MAZDA CX-9 · model year

2017 MAZDA CX-9

76 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2017MAZDACX-9 carries 76 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/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 2017 CX-9 is engine with 42 filings, followed by unknown or other (9) and fuel/propulsion system (5). 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.

NHTSA currently has 21 investigation files overlapping the 2017 CX-9, 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.

76
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

76 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE42
UNKNOWN OR OTHER9
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM5
SUSPENSION4
POWER TRAIN4
WHEELS2
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
STEERING2
STRUCTURE:BODY1
SEATS1
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY1
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA1

Recent Complaints

20251211STEERING

The car was jump start due to a bad battery it cold and the light was left on. Right after the jump start a check engine light can on. When I put the vehicle in drive to turn the steering wheel it violently snapped bad and broken one of my finger nail. I tried aging in disbelief it happened aging this shouldn't be happening it could've broke my fingers.

20250922ENGINE

I took our vehicle into Mazda due to a coolant leak that could not be located. It had my wife stranded due to the vehicle overheating. Everything lined up with CSP11. The dealership is now stating that the vehicle has a blown gasket and needs an engine replacement. This is the issue covered by CSP11 except that the crack is in the wrong location. They haven't found the Crack but are denying the warranty due to the covered location not being the source. The vehicle only has 93000 miles on it.

20250718BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

My infotainment screen goes black 10-12 times a year, and therefore I lose access to my backup cameras. I have to turn the car off, and then back on, in order for the screen to function again. This has been happening for the full 8 years I have owned the car. I also have video of this happening, but the file is too large to attach so including photo only.

20250326POWER TRAIN

I was driving the vehicle on the highway when the vehicle started to overheat, lights started blinking, the car was smoking, losing power and acceleration. This car has a recall on the cyclindwr head which when cracks causing the car to loose coolant and oil. If it cracks while you’re driving especially on the highway the car will immediately loose coolant and oil thus causing a very dangerous driving condition. There was no indicator prior to the failure that there was anything wrong with the car. No check engine lights, no coolant lights nothing. Prior to this happening I smelled coolant in the car cabin , took it to my mechanic who tested the coolant system and found no leak. At the time he was unaware of the known issue these cars have with the cylinder head. The problem has been confirmed by Mazda and they notified me within the month of March of the problem and the extended warranty to replace the known manufacturer defect cylinder head. The Mazda dealer now has my car and ackn

20250326STEERING

I was driving the vehicle on the highway when the vehicle started to overheat, lights started blinking, the car was smoking, losing power and acceleration. This car has a recall on the cyclindwr head which when cracks causing the car to loose coolant and oil. If it cracks while you’re driving especially on the highway the car will immediately loose coolant and oil thus causing a very dangerous driving condition. There was no indicator prior to the failure that there was anything wrong with the car. No check engine lights, no coolant lights nothing. Prior to this happening I smelled coolant in the car cabin , took it to my mechanic who tested the coolant system and found no leak. At the time he was unaware of the known issue these cars have with the cylinder head. The problem has been confirmed by Mazda and they notified me within the month of March of the problem and the extended warranty to replace the known manufacturer defect cylinder head. The Mazda dealer now has my car and ackn

20250326ENGINE

I was driving the vehicle on the highway when the vehicle started to overheat, lights started blinking, the car was smoking, losing power and acceleration. This car has a recall on the cyclindwr head which when cracks causing the car to loose coolant and oil. If it cracks while you’re driving especially on the highway the car will immediately loose coolant and oil thus causing a very dangerous driving condition. There was no indicator prior to the failure that there was anything wrong with the car. No check engine lights, no coolant lights nothing. Prior to this happening I smelled coolant in the car cabin , took it to my mechanic who tested the coolant system and found no leak. At the time he was unaware of the known issue these cars have with the cylinder head. The problem has been confirmed by Mazda and they notified me within the month of March of the problem and the extended warranty to replace the known manufacturer defect cylinder head. The Mazda dealer now has my car and ackn

20250116ENGINE

Vehicle experienced coolant leak also oil leak from rear of engine. Broken cylinder head due to turbo too close to head

20250116UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Vehicle experienced coolant leak also oil leak from rear of engine. Broken cylinder head due to turbo too close to head

20241230POWER TRAIN

Coolant leak cylinder head. It was running and i could smell coolant on the minifalda and it shout down.

20240911ENGINE

My 2017 Mazda CX9 Signature Edition started leaking coolant from the engine near the firewall. I had a Mazda dealer investigate. They tell me the cylinder head is cracked and the entire engine needs replaced. This appears to be a common problem due to a design flaw and there is a Mazda service bulletin on it. I have found talk of a class action suit online because Mazda is not standing behind their product. I only have 88k miles on this car

20240830ENGINE

My 2017 Mazda Cx9 was stalling and jerking while driving almost causing an accident but glad I was able to drive it home without causing an accident. Took the car to the dealership and was advised that it needs a new engine due to coolant leak. The coolant was going inside the vehicle.

20240829ENGINE

The 2.5l turbo engine mounts are not manufactured strong enough to handle daily driving and torque under the weight of the turbo. This causing cracks in the block/head resulting in coolant leak, over heating, and full engine replacement.

