2016 Mazda Mazda6 Owner Complaints

The front CV axles on my car have failed. It begun with a clicking noise and vibration when accelerating. I took the car to the Mazda dealership, and they confirmed the sounds but said they weren't able to diagnose the issue and that I would have to leave my car for them to figure it out. This places my daughter and my life at risk, as well as other passengers, due to the critical role the CV axles play in operating a vehicle. More specifically, the ability to properly control my steering movement while transporting my daughter to and from school is necessary and if not present, very dangerous. An independent service mechanic has confirmed this issue and indicated that this issue has been seen in many Ford and Mazda's recently. However, there is no recall. There were no warning lights or messages prior to the problem occurring. Again, when Mazda recently services my vehicle, they conducted a full-circle vehicle inspection and did not produce any concerns.

NHTSA ID

11738817

Incident

Apr 18, 2026

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 after her husband had driven for approximately 2 hours with the seat heater activated, the passenger’s side seat overheated, and the seat started smoking. The driver stated that the seat heating element overheated and burned a hole in the seat, damaging the air bag located near the seat heater sensor. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,500.

NHTSA ID

11694675

Incident

Oct 12, 2025

Mileage

113,500 mi

My seat doesn’t detect if passanger is in seat so my air bag engine light goes on and off it was recalled and mazda supposedly cleared the issue but seems like they didnt fix it the recall properly

NHTSA ID

11676202

Incident

Apr 30, 2025

1) UNKNOWN. My guess: The front seats or guard rails. 2) Very seat when braking, and coming to and from a stop. Poses as a safety risk. 3) Yes, no remedy/solution was yielded. Others on forums who visited dealership stated that the dealership said it was “normal”. Despite the other side not having the issue at all. 4) No 5) No Full assessment: The issue of this complaint lies within the front seat of the vehicle. My educated guess is that there is a defect within the seat rails of the vehicle as no remedy seems to be found upon extensive research on google and various forums. Specifically, in my vehicle and may others that I have found, have issues with the driver seat feeling loose when braking or hitting the gas from a stop. Many individuals (including my close friend) have raised this to dealerships and were told that this is “normal” despite the passenger seat (or vice versa) does not have the same issue whatsoever with no remedy. I personally have tightened all possible nuts and bolts for the seat AND brought it to multiple shops and dealerships, which yielded no remedy as all bolts were in fact tightened. I strongly believe that this issue should be further investigated and mitigated as it poses as a risk of serious injury - whether involved in an accident or the seat coming loose, or off entirely. The best way to describe the amount of play is sitting on a chair that is placed on an uneven floor, with one corner rocking toward itself. Or a table that is placed on an unleveled floor and is rocking towards one end (which that remedy consists of folding an napkin enough times to stick it under one of the legs). Please note that I have had this car for a couple of years and this one thing that grinds my gears.. aside from the plastic rattle of the driver side window switch module when listening to music.

NHTSA ID

11673547

Incident

Jan 3, 2023

PCM ISSUE, passenger air bag issue, OCS wiring issue. infotainment system, transmission, and engine. Key fobs not able to be reprogrammed due to PCM issue

NHTSA ID

11667949

Incident

Jun 1, 2021

Driver seat is unstable and has been since I purchased the vehicle. I never got it looked at because I can't afford repairs. There was a recall for the passenger seat and I believe it would be for the driver seat as well given the driver seat stability is crucial. It rocks as if it isn't fully secure. You notice it sometimes when getting in and out the car and I became noticable when my dog decided to jump into my seat one day when cleaning my interior and I saw the seat heavily rock forward and backward. You sometimes notice it as well when coming to a stop from highway speeds the seat will slightly tilt forward. This issue has been with the car after i purchased it in 2018 but didn't notice it until a few months after the purchase.

NHTSA ID

11665545

Incident

Nov 1, 2018

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V451000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11650328

Incident

Sep 24, 2024

Mileage

70,000 mi

My passenger air bag doesn’t turn on when passenger is in vehicle, sensor for air bag turns on and off as if it can’t determine if a person is on the seat. My dashboard has the SRS OCS light on. My vehicle has already been seen by Mazda to fix the recall but I am afraid to drive and suddenly air bags go off.

