2016 Mazda Mazda6 Brakes Problems

The vehicle exhibits dangerous electronic malfunctions. A licensed technician (MV-113255) has confirmed a sporadic unintended acceleration defect where the cruise control 'decrease' button causes the vehicle to increase speed. Additionally, the vehicle repeatedly enters 'Limp Mode' in active traffic, causing a violent jerk and a total loss of acceleration while displaying a 'Smart City Brake Support' (SCBS) failure on the dashboard. An independent inspection also documented gross mechanical neglect, including loose battery terminals and a loose transmission bellhousing bolt, which may contribute to these intermittent electrical/safety failures.

NHTSA ID

11732963

Incident

Apr 14, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting into drive(D) or reverse(R), the vehicle failed to move. The electronic parking brake warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle, deactivated the electronic parking brake, and forcefully depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that he had to pay to repair the vehicle since the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V393000 (Parking Brake). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was in the process of towing the vehicle to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in the recall. A case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. The contact has noted that this complaint has been resolved.

NHTSA ID

11494079

Incident

Nov 17, 2022

Mileage

75,000 mi

Pulled up to gas pump, put parking brake on (manual transmission), got out of car and heard a beeping noise from inside. The car then began to drift backwards into traffic. Have DashCam video that can share.

NHTSA ID

11474292

Incident

Jun 30, 2022

I was driving between 40-50 MPH at a consistent speed and I began to have to put the brake pedal to the floor in order to slow down the car. Even when doing this the car does not slow down at the rate expected and stopping distance has increased by more than 50 percent. Have been told there is Cracked/leaking bore diameter to the master brake cylinder housing is causing pressure and fluid loss, into other internal parts of the braking system. Not visible externally. Mechanic states that they have encountered this problem with several of this year make and model with this exact issue. The shop was able to top off the brake fluid which slightly improved performance but the issue still remains. Car is at 104K miles.

NHTSA ID

11464246

Incident

Apr 10, 2022

EMERGENCY PARKING BREAK LIGHT RANDOMLY COMES ON IT WHEN DRIVING. IF I ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE PARKING BRAKE IN ORDER FOR ME TO DISENGAGE IT REQUIRES THAT I PUT MY SEATBELT ON AND HAVE DOORS LOCK THEN PUT CAR IN DRIVE TO TAKE BREAK OFF. BUT LIGHT STILL REMAINS ON.

NHTSA ID

11372586

Incident

Oct 20, 2020

Mileage

43,000 mi

I WAS BRAKING TO A STOP AFTER DECELLERATING, DRIVING ORIGINALLY ABOUT 45 MPH. TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY, GOING STRAIGHT AHEAD. MY CAR SLOWED BUT RESISTED STOPPING. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL HARDER UNTIL I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. MY RIGHT FOOT WAS ENTIRELY ON THE BRAKE, AS I ONLY USE MY RIGHT FOOT TO OPERATE THE PEDALS. THE ENGINE WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS ACCELLERATING. THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV HIGHER IN INTENSITY. I PUT THE CAR INTO PARK, AND THE ENGINE REVVED MUCH HIGHER. I PUSHED THE START/STOP BUTTON TO TURN OFF THE CAR. THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH. I WAS ABLE TO ROLL DOWN THE POWER WINDOW EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE. THE STARTER ENGAGED, BUT THE CAR DID NOT START. I TRIED TWICE AGAIN AND IT DID THE SAME THING. I TRIED A FOURTH TIME AND IT REACTED AS IF THE BATTERY WAS ALMOST DEAD, SOME SOUND BUT NO MOVEMENT. I COULDN'T PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO HAVE THE ATTENDING POLICE OFFICER PUSH IT OUT OF THE LANE OF TRAFFIC, AND WE NOTICED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENGAGED. I DID NOT ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE MYSELF! MY HUSBAND ARRIVED, AND HE AND THE OFFICER WERE ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DISENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CAR HAD TO BE LOADED ONTO A ROLL-OFF WRECKER TO BE TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ID

11343512

Incident

Jul 30, 2020

Mileage

40,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MAZDA MAZDA6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO DISENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE. THE PARKING BRAKE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER NOR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.

