RoadVitals

2026 Mazda CX-5

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
+3 complaints in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 12 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 Mazda CX-5, most frequently naming the electrical, visibility and driver assistance categories. 63 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical642.9%
  • Visibility321.4%
  • Driver assistance214.3%
  • Brakes17.1%
  • Interior & seats17.1%
  • Powertrain (other)17.1%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Visibility
Filed Aug 7, 2026

Have a cracked windshield from a chip near the wiper area Mazda says needs to be replaced But they are on National back order Was told that when the windshield caves in or collapses Then an emergency order can be put in

NHTSA ID
11755455
Incident
Jun 23, 2026
Filed Jul 27, 2026

This is a new rebuild of this vehicle with the electronics now being within the screen. Initially had SOS and telematics issues which most of these cars are having. These seem to be fixed after two updates by Mazda. Have continuously been having issues with connectivity with their app and the ability to access my car through the app. Including locking/unlocking the doors, starting the car, having access to info about my car like: mileage and tire pressure etc. Mazda continues to see these cars without proper fixes. I have been thru three updates. And there has been no fix to these issues. I am unable to access alerts or updates regarding the car as well.

NHTSA ID
11753049
Incident
Apr 1, 2026
Filed Jul 16, 2026

SOS sounds at random Telemetry not working comes up at random Touchscreen on infotainment freezes

NHTSA ID
11750817
Incident
Jun 19, 2026
Visibility
Filed Jun 29, 2026

The windshield of my 2026 Mazda CX-5 suddenly fractured and developed a severe crack without any external road hazard or heavy stone impact. Under micro-photography, the root of the crack presents as a smooth, continuous stress fracture ("white line") with no physical crater or concentric shattering pattern. The authorized Mazda dealer and Safelite AutoGlass provided entirely contradictory diagnostic locations regarding the alleged "impact point," proving the source of the failure is highly ambiguous. On this vehicle, a standard, everyday micro-pit from normal road dust triggered a catastrophic structural fracture across the glass. This is a disproportionate failure indicating excessive internal manufacturing residual stress or structural pressure from the vehicle frame rather than owner wear-and-tear. Furthermore, this severe fracture directly obstructs the driver's forward vision and threatens the calibration and safety functionality of the i-Activesense forward-facing safety cameras mounted behind the rearview mirror, creating a sudden, severe driving safety hazard.

NHTSA ID
11747280
Incident
Jun 26, 2026
Interior & seatsVisibility
Filed Jun 17, 2026

About a week ago, a "telematics error" message displayed, a single red light on the SOS button turned on, and it started beeping loudly. This has repeated multiple times. In this state the vehicle cannot automatically summon emergency help following a crash, and I cannot manually trigger an SOS call. More recently, June 17th, a new symptom has occurred. Vehicle's touchscreen display would not turn on. This display is required to access heating/cooling features including defrost/defog, and is used to show the backup camera. The dealer has informed us that these issues were all caused by a manufacturer-initiated over-the-air software update. We are currently scheduled to have a new software update installed to replace it on June 22nd.

NHTSA ID
11744809
Incident
Jun 17, 2026
ElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 15, 2026

I leased a brand new vehicle on June 8th. On June 12th, I took it to the dealer's service center because of a warning message, accompanied with a loud chime that said: "Emergency Call Unit Malfunction", the SOS red light was also on. I picked the car up today, June 15th. Shortly leaving the dealership, I was driving on the freeway crawling traffic with my husband and 4 year old child in the vehicle. Suddenly, the service/wrench icon started flashing on the dashboard, and the car's engine completely died and stalled while we were moving on the highway. At the exact second the engine died, dash and infotainment screen went completely black, the A/C shut off as well. I instantly lost my speedometer and all safety alerts while stuck in traffic. I was still stepping on my brakes, and turned my hazard lights on so we could pull over to safety. Screens went back on and engine came back on. We were fortunate to be by the nearest exit and took it. The screens went back on, but service light was still flashing. We were able to drive the car to Mazda, and was provided a loaner car. This is a massive safety issue and hazard that put my family in immediate danger on a busy highway just following a dealer service.