NHTSA ID

11648241

Incident

Feb 26, 2025

Fuel smell in & outside of vehicle after fuel fill, being a retired Master Technician I decided to investigate this and after removing the the fuel tank access door under the rear seat I was shocked to see that on an 8 year old vehicle the fuel sender retainer is completely rusted out. An overfill, an aggressive maneuver or small collision could prove disastrous with this condition pending! I have just ordered a replacement since I intend to repair this myself and that is only of the tank itself is not compromised when I proceed to remove the rusted out screws as well. Also after further investigation I find this is nothing new to Mazda and actually had this same condition in previous years but I assume chose not to prevent it from happening in future models. I will be attaching a photo of it.

NHTSA ID

11629784

Incident

Dec 8, 2024

I bought the Bridgestone tires in Sept 2023 from Walmart. On Nov 23, 2024, I went to Walmart auto center to have 4 Bridgestone tires rotated and balanced. The tech discovered severe bead separation in 3 of 4 tires. I had to buy 4 new tires. I have pictures of the tires with bead separation on the wheel rims and also off the rims.

NHTSA ID

11628289

Incident

Nov 23, 2024

Moonroof explosion Moonroof had spontaneous explosion while driving on highway. No objects were seen flying towards front of car prior to explosion. Driver and 1 passenger in front seat. Sun shade partially open resulting in glass coming into the car. No accident or injury occurred. Moonroof closed at time of explosion.

NHTSA ID

11594101

Incident

Jun 12, 2024

When driving, after a period of 10 - 20 minutes usually, of the adaptive cruise being on (not necessarily in use), the buttons on the steering wheel will re-map. That is, the + button for adjusting the cruise speed up by 1 mph increments will switch with the - button that adjusts the cruise speed down by 1 mph increments. This happens reliably... if I've driven the car with adaptive cruise on for more that 10 - 20 minutes, the buttons will re-map. + slows the car down or doesn't work at all (does nothing). - speeds the car up. Also, rarely, the cancel button will speed the car up. Often the cancel button will not work and the only way to disengage the adaptive cruise is to tap on the brake pedal. Less frequently--maybe about 1/3 - 1/2 of the time, the "off" button, which turns the adaptive cruise off entirely, will not work. Note, that this is not the "engage" or "enable" button. These are the buttons that just turn on and off the adaptive cruise and show that it is now ready to be set if on. I discussed this with the dealer. I believe it is a software problem, they cannot find a software problem as they patched the software in the car up to the latest version. They want to replace the steering wheel where the switches are. This is a $750 repair. (I'm not sure if it's the whole steering wheel or the switch cluster on the wheel.) I cannot afford it and I'm not convinced it will work. I believe they are just guessing at a solution. Nothing to my knowledge has ever spilled on the steering wheel to potentially damage the switchgear. Also, this, to me, does not explain how it always works correctly for the first 10 - 20 minutes of driving, then fails reliably after that. This problem has existed for over two years. Since the car has had about 100,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ID

11590278

Incident

May 22, 2024

There is a bearing in the crankshaft that looks like it’s not up to spec. No warning lights came on, car suddenly lost power on the highway. Fortunately no one was injured though it was a very scary situation. Mechanic took a look inside the engine and said a main bearing stud broke off and busted a hole through the short block. He said I’m lucky the engine didn’t turn into a grenade. Upon looking up the failure many other people have had the same issue with this engine. The exact same failure on the exact same bolt. Here are some links to some posts: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] Clearly I’m not the only one with this issue, and there are more examples of the same problem that you can find online through out different Mazda models that use the same engine. I can definitely have the vehicle inspected if needed, my mechanic took video of the damage as well. I could only imagine if this happened while there was more traffic on the road, it’s not safe. And the fact I can find more examples means there are probably more that never posted or reported the issue. the vehicle has less than 100k miles which a lot of the examples have the same issue at less than 100k INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11558470

Incident

Nov 30, 2023

I was on freeway when some warning start showing on dashboard ( enging, track control system, battery) then my steering wheel was hard that I couldn’t manubrio i hit a curb that was on the entrance and my car start spinning in circles till i hit the hill on side road.

