2016 Mazda CX-9

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Below Average

Quick Summary

The 2016 Mazda CX-9 has 141 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 1.8x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (48% of all complaints), specifically: immediately upon making a sharp right turn into a parking spot, the car suddenly accelerated at a very fast pace without me pushing the gas pedal. my immediate reaction was to press on the brake, but it did not stop. the car slammed into a planter in front of me. the car moved so quickly that it w. ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.

2 fire reports 4 crash reports 4 injuries

141

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

1.8x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

67 complaints

48%

• IMMEDIATELY UPON MAKING A SHARP RIGHT TURN INTO A PARKING SPOT, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A VERY FAST PACE WITHOUT ME PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE, BUT IT DID NOT STOP. THE CAR SLAMMED INTO A PLANTER IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR MOVED SO QUICKLY THAT IT W
• DRIVING TO WORK IN THE MORNING AT 5:45AM ON 06/05/2018 GOING 65 MPH AND MY CAR CUTS ENGINE POWER AND STARTS LOWLY DECLINING PRESSING GAS DID NOTHING AND MULTIPLE NOTIFICATIONS FLASHING SUCH AS VEHICLE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, FORWARD SMART CITY BRAKE SUPPORT MALFUNCTION, SMART BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. I
• THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED ON 31ST JULY, WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THIS CAR ON HIGHWAY 4 MARTINEZ, CA AT AROUND 5.00 PM WITH OUR DAUGHTER (2 YEARS OLD) RETURNING FROM DAYCARE. SHE WAS DRIVING AT APPROX 60 MILE/HR, WHEN THE CAR STARTED GIVING AUDIO VISUAL WARNINGS ON MULTIPLE FAILURES AND THE CAR STARTED

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

“IMMEDIATELY UPON MAKING A SHARP RIGHT TURN INTO A PARKING SPOT, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A VERY FAST PACE WITHOUT ME PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE, BUT IT DID NOT STOP. THE CAR SLAMMED INTO A PLANTER IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR MOVED SO QUICKLY THAT IT W”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

14 complaints

10%

• IMMEDIATELY UPON MAKING A SHARP RIGHT TURN INTO A PARKING SPOT, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A VERY FAST PACE WITHOUT ME PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE, BUT IT DID NOT STOP. THE CAR SLAMMED INTO A PLANTER IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR MOVED SO QUICKLY THAT IT W
• THE INFOTAINMENT SCREEN CONTAINING THE BACKUP CAMERA GOES BLANK . THE CAR HAS 16000 MILES ON IT AND HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE NEW. THE DEALER HAS THE CAR MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET REVEALS THAT THERE IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH MANY MAZDA VEHICLES. THIS PROBLEM
• DRIVING TO WORK IN THE MORNING AT 5:45AM ON 06/05/2018 GOING 65 MPH AND MY CAR CUTS ENGINE POWER AND STARTS LOWLY DECLINING PRESSING GAS DID NOTHING AND MULTIPLE NOTIFICATIONS FLASHING SUCH AS VEHICLE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, FORWARD SMART CITY BRAKE SUPPORT MALFUNCTION, SMART BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. I

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

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

11 complaints

• ONE MILE FROM HOME THE SMART BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION & FRONT RADAR SYSTEM MALFUNCTION WAS DISPLAYED. CAR WAS SHAKING AND ACTING AS IF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ACTIVE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. CAR WAS SLOW TO ACCELERATE. HAD I BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED. PULLED OVER T
• WHEN DRIVING AT 35-50 MPH, MY 2016 MAZDA CX-9 PERIODICALLY BRAKES SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING TO A SCRUBBING FORCEFUL STOP TOSSING THINGS OFF THE BACK SEAT, PLACING ME IN DANGER OF A REAR-END COLLISION. SOMETIMES A VERY QUICK BEEPING SOUND IS MADE, "B-R-A-K-E" APPEARS ON THE PANEL IN LARGE LETTERS --- TH
• DRIVING TO WORK IN THE MORNING AT 5:45AM ON 06/05/2018 GOING 65 MPH AND MY CAR CUTS ENGINE POWER AND STARTS LOWLY DECLINING PRESSING GAS DID NOTHING AND MULTIPLE NOTIFICATIONS FLASHING SUCH AS VEHICLE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, FORWARD SMART CITY BRAKE SUPPORT MALFUNCTION, SMART BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. I

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

“ONE MILE FROM HOME THE SMART BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION & FRONT RADAR SYSTEM MALFUNCTION WAS DISPLAYED. CAR WAS SHAKING AND ACTING AS IF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ACTIVE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. CAR WAS SLOW TO ACCELERATE. HAD I BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED. PULLED OVER T”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

