2020 Mazda CX-5 Brakes Problems

While driving on the highway in traffic, I was applying the brakes (slowly and smoothly) and moving with the flow of traffic when the SBS system activated the brakes harshly and slammed me to a stop without reason. In addition to throwing me forward against my seatbelt, it also resulted in the car behind me rear-ending me. I did not hit the car ahead of me, since I was far enough behind them BEFORE the smart brake support engaged, but the feature caused an accident that could have been avoided.

NHTSA ID

11729750

Incident

Jan 27, 2026

The Smart Brake Support system malfunctioned while driving. The vehicle began shaking and lost power, requiring excessive throttle to move. The car hesitates and may not accelerate normally, creating a dangerous situation in traffic. Warning lights appeared on the dashboard and the vehicle became unsafe to operate. The issue occurred shortly after purchase and was reproduced multiple times. The dealer inspected the vehicle but refused to provide a written diagnosis or repair timeline. The vehicle is unreliable and poses a risk of sudden loss of control or rear-end collision.

NHTSA ID

11720015

Incident

Feb 15, 2026

I bought this 2020 Mazda CX-5 Sport 2.5L all wheel drive from a big dealership on July 31, 2023. I started having issues with EPB (electronic parking brakes) in February 2024. When I put the e-brakes on, the yellow parking brake light and the red brake light would come on. Seems like they would engage and disengage just fine except those 2 lights would stay on no matter how many times I tried turning the e-brakes off. I put a new battery in because of some research I did to no avail. Tried putting it in service mode then taking it off service mode......which did work for a couple of months. Then the problem reappeared and the two lights came back on. Sometimes you hear the e-brakes retracting on the rear right side only. And you can smell the brakes from heating up. On 2/26/2025 after getting out of work, I got in my car, turned it on and boom the brake lights are on again. I tried to drive and noticed the e-brakes were engaged. I didn't do it because I don't use the e-brakes at all for fear it would get stuck on and leave me stranded. I have been dealing with this for months and I am so frustrated. This car is only 5 years old. It shouldn't be having e-brakes issues. I've been doing a lot of research and found out that a lot of Mazda owners are having this very same problem. Mazda is very aware of this issue and has known about it for some time, but refuses to do a recall. I’m afraid to drive the car for fear that the e-brakes would engage while I'm driving in the highway and cause me to have an accident. This is a safety issue that needs to be addressed. I don't know what else to do. One thing I do know...... if Mazda doesn't fix this issue, I will never buy a Mazda again and make sure my kids never buy a Mazda either.

NHTSA ID

11645203

Incident

Feb 27, 2025

The vehicle accelerated on its own, while I was parking. My foot was on the brake when the vehicle just took off. It continued to accelerate until a building stopped it. I continued to brake but the vehicle did not stop. Once the vehicle collided with building, saw on the digital read out the "Brake System Malfunction" and then Camera Malfunction. The vehicle was towed from the site and the insurance adjuster has sent me word that the vehicle is a total loss.

NHTSA ID

11616109

Incident

Sep 18, 2024

While driving forward in a straight line during broad daylight at approximately 40mph, the car in front of me slowed and turned right onto a side street. I applied brakes to slow myself (to ~25mph I estimate) until the car in front of me was fully out of my lane. Once the car in front of me was out of my lane, I released the brake in order to accelerate back up to the speed limit, but before I could press the gas pedal the car suddenly slammed on the brakes, beeped warning beeps, and displayed BRAKE on the dash. It did this for less than a second before deactivating. It did not fully stop the car. It just caused a sudden, severe braking event and then the car returned to normal operations. This exact road scenario (car in front turning right onto a side street while traveling at city speeds of ~30-40 mph during daylight) has caused the sudden temporary automatic braking twice, and two other times in this same scenario the BRAKE warning displayed and sounds activated but without automatic braking. These four events occurred within the less than one year that I have owned the car. One of the automatic braking incidents happened in cold temperatures on snowy/icy road conditions. The other occurred in traffic with vehicles following behind my car close enough to risk a rear-end collision. I have reached out to a dealership to request the safety sensors be inspected, but I have seen on internet communities [XXX] and [XXX] ) that many people have encountered this exact behavior (sudden unexpected braking) in the exact same scenarios (car ahead turning right). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11554529

Incident

Nov 9, 2023

On Septmber 2, 2023 the car had been on a 4 hour road trip. I came into the driveway, left the car running in Park with the brakes on (listening to music while I cleaned the car out) it was idylling for about 5 minutes. I went to the drivers side door, which was open and reached in to turn the car off using the start/stop button. Before I could turn the car off, it started backing up and the door ran over me. The car was definitely in Park and the Brake was on. There was no reason for the parking brake to disengage.

