2014 Mazda CX-5

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2014 Mazda CX-5 has 492 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 6.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (27% of all complaints), specifically: loss of power steering at same time all dash icons lit up. car then momentarily shut off doing 75mph; lost headlights (during night). this continued numerous times. headlights started flashing on/off and right turn signal caused car to shut off. towed to dealer next day and almost a week and they .

7 crash reports 10 injuries

492

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

6.2x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

132 complaints

27%

• LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT SAME TIME ALL DASH ICONS LIT UP. CAR THEN MOMENTARILY SHUT OFF DOING 75MPH; LOST HEADLIGHTS (DURING NIGHT). THIS CONTINUED NUMEROUS TIMES. HEADLIGHTS STARTED FLASHING ON/OFF AND RIGHT TURN SIGNAL CAUSED CAR TO SHUT OFF. TOWED TO DEALER NEXT DAY AND ALMOST A WEEK AND THEY
• VEHICLE REPEATEDLY FAILED TO START AFTER SITTING UN-DRIVEN FOR MORE THAN ONE DAY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP ON THREE OCCASSIONS FOR REPAIR. VEHICLE FAILED TO START AFTER SITTING UN-DRIVEN AT DEALERSHIP DURING THIRD REPAIR ATTEMPT. DEALERSHIP REPLACED BATTERY TWICE, BUT THE ISSUE WAS NOT RES
• THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND ALL OTHER WARNING LIGHTS(SBC, ABS, ETC.) CAME ON. I CALLED THE MAZDA SERVICE FOR AN APPOINTMENT SEVERAL DAYS LATER AND I WENT TO SERVICE FOR A PROBLEM, THE GUY WHO IN CHARGE TOLD ME SINCE THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME OFF WE CA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT SAME TIME ALL DASH ICONS LIT UP. CAR THEN MOMENTARILY SHUT OFF DOING 75MPH; LOST HEADLIGHTS (DURING NIGHT). THIS CONTINUED NUMEROUS TIMES. HEADLIGHTS STARTED FLASHING ON/OFF AND RIGHT TURN SIGNAL CAUSED CAR TO SHUT OFF. TOWED TO DEALER NEXT DAY AND ALMOST A WEEK AND THEY ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

VISIBILITY

90 complaints

18%

• ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER BUYING THE VEHICLE NEW, A PEBBLE HIT AND CRACKED MY FRONT WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT RESULTED IN A 24" CRACK WHICH REQUIRES WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT. THAT INCIDENT, BY ITSELF, IS NOT OUT OF THE ORDINARY. MY CONCERN IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE WINDSHIELD GLASS
• WINDSHIELD CRACK ALMOST 2 FEET IN LENGTH FROM TINY ROCK HIT. *TR
• WHEN DRIVING NOTICED A STRESS CRACK FORMING BELOW THE VEHICLE REVIEW MIRROR AND RAKE ASSIST CLUSTER ON THE WINDSHIELD. THIS CRACK INCREASED IN SIZE LITERALLY BEFORE MY EYES. AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE I FOUND THAT THE CRACK STARTED IN THE TOP OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR CLUSTER TRAVELING ALL THE WAY DOW

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER BUYING THE VEHICLE NEW, A PEBBLE HIT AND CRACKED MY FRONT WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT RESULTED IN A 24" CRACK WHICH REQUIRES WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT. THAT INCIDENT, BY ITSELF, IS NOT OUT OF THE ORDINARY. MY CONCERN IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE WINDSHIELD GLASS ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

58 complaints

12%

• STRESS FRACTURE IN EXTERIOR OF WINDSHIELD STARTING UNDER THE GASKET EXTENDING STRAIGHT DOWN PAST REARVIEW MIRROR AND THEN HOOKING DIRECTLY TO THE LEFT. CAR WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED AT TIME OF FRACTURE. HAD TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS ONLY 3 WEEKS OLD AND H
• WHEN I GOT IN MY CAR I NOTICED A MARK IN THE CENTER OF ON MY WINDSHIELD JUST UNDER THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. I REALIZED IT WAS A CRACK AND WHEN I GOT OUT TO INSPECT IT DISCOVERED THAT IS WAS ABOUT 6 INCHES. IT WAS HIDDEN FROM THE INSIDE BY ALL THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ATTACHMENTS. I COULDN'T LOCATE WHERE SO
• IMPACT WAS ON THE MAZDA DRIVER'S SIDE IN FRONT OF THE WHEEL AND INTO THE CAR- MADE A LEFT HAND TURN DID NOT SEE THE APPROACHING VEHICLE TRAVELING 50 MPH AND HIT THE REAR OF VEHICLE. THAT VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER AND INTO THE SNOWBANK OVER 4 LANES. AIRBAGS IN THE MAZDA DID NOT DEPLOY. CONCERNED AS THE P

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“STRESS FRACTURE IN EXTERIOR OF WINDSHIELD STARTING UNDER THE GASKET EXTENDING STRAIGHT DOWN PAST REARVIEW MIRROR AND THEN HOOKING DIRECTLY TO THE LEFT. CAR WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED AT TIME OF FRACTURE. HAD TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS ONLY 3 WEEKS OLD AND H”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