NHTSA ID

11341696

Incident

Jul 25, 2020

Mileage

40,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 MAZDA M6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH IN THE SNOW, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWERS AS THE STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE SLIDE AND REAR-END THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AIR BAG WAS THE ONLY AIR BAG THAT DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ENGAGED AND FAILED TO DISENGAGE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A LOWER BACK AND NECK INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS HOWEVER, THE CONTACT HAS RETAINED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED CONTINENTAL (4800 OLD SEWARD HIGHWAY, ANCHORAGE, AK 99503) AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED BUT NO ONE ANSWERED THE PHONE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,900.

NHTSA ID

11318837

Incident

Nov 13, 2019

Mileage

54,900 mi

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY IN THE RAIN AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT FUNCTIONING. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED THE FUSES FINDING BOTH FUSES AFFECTING THE WIPERS WERE IN WORKING ORDER. WHILE PULLED OVER, I ALSO NOTICED MY HEADLIGHTS WERE NO LONGER ON. I CHECKED THE FUSES RELATED TO THE HEADLIGHTS AND THESE WERE ALSO IN WORKING ORDER. AS I WAS NOT IN A GOOD LOCATION TO LEAVE MY CAR FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME, I DROVE MY CAR A FEW MORE MILES DOWN THE ROAD. DURING THIS TIME, THE WARNING FOR THE "SMART BREAKING SYSTEM FAILURE" ALSO CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO GET MY VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILURE OF THE FRONT BODY CONTROL MODULE. I NOTICED THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL ON THE 2016 MAZDA 3 FOR THE VERY SAME ISSUE. I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAID MY VEHICLE IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL. BASED ON THE SYMPTOMS MY CAR HAS, AND BEING THE SAME YEAR AS CARS AFFECTED, I WOULD STRONGLY DISAGREE.

NHTSA ID

11299751

Incident

Jan 12, 2020

Mileage

117,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MAZDA 6. IN TEMPERATURES BELOW 45 DEGREES, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE INDICATOR WOULD REMAIN ILLUMINATED AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE INDICATOR WOULD SOMETIMES ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER (MATT CASTRUCCI MAZDA, 3013 MALL PARK DR, DAYTON, OH) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11161979

Incident

Nov 1, 2017

Mileage

70,000 mi

2016 MAZDA 6 WOULD JUST RANDOMLY ENRAGED E-BRAKE WITHOUT YOU ENGAGING IT AND WOULD NOT RELEASE, PARKING BRAKE AND BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON. MAZDA SAID CONTROL MODULE WAS MALFUNCTIONING. MAZDA(BAKERSFIELD)REFUSES TO FIX IT AS ERROR CODES WOULDN'T SHOW UP WHEN DIAGNOSING IT. CAR WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED IN FLORIDA WHERE IT ORIGINALLY HAPPENED AND THAT WAS THE FINDING CONTROL MODULE MALFUNCTIONING.

NHTSA ID

11063673

Incident

Jun 4, 2016

Mileage

34,000 mi

TWICE NOW THE ELECTRONIC EMERGENCY BREAK SEEMS TO HAVE DISENGAGED RANDOMLY MINUTES AFTER I WALKED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE

NHTSA ID

11055928

Incident

Dec 21, 2017

SMART CITY BREAKS MALFUNCTION. A BREAKING SYSTEM THAT IS ONLY SUPPOSED TO WORK WHEN GOING UNDER 20MPH, APPLIED WHEN I WAS GOING 65-70 DOWN A FREEWAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, CAR STARTED APPLYING BREAKS, THEN SLAMMED ON BREAKS. DRIVERS FOOT STILL ON GAS PEDDLE, HAPPENED WITHIN SECONDS.

NHTSA ID

10967288

Incident

Mar 5, 2017

Mileage

22,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MAZDA 6. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN BRAKE CONTROL WITHIN A FEW BLOCKS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200.....UPDATED 07/05/16 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER INSTALLED A DATA TRACKING SYSTEM ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR A MONTH WITH THE DEVICE AND THERE WERE NO FURTHER INCIDENTS. UPDATED 07/21/16.*JB

NHTSA ID

10823940

Incident

Feb 3, 2016

Mileage

1,200 mi