NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Mazda CX-5. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The video display board does not work properly. It randomly changes settings while driving and is very distracting and does not allow the GPS to work properly. It changes radio and display settings and any setting prev set. It cycles through them and randomly changes them The dealer (Kings Mazda in Cincinnati Ohio) stated that this is happening frequently in Mazdas and will cost over $400 for an after market fix and over $1000 for a Mazda fix. It is VERY distracting while driving
UNKNOWN. Vehicle stalls and jumps when I step on the gas pedal or try to increase speed.
I had just had my car serviced for 30k services and about 2 months later smoke was coming out of my engine after driving. Took it in and it turned out to be a cracked cylinder head. None of my lights were on indicating there was an issue either. I was told this is a known issue with Mazda and should be a recall but there still isn’t one. TSB#SA-031-21
The Cylinder head cracked and caused oil to spill out. This was inspected at Towne Mazda in Orchard Park, NY. I was driving ~50 miles when the issue occurred, and had driven approximately 40 of the 50 miles when me and my sister pulled over and noticed my engine smoking and the burning smell to be pungent. Had I not pulled over, It could have led to engine misfire and damage to other parts of my vehicle. The Dealer confirmed the need for a new cylinder head and parts, and is currently repairing the vehicle. The Component was not recently inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance. During the course of driving, after about ~35 miles, the oil pressure light turned on. I drove roughly 5 more miles before I pulled the car over to have it towed to my Mazda dealership.
Cylinder failure low oil pressure and check engine light. Mazda redid cyclinder and still getting the check engine light. Mazda working on issue and having issue resolving problem.
Engine is ticking and shaking at idle more than normal Rest unknown
The electrical system malfunctions repeatedly. The volume on the navigation will set to maximum by itself. This is alarming and poses a safety risk. It also randomly texts people detailed location information of the driver. This is a safety risk for minors and people in abusive relationships or with a PFA order. It appears to be a common problem with this car.
Had a constant Valve tick on cold starts and sometimes while running long periods. Oil level top offs and changes did not remedy the issue. Mechanic says it's a bad valve lash adjuster.
Automatic braking system has almost caused multiple rear end accidents as it still detects cars that have left the lane after they turn. The infotainment system has dangerous ghost touches that glitch every time the car stops which has been reported for Mazdas for the past 7 years with no recall.
The side mirrors fold in and out automatically. Sometimes they will not open to driving position, leaving the driver without the ability to check them for lane changes. This is a common problem with the automatic mirrors on Mazda vehicles. I have had them repaired once under warranty, but the issue persists. The second issue is the automatic emergency braking. It has activated a few times without need or warning. I have come close to being rear-ended because of this and received negative feedback from other drivers that were following me (use your imagination).
As I was driving home one day in February 2024, my car felt like a strong gust of wind was getting up underneath the hood of my car, causing it to pull left and right slightly. When checking the weather, wind gusts were at 5 MPH and you could barely see trees/leaf movement. I pulled off the side of the road, checked underneath the car to see if anything was dragging/missing and all was fine. As I started driving again, I then noticed my RPM's vs MPH was very strange. When accelerating, the car randomly increased up to 4,500 RPM when trying to go 45 MPH, then shifted down to 2,000 RPM's once I reached 45 MPH. But, no matter if I left my foot on the gas pedal, lifted my foot off of the gas pedal or hit the breaks, the car would not move off of 2,000 RPM's until I pressed my foot on the break all the way down to the floorboard. No lights came on at all. I took it to the dealership that I purchased it from, expressing the scary feeling of the driving the car and showing video proof of what the car was doing in RPM's vs MPH. After further conclusion, they determined that a "sensor" had gone bad. The thought that a plastic, electronic sensor going back caused my car to feel that way and put my life at risk while driving is a scary thought. Fast-forward to April of 2024, similar symptoms have come back again. Wind feeling like it's getting under my hood, causing the car to pull left and right, RPM's not matching up and now a hot engine with no warning light coming on, is questioning if it's this particular sensor again. Not to mention, I had it inspected by the dealership two weeks ago and had an oil change done to it and the dealership said "everything looks great". You should have zero thought or worry when operating your personal vehicle, but in the past three months, I have taken my car to the dealership and or a mechanic 7 times with thoughts/worries about my car. This car has now turned into a "lemon" as one would call it and I'm terrified to even start the car.
Folding side mirror will not open all the way, causing a safety concern when driving.
