Total Complaints
128 filings
MAZDA MAZDA6 · model year
128 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports, and 6 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2012MAZDAMAZDA6 carries 128 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 3 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 3/5 front crash, 4/5 side crash, and 5/5 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 2012 MAZDA6 is air bags with 30 filings, followed by exterior lighting (28) and unknown or other (20). 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 6 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 2 investigation files overlapping the 2012 MAZDA6. 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
128 filings
Crashes Reported
7 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 30 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 28 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 20 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 12 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 8 |
| SUSPENSION | 8 |
| STEERING | 4 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 |
| STRUCTURE | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 2 |
| ENGINE | 2 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2007-2012 CX-7, CX-9, and 2009-2012 Maza6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant deg
STRUCTURE
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oh
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Mazda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured February 4, 2008, through August 24, 2012. The door latch mounting screws may become loose.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2012 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Sa
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan),
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Mazda6 vehicles manufactured September 14, 2009, through May 2, 2011, and equipped with 2.5L engine. In the affected vehicles, spiders may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent hose, blocking it and causing the
Passenger dash has cracked some and dash is very very sticky..why has this happened..I feel if airbag had to deploy it would not because of this situation
The rear subframe and suspension parts are rusted so bad that the car is not safe to drive. Looked up recalls and found out the front subframe had a recall and was taken care of before I bought the car. Also found recall for my model of car that were registered in state that use salt on there roads which is one of the state i live in. Was told my Mazda corporation the only certain 2012 mazda vehicle's vehicle's were covered for rusting issues with the rear . If the front of the car is recalled and the same problem happens with the rear of the car shouldn't it be covered for something? I have an appointment coming up on the 21 of January which is ridiculous that I have to wait 3 weeks to have it looked at. . Thank you for your time. The only reason I found the problem with the car was a stick got stuck in the rusted out parts and when I took it out a bunch of rust fell on the ground.
The rear subframe and suspension parts are rusted so bad that the car is not safe to drive. Looked up recalls and found out the front subframe had a recall and was taken care of before I bought the car. Also found recall for my model of car that were registered in state that use salt on there roads which is one of the state i live in. Was told my Mazda corporation the only certain 2012 mazda vehicle's vehicle's were covered for rusting issues with the rear . If the front of the car is recalled and the same problem happens with the rear of the car shouldn't it be covered for something? I have an appointment coming up on the 21 of January which is ridiculous that I have to wait 3 weeks to have it looked at. . Thank you for your time. The only reason I found the problem with the car was a stick got stuck in the rusted out parts and when I took it out a bunch of rust fell on the ground.
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and crossing a bridge, the vehicle stopped unexpectedly after driving over several expansion joints. The contact stated that the vehicle had not stalled. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed that the passengerâs side front wheel was slanted into the wheel well. The contact inspected the wheel well and noticed that the control arm had sheared off at the cross member. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the steering wheel had turned slightly to the right. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension), which included the VIN. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to a dealer, where the contact was advised that the VIN was included in a recall, and the contact was advised that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the dealer had not diagnosed vehicle in a month.
Mileage: 188,000
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and crossing a bridge, the vehicle stopped unexpectedly after driving over several expansion joints. The contact stated that the vehicle had not stalled. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed that the passengerâs side front wheel was slanted into the wheel well. The contact inspected the wheel well and noticed that the control arm had sheared off at the cross member. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the steering wheel had turned slightly to the right. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension), which included the VIN. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to a dealer, where the contact was advised that the VIN was included in a recall, and the contact was advised that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the dealer had not diagnosed vehicle in a month.
Mileage: 188,000
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel began to shake violently, with the low tire pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to inspect the vehicle and discovered that the front passengerâs side tire had detached from the vehicle. The contact's father was called to the scene and the spare tire was placed on the vehicle. The contact then drove to an independent mechanic where both the front driverâs and front passengerâs side tires were replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed; and the diagnostic test determined that the cross member had corroded and caused the tire failure. The contact was then notified that the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension) and that the warranty on the vehicle had expired. The vehicle remai
Mileage: 204,000
The contact owns a 2012 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel began to shake violently, with the low tire pressure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to inspect the vehicle and discovered that the front passengerâs side tire had detached from the vehicle. The contact's father was called to the scene and the spare tire was placed on the vehicle. The contact then drove to an independent mechanic where both the front driverâs and front passengerâs side tires were replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed; and the diagnostic test determined that the cross member had corroded and caused the tire failure. The contact was then notified that the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V323000 (Structure, Suspension) and that the warranty on the vehicle had expired. The vehicle remai
Mileage: 204,000
Front subframe completely rusted out causing loss of steering. I believe this should have been covered by Safety Recall 2818I which addresses the issue. Mazda inspected and said because the recall was performed in 2019 on this car, there is nothing more they can do, once and done. Unfortunately their fix didn't take care of the issue.