NHTSA ID
11744358
Incident
Jun 15, 2026
Filed May 29, 2026

Complete software issues… 1-Yellow triangle with a red exclamation point 2-SOS alarm tone continuously goes off 3-Radio screen will freeze up, stop and restart to clear 4-Hey Google commands, will not turn AC off, Hey Google turn AC down, responds with turning the AC UP 4 degrees 5-Software turns off traction control 6-Extremely dangerous when Google does not work, and you have to look at the screen and not the road 7-Mazda has removed physical knobs for entertainment system, and AC system. With a failure of software this is dangerous 8-Why did Mazda put this model out for sale to the public, and NOT NOTIFY CUSTOMERS OF THIS POTENTIAL DANGEROUS ISSUE AT THE TIME OF SALE 9-In 2 months I have had to go back for service 3 times, with as many as 5 warning lights on the Custer at 1 time, all regarding software issues 10- Each time from the service department we get the… Mazda is aware of this issues but does not have a fix at this time 11- Paid $40,000 cash for this 2026 mazda cx5 premium, Is and or will this be considered lemon law in the state of Florida. 12- As of now the only fix is a hard reset by disconnecting the battery.

NHTSA ID
11740879
Incident
Mar 24, 2026
BrakesDriver assistanceElectrical
Filed May 24, 2026

The vehicle's Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) / Smart Brake Support system intermittently triggers "false positive" emergency braking events during critical driving maneuvers, specifically while accelerating to merge into highway traffic. During these events, the system violently applies the brakes with no external hazard present. Crucially, the vehicle fails to acknowledge driver override input. Depressing the accelerator pedal fully does not disengage the automatic braking, stripping the driver of vehicle control and exposing the vehicle to a severe risk of being rear-ended at high speed. Simultaneously, the vehicle experiences a persistent "In-Unit Telematics Malfunction" error on the dashboard, accompanied by rapid-fire mobile app notifications (14 alerts in a single day) stating "Critical Vehicle Malfunction: Vehicle cannot be driven." These communication module errors have persisted despite the dealership applying Mazda's latest software updates, indicating a critical network failure or hardware defect that compromises active safety systems.

NHTSA ID
11739803
Incident
May 24, 2026

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SA-046-26

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DESCRIPTION If a BCM failure occurs due to laptop rebooting/crashing during a BCM software update with MDARS II, keep the vehicle ignition ON and refer to the Recovery Procedure below. NOTE: When the BCM has lost communication with the vehicle, no vehicle functions will be operable. REPAIR PROCEDURE Recovery Procedure 1. Using the same laptop, disconnect the current MDARS II session and open a new session. 2. Scan the vehicle. 3. While the vehicle is scanning, disconnect the negative battery terminal. Wait 3 minutes, then reconnect the terminal. 4. Wait for MDARS II to complete vehicle scanning using compulsory IG ON. 5. When MDARS II prompts for the VIN, enter the vehicle’s VIN. 6. Once the vehicle has been scanned, click Reprogramming. 7. Click BCM Reprogramming and follow the on-screen steps. 8. The BCM will connect to the server, enter recovery mode, and update to the latest software version.

