2010 Mazda CX-9 Owner Complaints

The break booster went out without any warning or indicators while driving almost resulting in a collision. There are no warning lights on the dashboard.

NHTSA ID

11746341

Incident

Jun 23, 2026

Front suspension broke while my husband was driving back from a fire as he is a volunteer firefighter. He states car did not have any lights on dash to report there was a problem. The next thing he knew he heard a loud squealing noise and lost control of the vehicle taking him off road in a small ditch. As the axle broke it went upward and hit both belts and shredded them. He was not able to move or drive the car at all. I am the owner of this vehicle had I been driving I would have totaled and crashed,also I do have A [XXX] son I drive to school most days. Thank goodness my husband is a heck of a driver. I have contacted the Mazda manufacturer and they are stating that the vehicle was already fixed that they will not do a safety remedy. As I found out there was a 8515G recall for the front suspension interior corroding. I just purchased this vehicle on 2/24/2026 it broke on 3/19/2026. The vehicle states to have been fixed in 2017. I have the inspection papers from the previous dealer from whom I bought it from in 2021 and the one from the dealer that I purchased it and that inspection was in 2025. There has been no inspections after I purchased or after the catastrophic failure happened I am in process of this and my insurance is the next I'm contacting. There was no police report as there was only damage done to the vehicle,luckily no one else was involved and my husband was ok. We have never dealt with this before and didn't really know what to do or how to go about this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11726414

Incident

Mar 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2010 Mazda CX-9. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V782000 (Air Bags). The contact called the dealer and was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair. The contact stopped driving the vehicle due to the recall. The contact attempted to call the dealer for an alternative mode of transporting the vehicle to the dealer, but the calls were not returned. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11713717

Incident

Oct 31, 2019

Driver side Lower control arm fail off from the ball joint

NHTSA ID

11622620

Incident

Oct 7, 2024

Stiff brake pedal , more effort to stop and longer distant to stop.

NHTSA ID

11614349

Incident

Sep 2, 2024

My wife was taking my daughters for marching band and all of a sudden she tried to press the brakes but the brakes felt too hard and she was unable to stop the car safely. She had to take immediate action by moving the car to the shoulder to stop the car. There were no warning signs on the screen. The car was taken to the mechanic and the dealership. The dealership said that this was a brake booster issue which would be fixed for $1500. This is a serious issue which if had happened on the highway would have been tragic. Mazda and the dealership refuse to fix this free of cost since they say that they had already communicated about "an extension of warranty" to fix this problem in 2015 - at which time there were no issues with the brakes.

NHTSA ID

11609995

Incident

Aug 13, 2024

Vehicle difficult to stop, believe it is a bad brake booster.

NHTSA ID

11550478

Incident

Oct 17, 2023

Water pump failure causing catastrophic engine damage

NHTSA ID

11525314

Incident

May 26, 2023

Braking inconsistently - sometimes easy to stop, sometimes hard. I had brakes looked at, and the man said it was the brake booster. He googled it, and found a recall online and told me to take it to my dealer. It doesn't look like there's an active recall - but a lot of complaints. What's going on? This is going to be expensive. My college age daughter drives that car. Do they have to have a severe accident to get that fixed? I can't afford to fix it right now.

NHTSA ID

11517304

Incident

Mar 1, 2023

Mileage

120,000 mi

The contact owns a 2010 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while conducting a routine check, he noticed that the coolant and the oil levels were low. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the coolant was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ID

11499001

Incident

Mar 16, 2022

Mileage

160,000 mi

Brakes not working due to brake booster problem which was brought to the attention of Mazda. Mazda and the transportation authority agreed on an extended warranty which is no longer in effect. There have been many more complaints for this same problem, yet a recall has not been listed for this vechicle and alot of people are paying out of pocket. I already brought this to the attention of traffic safety and never received a return reply. Brakes are squishy than you end up having to put brakes all the way to get car to stop. People are unaware of this major brake and safety defect

NHTSA ID

11492546

Incident

Aug 11, 2022

Mileage

94,000 mi

Driving and brakes would not work without pressing really hard. The problem was reported before on these cars and continue to be a problem. https://www.carcomplaints.com/Mazda/CX-9/2010/brakes/stiff_difficult_braking.shtml my car has been in 2 shops for about 3 months now. They had to replace several parts in the braking system. Than the rear brakes completely froze up and towed to Mazda out of Greensboro NC.