NHTSA ID

11546572

Incident

Sep 2, 2023

My car only has 32000 miles on it and I was told that I need new brakes and calipers. My car is making grinding and creaking noises when I back up, stop or get into it. Because of these brake issues it feels like the car is taking longer to stop. I have never had a car that needed this extensive of a brake job at 32000 miles. This seems excessive.

NHTSA ID

11536834

Incident

Jul 31, 2023

2020 MAZDA CX-5. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO THE EMERGENCY BRAKING FEATURE ON VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11495747

Incident

Dec 2, 2022

I WAS PARKED AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT THAT HAD AN OUTDOOR KIOSK FOR PAYMENT. I GOT OUT OF MY CAR TO PAY AND GOT BACK IN. AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE OR TWO MY CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD, GOING OVER A SLOPED CURB AND DOWN A SHORT LOW GRADE HILL, HITTING A POLE. I WAS CONFUSED TO HOW THE CAR WOULD GO FORWARD BECAUSE I WAS IN PARK THE WHOLE TIME.

NHTSA ID

11405931

Incident

Mar 28, 2021

TRY TO PART WHEN I STEP ON THE. BREAK, DID NOT STOP KEEPING RIGHT ON GOING.

NHTSA ID

11378571

Incident

Dec 5, 2020

PURCHASED BRAND NEW 2020 MAZDA CX-5 ON SEPT 25, 2020. ON SEPT. 29, 2020 WITH < 500MI: WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON COUNTY ROAD, PRESSED BRAKE PEDAL AND THE PEDAL DID NOT MOVE. SEVERAL MALFUNCTION LIGHTS FLASHED INCLUDING "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION", "SMART CITY BRAKE SUPPORT MALFUNCTION". REPEATEDLY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT DID NOT MOVE AT ALL. TRIED TO SWERVE TO AVOID A VEHICLE BUT THE STEERING WAS UNRESPONSIVE. IMPACTED A VEHICLE AT A RED LIGHT. MAZDA SERVICE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE BRAKE WAS ENGAGED BEFORE THE IMPACT EXCEPT FOR A "HARD BRAKE EVENT" WHICH BASED ON THE CDR DATA WAS PROBABLY THE IMPACT AVOIDANCE SYSTEM BRAKING THE VEHICLE. AS AN ENGINEER FAMILIAR WITH THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM BUT NOT THIS PARTICULAR SYSTEM SPECIFICALLY, I SUSPECTED A LOW VOLTAGE EVENT THAT KNOCKED OUT THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND POWER STEERING. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED FROM THE REPAIR SHOP TODAY OCT 28, 2020. HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER, AGAIN AN INDICATION OF LOW VOLTAGE OR FAULTY WIRING. I HAVE TAKEN VIDEO OF THE FLICKERING, I HAVE OBTAINED THE CDR REPORT MAZDA REFUSED TO PROVIDE ALTHOUGH I REQUESTED TO SEE IT, AND THE SERVICE REPORT INDICATING MASS AIRFLOW & VACUUM CODES, BOTH CAUSED BY LOW VOLTAGE EVENT.