SSPE2_MSP67 Warr a

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Subject: Announcement of Special Service Program (SSPE2) Ethernet Communication – Over The Air (OTA) Update Concerns and Manufacturer Service Program (MSP67 ) – Battery Depletion - 2026MY CX-5 vehicles URGENT - STOP DELIVERY OF AFFECTED VEHICLES: MAZDA SALES AND SERVICE TEAMS - ACTION ITEM: Between both campaigns there are approximately 27,565 vehicles (for both campaigns) in stock at U.S. Mazda dealers. All Mazda dealers must quarantine any affected New, Used or Certified Pre-Owned in-stock vehicles until the repair is completed. The affected dealer inventory list will be available to each District Service Manager with the notification of this dealer email. Once completed, the vehicle can be delivered, and the Warranty claim can be submitted later without penalty since the vehicle has been repaired. Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct two service programs Special Service Program (SSP) and Manufacturer Service Program (MSP) on certain 2026MY CX -5 vehicles sold in the U.S. and U.S. Territories. Vehicles also produced by Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) and Mazda Canada Inc. (MCI) are affected and should be repaired if presented to your dealership. Please see the description, model, model year, and VIN ranges below for all vehicles in these two campaigns. There are 70,225 vehicles affected by SSPE2 and 53,653 vehicles affected by MSP67. All vehicles in MSP67 are also affected by campaign SSPE2. Please read this complete letter for all the repair information . Special Service Program SSPE2 – Ethernet Communication and OTA Update Concerns - SSPE2 addresses two concerns: 1) Ethernet communication (CDC -DCM communication) concern: Communication in the Cockpit Domain Controller (CDC) and Data Communication Module (DCM), may be interrupted, making the connected services unavailable. The interruption may cause the master warning light to illuminate and audible warning from the emergency call speaker. 2) OTA software update concern: Due to an improper communication control program in the CDC and DCM, may prevent OTA software updates to be completed. In addition, if an OTA software update is successfully completed, the vehicle's software configuration status may not be correctly transmitted to the server, which may prevent notification of subsequent software update successfully completed OTA software updates may not properly sync with Mazda’s servers potentially preventing future OTA updates. Repair Outline: Reprogram the DCM and CDC software, using a USB memory stick with modified software. Manufacturer Service Program MSP67 - Battery Depletion Concern - MSP67 addresses two concerns: On certain subject CX-5 vehicles, the vehicle may fail to start due to battery depletion after IG OFF. 1) Data Communication Module (DCM): Remote Diagnostics software may reset and fail to close a CAN communication channel after ignition OFF and the battery may drain over time. Note: Vehicles for Puerto Rico and Mexico markets are not affected by this factor as they are not equipped with the DCM. 2) Body Control Module (BCM): The Body Control Module (BCM) may intermittently reset during sleep mode operation. Vehicles may cycle between wake-up and sleep states, leading to battery depletion. Repair Outline: Reprogram the BCM software with M-MDS, using Mazda Diagnostic and Repair Software II (MDARS II). The DCM software is being re-programed by SSPE2. Note: When the BCM is reprogrammed, the Central Gateway (CGW) will also be updated automatically.

SSPE2_MSP67 Dlr Ltr a

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Subject: Announcement of Special Service Program (SSPE2) Ethernet Communication – Over The Air (OTA) Update Concerns and Manufacturer Service Program (MSP67 ) – Battery Depletion - 2026MY CX-5 vehicles URGENT - STOP DELIVERY OF AFFECTED VEHICLES: MAZDA SALES AND SERVICE TEAMS - ACTION ITEM: Between both campaigns there are approximately 27,565 vehicles (for both campaigns) in stock at U.S. Mazda dealers. All Mazda dealers must quarantine any affected New, Used or Certified Pre-Owned in-stock vehicles until the repair is completed. The affected dealer inventory list will be available to each District Service Manager with the notification of this dealer email. Once completed, the vehicle can be delivered, and the Warranty claim can be submitted later without penalty since the vehicle has been repaired. Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct two service programs Special Service Program (SSP) and Manufacturer Service Program (MSP) on certain 2026MY CX -5 vehicles sold in the U.S. and U.S. Territories. Vehicles also produced by Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) and Mazda Canada Inc. (MCI) are affected and should be repaired if presented to your dealership. Please see the description, model, model year, and VIN ranges below for all vehicles in these two campaigns. There are 70,225 vehicles affected by SSPE2 and 53,653 vehicles affected by MSP67. All vehicles in MSP67 are also affected by campaign SSPE2. Please read this complete letter for all the repair information . Special Service Program SSPE2 – Ethernet Communication and OTA Update Concerns - SSPE2 addresses two concerns: 1) Ethernet communication (CDC -DCM communication) concern: Communication in the Cockpit Domain Controller (CDC) and Data Communication Module (DCM), may be interrupted, making the connected services unavailable. The interruption may cause the master warning light to illuminate and audible warning from the emergency call speaker. 2) OTA software update concern: Due to an improper communication control program in the CDC and DCM, may prevent OTA software updates to be completed. In addition, if an OTA software update is successfully completed, the vehicle's software configuration status may not be correctly transmitted to the server, which may prevent notification of subsequent software update successfully completed OTA software updates may not properly sync with Mazda’s servers potentially preventing future OTA updates. Repair Outline: Reprogram the DCM and CDC software, using a USB memory stick with modified software. Manufacturer Service Program MSP67 - Battery Depletion Concern - MSP67 addresses two concerns: On certain subject CX-5 vehicles, the vehicle may fail to start due to battery depletion after IG OFF. 1) Data Communication Module (DCM): Remote Diagnostics software may reset and fail to close a CAN communication channel after ignition OFF and the battery may drain over time. Note: Vehicles for Puerto Rico and Mexico markets are not affected by this factor as they are not equipped with the DCM. 2) Body Control Module (BCM): The Body Control Module (BCM) may intermittently reset during sleep mode operation. Vehicles may cycle between wake-up and sleep states, leading to battery depletion. Repair Outline: Reprogram the BCM software with M-MDS, using Mazda Diagnostic and Repair Software II (MDARS II). The DCM software is being re-programed by SSPE2. Note: When the BCM is reprogrammed, the Central Gateway (CGW) will also be updated automatically.

