2016 Mazda CX-5 Problems

Mazda issued a safety recall (Mazda safety recall 4320A, NHTSA campaign number 20V-063) to address daytime running light flickering/failure. At the time, only the passenger side daytime running light was replaced under the recall by Mazda, with a gasket/gas absorption sheet being installed on the driver's side. The driver's side daytime running light is now flickering/dim. Mazda did not repair the safety defect properly on the driver's side for the daytime running lights under Mazda safety recall 4320A, NHTSA campaign number 20V-063, because Mazda only installed the gasket/gas absorption sheets that have since failed, causing the daytime running lights to flicker, increasing the risk of crash. Mazda has refused to cover the cost for replacement of the daytime running lights per safety recall notice 4320A / NHTSA 20V-063, even though replacement of these lights is covered by the recall. Both a Mazda dealer and Mazda corporate customer service have been contacted regarding this issue and both have refused to provide the remedy as outlined in the safety recall. Mazda has provided an estimate of $1,466 to replace the daytime running lights. Attached Documents: -Correspondence with Mazda where Mazda's refuses to cover work -Estimate from Mazda to perform work -Original invoice from recall work performed (gasket kit on driver side only, not full light replacement)

Only one headlight was addressed by dealer in repair for 4320A | NHTSA #20V-063 and they're refusing to cover the other side. The other DRL led light is now out from seemingly the same cause. They stated they did not fully follow the procedure in the documents I found regarding this recall when they repaired the first one because they "pre authorized" the swap of one side on "good faith" so there is not a record I can cite around the serial or lot numbers of the new or old lights on my own.

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electric parking brake module warning light was illuminated and the "Brake failure. Vehicle unsafe to drive," message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The failure occurred on several different occasions. The contact expressed concern that the brakes could engage while the vehicle was in motion. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the message “Smart Brake Malfunction” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with catastrophic brake caliper failure. The contact was unsure if the vehicle needed to be repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the passenger’s side inner CV joint had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be driven due to the severe failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,385.

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electric parking brake module warning light was illuminated and the "Brake failure. Vehicle unsafe to drive," message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The failure occurred on several different occasions. The contact expressed concern that the brakes could engage while the vehicle was in motion. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

Repeated Failure and Rebooting of Mazda Connect Infotainment System I am the owner of a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The factory Mazda Connect infotainment system has developed a recurring defect in which the system repeatedly reboots to the Mazda logo while driving. Prior to complete failure, the navigation system became intermittent and Bluetooth connectivity frequently disconnected, requiring repeated attempts to reconnect devices. The system now continuously cycles through the startup screen, making navigation, hands-free phone functions, and system settings inaccessible. These repeated reboots occur while the vehicle is in motion and are distracting to the driver. The flashing and rebooting screen repeatedly draws the driver's attention away from the road and interferes with the use of navigation and hands-free communication features that are intended to promote safe driving. After researching this issue, I found numerous reports from other Mazda owners experiencing the same symptoms involving the Mazda Connect system, navigation SD card, and Connectivity Master Unit (CMU). The frequency and similarity of these reports suggest that this is a widespread and well-known defect rather than an isolated incident. Because this defect affects driver attention and the safe operation of the vehicle's communication and navigation functions, I respectfully request that Mazda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigate this matter and require Mazda to issue a recall or establish a repair program for affected vehicles. Vehicle: 2016 Mazda CX-5 Mileage: 70k

Any time the vehicle has been sitting with the engine off and has been given enough time to “cool down”, upon starting the vehicle and switching from PARK to DRIVE, the vehicle will violently lurch forward while attempting to reach 2nd gear. This is dangerous behavior that is not normal for any vehicle. There is clearly something wrong with either the transmission or the way the software communicates with the transmission. When the engine is within normal temperature it doesn’t display this dangerous behavior. A similar TSB was issued for the 2nd generation of CX5s but not for this generation of CX5s

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the message “Smart Brake Malfunction” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with catastrophic brake caliper failure. The contact was unsure if the vehicle needed to be repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the passenger’s side inner CV joint had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be driven due to the severe failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,385.

(I am the owner of the car and am filling this out for my daughter who was driving it at the time, I was not with her during the incident) While driving down the road in the rain the wipers just stopped working. I have not had any dealers ID the specific problem yet. We replaced the wiper 20amp fuse and it did not fix the problem. There were no warning lamps and there are still no warning lamps. My safety was put into danger when I could not see out the window. I was nearly at work so I waited for the rain to slow down some was able to make it to work. The rain cleared while I was at work and it has not rained since. It is available for inspection upon request.

