MAZDA CX-5 · model year

2014 MAZDA CX-5

492 NHTSA complaints, 10 crash reports, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

5 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2014MAZDACX-5 carries 492 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 10 crashes, 0 fires, 11 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 5/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2014 CX-5 is electrical system with 128 filings, followed by visibility/wiper (61) and unknown or other (58). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 21 investigation files overlapping the 2014 CX-5, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

492
Complaints
10
Crashes
0
Fires
11
Injuries
0
Deaths
2014 MAZDA CX-5 — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2014 MAZDA CX-5. Overall composite: 5.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 5.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 5.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 5.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

492 filings

Crashes Reported

10 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 5/5 — Top NCAP rating · Front: 5/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM128
VISIBILITY/WIPER61
UNKNOWN OR OTHER58
POWER TRAIN45
ENGINE39
STRUCTURE:BODY29
SERVICE BRAKES22
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD18
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)12
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL9
AIR BAGS8
EXTERIOR LIGHTING8
STEERING7
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM6
SEATS5

Recalls (4)

16E00200019/01/2016

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

Pilkington North America, Inc. (Pilkington) is recalling certain replacement windshields, model FW04026 GTY, manufactured November 23, 2015, to December 16, 2015 for use in Mazda CX-5 vehicles that are equipped with the Smart City Brake Support system. The affected windshields have a bracket mounte

16V20300011/04/2016

STEERING

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 2, 2015, 2013-2014 Mazda2 vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to August 8, 2014, 2014-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured January 19, 2013, to December 2, 2015, and 2013-2015

16V64400006/09/2016

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26,

16V06400003/02/2016

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP

Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Mazda CX-5 vehicles manufactured June 27, 2013, to February 2, 2016. The affected vehicles have a fuel filler pipe that may rupture in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement

Recent Complaints

20251210ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The car's electrical system doesn't fully turn off after being put in park and turning the ignition off. The electrical system stays on, despite the engine and ignition turned off. It's a BIG problem that I've seen a lot of other people report. And yet Mazda refuses to address the issue.

20250629AIR BAGS

I was driving down the road and my right side curtain airbag deployed. I did let my insurance company know but was told that they couldn’t do anything for me since it was not an accident. I called the local Mazda dealership and they told me that they could inspect the vehicle but it would not be on them. That it could have been a rat that chewed on something to cause it to deploy because I was not the first owner of the vehicle. There was no other damage other than the airbag and where it came through on the side.

20250523STEERING

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at a slow speed and attempting to parallel park, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine before the steering wheel seized. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's husband exited the vehicle to inspect the vehicle, and another person stopped to assist and became aware that the ball joint had detached. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering knuckle had separated from the strut assembly, causing the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V203000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

Mileage: 135,000

20250513ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 86,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 190,000.

Mileage: 190,000

20241231UNKNOWN OR OTHER

CAR ACCESSORIES WILL NOT SHUT OFF WHEN I PUT VEHICLE IN PARK. THIS IS DANGEROUS DUE TO CAUSING THE BATTERY TO COMPLETELY DRAIN LEAVING ME STRANDED.

20240621ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Auxiliary power will not turn off when vehicle is turned off. Radio , lights interior power , etc….. car turns off when button is pressed but interior power does not .

20240621UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Auxiliary power will not turn off when vehicle is turned off. Radio , lights interior power , etc….. car turns off when button is pressed but interior power does not .

20240613SERVICE BRAKES

I was waiting at a traffic signal to make a left turn, with my foot on the brake. The car accelerated aggressively, with no warning, like the pedal was pushed to the floor. I stood on the brake and shoved the shifter into park - coming to a stop in the middle of the intersection, Fortunately my wheels were pointed straight and the car did not race into oncoming traffic. My [XXX] father was in the car with me. Thankfully, my grandchildren were NOT in the car. You could smell the gas and brakes. It was NOT driver foot placement, nor was it floor mats. Vehicle has ~ 75K miles, and I am terrified of this happening again. I had driven this car regularly in rush hour stop & go traffic for years with no event like this ever before. Apparently sudden unintended vehicle acceleration is a recognized problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20240613ENGINE