SSPE2_MSP67 Warr

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Subject: Announcement of Special Service Program (SSPE2) Ethernet Communication – Over The Air (OTA) Update Concerns and Manufacturer Service Program (MSP67 ) – Battery Depletion - 2026MY CX-5 vehicles URGENT - STOP DELIVERY OF AFFECTED VEHICLES: MAZDA SALES AND SERVICE TEAMS - ACTION ITEM: Between both campaigns there are approximately 27,565 vehicles (for both campaigns) in stock at U.S. Mazda dealers. All Mazda dealers must quarantine any affected New, Used or Certified Pre-Owned in-stock vehicles until the repair is completed. The affected dealer inventory list will be available to each District Service Manager with the notification of this dealer email. Once completed, the vehicle can be delivered, and the Warranty claim can be submitted later without penalty since the vehicle has been repaired. Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct two service programs Special Service Program (SSP) and Manufacturer Service Program (MSP) on certain 2026MY CX -5 vehicles sold in the U.S. and U.S. Territories. Vehicles also produced by Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) and Mazda Canada Inc. (MCI) are affected and should be repaired if presented to your dealership. Please see the description, model, model year, and VIN ranges below for all vehicles in these two campaigns. There are 70,225 vehicles affected by SSPE2 and 53,653 vehicles affected by MSP67. All vehicles in MSP67 are also affected by campaign SSPE2. Please read this complete letter for all the repair information . Special Service Program SSPE2 – Ethernet Communication and OTA Update Concerns - SSPE2 addresses two concerns: 1) Ethernet communication (CDC -DCM communication) concern: Communication in the Cockpit Domain Controller (CDC) and Data Communication Module (DCM), may be interrupted, making the connected services unavailable. The interruption may cause the master warning light to illuminate and audible warning from the emergency call speaker. 2) OTA software update concern: Due to an improper communication control program in the CDC and DCM, may prevent OTA software updates to be completed. In addition, if an OTA software update is successfully completed, the vehicle's software configuration status may not be correctly transmitted to the server, which may prevent notification of subsequent software update successfully completed OTA software updates may not properly sync with Mazda’s servers potentially preventing future OTA updates. Repair Outline: Reprogram the DCM and CDC software, using a USB memory stick with modified software. Manufacturer Service Program MSP67 - Battery Depletion Concern - MSP67 addresses two concerns: On certain subject CX-5 vehicles, the vehicle may fail to start due to battery depletion after IG OFF. 1) Data Communication Module (DCM): Remote Diagnostics software may reset and fail to close a CAN communication channel after ignition OFF and the battery may drain over time. Note: Vehicles for Puerto Rico and Mexico markets are not affected by this factor as they are not equipped with the DCM. 2) Body Control Module (BCM): The Body Control Module (BCM) may intermittently reset during sleep mode operation. Vehicles may cycle between wake-up and sleep states, leading to battery depletion. Repair Outline: Reprogram the BCM software with M-MDS, using Mazda Diagnostic and Repair Software II (MDARS II). The DCM software is being re-programed by SSPE2. Note: When the BCM is reprogrammed, the Central Gateway (CGW) will also be updated automatically.