50 complaints

10%

• I WAS ABOUT 30 MINUTES IN MY DRIVE ON A 40-50 DEGREE F MORNING. I STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, MY CX-5 APPEARED TO HAVE STOPPED SHIFTING GEARS. I WAS STUCK IN A LOW GEAR. I COULD GET UP TO 20-30 MPH, BUT MY CAR WOULD BE STRUGGLING AT 4K RPM. LUCKILY, I WAS ALREADY NEA
• WHILE SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT, THE VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO GEAR (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) SO HARD THAT I THOUGHT THAT I HAD BEEN REAR ENDED. I GOT OUT AND CHECKED THE VEHICLE AS THERE WAS ANOTHER VEHICLE BEHIND ME, BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT I HAD NOT BEEN HIT. SINCE THIS 1ST INCIDENT, I HAVE HAD THREE O
• ON 3/31/2014 I TEST DROVE A 2014 MAZDA CX5 AT A NEARBY DEALER. WHEN COMING UP AN ONRAMP TO A 4 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY THE CAR LOST ALL POWER. ROADS WERE DRY WITH GOOD VISIBILITY. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING BUT NO POWER WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE WHEELS. PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR HAD NO EFFECT. I WAS ATTEMPT

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I WAS ABOUT 30 MINUTES IN MY DRIVE ON A 40-50 DEGREE F MORNING. I STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, MY CX-5 APPEARED TO HAVE STOPPED SHIFTING GEARS. I WAS STUCK IN A LOW GEAR. I COULD GET UP TO 20-30 MPH, BUT MY CAR WOULD BE STRUGGLING AT 4K RPM. LUCKILY, I WAS ALREADY NEA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

39 complaints

• LAST YEAR JUST AFTER A MONTH OF OWNERSHIP I WAS STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE AND THEN SLAMMED SO HARD THE BRAKES SQUEALED. IT FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN REAR ENDED. I PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK, SHUT IT OFF AND GOT OUT TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE. THE PERSON BEHIND ME WAS NOT CLOSE ENOUGH
• I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT, EARLY IN THE MORNING ON NOV 17, 2014; AND JUST SLOWED MY SPEED TO TURN RIGHT (DID NOT MAKE A COMPLETE STOP) WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE MY CAR, SPEED DID NOT RESPOND AND WAS STUCK BETWEEN 10 TO 30 MPH. THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A HORRIBLE NOISE, THE TACHOMETER WAS GOING CRAZ
• BOUGHT A 2014 MAZDA CX-5 BACK IN NOVEMBER 2013.UP UNTIL DECEMBER 2014 AND 33K MILES, NO ISSUES. SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER, WAS ENTERING THE HIGHWAY AND DECIDED TO ACCELERATE A BIT , GOT UP TO ABOUT 80 MPH AND LET OFF THE GAS.THAT'S WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE LIGHT, TRACTION LIGHT AND TPMS CAME O

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“LAST YEAR JUST AFTER A MONTH OF OWNERSHIP I WAS STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE AND THEN SLAMMED SO HARD THE BRAKES SQUEALED. IT FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN REAR ENDED. I PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK, SHUT IT OFF AND GOT OUT TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE. THE PERSON BEHIND ME WAS NOT CLOSE ENOUGH”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

VISIBILITY(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 492 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT SAME TIME ALL DASH ICONS LIT UP. CAR THEN MOMENTARILY SHUT OFF DOING 75MPH; LOST HEADLIGHTS (DURING NIGHT). THIS CONTINUED NUMEROUS TIMES. HEADLIGHTS STARTED FLASHING ON/OFF AND RIGHT TURN SIGNAL CAUSED CAR TO SHUT OFF. TOWED TO DEALER NEXT DAY AND ALMOST A WEEK AND THEY
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
VISIBILITY: ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER BUYING THE VEHICLE NEW, A PEBBLE HIT AND CRACKED MY FRONT WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT RESULTED IN A 24" CRACK WHICH REQUIRES WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT. THAT INCIDENT, BY ITSELF, IS NOT OUT OF THE ORDINARY. MY CONCERN IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE WINDSHIELD GLASS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: STRESS FRACTURE IN EXTERIOR OF WINDSHIELD STARTING UNDER THE GASKET EXTENDING STRAIGHT DOWN PAST REARVIEW MIRROR AND THEN HOOKING DIRECTLY TO THE LEFT. CAR WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED AT TIME OF FRACTURE. HAD TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS ONLY 3 WEEKS OLD AND H
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: I WAS ABOUT 30 MINUTES IN MY DRIVE ON A 40-50 DEGREE F MORNING. I STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, MY CX-5 APPEARED TO HAVE STOPPED SHIFTING GEARS. I WAS STUCK IN A LOW GEAR. I COULD GET UP TO 20-30 MPH, BUT MY CAR WOULD BE STRUGGLING AT 4K RPM. LUCKILY, I WAS ALREADY NEA
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)