NHTSA ID

11490831

Incident

Jul 30, 2022

While driving the vehicle went to stop car and was unable to stop brake pedal was hard as a rock luckily I didn't hit anything or anyone. upon further research it seems that this model has an issues with the brake booster failing causing exactly what I experienced. As it turns out I did not qualify for the extended warranty on the brake booster due to a agreement between you and mazda my issue is it should be life of the model with no expiration date due to the fact it can happen at any moment. Luckily my family wasn't harmed and luckily someone else's family wasn't harmed because of this failure. My vehicle only has 86,000+ miles.

NHTSA ID

11484740

Incident

Sep 1, 2022

Mileage

86,524 mi

The contact owns a 2010 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was unable to stop while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 162,706. The consumer stated the brake booster was replaced on 07/22/2022.

NHTSA ID

11473560

Incident

Jul 12, 2022

Mileage

162,706 mi

The water pump failed and leaked coolant into the engine, causing motor damage which requires motor replacement. There was no evidence of any failure until the vehicle overheated while being driven. This is a known design flaw of the engine design but no recall has been issued.

NHTSA ID

11464188

Incident

Apr 16, 2022

I had engine failure with a complete loss of power and a shuttering of the steering wheel while pulling into a parking lot and going less than 30 miles per hour. The temperature gauze went from cold to hot suddenly. There were no leaks of coolant or oil and no signs that the engine was out of water or that the water pump had "melted". On the final car repair trip we found out that the engine has an internal water pump that failed and resulted in oil & water getting into the engine. The engine light NEVER came on, I had complained about the tire pressure light blinking on and off in November 2021 and the deceleration issue I was having. The dealer did a coolant flush 11/2021. In early March 2022 the engine shut off as I was backing out of the driveway. I took it to a repair shop nearby they could not find anything wrong except that the car went into limp mode. They also did a coolant flush and radiator cap exchange since I forgot I had just done one on Nov. Less that a week later the engine failed again. We towed the car to the dealer for the third trip in less than four months. I am really disappointed that Mazda failed to recall the engine. I could have been seriously hurt if I had been traveling at high speeds. The CX9 had less than 135,000 miles at 12 years old.

NHTSA ID

11460271

Incident

Mar 15, 2022

The AWD system failed leaving the car dangerous to drive in rain and snowy weather. Car is still stuck in my driveway as the front wheels are spinning and no power to the rear wheels. My Mother's AWD with similar M+S tires drove out with no problems. Waiting for the snow to melt to be able to take my car into the shop. Reading online this seems like a known Mazda issue.

NHTSA ID

11445870

Incident

Dec 31, 2021

The contact owns a 2010 Mazda CX-9. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number 15V451000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact indicated that while driving at various speeds, a rattling noise was present coming from the front of the vehicle. Additionally, the front end of the vehicle was unstable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who indicated that the failure was due to the recall however, the part was on backorder. The failure mileage was 160,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11437299

Incident

Sep 1, 2021

Mileage

160,000 mi

Our 2010 Mazda CX-9 stopped on the highway and had to be towed away. The dealer determined it was an engine failure due to a faulty water pump. It had leaked into the engine, causing permanent damage. No warning lights. The car just stopped. Two dealerships did not want to repair. There is a class action lawsuit. https://www.ktmc.com/mazda-water-pump-engine-failure There should be a recall. We need a refund for the repair we had done, totaling more than $7000. Please look into this safety issue. Mazda Corporate has our complaint on file. We are expecting a refund.