My 2012 mazda 6 Subframe is is unsafe to drive due to over-time corrosion My local mechanics said Madzda Corp. should fix it.
Rear sub frame, critical fail- rusted through. Needs new rear subframe. Wheel pulling to right, unable to align. I bought this car 2 weeks ago for my 16 year old daughter and was told today it needs to be scrapped. She is devastated . We are out 4500 with no recourse. I bought a Mazda because I trusted the safety. I am so disappointed. If the front was recalled the rear should have been too.
THE REAR SUBFRAME IS RUSTED IN LAYERS AND IS SPALLING OFF.
The passenger dash board is melting. It covers the passengers air bag. I would like to know if a recall is still possible for my vehicle. I understand that there was a recall in 2015-2017, but unfortunately I did not received the notice since I was moving from Illinois to Kansas and later to Texas and continued changing addresses during that time frame.
The passenger dash board is melting. It covers the passengers air bag. I would like to know if a recall is still possible for my vehicle. I understand that there was a recall in 2015-2017, but unfortunately I did not received the notice since I was moving from Illinois to Kansas and later to Texas and continued changing addresses during that time frame.
Severe rusting of the rear frame and suspension
I was driving down the road when my steering, suddenly and with out warning began pulling very hard to the right and the steering wheel began turning to the left. My car made loud noises when I tried to straighten out the steering wheel and when I tried to turn. Its also appeared to be rubbing on the inside of the wheel well. Further inspection revealed that the support where the control arm is connected to the frame had torn away from the frame due to oxidation. There is significant oxidation on the frame and there are large areas that no longer appear to be solid.
I was driving down the road when my steering, suddenly and with out warning began pulling very hard to the right and the steering wheel began turning to the left. My car made loud noises when I tried to straighten out the steering wheel and when I tried to turn. Its also appeared to be rubbing on the inside of the wheel well. Further inspection revealed that the support where the control arm is connected to the frame had torn away from the frame due to oxidation. There is significant oxidation on the frame and there are large areas that no longer appear to be solid.
The passenger side Dash on my 2012 Mazda 6 that I just purchased 3 years ago is melting and deteriorating and it's cracked and its leaves a real bad glare on the windshield and I think they said it was a recall that was back in 2015 but this car was never fixed and that recall wasn't fixed so how do I go about getting that recall fixed because when I talk to [XXX] at Mazda direct and Fostoria they said that there was nothing they could do and it is a real bad safety hazard. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The passenger side Dash on my 2012 Mazda 6 that I just purchased 3 years ago is melting and deteriorating and it's cracked and its leaves a real bad glare on the windshield and I think they said it was a recall that was back in 2015 but this car was never fixed and that recall wasn't fixed so how do I go about getting that recall fixed because when I talk to [XXX] at Mazda direct and Fostoria they said that there was nothing they could do and it is a real bad safety hazard. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
I FELT SOMETHING WAS WEIRD WITH THE STEERING ONE DAY SO I WENT TO MAZDA DEALER BECAUSE I NOTICED CORROSION ON FRONT DRIVER CROSS AND REAR COMPONENTS WHICH HAVE CORROSION AND BASEBALL SIZE HOLES. INSPECTED BY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER IN EARLY 2022 WAS TOLD "WE SEE A LOT WORSE THAN THIS" SO NOTHING WAS FIXED OR REPLACED BY DEALER. OCTOBER 2022 FAILED PA STATE INSPECTION FOR SUBFRAME RUST SAFETY CONCERNS. 2023 GOT ANOTHER MECHANIC TO LOOK AND THEY ESTIMATE OVER $6,000 REPAIR COST (DOCS. ATTACHED). SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS CAUSES VEHICLE TO SIT UNUSED WHICH MAKES IT AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION ANYTIME. POLICE OR INSURANCE REPRESENTATIVE WERE NOT CONTACTED BUT CAN BE IF NEEDED.
I FELT SOMETHING WAS WEIRD WITH THE STEERING ONE DAY SO I WENT TO MAZDA DEALER BECAUSE I NOTICED CORROSION ON FRONT DRIVER CROSS AND REAR COMPONENTS WHICH HAVE CORROSION AND BASEBALL SIZE HOLES. INSPECTED BY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER IN EARLY 2022 WAS TOLD "WE SEE A LOT WORSE THAN THIS" SO NOTHING WAS FIXED OR REPLACED BY DEALER. OCTOBER 2022 FAILED PA STATE INSPECTION FOR SUBFRAME RUST SAFETY CONCERNS. 2023 GOT ANOTHER MECHANIC TO LOOK AND THEY ESTIMATE OVER $6,000 REPAIR COST (DOCS. ATTACHED). SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS CAUSES VEHICLE TO SIT UNUSED WHICH MAKES IT AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION ANYTIME. POLICE OR INSURANCE REPRESENTATIVE WERE NOT CONTACTED BUT CAN BE IF NEEDED.
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.