Total Complaints
107 filings
MAZDA MAZDA6 · model year
107 NHTSA complaints, 19 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2016MAZDAMAZDA6 carries 107 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 19 crashes, 0 fires, 23 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 2016 MAZDA6 is unknown or other with 11 filings, followed by electrical system (10) and service brakes (10). 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 1 active recall campaign, 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 2016 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
107 filings
Crashes Reported
19 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 11 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 10 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 10 |
| POWER TRAIN | 9 |
| SEATS | 8 |
| ENGINE | 6 |
| STEERING | 6 |
| AIR BAGS | 6 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 5 |
| WHEELS | 5 |
| SUSPENSION | 5 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 |
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016 Mazda6 vehicles. Debris from the welding process during manufacturing of the front passenger seat frame may damage the occupant classification system (OCS) wiring.
The contact owns a 2016 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that after her husband had driven for approximately 2 hours with the seat heater activated, the passengerâs side seat overheated, and the seat started smoking. The driver stated that the seat heating element overheated and burned a hole in the seat, damaging the air bag located near the seat heater sensor. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,500.
Mileage: 113,500
The contact owns a 2016 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that after her husband had driven for approximately 2 hours with the seat heater activated, the passengerâs side seat overheated, and the seat started smoking. The driver stated that the seat heating element overheated and burned a hole in the seat, damaging the air bag located near the seat heater sensor. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,500.
Mileage: 113,500
My seat doesnât detect if passanger is in seat so my air bag engine light goes on and off it was recalled and mazda supposedly cleared the issue but seems like they didnt fix it the recall properly
My seat doesnât detect if passanger is in seat so my air bag engine light goes on and off it was recalled and mazda supposedly cleared the issue but seems like they didnt fix it the recall properly
My seat doesnât detect if passanger is in seat so my air bag engine light goes on and off it was recalled and mazda supposedly cleared the issue but seems like they didnt fix it the recall properly
1) UNKNOWN. My guess: The front seats or guard rails. 2) Very seat when braking, and coming to and from a stop. Poses as a safety risk. 3) Yes, no remedy/solution was yielded. Others on forums who visited dealership stated that the dealership said it was ânormalâ. Despite the other side not having the issue at all. 4) No 5) No Full assessment: The issue of this complaint lies within the front seat of the vehicle. My educated guess is that there is a defect within the seat rails of the vehicle as no remedy seems to be found upon extensive research on google and various forums. Specifically, in my vehicle and may others that I have found, have issues with the driver seat feeling loose when braking or hitting the gas from a stop. Many individuals (including my close friend) have raised this to dealerships and were told that this is ânormalâ despite the passenger seat (or vice versa) does not have the same issue whatsoever with no remedy. I personally have tightened all possible
PCM ISSUE, passenger air bag issue, OCS wiring issue. infotainment system, transmission, and engine. Key fobs not able to be reprogrammed due to PCM issue
PCM ISSUE, passenger air bag issue, OCS wiring issue. infotainment system, transmission, and engine. Key fobs not able to be reprogrammed due to PCM issue
PCM ISSUE, passenger air bag issue, OCS wiring issue. infotainment system, transmission, and engine. Key fobs not able to be reprogrammed due to PCM issue
Driver seat is unstable and has been since I purchased the vehicle. I never got it looked at because I can't afford repairs. There was a recall for the passenger seat and I believe it would be for the driver seat as well given the driver seat stability is crucial. It rocks as if it isn't fully secure. You notice it sometimes when getting in and out the car and I became noticable when my dog decided to jump into my seat one day when cleaning my interior and I saw the seat heavily rock forward and backward. You sometimes notice it as well when coming to a stop from highway speeds the seat will slightly tilt forward. This issue has been with the car after i purchased it in 2018 but didn't notice it until a few months after the purchase.
The contact owns a 2016 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V451000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Mileage: 70,000
The contact owns a 2016 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V451000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Mileage: 70,000
My passenger air bag doesnât turn on when passenger is in vehicle, sensor for air bag turns on and off as if it canât determine if a person is on the seat. My dashboard has the SRS OCS light on. My vehicle has already been seen by Mazda to fix the recall but I am afraid to drive and suddenly air bags go off.