NHTSA ID

11436214

Incident

Jun 19, 2021

Driving on I-5, near Gold Hill, Oregon, when the traction control system light came on and the Vehicle slowed down. I had to push the gas pedal to the floor to get the car to move and I could not shift gears! It shuddered and the wheels seemed to lock up. I could smell burning rubber. I forced the car to the next exit, pulled off and shut it down. I sat there waiting for it to cool off. When I started it again it was a little rough at first but then seemed to get better and I was able to get home. I bought the car in June of 2020 from Lithia Motors in Medford, Oregon. I also bought a Power Train Warranty For $2,500 which was set to expire on 6/10/2021. I called Lithia and made an appointment to take it to them for repairs on June 1, 2021. I got as far as Grants Pass, OR, and it did the same thing I described above. I called a tow truck and had it towed to Lithia in Medford. When I got to Medford, the Service Manager told me I would have to take it to Crater Lake Ford. When I got to Crater Lake Ford I was told to take it to Crater Lake Mazda which I did. I described in detail what the car was doing to.the Service.Manager and told him I feared it was some kind of transmission problem. I also told him I had a power Train. Warranty the would expire on June10thso time was no the essence! I never suspected the brakes because we had the bakes repaired in November of 2020 at Lithia Motors. They were making a hissing sound. They replaced the.brake booster among other brake parts for $1,300 plus. That job was still under warranty. I got a call on June 15th telling me the problem was in the gear shift. He said it was now repaired and I could come and pick it up. I paid $674 for that repair. I got three miles from the dealership and the original problem occurred. I had it towed back to Mazda and it has been there ever since!! They replaced they're (traction control module), but that didn't fix it. After test driving it the original problem occurred! It's still at Mazda.

NHTSA ID

11429182

Incident

May 27, 2021

My vehicle completely shut off while idling in park with no prior warning to anything being wrong. Put coolant in since the container was empty. Replaced thermostat, but vehicle was still overheating. Had it towed to Flow Mazda of Fayetteville and had them run a diagnostic. They determined that coolant was leaking into the oil due to a broken water pump. It was estimated to cost approximately $5,000 to repair with no guarantee that it would fix the problem. They pulled 4 sludge codes. There is currently a lawsuit against Mazda for this specific problem that was filed in 2019.

NHTSA ID

11425193

Incident

Jul 14, 2021

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH MY BRAKES. VERY HARD TO PUSH, NOT COMING TO A STOP, SOUNDS LIKE AIR & MAKES A HISSING SOUND WHEN BRAKE ARE APPLIED.THE 1ST TIME I NOTICED I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A 2 LANE ST. A CAR WAS COMING FROM THE OFF RAMP ON THE RIGHT OF ME & CUT ME OFF. I TRIED TO BRAKE BUT, THEY WERE SO HARD TO PUSH DOWN, I HAD TO JUMP INTO THE NEXT LANE IN ORDER TO NOT REAR END HER BUT, BECAUSE I HONKED MY HORN, THE LADY JUMPED INTO HER NEXT LANE CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO CUT BACK OVER AGAIN, ALL THE WHILE MY BRAKES ARE REALLY HARD TO PUSH, THE CAR WOULDN'T STOP. THEY MADE HISSING SOUNDS. I HAD MY MECHANIC CHECK, STATES IT'S THE BRAKE BOOSTER & THERE MAY BE A RECALL. I CHECKED ONLINE, JUST A WARRANTY. MAZDA WILL REPAIR BEFORE 90K OR 7 YEARS. I CALLED MAZDA, WHO SAID THEY ONLY MAKE RECALLS WITH SAFETY ISSUES. I'D SAY THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONING IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. THE 7 YR EXPIRATION WAS UP IN 2018. WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IT ALREADY HAD 105K, SO THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO BUY THE MAZDA CX-9 AFTER THE 7 YR OR 90K MILE EXPIRATION? IT DOESN'T APPLY TO US AND WE HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET? KNOWING THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT IT WAS HAPPENING TO 2010-2011 CX-9 MODELS, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEEMED A RECALL. ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE BUY USED CARS. THIS IS NOT JUST AN ISOLATED ISSUE OR INCIDENT. THIS WAS LITERALLY LISTED BY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX MY VEHICLE. IT'S MY SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO WORK. I DEFINITELY BELIEVE THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY RECALL BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STILL HAVING ISSUES. WHAT IF SOMEONE DIES. WHO'LL BE AT FAULT IF A PERSONS BRAKES GO & THEY GET INTO AN ACCIDENT & GET INJURED OR DIE? THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE, HOW COULD IT BE DEEMED A WARRANTY AND NOT A SAFETY RECALL?

