mazda Genuine Accessory trailer hitch. The trailer hitch harness may detach and become damaged, which can result in inoperative trailer lights and/or brakes.
The risk
Towing a trailer with inoperative lights or brakes can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will repair the trailer hitch harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2023. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 5723B.

Mazda North American Operations · up to 560 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 60.

SERVICE BRAKES 15 25%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 13 22%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 13%
STRUCTURE 6 10%
POWER TRAIN 5 8%
SUSPENSION 5 8%
STEERING 4 7%
AIR BAGS 3 5%
ENGINE 3 5%
SEATS 3 5%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 15.

2022 2024 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

There was an airbag malfunction. The whole air vent came off and the airbag bursted. Smoke was everywhere. It was awful.

NHTSA complaint 11633503. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 27,000 miles

The contact owned a 2023 Mazda CX-50. The contact stated that while driving 55-60 MPH she crashed into a deer. The air bag did not deploy. The seat belts malfunctioned and failed to secure the occupant. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received an alert on her app. The contact sustained injuries to her eye. The contact lost vision in her eye, and medical attention was provided. There were no reported fires. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was deemed a total lost. The failure

NHTSA complaint 11666000, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash

I am reporting a potential airbag system/emergency brake failure in my 2023 Mazda CX-50. I was involved in a rear-end motor vehicle accident at approximately 60 mph while my vehicle was completely stopped. I then hit the person in front of me. At the time of the impact, the airbags did not deploy, and I received a dashboard message indicating an airbag system malfunction. Since then, the emergency brake turns on and off on it's own at any time. Due to the severity of the crash, I am concerned that the airbags should have deployed, and their failure raises a serious safety concern. I sustained injuries (multiple fractures) as a result of the collision. I am requesting a formal investigation

NHTSA complaint 11727435, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

crash · towed

On 1/14/2026, I was pulling into a parking space in a parking garage when the vehicle abruptly accelerated causing the vehicle to hit the concrete wall in front of me. No braking assist or front collision warning issued. Airbags deployed. The car is currently at Joe Myers Collision Center in Houston, Texas to obtain an estimate for repair. The police did not respond to reported incident. Incident was reported to my insurance company immediately.

NHTSA complaint 11711337. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
While driving 72mph on the interstate at 6am on 7/21/26 the sunroof exploded. No foreign objects made impact with the vehicle and there was no sudden temperature shifts. The glass had no previous defects and it shattered into tiny pieces, failing into the car. The sun shade was open at the time. The vehicle is being serviced at a glass repair shop who noted this is a common issue with Mazda sunroofs.

NHTSA complaint 11751781. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEATS
Rear differential failure, and side seat tear on 2023 Mazda cx 50

NHTSA complaint 11747582. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
My rear differential is going out at only 40,000 miles. Ive heard from many other people that this is a widespread issue, and i feel requires a response from the company.

NHTSA complaint 11747626. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The temperature control dial on the climate control system behaves erratically and inconsistently. When turning the dial to increase temperature, the displayed temperature sometimes decreases. When turning it to decrease, it sometimes increases. The dial also jumps multiple units rather than incrementing one degree at a time. The behavior is unpredictable and occurs regardless of whether the engine is warm or cold. This issue has been confirmed by multiple other 2023 CX-50 owners in owner forums, suggesting a manufacturing defect in the encoder mechanism for the temperature control knob. The dealer confirmed the bumper-to-bumper warranty has expired but has not offered a resolution.

NHTSA complaint 11740817. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
When adjusting the temperature in the car with the dial, it does not respond correctly. It either jumps up or down by multiple degrees. This causes to take your eyes off the road to try to adjust the temperature. No warning lights came on and pushing lighter or harder on the dial does NOT fix it. Only driver side is currently having this issue.

NHTSA complaint 11738212. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
2023 Mazda cx50 has a leaking panoramic sunroof and was noticed on February 27th, 2026 after a hard rain. Got an appointment with my dealership on March 4th, 2026 I bought my car through, they denied helping me of any kind and diagnosed my car with a cracked sunroof bypass drain plug and the part can’t be replaced, the entire panoramic assembly needs to be replaced. I believe this is a safety issue and Mazda Corporate will not help either. Water should not be coming into my car with electronics at risk!

NHTSA complaint 11737196. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Mazda CX-50

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 34 4 —
2024 32 1 —

Other 2023 Mazda models

CX-5 59 CX-30 23

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