01-009-26a

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

12v battery discharge. DESCRIPTION This TSB has been superceded by SSPE2 AND MSP67.

SSPE2_MSP67 Dlr Ltr

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Subject: Announcement of Special Service Program (SSPE2) Ethernet Communication – Over The Air (OTA) Update Concerns and Manufacturer Service Program (MSP67 ) – Battery Depletion - 2026MY CX-5 vehicles URGENT - STOP DELIVERY OF AFFECTED VEHICLES: MAZDA SALES AND SERVICE TEAMS - ACTION ITEM: Between both campaigns there are approximately 27,565 vehicles (for both campaigns) in stock at U.S. Mazda dealers. All Mazda dealers must quarantine any affected New, Used or Certified Pre-Owned in-stock vehicles until the repair is completed. The affected dealer inventory list will be available to each District Service Manager with the notification of this dealer email. Once completed, the vehicle can be delivered, and the Warranty claim can be submitted later without penalty since the vehicle has been repaired. Mazda Motor Corporation has decided to conduct two service programs Special Service Program (SSP) and Manufacturer Service Program (MSP) on certain 2026MY CX -5 vehicles sold in the U.S. and U.S. Territories. Vehicles also produced by Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) and Mazda Canada Inc. (MCI) are affected and should be repaired if presented to your dealership. Please see the description, model, model year, and VIN ranges below for all vehicles in these two campaigns. There are 70,225 vehicles affected by SSPE2 and 53,653 vehicles affected by MSP67. All vehicles in MSP67 are also affected by campaign SSPE2. Please read this complete letter for all the repair information . Special Service Program SSPE2 – Ethernet Communication and OTA Update Concerns - SSPE2 addresses two concerns: 1) Ethernet communication (CDC -DCM communication) concern: Communication in the Cockpit Domain Controller (CDC) and Data Communication Module (DCM), may be interrupted, making the connected services unavailable. The interruption may cause the master warning light to illuminate and audible warning from the emergency call speaker. 2) OTA software update concern: Due to an improper communication control program in the CDC and DCM, may prevent OTA software updates to be completed. In addition, if an OTA software update is successfully completed, the vehicle's software configuration status may not be correctly transmitted to the server, which may prevent notification of subsequent software update successfully completed OTA software updates may not properly sync with Mazda’s servers potentially preventing future OTA updates. Repair Outline: Reprogram the DCM and CDC software, using a USB memory stick with modified software. Manufacturer Service Program MSP67 - Battery Depletion Concern - MSP67 addresses two concerns: On certain subject CX-5 vehicles, the vehicle may fail to start due to battery depletion after IG OFF. 1) Data Communication Module (DCM): Remote Diagnostics software may reset and fail to close a CAN communication channel after ignition OFF and the battery may drain over time. Note: Vehicles for Puerto Rico and Mexico markets are not affected by this factor as they are not equipped with the DCM. 2) Body Control Module (BCM): The Body Control Module (BCM) may intermittently reset during sleep mode operation. Vehicles may cycle between wake-up and sleep states, leading to battery depletion. Repair Outline: Reprogram the BCM software with M-MDS, using Mazda Diagnostic and Repair Software II (MDARS II). The DCM software is being re-programed by SSPE2. Note: When the BCM is reprogrammed, the Central Gateway (CGW) will also be updated automatically.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mazda CX-5 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026Viewing120037.2
2025250054.9
2024410048.4
2023590049.0
2022620049.8
20211430044.5
20201060049.0
20192652054.3
20183473057.2
20171481047.1
20165105055.9
20151334051.6
20143774045.8
20131941041.2
2012100

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.