NHTSA ID

11531004

Incident

Jun 25, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that the driver’s seat was previously moved backward; however, when her daughter attempted to move the seat forward to drive the vehicle, the seat remained stuck in the rearward position. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, who informed the contact that the wire connecting the seat motor to the seat track had fractured. The dealer informed the contact that the entire seat assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ID

11510423

Incident

Feb 6, 2023

Mileage

85,000 mi

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, and all of a sudden, I hear a loud pop above my head. I slow down to investigate and notice the sound of the wind coming from above me. I slide back my sunroof door and the entire glass is shattered. This could’ve been a very dangerous situation as I was driving on the highway and the loud sudden pop without warning could’ve affected me to lose control of my vehicle. I’ve read up on this and have seen that this issue has happened to a number of vehicles and some manufacturers have had a large list of complaints.

NHTSA ID

11467151

Incident

Jun 2, 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

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the security indicator light was continuously flashing. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and diagnosed as a security indicator light failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

NHTSA ID

11457624

Incident

Jun 25, 2021

Mileage

110,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over but was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11452282

Incident

Feb 11, 2022

Mileage

80,000 mi

The vehicle infotainment system in this 2016 Mazda 6 no longer works and has what is called a rolling reboot. This seems a common problem with Mazda's based on a service alert SA-011/20 as well as a TSB 09-020/18. When broken I can't use the hands free to make or receive calls, nor can I modify preferences, service warnings, use the radio etc. The car is out of warranty and the part known as a connectivity master unit (CMU) is over $1000 including tax. I think Mazda should at least provide a replacement part for this very common problem, which effects many models.

NHTSA ID

11431247

Incident

Aug 30, 2021

WATER LEAK IN TRUNK AREA LEADING TO ABOUT A 2-INCH PUDDLE OF WATER ACCUMULATION INSIDE THE TRUNK AT THE LOCATION OF THE SPARE TIRE AREA. ISSUE WAS NOTICED ON APRIL 16, 2021. THE WATER ACCUMULATED ON TOP AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SPARE TIRE. THE PARTS OF THE VEHICLE ARE BEGINNING TO BE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED --MOLD, ETC. THERE WERE ITEMS STORED AROUND THE SPARE TIRE 'E.G. FLAT TIRE REPAIR KIT, EMERGENCY BLANKET, ETC. THAT DEVELOPED MOLD DUE TO THE ACCUMULATED WATER AND WERE THROWN AWAY UPON INSPECTION. IN ADDITION TO THE SPARE TIRE AREA ACCUMULATING SEVERAL INCHES OF WATER, THE SPARE THE COVER (I.E.PLASTIC HONEYCOMB TYPE THAT SITS DIRECTLY ON TOP OF THE SPARE TIRE) IS AFFECTED WITH THE EVAPORATION/CONDENSATION OF THE ACCUMULATED WATER. ALL OTHER PARTS OF THE TRUNK AND VEHICLE ARE WERE NOT WET TO THE TOUCH. THE SOURCE OF THE WATER IS UNKNOWN. AND IT WAS NOT A USER ERROR TYPE OF ISSUE 'THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN STORED WITH ALL WINDOWS, DOORS, TRUNK, AND HOOD CLOSED. CONCERN IS THAT THE ACCUMULATION OF WATER WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOLD INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND AN UNHEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS OCCUPYING THE CAR. ADDITIONALLY, IT WILL LEAD TO VEHICLE CORROSION SINCE THE AREA WHERE THE WATER ACCUMULATES IS NOT INTENDED TO BE CONSISTENTLY HOLDING WATER. ATTACHED ARE SEVERAL PHOTOS SHOWING THE AFFECTED AREA. NOTE THAT THE PHOTOS ONLY SHOW THE ACCUMULATED WATER THAT WAS UNDERNEATH THE SPARE TIRE AFTER THE WATER ACCUMULATED ON TOP OF THE SPARE TIRE (INNER SECTION OF THE SPARE TIRE METAL WHEEL WHICH LAYS UP WHEN STORED IN THE VEHICLE'S TRUNK), CLOSE TO 2-INCHES WORTH, WAS REMOVED ALONG WITH THE SPARE TIRE ITSELF. I DID NOT THINK OF TAKING PHOTOS OF THE ISSUE UNTIL AFTER I REMOVED THE SPARE TIRE AND THE ACCUMULATED WATER. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE MATTER AND CONSIDER ISSUING A RECALL THAT WOULD ALLOW MAZDA TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.THANK YOU.

NHTSA ID

11408557

Incident

Apr 16, 2021

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