Front windshield wipers stopped working, front windshield washer still working. Fuse was checked, fuse is good.Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety is put at risk because of lack of visibility when driving in rain. The problem has been confirmed by a Mazda dealership. The vehicle and the components have been inspected by a Mazda dealership. No warning lights or messages appeared before or after the front windshield wipers stopped working. So if a person is driving the car, there is no indication that the front windshield wipers will not work if it starts raining and the driver would need to use the front windshield wipers. This is a safety hazard because the driver will not be able to see, possibly causing an accident. This Mazda CX5 does not have automatic front windshield wipers (they do not come on automatically when it starts raining).

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic diagnosed with a sensor failure and needing to replace a catalytic converter. The oxygen sensors were repalced.r was replaced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle stalled while reversing. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 131,860.

My wife was driving our 2016 Mazda CX-5, and was getting ready to pull into our daughters' driveway. My wife slowed down to a stop before entering the driveway. She gave the vehicle some gas to move forward. She stated that there was a pause, then the vehicle accelerated forward slamming into the garage door and the corner of the garage/house. There was also a Tesla parked inside the garage that was knocked back about a foot and a half. The distance from the edge of driveway and street to the garage door is about 27 feet. This happened at 1:30 PM. The weather conditions were great, sunny and dry. Thankfully, no one was hurt. If my wife was another foot to the right, she would have hit the support post for the upper balcony, and there would have been a good chance of the balcony falling on top of her. Or, if someone was standing in front of my wife when she entered the driveway, they could have seriously been hurt! There were no warning lights on prior to the accident. This happened last Sunday, April 19, 2026. We had the car towed to a local body shop on the same day as the accident. The vehicle was towed away the very next day to our insurance company's salvage lot in Bakersfield. I do have all the information, address and phone number, of the lot where our car was towed to. Hopefully, the car can still be inspected by the proper authorities. Thank you for your time!

My wife was driving our 2016 Mazda CX-5, and was getting ready to pull into our daughters' driveway. My wife slowed down to a stop before entering the driveway. She gave the vehicle some gas to move forward. She stated that there was a pause, then the vehicle accelerated forward slamming into the garage door and the corner of the garage/house. There was also a Tesla parked inside the garage that was knocked back about a foot and a half. The distance from the edge of driveway and street to the garage door is about 27 feet. This happened at 1:30 PM. The weather conditions were great, sunny and dry. Thankfully, no one was hurt. If my wife was another foot to the right, she would have hit the support post for the upper balcony, and there would have been a good chance of the balcony falling on top of her. Or, if someone was standing in front of my wife when she entered the driveway, they could have seriously been hurt! There were no warning lights on prior to the accident. This happened last Sunday, April 19, 2026. We had the car towed to a local body shop on the same day as the accident. The vehicle was towed away the very next day to our insurance company's salvage lot in Bakersfield. I do have all the information, address and phone number, of the lot where our car was towed to. Hopefully, the car can still be inspected by the proper authorities. Thank you for your time!

High pressure fuel pump has been replaced twice in less than a year. Car has less than 100,000 miles. Both times the fuel pump went out while driving, causing loss of acceleration and stalling of vehicle. Had to be towed to shop both times.

Airbag light is flashing. Independent shop found code B00C1:93-8B. OCS Sensor B. Shop sent owner to dealer for inspection & repair. Charged $57.24. Dealer found DTC B00C1 passenger seat occupant classification sensor b. Replacement cost for the part $1,110.13, plus shop fess and tax for a total repair cost of this critical safety item would be $1,197.29. I did not have this service performed due to the high price. This safety item should be covered by the manufacturer. I recently learned that a dealer may not sell a car with this safety issue so I want it fixed and covered by Mazda.

The airbag warning light is on. I’m concerned the airbag may not deploy in an accident. There was a recall on the airbag, but the dealership only reset the light and did not replace the airbag. I have taken my car to two different Mazda dealerships: One told me I would have to pay for the airbag replacement. The other said the airbag is functioning properly. I’m not sure which one is correct, but the warning light continues to come on. Sometimes it stays on for a couple of days; other times, it flashes on and off intermittently. The airbag light is clearly visible on the dashboard and continues to behave abnormally.

THE DRIVER'S DOOR ON MY 2016 MAZDA CX-5 HAS A MALFUNCTIONING SENSOR THAT SOMETIMES INDICATES THE DOOR IS CLOSED EVEN WHEN IT IS OPEN. SINCE THE DOOR COULD BE UNLATCHED WITHOUT AN AUDIBLE CHIME SOUNDING, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT AN OWNER COULD BE UNAWARE THEY ARE DRIVING WITH THE DOOR OPEN. THUS, THIS VEHICLE FAILS TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD (FMVSS) NO. 114, "THEFT PROTECTION AND ROLLAWAY PREVENTION."