The infotainment system within the Mazda has a variety of issues. 1. Its CarPlay system is extremely slow to connect to the mobile device via a USB. 2. 'Mobile Device Error' message pops-up frequently and disconnects the infotainment system from the mobile device. 3. 'Ghost Touch' occurs when driving under 20 mph. The screen fritz's out, will randomly press buttons, turn settings on and off, and there is no control over it. 4. Screen freezes. System and screen will either lag extremely slowly, or will freeze entirely. In sum, these issues are not only annoying but also a safety concern. It is extremely distracting for this to happen while you are operating the vehicle. Furthermore, it suddenly removes your mapping/navigation directions that you might be using.
I developed a cracked cylinder head in my 2019 Mazda CX-5 that only had 33,000 miles on it. I lost approximately 50% of my oil in a 4 mile drive. I believed I had been leaking oil, checked the dipstick, drove 4 miles (max speed of 35 mph), smelled the burning oil, pulled over, saw smoke coming from the hood and checked the dipstick again. Losing this much oil is a safety risk with the possibility of a fire especially if driving at a faster speed and inability to have a safe place to pull over along with smoke from the burning oil causing visibility issues which at higher speeds such as on an interstate can cause a safety concern. No indicator lights/messages appeared, this was determined from seeing what I thought was oil on the ground and then checking the dipstick. Mazda is well aware of the issue. When picking up the car for the dealership after being fixed, I asked what kind of parts were used to ensure this does it happen again. The shop employee said they were “revamped” parts due to the known issue with this model and pointed out 4 other Mazda cx5s currently in the shop with the same issue getting repaired.
Had the sudden onset of strong exhaust fumes in the cabin as others have described - especially when idling at a light. Returned to dealer after having it up on a rack to find oil dripping everywhere (shield underneath prevents from seeing drops when parked) - got word today it is indeed the cylinder head assembly. How is oil running on hot exhaust not a fire concern? I had to roll my windows down for fresh air in zero degree weather the fumes were so strong inside the vehicle. On top of that the P0126 (thermostat stuck open) diagnostic code is back for the second year in a row after having the “fix” installed under warranty last year.
At any speed over 55 miles there is a loud whining/whistling/moan at the top of the A-pillars. I have tried taping the seams as well as silicone caulk but nothing works. My daughter has the identical car and identical problem and there multiple videos on-line of the same problem. Definitely a distraction from driving safely.
My engine started smoking while I was driving fast got out of car oil leaking everywhere there was a crack in the cylinder head, another few minutes of driving and the car could have burst into flames seems like it’s a common issue with Mazda cx5 a quick google search has shown me I’m not the only one with this issue, worst thing about it is Mazda refused to fix it.
Car will whine and jerk when accelerating. Car suddenly stopped engaging in gear after it was warm. Dealer states it has internal transmission malfunction at 64k miles. Prior to the car breaking down the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic on 12/27/23 and concerns with the whining and jerking when driving were expressed. Dealer reports that the transmission was “operating as designed”.
The infotainment screen is malfunctioning and acts on it own. Random parts of the screen are touched on its own creating a lot of distractions. Examples are changing of screens, settings, ending my navigation, calling contacts etcetera. This is a huge safety hazard and Mazda dealerships are charging for diagnosis for a commonly known issue, claiming the cause is unknown, despite numerous posts and threads online linking this to a screen delaminiation issue.
My Mazda connect touch screen operates by itself (ghost touch) while driving down the road. My safety is at risk trying to press button to get it turned off, while driving down the road. It is a huge distraction. The volume speakers at the high level and continues to beep and yell your audio will be at this volume level (the loudest). It is not listed as a recall foe this make and model, but should be. Doing further research this looks to be an issue with all of their vehicles and Mazda is not holding themselves accountable or trying to fix the issue in newer vehicles. There have not been any warning signs. I’ve had my car for 5 years come this August and my vehicles has been doing this for about 6 months now.
"Ghost Touches", a known service alert for several years now, have stated to affect my car in the past couple of years. At times, it will max out my volume to blast through the car speakers, change settings in my car system (gps, phone, etc), and more. Mazda hasn't issues a recall on this, despite safety concerns by many owners.
The main display has failed and/or malfunctioned regularly. Lighting systems for vehicle navigation system has been impacted and HUD lighting and visibility have been impacted. My safety and the safety of my passengers have been put at risk because of distraction and vehicle navigation malfunctions. The component has not yet been inspected. There were no other problems prior to failure. The first incident of this occurred several months to a year ago. This has been a continuous issue. The date provided below is simply to indicate that this has been occurring for an extended period of time.
The display screen appears to initiate "ghost actions". It will change songs, put phone calls on mute/hang up, change display settings etc. on its own. I looked this issue up online and it seems to be very common with 2017 and newer Mazdas. I took it to the Mazda dealership and they wanted to charge me $150 for a diagnosis and another $500 for a screen repair. I decided not to do it because all of the threads online stated that this didn't fix the issue so no diagnosis was made. It doesn't put me at extreme risk but it is very distracting when I am using maps or CarPlay.