20240721FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

This is the second time my car mazda -2017 had problem with fuel pump. I only saw recall for 2019 Mazda CX-9 in internet. Before the fuel pump fail, I smelled gas inside the car which I was told my mechanic later from the shop where I bought my car for immediate diagnose was considered dangerous. The first time happened 2 years ago when we were on the trip 250 miles from where we live. This time we were about 200 miles away. So the fuel pump it seemed became the problem for Mazda. When we asked Mazda about it they said it is not the same with recall for 2019. If those car has the problem with fuel pump and got the recall why Mazda 2017 did not get recalled? They said it is wear and tear but it is the same issue fuel pump. we spend $912 for original part and bought it from Mazda dealer but we couldn’t get reimbursed because they said it is not a recall. I am filing this complaint because they denied the problem with Mazda is actually and consistently fuel pump!. I have kids t

20240712ENGINE

July 10, 2024, antifreeze leaking from my engine leaking on garage floor. Yes, my safety was put at risk. July 12, 2024, local mechanic informs me that I have a cracked cylinder head coming from the back of the engine. July 15, 2024, vehicle will be towed to local Mazda dealership to have vehicle diagnosed. No warning lights, messages or any other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Happened July 10, 2024, at 3:50pm.

20240711ENGINE

My Mazda 2017 CX 9 apparently had a coolant leak. When we had our oil changed, we were told it looked like it was leaking from behind the turbo booster. As I was driving it yesterday, the car slowed to an almost complete stop on the interstate and a warning sign on the screen showed that it was overheating to a dangerous level. I immediately pulled over and allowed the car to cool down. I checked the coolant level and it was not very low at all, although I did add some coolant at that time. It continued to overheat and even blew tons of smoke out through the exhaust, so I had AAA tow to my home. After researching this, I have found that there was a bulletin posted in 2021 from Mazda about this very thing happening. My husband thinks that we may have a cracked block or a blown head gasket due to this overheating. This obviously could have caused me to have a wreck on the interstate by my car overheating and shutting down so quickly. We are scheduling to have it towed to our local Mazda

20240711FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My Mazda 2017 CX 9 apparently had a coolant leak. When we had our oil changed, we were told it looked like it was leaking from behind the turbo booster. As I was driving it yesterday, the car slowed to an almost complete stop on the interstate and a warning sign on the screen showed that it was overheating to a dangerous level. I immediately pulled over and allowed the car to cool down. I checked the coolant level and it was not very low at all, although I did add some coolant at that time. It continued to overheat and even blew tons of smoke out through the exhaust, so I had AAA tow to my home. After researching this, I have found that there was a bulletin posted in 2021 from Mazda about this very thing happening. My husband thinks that we may have a cracked block or a blown head gasket due to this overheating. This obviously could have caused me to have a wreck on the interstate by my car overheating and shutting down so quickly. We are scheduling to have it towed to our local Mazda

20240711UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My Mazda 2017 CX 9 apparently had a coolant leak. When we had our oil changed, we were told it looked like it was leaking from behind the turbo booster. As I was driving it yesterday, the car slowed to an almost complete stop on the interstate and a warning sign on the screen showed that it was overheating to a dangerous level. I immediately pulled over and allowed the car to cool down. I checked the coolant level and it was not very low at all, although I did add some coolant at that time. It continued to overheat and even blew tons of smoke out through the exhaust, so I had AAA tow to my home. After researching this, I have found that there was a bulletin posted in 2021 from Mazda about this very thing happening. My husband thinks that we may have a cracked block or a blown head gasket due to this overheating. This obviously could have caused me to have a wreck on the interstate by my car overheating and shutting down so quickly. We are scheduling to have it towed to our local Mazda

20240702ENGINE

This vehicle has been diagnosed as having the Cylinder Head Crack issue referenced in Mazda TSB 01-013/21. The car has just over 70,000 miles on it, so I understand it is out of Warranty, yet this issue only came up due to a known design flaw by Mazda. I have been told that I will be without the car for up to 9 weeks due to repair backlogs and the cost will be $5,250 plus tax!! This car has always been maintained at the Mazda dealership since purchase and has never had any other issues until this flaw, acknowledged by became an issue. Immediately, I brought it in, only to be told Mazda would not assist in a Good Faith repair. This is very sad that Mazda would do this to loyal customers, there should be a recall and this should not fall on customers pockets when we continue to give them business, trusting they would not knowingly put a full engine repair in their customers pockets

20240624ENGINE

I noticed my 2017 CX-9 Touring was leaking coolant. It wasn't much but then checked the reservoir which is nearly empty. The car was overheating. I had it checked out by the dealer and initially I was told that it was bad radiator cap. This was fixed and resolved the initial overheating problems. The overheating issues resurfaced and took it a certified mechanic which indicated it was leaking from the engine block. The quote for repair was over $6000 See: Service Bulletin: 01-002/23

20240616UNKNOWN OR OTHER

SUNROOF EXPLODED. NOTHING HIT THE CAR JUST SPONTANEOUS EXPLOSION WHILE DRIVING. SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT IT WAS SO LOUD.

Compare 2017MAZDACX-9 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2017 MAZDA CX-9 have?
The 2017 MAZDA CX-9 has 76 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2017 MAZDA CX-9?
The 2017 MAZDA CX-9 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2017 MAZDA CX-9?
The most-complained component for the 2017 MAZDA CX-9 is ENGINE with 42 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.
Is the 2017 MAZDA CX-9 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 2017 MAZDA CX-9 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/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.