LARGE FISH HOOK SHAPED CRACK ON WINDSHIELD OF MY 2016 MAZDA CX-5 WITH 23000 MLES. THE CRACK APPEARED ON A 55 DEGREE MORNING AFTER I PULLED MY VEHICLE OUT OF THE GARAGE AND DROVE HALF A BLOCK TO A STOP SIGN AND I WATCHED THE CRACK APPEAR. THE CRACK STARTS AT THE TOP CENTER EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD GOES DOWN ABOUT 6 INCHES, THEN GOES INTO THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER. IT WAS ABOUT 18 INCHES THAT MORNING AND HAS GROWN TO ABOUT 30 INCHES AND A HUGE FISH HOOK SHAPE IN THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS CAUSED BY A STONE IMPACT. IT WAS NOT AN IMPACT, I SHOULD KNOW, I WAS DRIVING. THE DEALER ALSO TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, EVEN IF IT IS A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD OR INSTALLATION AT THE FACTORY. WITH A LITTLE RESEARCH I AM SEEING A LOT OF CX-5 OWNERS ARE REPORTING SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE WINDSHIELDS CRACKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN THE NHTSA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE.

My wife was driving our 2016 Mazda CX-5, and was getting ready to pull into our daughters' driveway. My wife slowed down to a stop before entering the driveway. She gave the vehicle some gas to move forward. She stated that there was a pause, then the vehicle accelerated forward slamming into the garage door and the corner of the garage/house. There was also a Tesla parked inside the garage that was knocked back about a foot and a half. The distance from the edge of driveway and street to the garage door is about 27 feet. This happened at 1:30 PM. The weather conditions were great, sunny and dry. Thankfully, no one was hurt. If my wife was another foot to the right, she would have hit the support post for the upper balcony, and there would have been a good chance of the balcony falling on top of her. Or, if someone was standing in front of my wife when she entered the driveway, they could have seriously been hurt! There were no warning lights on prior to the accident. This happened last Sunday, April 19, 2026. We had the car towed to a local body shop on the same day as the accident. The vehicle was towed away the very next day to our insurance company's salvage lot in Bakersfield. I do have all the information, address and phone number, of the lot where our car was towed to. Hopefully, the car can still be inspected by the proper authorities. Thank you for your time!

My screen begins to change the display without me touching it. It has interrupted my GPS directions, causing me to get lost. It has gotten worse over time, now causing my back up camera to either not display at all or become partially blocked by another application randomly starting on the screen. My emergency brake lights flash on my dash, and auto technicians tell me it is a malfunction with the electrical system, not something in my brake system that needs to be replaced. We have tried that. These problems I have been told are not the responsibility of the manufacturer. I don’t understand why. It is distracting, alarming, and because it is getting more frequent with more systems being affected, it puts the driver in danger. This is not due to wear and tear - it is due to a faulty electrical program.

I noticed smoke filling the inside of my car. I looked over at the passenger seat, and my coat was on fire. I poured my drink on it, pulled over, and threw the coat out of the car. I saw a large hole in the lumbar area of the passenger seat, and it was glowing red and putting out a lot of heat. The seat heater was on, so I immediately turned it off. It was obvious that the fire has started inside the seat, and there was no other fire source in car--ie. lit cigarette, lighter, etc. If someone had been sitting there, they would have serious burns. The seat will need to be replaced.

Leather heated seats .. safety put at risks because I suffered burns on my bottom (butt) from the driver seat getting too hot to the point where it burned the seat itself as well , and made a brown burn mark on the seat … Both of my cheeks got burned .. this can in the long run cause skin damage and worse case scenario cancer. No it hasn’t been inspected No warning lamps

Rear subframe corrosion on this vehicle. I am in a winter road salt region, the materials used for this vehicle's subframe are not compatible with consistent driving in this region. Similar vehicles (not mine?) were subject to a recall for the front subframe, but nothing for the rear. This rear subframe issues caused multiple failures of virtually every component of the rear suspension - control arms, rear springs, etc. The repair cost for JUST the subframe was $3813. Not repairing it was not an option - the vehicle had failed mandatory State of Maine inspection (a safety thing, if I'm not mistaken). This should be a Mazda problem, not a me problem. I contacted Mazda USA about this issue and got no response.

