Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 44 safety complaints
about the 2024 Mazda CX-5 with the US government. Of those, 4 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 2 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 7 complaints, 16% of the total.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers November 2023 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
44 complaints on file
44
Complaints
4
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
2
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.
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.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 10 · 23%
10 23%
ENGINE 7 · 16%
7 16%
SERVICE BRAKES 7 · 16%
7 16%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 6 · 14%
6 14%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 · 11%
5 11%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4 · 9%
4 9%
SEATS 4 · 9%
4 9%
STRUCTURE 4 · 9%
4 9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 · 7%
3 7%
POWER TRAIN 3 · 7%
3 7%
STEERING 3 · 7%
3 7%
AIR BAGS 2 · 5%
2 5%
0815
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 44.
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 19.
20 15 10 5
232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2023 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 2024 Mazda CX-5, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
SUV AWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
16.9%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
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.
SEAT BELTS
1 injured · crash · towed
The contact owned a 2024 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact's vehicle was rear-ended. The front driver's side seat belt restraint did not function as intended. The contact's daughter was pushed forward out of the front driver's seat without restraint. The contact stated that the driver's side headrest detached due to the impact, and the back of the front driver's side seat fractured and detached. In addition, the air bag did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss by the insurance company. A Police report was filed. The contact's daughter was transported by …
NHTSA complaint 11699243, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
1 injured · crash
This vehicle belongs to my friend, but I was the injured party. She was visiting me and realized she forgot her phone,.the vehicle wias at the top of my driveway and in park. She wanted to go back in the house to look and got out of the car & left the door open., I leaned into the car to press stop engine and immediately the car began to roll down the hill, dragging me 50'. Car still in park slammed into the stone wall of my garage.I had injuries to my right leg. aplit lip, frctured nasal bone, nerve damage to my thigh and torn meniscus. The Ambulance arrived, I was taken to the hospital and treated. Witnesses signed affadavits confirming vehicle still in Park. I have not been awarded any …
NHTSA complaint 11699285, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
fire
My car caught on fire on [CCC] and it's completely burned down, a total loss. Following is information about my car and some summary of what happened. Car information: - Mazda CX5 2024 - Bought in June or July 2024(car payment only made 22 times so far) - Odometer 24,445mi(as of 05/15/2026) What happened: - In [XXX] Friday afternoon, I was in Bellevue and noticed an engine overheat warning. So, I stopped immediately to cool down and called Mazda Dealership(Lee Johnson Mazda) to schedule a service. - Then after 20-30 minutes, I started the car again and the warning was gone. So I drove slowly and got on [XXX] to head home in Kirkland. I was already driving slowly. - After a few minutes, …
NHTSA complaint 11739827, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
crash
Something malfunctioned with the brake system of the car. The car was in park and off. I exited the car, reached back into the car for an item, and shut the door. I then walked up the driveway and to the front door. At that point, the car began to roll down the driveway. Someone coming down the road in front of the driveway hit it on the front passenger side. The car then continued to roll across the street and part way up the driveway across the street, coming back across the street and then ran into the same car that hit it. I was then able to open the car door and get inside. It was still off and in park. I depressed the brake pedal, started the car, put it into drive, and moved it to …
NHTSA complaint 11605788, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE
17,655 miles
The contact owns a 2024 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the radio was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who discovered that rodents had chewed through the soy-based wiring and created a nest inside the vehicle. The dealer replaced the headliner, wiring harness, both front air bags, A-pillar molding, and C-pillar molding. The failure mileage was 17,655.
NHTSA complaint 11763326. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
Component failure: potential thermal (heat-related) breakdown of the EPS control module, steering rack electronics, or associated wiring harness. Description: After approximately two hours of continuous highway driving, a critical Red Steering Wheel Warning Light illuminates intermittently in the center dashboard. This indicates a severe system fault and imminent threat of total loss of power steering assist while operating at highway speeds presenting an extreme safety hazard. The vehicle is under the bumper-to-bumper warranty and was brought to authorized Mazda service for the warranty repair. The dealership refused to perform a deep electronic diagnostic of the EPS module. The service …
NHTSA complaint 11762181, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SUSPENSION
After vehicle has been parked for awhile, for example over night, there is a Popping sound or Clunking from front of vehicle after moving vehicle and applying brakes at first stop. Noise has been there since 2024. Popping, Clunking sound only when when vehicle parked again. There is also a loud Clunking sound sometimes, sounds like it is from the right front suspension, when driving on irregular, or bumpy road surface where i live. Sounds like something is not secured properly , tightened enough, or dampened enough. Like the Coil Spring flopping around in its holder. Have complained to the dealer numerous times. Was told that they could not duplicate the problem, even when vehicle was left …
NHTSA complaint 11760715, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
See attached document for complaint.
NHTSA complaint 11747755. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SEATS
Driver side seat rocks back and forth when braking and cornering. Feels loose
NHTSA complaint 11745775. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On 06/18/2026, the vehicle displayed multiple safety warnings, including ABS malfunction, dynamic stability control/traction control malfunction, Smart Brake Support and Forward Obstruction Warning disabled, possible forward sensing camera malfunction, and airbag/seat belt pre-tensioner malfunction. These warnings involve braking, stability control, collision avoidance, airbag, and seat belt safety systems. This was not the first occurrence. On 04/24/2025, the vehicle displayed similar warnings, including critical brake system/Electronic Brake Force Distribution malfunction, ABS malfunction, Smart Brake Support and Forward Obstruction Warning disabled, possible forward sensing camera …
NHTSA complaint 11745244, quoted in part. 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, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
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