NHTSA ID

11414722

Incident

Apr 8, 2021

Mileage

166,900 mi

I EXPERIENCED A SEVERAL BRAKING PROBLEMS IN MY CAR IN THE FALL OF 2020. I TOOK IT TO THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE BRAKING SYSTEM PER MAZDA'S SSP 93 BULLETIN. HOWEVER, MAZDA INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR WAS OUTSIDE OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS ISSUE AND I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR MYSELF. I ARGUED THAT IT WAS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE BRAKING SYSTEM PERFORMED SO POORLY THAT I NEARLY GOT IN MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS. MAZDA STATED THAT IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, THEREFORE NO RECALL WAS NECESSARY, AND I WOULDN'T BE COVERED FOR THE REPAIR. I BELIEVE THE NHTSA NEEDS TO MAKE THIS A FULL SAFETY RECALL. THE BRAKING FAILURE IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVERS AND MAZDA NEEDS TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11406440

Incident

Sep 3, 2020

Mileage

68,000 mi

2010 MAZDA CX-9 AWD TOURING WITH UNDER 120,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A NOISE LIKE DRIVING OVER RUMBLE STRIPS IN THE ROAD, VIBRATING THE UNDERCARRIAGE. IT STARTED HAPPENING WHEN LIGHTLY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, TRYING TO MAINTAIN SPEED, NORMALLY AT 1500RPM THEN IT GRADUALLY GOT WORSE AND HAPPENED ALL THE TIME AND THE NOISE GOT LOUDER. SOMETIMES THERE WOULD BE A BURNING SMELL. I SPENT $1000+ ON "FIXES" BEFORE DISCOVERING IT WAS THE TRANSFER CASE, ANOTHER $2,000+. SINCE MAZDA ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT THE ISSUE AND HAS PROVIDED 2 EXTENDED WARRANTIES FOR THIS ISSUE, THE TRANSFER CASE FOR THE DEFECTIVE YEARS/MODELS SHOULD BE ON THEM. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM I HAVE SEEN MANY PEOPLE HAVING TO REPLACE THE TRANSFER CASE MULTIPLE TIMES.

NHTSA ID

11400229

Incident

Mar 10, 2021

Mileage

119,000 mi

WE WERE SITTING IN A PARKING LOT WAITING ON A PIZZA. WE NOTICED THE A/C WASN'T COOLING, AND THEN NOTICED THE CAR WAS STARTING TO OVERHEAT. (THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME EVER). WE CHECKED THE RADIATOR, IT WAS EMPTY. WE PURCHASED COOLANT AND FILLED UP THE RESERVOIR. NEVER SAW ANY LEAKS. CAR STARTED BUT SEEMED SLUGGISH LIKE THE BATTERY WAS LOW. WE GOT OUR PIZZA AND DROVE ABOUT 6 MILES WHERE WE PARKED TILL WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER ON MONDAY. OUR MECHANIC CALLED ME LATER TO TELL ME THAT THE WATER PUMP HAD FAILED AND THAT IT HAD LEAKED INTO THE OIL PAN AND WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. THE REPAIR TOTAL FOR MY CX9 IS AT $9K. WE HAVE 108,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE IS STILL SITTING AT THE DEALER.

NHTSA ID

11394287

Incident

Sep 18, 2020

Mileage

108,000 mi