Rear subframe corrosion on this vehicle. I am in a winter road salt region, the materials used for this vehicle's subframe are not compatible with consistent driving in this region. Similar vehicles (not mine?) were subject to a recall for the front subframe, but nothing for the rear. This rear subframe issues caused multiple failures of virtually every component of the rear suspension - control arms, rear springs, etc. The repair cost for JUST the subframe was $3813. Not repairing it was not an option - the vehicle had failed mandatory State of Maine inspection (a safety thing, if I'm not mistaken). This should be a Mazda problem, not a me problem. I contacted Mazda USA about this issue and got no response.

I was slowly turning left into an alley when I heard a loud noise, the front of my car dropped, and the car immediately stopped and was immovable. Upon getting out of the car, it appears some joint separated from the wheel.

TSB issue with suspension steering gear assembly needs to be removed and have spacer kit installed. Issue caused the front lower ball joint to wear more than usual and crack. Due to TSB a joint kit needs to be installed and control arms replaced.

The component that failed was the passenger's seat belt. It became unattached from the seat. It appears as though the bolt that holds the fastener to the seat failed. The vehicle is currently available for inspection as it has not been taken to be repaired, yet. Safety was put at risk by the seatbelt not being attached to the seat which could have resulted in serious bodily injury in the event of an accident. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, yet. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by police, insurance, or manufacturer. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem appeared prior to failure.

2016 Mazda CX-5 passenger seat belt warning light and alarm go on when unoccupied and the “airbag off” light turned off (supposed to light up if the seat is unoccupied).

I own a 2016 Mazda CX-5 Touring with AWD. I purchased it brand new from a dealer--no miles on it. It's been a great car until this Sudden Unintended Acceleration problem (about 60K miles now). It's happened 5 or 6 times--twice when in a drive thru. It seems that if I am idling (not pressing on gas or brake) the car will sometimes suddenly accelerate. I have used suggestions to brake, then place car in neutral. That seemed to resolve the problem. However, recently I pulled up to my (rural) mailbox and the car tried to accelerate out of control. I had the brake on (was on a downhill) when it happened, so this was scary. I really had to press down more on the brake pedal, then shifted to neutral, then to park. The acceleration finally stopped. I did not observe tachometer readings during this or other events, but will pay more attention if/when this happens in the future. I do not drive with both feet, and as these incidents have occurred I have been able to maintain more composure and analyze what is going on. I am not getting my foot caught in the mat and I'm not mistakenly pressing on the accelerator. I've been to my local Mazda dealer (Sport Durst in Durham) on May 13, 2022 and they were unable to replicate the problem, so could not repair or even troubleshoot it. The car was T-boned about a year ago, with some damage to the passenger front tire. Could that have anything to do with my problems? My partner feels this could be an issue with the Throttle Control Sensor (hardware) or with the software managing throttle control (much more difficult to diagnose, he says). I wanted to ask: for anyone experiencing this problem, did replacing the Throttle Control Sensor or diagnosing software problems resolve the issue? And, do you have any recommendations for me? Since the car is (barely) out of warranty, (just over 6 yrs/60,000 miles) would filing a claim with Mazda be a good approach? Would you suggest I just trade the car in?

We are having a consistent issue with our son kicking the harness release button located by his feet in the car seat. On numerous occasions we have gone to retrieve him from the seat and the harness is completely loose by kicking and releasing the trigger. This is very VERY unsafe. We have been in contact with the manufacturer via email and they have not responded to our request to remedy the situation. They advised that he may have outgrown the car seat, however he is 8 lbs under the weight limit. Additionally, the warning label on the seat says that they have not outgrown the seat until their head reaches the top of the headrest. He has come nowhere close to reaching this size. Britax offered to exchange the seat. Car seat has been replaced with another brand.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MAZDA CX5 GRAND TOURING. THE VEHICLE HAS TOYO A23 TIRE SIZE 225 55R 19. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE WASHING THE VEHICLE, SHE HAD NOTICED SEVERAL CRACKS IN THE THREAD ON THE SIDEWALL OF EACH TIRE. SHE ALSO STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS MORE SEVERE ON BOTH FRONT DRIVER AND REAR PASSENGER TIRES. SHE HAD INITIALLY TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO HERTRICH'S CAPITOL MAZDA(1127 S DUPONT HWY, DOVER, DE 19901) WHERE THEY REFERRED HER TO THE TOYA TIRE MANUFACTURER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY INFORMED HER THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE TIRES. THE CONTACT HAD YET TO EXPERIENCE A FAILURE WITH THE TIRES. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 33,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MAZDA CX5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO INFLATE THE TIRE ON THE VEHICLE, THE VALVE STEM FRACTURED. THE VALVE STEM WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WORLD CAR MAZDA NORTH (12115 INTERSTATE 35 NORTH BLDG. 2, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78233) WHERE THE REPAIR WAS PENDING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000 THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *LN*JB