Fuel smell in & outside of vehicle after fuel fill, being a retired Master Technician I decided to investigate this and after removing the the fuel tank access door under the rear seat I was shocked to see that on an 8 year old vehicle the fuel sender retainer is completely rusted out. An overfill, an aggressive maneuver or small collision could prove disastrous with this condition pending! I have just ordered a replacement since I intend to repair this myself and that is only of the tank itself is not compromised when I proceed to remove the rusted out screws as well. Also after further investigation I find this is nothing new to Mazda and actually had this same condition in previous years but I assume chose not to prevent it from happening in future models. I will be attaching a photo of it.
I bought the Bridgestone tires in Sept 2023 from Walmart. On Nov 23, 2024, I went to Walmart auto center to have 4 Bridgestone tires rotated and balanced. The tech discovered severe bead separation in 3 of 4 tires. I had to buy 4 new tires. I have pictures of the tires with bead separation on the wheel rims and also off the rims.
Moonroof explosion Moonroof had spontaneous explosion while driving on highway. No objects were seen flying towards front of car prior to explosion. Driver and 1 passenger in front seat. Sun shade partially open resulting in glass coming into the car. No accident or injury occurred. Moonroof closed at time of explosion.
When driving, after a period of 10 - 20 minutes usually, of the adaptive cruise being on (not necessarily in use), the buttons on the steering wheel will re-map. That is, the + button for adjusting the cruise speed up by 1 mph increments will switch with the - button that adjusts the cruise speed down by 1 mph increments. This happens reliably... if I've driven the car with adaptive cruise on for more that 10 - 20 minutes, the buttons will re-map. + slows the car down or doesn't work at all (does nothing). - speeds the car up. Also, rarely, the cancel button will speed the car up. Often the cancel button will not work and the only way to disengage the adaptive cruise is to tap on the brake pedal. Less frequently--maybe about 1/3 - 1/2 of the time, the "off" button, which turns the adaptive cruise off entirely, will not work. Note, that this is not the "engage" or "enable" button. These are the buttons that just turn on and off the adaptive cruise and show that it is now
When driving, after a period of 10 - 20 minutes usually, of the adaptive cruise being on (not necessarily in use), the buttons on the steering wheel will re-map. That is, the + button for adjusting the cruise speed up by 1 mph increments will switch with the - button that adjusts the cruise speed down by 1 mph increments. This happens reliably... if I've driven the car with adaptive cruise on for more that 10 - 20 minutes, the buttons will re-map. + slows the car down or doesn't work at all (does nothing). - speeds the car up. Also, rarely, the cancel button will speed the car up. Often the cancel button will not work and the only way to disengage the adaptive cruise is to tap on the brake pedal. Less frequently--maybe about 1/3 - 1/2 of the time, the "off" button, which turns the adaptive cruise off entirely, will not work. Note, that this is not the "engage" or "enable" button. These are the buttons that just turn on and off the adaptive cruise and show that it is now
There is a bearing in the crankshaft that looks like itâs not up to spec. No warning lights came on, car suddenly lost power on the highway. Fortunately no one was injured though it was a very scary situation. Mechanic took a look inside the engine and said a main bearing stud broke off and busted a hole through the short block. He said Iâm lucky the engine didnât turn into a grenade. Upon looking up the failure many other people have had the same issue with this engine. The exact same failure on the exact same bolt. Here are some links to some posts: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] Clearly Iâm not the only one with this issue, and there are more examples of the same problem that you can find online through out different Mazda models that use the same engine. I can definitely have the vehicle inspected if needed, my mechanic took video of the damage as well. I could only imagine if this happened while there was more traffic on the road, itâs not safe. And the fact I can fin
I was on freeway when some warning start showing on dashboard ( enging, track control system, battery) then my steering wheel was hard that I couldnât manubrio i hit a curb that was on the entrance and my car start spinning in circles till i hit the hill on side road.
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.