I was waiting at a traffic signal to make a left turn, with my foot on the brake. The car accelerated aggressively, with no warning, like the pedal was pushed to the floor. I stood on the brake and shoved the shifter into park - coming to a stop in the middle of the intersection, Fortunately my wheels were pointed straight and the car did not race into oncoming traffic. My [XXX] father was in the car with me. Thankfully, my grandchildren were NOT in the car. You could smell the gas and brakes. It was NOT driver foot placement, nor was it floor mats. Vehicle has ~ 75K miles, and I am terrified of this happening again. I had driven this car regularly in rush hour stop & go traffic for years with no event like this ever before. Apparently sudden unintended vehicle acceleration is a recognized problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20240613POWER TRAIN

I was waiting at a traffic signal to make a left turn, with my foot on the brake. The car accelerated aggressively, with no warning, like the pedal was pushed to the floor. I stood on the brake and shoved the shifter into park - coming to a stop in the middle of the intersection, Fortunately my wheels were pointed straight and the car did not race into oncoming traffic. My [XXX] father was in the car with me. Thankfully, my grandchildren were NOT in the car. You could smell the gas and brakes. It was NOT driver foot placement, nor was it floor mats. Vehicle has ~ 75K miles, and I am terrified of this happening again. I had driven this car regularly in rush hour stop & go traffic for years with no event like this ever before. Apparently sudden unintended vehicle acceleration is a recognized problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20240609ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car fails to shut off completely. The motor stops, but the electronics (dash, radio, etc.) and things like the A/C still are on. Searching forums shows it is a faulty gear shift sensor that detects that the car is in park.

20240415VISIBILITY/WIPER

There is a pressure crack that goes almost all the way across my front windshield, there are no chips or dings in the glass. Second you can smell gas fumes near the back of the car but no gas is leaking

20240415FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

There is a pressure crack that goes almost all the way across my front windshield, there are no chips or dings in the glass. Second you can smell gas fumes near the back of the car but no gas is leaking

20240319ENGINE

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shutoff. The screen and vehicle remained powered on. The battery was drained, and the contact replaced the battery. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

Mileage: 77,000

20240319ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shutoff. The screen and vehicle remained powered on. The battery was drained, and the contact replaced the battery. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

Mileage: 77,000

20231206ENGINE

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the heater core. The contact was informed that the heater core needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,311.

Mileage: 120,000

20230809UNKNOWN OR OTHER

In the past year the car has consistently given a “Set to P” message when parked and already shifted to Park, and doesn’t completely turn off (though the engine does). We have to turn the car back on, jam the car to P and try again. Internet tells me this was recalled for 2013-2014 cx-5s just before vehicles starting with the same VIN info as mine.

20230808ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

We have had numerous times that the vehicle ignition system will not turn off after pushing the stop button. The motor will stop but the ignition and radio system stay on. The car must be restarted(sometimes numerous times) and shut down before the ignition system shuts down. I have seen many other owner's complaints about this same problem on (carcomplaints .com).

20230807ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2014 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that when he turned off the vehicle, the radio remained operational. The contact disconnected and reconnected the battery. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 191,493.

Mileage: 191,493

20230717UNKNOWN OR OTHER

UNKNOWN - A few months ago, I started to have an issue when turning off the vehicle. After putting the vehicle in park and pressed to turn off the vehicle, the radio/GPS screen would stay on and a warning message stating the car must be in ‘P’ark. I would restart the car, put it in neutral, turned it off, but the same message kept popping up and would beep at me when trying to close the door. I jiggle the stick multiple times and tried different ways to turn off the car, now taking as many as 10 times before the radio/GPS screen turns off and the message goes away. I made an appt with the closest dealer, but I have to wait for 4 weeks for the car to be inspected & corrected. This seem like a safety hazard not knowing if the car is actually in park and turned off so the battery doesn’t drain. There should be a recall issued by Mazda to correct this issue as many people have posted the same problem over many years.

Compare 2014MAZDACX-5 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2014 MAZDA CX-5 have?
The 2014 MAZDA CX-5 has 492 NHTSA complaints, 10 crashes, 0 fires, 11 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2014 MAZDA CX-5?
The 2014 MAZDA CX-5 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 5/5, front crash rating of 5/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2014 MAZDA CX-5?
Yes, the 2014 MAZDA CX-5 has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2014 MAZDA CX-5?
The most-complained component for the 2014 MAZDA CX-5 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 128 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY/WIPER and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2014 MAZDA CX-5 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2014 MAZDA CX-5 has an NHTSA safety rating of 5/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.