NHTSA ID

11366933

Incident

Sep 29, 2020

Mileage

412 mi

BOUGHT A MAZDA CX5 JUNE 2020 AND IT WAS INVOLVE IN A ACCIDENT SEPT 17TH 2020 DO TO BRAKE FAILURE. MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED PARKING IN A APARTMENT COMPLEX WHEN THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AND COLLIDED WITH THE FACILITY 20FT IN FRONT OF THE PARKING SPACE. AT THE INCIDENT, I THE OWNER, FOUND 3 DAMAGE ROTORS WERE THE FLAW CAME FROM HEAVY GRINDING AT THE CALIBER (SEE ATTACH PHOTOS). WITHIN THE CALIBER'S ALLOY YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE CHIPPED ALLOY PRODUCED FROM A FLAW & THE ALIGNMENT OF WHERE IT GRINDS THE ROTOR (SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS). A WITNESS STATED SHE WAS PRESENT DURING THE TIME OF THE COLLISION AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKE FROM THE WITNESS. I CAN PROVIDE PLENTY OF MORE PICTURES AND VIDEOS TO EXPLAIN THE GEOGRAPHIC AND DEMONSTRATE VIA VIDEO THE FLAWS AT THE COLLISION. I'VE ATTEMPT CONTACTING MAZDA FOUR TIMES BUT THEY CONTINUE TO PLACED THE BLAME ON ME "FOR BAD DRIVING DAMAGING ITEMS THEY CONSIDER TEAR AND WEAR PRODUCTS (ROTORS AND CALIBERS)" I EXPLAINED I ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 3MONTHS AND ITS THREE ROTORS WITH SIMILAR DAMAGE. YET THEY TOLD ME MY INSURANCE MUST FIND THEM AT BLAME. MY INSURANCE APPRAISER STATED THEY WILL NOT GO TO THAT DISTANCE; THEY JUST FIX OR PAY OFF THE LOAN. I AM FUSTRATED! YOU ALL ARE MY LAST HOPE! GOING THROUGH MY INSURANCE WILL CAUSE ME A DEDUCTABLE AND AT FAULT BLAME. GOING THROUGH MAZDA IS INSULTING THEIR PRODUCT, YET I FIND THIS FRIGHTING BUT IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONDUCT FURTHER RESEARCH TO WHY THE ROTOR/CALIBER WENT BAD IN SUCH A SHORT SPAN. EXPLAINING! EVEN IF I AM TO BE BLAMED, FOR THE INCIDENT. WHAT ABOUT THE PRODUCT? I ONLY OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR THREE MONTHS. WITHIN A LITTLE OVER 3,000 MILES. PLEASE HELP

NHTSA ID

11360368

Incident

Sep 17, 2020

Mileage

3,200 mi

SUDDEN BRAKING CAUSED BY AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM. ON SEPT 1, 2020, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET, GOING ABOUT 30 MPH, AND A CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS TURNING. I WAS IN NO DANGER OF HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME; HOWEVER, MY 2020 MAZDA CX-5 SUDDENLY BRAKED AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. GRANTED, THIS CAR WAS NEW TO ME AND I HADN'T EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE, BUT I WAS COMPLETELY SURPRISED GIVEN AN ACCIDENT WAS NOT IMMINENT. THIS SUDDEN BRAKING CAUSED MY HEAD TO SWING FORWARD AND BACK RESULTING IN NECK, SHOULDER, AND BACK PAIN. ALSO, IT RESULTED IN AN INCREASED HEADACHE. UPON RETURNING HOME, I TURNED THE SUDDEN BRAKING SAFETY FEATURE OFF. ON SEPT 4, 2020, I HAD A VIDEO CALL WITH MY PCP WHO ADVISED ME TO GO TO THE URGENT CARE. THE URGENT CARE DOCTOR PRESCRIBED MUSCLE RELAXERS AND, BASED ON A PREVIOUS NECK CONDITION, ORDERED A MRI AND FOLLOW-UP WITH NEUROSURGEON. THE EXTENT OF THE INJURY IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME BUT THE URGENT CARE DOCTOR ENCOURAGED ME TO FILE A SAFETY REPORT.

NHTSA ID

11353304

Incident

Sep 1, 2020

Mileage

150 mi

DRIVING IN THE CITY IN THE RIGHT HAND TURN LANE. THIS LANE PASSES 2 PLACES FOR A RIGHT HAND TURN. THE CAR IN FRONT MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN. THEIR TURN WAS ALMOST COMPLETE WHEN THE CAR MADE A SUDDEN HARD BRAKE. NO OTHER CAR WAS IN FRONT OF ME. MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR BEHIND ALMOST SLAMMED IN THE BACK OF ME. *TR

NHTSA ID

11325432

Incident

May 21, 2020

Mileage

165 mi