Total Complaints
602 filings
MAZDA CX-5 · model year
602 NHTSA complaints, 49 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2016MAZDACX-5 carries 602 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 49 crashes, 16 fires, 27 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 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 2016 CX-5 is exterior lighting with 156 filings, followed by electrical system (66) and service brakes (65). 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 5 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 2016 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.
Total Complaints
602 filings
Crashes Reported
49 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 156 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 66 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 65 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 55 |
| POWER TRAIN | 49 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 41 |
| ENGINE | 36 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 18 |
| AIR BAGS | 18 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 16 |
| SEATS | 16 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 12 |
| SUSPENSION | 8 |
| PARKING BRAKE | 7 |
| STEERING | 6 |
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
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
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,
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016 CX-5 vehicles. The LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) may fail while driving.
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
I noticed smoke filling the inside of my car. I looked over at the passenger seat, and my coat was on fire. I poured my drink on it, pulled over, and threw the coat out of the car. I saw a large hole in the lumbar area of the passenger seat, and it was glowing red and putting out a lot of heat. The seat heater was on, so I immediately turned it off. It was obvious that the fire has started inside the seat, and there was no other fire source in car--ie. lit cigarette, lighter, etc. If someone had been sitting there, they would have serious burns. The seat will need to be replaced.
I noticed smoke filling the inside of my car. I looked over at the passenger seat, and my coat was on fire. I poured my drink on it, pulled over, and threw the coat out of the car. I saw a large hole in the lumbar area of the passenger seat, and it was glowing red and putting out a lot of heat. The seat heater was on, so I immediately turned it off. It was obvious that the fire has started inside the seat, and there was no other fire source in car--ie. lit cigarette, lighter, etc. If someone had been sitting there, they would have serious burns. The seat will need to be replaced.
Leather heated seats .. safety put at risks because I suffered burns on my bottom (butt) from the driver seat getting too hot to the point where it burned the seat itself as well , and made a brown burn mark on the seat ⦠Both of my cheeks got burned .. this can in the long run cause skin damage and worse case scenario cancer. No it hasnât been inspected No warning lamps
With no prior warning, just after turning into driveway, my car got stuck and would not move. It gave clicking sounds and would not move no matter which gear it was in. The towing service person needed a dolly in order to safely lift the vehicle onto the towing bed because the front, driverâs side tire would not move and was pushing into the fender. So far, the control arm and axel are completely separated from the car. Further investigation is ongoing to determine the extent of the spontaneous injury. This all happened without warning.
Passenger side seat heater overheated and burned upholstery.
I was driving down the road and started smelling smoke then looked over and my passenger seat was in flames.
I was driving down the road and started smelling smoke then looked over and my passenger seat was in flames.
THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HEATING SYSTEM CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED THROUGH THE FABRIC AND MY DOG'S SEAT. THE FUMES MADE ME AND MY DOG NAUSEOUS.I HAD TO SWERVE ACROSS THE HIGHWAY AND STOP ON THE SHOULDER TO EXTINGUISH THE SEAT FIRE/BURN. THE FUSE WAS PULLED FOR SAFETY. THE SEAT IS IN STORAGE FOR INSPECTION. MAZDA WILL BE CONTACTED.
THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HEATING SYSTEM CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED THROUGH THE FABRIC AND MY DOG'S SEAT. THE FUMES MADE ME AND MY DOG NAUSEOUS.I HAD TO SWERVE ACROSS THE HIGHWAY AND STOP ON THE SHOULDER TO EXTINGUISH THE SEAT FIRE/BURN. THE FUSE WAS PULLED FOR SAFETY. THE SEAT IS IN STORAGE FOR INSPECTION. MAZDA WILL BE CONTACTED.
UNKNOWN Slowly driving into garage when suddenly the engine revved up loudly and unattended accelerated forward, causing extensive damage to front of car, a piece of furniture and garage wall
The airbag warning light is on. Iâm concerned the airbag may not deploy in an accident. There was a recall on the airbag, but the dealership only reset the light and did not replace the airbag. I have taken my car to two different Mazda dealerships: One told me I would have to pay for the airbag replacement. The other said the airbag is functioning properly. Iâm not sure which one is correct, but the warning light continues to come on. Sometimes it stays on for a couple of days; other times, it flashes on and off intermittently. The airbag light is clearly visible on the dashboard and continues to behave abnormally.