9 complaints

• THE PUSH BUTTON ON/OFF SWITCH DOES NOT PROTECT AGAINST TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF IF TRANSMISSION IS ACCIDENTALLY LEFT IN ANY POSITION OTHER THAN 'P'. FOR EXAMPLE ITS POSSIBLE TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN 'R' AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. FOR A BUSY PARENT (TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC OF THIS VEHICLE), THIS IS VERY D
• DRIVER STOPPED VEHICLE IN A DRIVEWAY WITH MINIMAL SLOPE, SHIFTED THE VEHICLE IN PARK, TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND EXITED. DRIVER PROCEEDED TO REAR PASSENGER DOOR TO RETRIEVE 1 YEAR OLD FROM CAR SEAT. AFTER RETRIEVING CHILD FROM CAR SEAT, DRIVER FELT REAR PASSENGER DOOR PUSHING INTO HER LEG, BACK AND
• Our head gasket is needing to be replaced and sounds like this is an apparent Mazda problem how wide spread it is. The cost is over $5,000 for this single repair, possibly over $6,000 if head is cracked. I only have a parts list showing $1,700 in parts. Service manager said about 18 hours at $189hr

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

“THE PUSH BUTTON ON/OFF SWITCH DOES NOT PROTECT AGAINST TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF IF TRANSMISSION IS ACCIDENTALLY LEFT IN ANY POSITION OTHER THAN 'P'. FOR EXAMPLE ITS POSSIBLE TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN 'R' AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. FOR A BUSY PARENT (TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC OF THIS VEHICLE), THIS IS VERY D”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

8 complaints

• I BOUGHT THE CAR SATURDAY. FOUR DAYS LATER, I FILLED THE TANK AT 2:00 PM FOR THE FIRST TIME. I THEN DROVE ABOUT 30 MILES. WHEN I ARRIVED HOME AT 5:00PM, I PARKED IN THE GARAGE. I NOTICED THE ODOR OF FUEL AS SOON AS I EXITED THE CAR AND CHECKED TO MAKE SURE I HAD SECURED THE GAS CAP, WHICH I HAD. THI
• IN 2017, MY CAR SHUT OFF TWO TIMES, WITHOUT WARNING, ONE TIME AT A STOP LIGHT AND AGAIN ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 70MPH. WE WERE ACCELERATING AT THE STOP LIGHT WHEN IT SHUT OFF AND THEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND 72 CODES CAME UP. THEY SAID IT WAS THE DVD PLAYERS (THAT THE
• 11/16/18 TOWED FOR INOPERABILTY. STUCK FUEL INJECTOR/ RUINED ENGINE. ALL PANEL LIGHTS CAME ON. KEPT CAR FOR 57 DAYS. FUEL INJECTOR # 1 FAILED. WE WERE DRIVING ONTO INTERSTATE. WHILE WORKING ON CAR, EXHAUST STUD BROKE OFF INTO TURBO CHARGER HOUSING. DRILLED OUT AND RETHREADED TOOK BACK TO MAZDA DEA

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

“I BOUGHT THE CAR SATURDAY. FOUR DAYS LATER, I FILLED THE TANK AT 2:00 PM FOR THE FIRST TIME. I THEN DROVE ABOUT 30 MILES. WHEN I ARRIVED HOME AT 5:00PM, I PARKED IN THE GARAGE. I NOTICED THE ODOR OF FUEL AS SOON AS I EXITED THE CAR AND CHECKED TO MAKE SURE I HAD SECURED THE GAS CAP, WHICH I HAD. THI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

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

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 141 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: IMMEDIATELY UPON MAKING A SHARP RIGHT TURN INTO A PARKING SPOT, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A VERY FAST PACE WITHOUT ME PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE, BUT IT DID NOT STOP. THE CAR SLAMMED INTO A PLANTER IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR MOVED SO QUICKLY THAT IT W
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: IMMEDIATELY UPON MAKING A SHARP RIGHT TURN INTO A PARKING SPOT, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A VERY FAST PACE WITHOUT ME PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE, BUT IT DID NOT STOP. THE CAR SLAMMED INTO A PLANTER IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR MOVED SO QUICKLY THAT IT W
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: ONE MILE FROM HOME THE SMART BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION & FRONT RADAR SYSTEM MALFUNCTION WAS DISPLAYED. CAR WAS SHAKING AND ACTING AS IF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ACTIVE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. CAR WAS SLOW TO ACCELERATE. HAD I BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED. PULLED OVER T
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: THE PUSH BUTTON ON/OFF SWITCH DOES NOT PROTECT AGAINST TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF IF TRANSMISSION IS ACCIDENTALLY LEFT IN ANY POSITION OTHER THAN 'P'. FOR EXAMPLE ITS POSSIBLE TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN 'R' AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. FOR A BUSY PARENT (TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC OF THIS VEHICLE), THIS IS VERY D
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)