The vehicle's air conditioner expansion valve is defective/malfunctioning. While driving the vehicle with the air conditioning operating a loud whooting noise fills the interior of the vehicle. The noise sounds like the siren/hooting sound the police make when they want you to pull over or get out of their way. But the sound is loud and comes from inside the car jarring the driver and passengers. I purchased the car in early 2017 new. I first noticed the AC issue in the summer of 2018. I brought it up to Herzog-meir mazda (where i bought the car) when scheduling an oil change. they said they could not replicate it and so there was nothing they could do. I brought it to them at least 4 times with the same issue. Each time they sent me on my way and said they couldn't replicate it. I brought it up to Foothills Mazda in Spokane in 2023 and again they said that they couldn't replicate it and sent me on my way. This past august i had to schedule the car for an update covered by a clas
The vehicle's air conditioner expansion valve is defective/malfunctioning. While driving the vehicle with the air conditioning operating a loud whooting noise fills the interior of the vehicle. The noise sounds like the siren/hooting sound the police make when they want you to pull over or get out of their way. But the sound is loud and comes from inside the car jarring the driver and passengers. I purchased the car in early 2017 new. I first noticed the AC issue in the summer of 2018. I brought it up to Herzog-meir mazda (where i bought the car) when scheduling an oil change. they said they could not replicate it and so there was nothing they could do. I brought it to them at least 4 times with the same issue. Each time they sent me on my way and said they couldn't replicate it. I brought it up to Foothills Mazda in Spokane in 2023 and again they said that they couldn't replicate it and sent me on my way. This past august i had to schedule the car for an update covered by a clas
Rear Shock mount deteriorated in 8 years, far quicker than industry standard. Mazda redesigned the part for 17' MY. Widely reported on Reddit. NHSTA service bulletin notice.
Our sunroof exploded while we were driving on the highway. Glass shattered on us and fell while we were driving with a very loud explosive noise.
Mazda issued a safety recall (Mazda safety recall 4320A, NHTSA campaign number 20V-063) to address daytime running light flickering/failure. At the time, only the passenger side daytime running light was replaced under the recall by Mazda, with a gasket/gas absorption sheet being installed on the driver's side. The driver's side daytime running light is now flickering/dim. Mazda did not repair the safety defect properly on the driver's side for the daytime running lights under Mazda safety recall 4320A, NHTSA campaign number 20V-063, because Mazda only installed the gasket/gas absorption sheets that have since failed, causing the daytime running lights to flicker, increasing the risk of crash. Mazda has refused to cover the cost for replacement of the daytime running lights per safety recall notice 4320A / NHTSA 20V-063, even though replacement of these lights is covered by the recall. Both a Mazda dealer and Mazda corporate customer service have been contacted regarding this issue a
The contact owns a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. The contact pulled over to the side of the road before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the engine had failed due to a lack of maintenance. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with an automatic reminder regarding the oil change. The contact stated that the oil change reminder failed to illuminate to indicate that the oil level was extremely low. The check engine warning light also failed to illuminate. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Mileage: 130,000
The contact owns a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. The contact pulled over to the side of the road before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the engine had failed due to a lack of maintenance. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with an automatic reminder regarding the oil change. The contact stated that the oil change reminder failed to illuminate to indicate that the oil level was extremely low. The check engine warning light also failed to illuminate. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Mileage: 130,000
Only one headlight was addressed by dealer in repair for 4320A | NHTSA #20V-063 and they're refusing to cover the other side. The other DRL led light is now out from seemingly the same cause. They stated they did not fully follow the procedure in the documents I found regarding this recall when they repaired the first one because they "pre authorized" the swap of one side on "good faith" so there is not a record I can cite around the serial or lot numbers of the new or old lights on my own.
We had another CX-5 in the back that we used to test whether or not it was either the throttle body or the BCM ( Body Control Module ) or the PCM ( Power Control Module ) not working that is causing your vehicle to not wanting to turn on The throttle body passed we transferred it over from vehicle A ( Being the donor ) to vehicle B (Being your vehicle ) and it was still doing the same thing which it would crank but not fully turn on and that is how we ruled that part out The BCM we also transferred over from vehicle A to vehicle B and same thing it would crank but not fully turn on This is what the mechanic at Mazda Collision Center of Irving stated: The PCM has power and is communicating with everything else in the vehicle. If it was the PCM then nothing would work and we wouldn't be able to even cycle the power as if we were going to turn on the vehicle We brought this over to our Mazda Foreman and we showed him the codes it was throwing and what was going on and explained ev
Momentary increase in steering effort after recall remedy
Inadvertent Curtain Air Bag Deployment
Front Subframe Corrosion
Lower ball joint separation
Brake Booster Failure
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.