There is a known “ghost touch” issue with this vehicle. I did not realize that until recently but the infotainment screen will randomly activate when at low speeds and/or stopped. This has caused distractions while driving as sometimes it will actually initiate phone calls on its own. Mazda has a technical service bulletin on this but has issued no recall
Power folding mirrors do not fully close or extend during wet weather. This leaves the side mirrors visibility obstructed and could cause accident. This is a known issue and a recall should be immediately issued to remedy this dangerous defective part. Mazda technical service bulletin 09-011/20
The radio/navigation/entertainment system malfunctions. The issue is known as ghosting and is a well-known issue with selected year Mazda's. Radio stations and apps will randomly skip around or the volume of the system will blare out at the highest volume startling the driver. Which has occurred multiple times in my case. The first time I reported it to the dealer, they told me there was no issue. The second time I was informed I could pay for a repair kit and installation for over $500.
The 2019 CX-5 has approximately 31086 miles. It was discovered that the cylinder head is cracked and causing the car to leak oil.
My air bag light warning light is constantly blinking and I took it to the dealer ship. I informed the service guy this could be a malfunction due to a recall. He only asked me to pay for an diagnostic for $175.00. I think based on a history dated from 2004-2018 regarding Air bags recalls this is a recall. I contacted Mazda 1-800-222-5500 Option 11/28/2023 @ 10:00 am I reported this to Mazda Vehicle Claim#[XXX] and they are stating it is no recall for that vehicle. I think this is a safety risk for me and Mazda needs to address this at no charge based on the history of several vehicles INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My engine suddenly started smelling like burning oil. I was due for an oil change and needed it immediately so I went to a quick oil change shop. They told me oil was sprayed all over the engine and I should take it to the dealer. It's been at Napleton Auto Park in Urbana, Illinois for a week and they finally diagnosed a cracked cylinder head. They said it could take up to 2 months to repair and they're checking to see if it's covered by my warranty.
My 2019 Mazda CX-5 cylinder head cracked at only 60,000 miles. I noticed my breaks were smoking and stopped driving. I then noticed oil leaking from my engine which had blown into my breaks, causing the smoke. There was no check engine indicator on my dashboard, nor did it indicate that my engine had overheated. There was no indication that there was any issues with the vehicle until i noticed the smoke coming from my brakes. I towed the vehicle to the Captial Mazda Dealership in San Jose, CA. Per Mazda Dealership Repair Estimate: "cylinder head cracked by cylinders 2 and 3". When i asked the dealership service center why this happened, their only response was it was a engine failure and that "over time the cylinder can become warped and crack" and while it that doesn't happen often "it can happen" I asked if there was anything I did that caused this, their only response was "i can check with the technician again". Apparently I did not purchase the "extended warranty" so while the repairs are no fault of my own, I have to pay the $6,000 repair cost.
I am writing to express serious concerns regarding the recent service that occurred on November 14th, 2023. Due to the service's failure and negligence, Luther Brookdale Mazda has jeopardized the safety and well-being of my family members. On [XXX], my 2019 CX-5 was towed from Monticello, Minnesota, to the dealership in Brooklyn Center around 9 pm. While returning from [XXX] dinner in St. Cloud on [XXX] , a sudden warning appeared on the dashboard: "Engine Coolant Temperature High. Stop the vehicle immediately in a safe place." Upon receiving this notification, we pulled over to the shoulder and observed smoke emanating from the engine bay. We promptly turned off the vehicle. Concerned for our safety, we contacted our family to pick us up and had the vehicle towed by AAA. As we awaited the tow truck's arrival, we noticed coolant had sprayed all over the engine under the hood, and the engine cover was missing. Furthermore, the coolant reservoir was below the minimum threshold. This particular issue is the reason I brought the vehicle in for service the week prior, regarding insufficient coolant temperature. It was evident from the state of the engine bay that the dealership failed to follow proper protocol. This lack of oversight likely resulted in damage to the engine and other essential vehicle components, leading to the total loss of the car. I am deeply disappointed by the lack of care and attention to detail in the service provided. This negligence also compromised my family's safety. Moreover, what was meant to be a festive holiday was marred due to the disregard for my property. I have been a loyal customer at Luther Mazda Brooklyn Park for several years, and I am shocked by the incident that has transpired. We have approached the dealer with the issue and they are continue to articulate that there is no engine damage, but with the ongoing class action lawsuit, I am extremely skeptical of their claims. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Mazda ships a defective touchscreen that will degrade and eventually register phantom inputs to the infotainment system. In my vehicle, the screen was able to randomly access my settings, including for safety (blind spot monitoring) and display (driving units, heads up display, etc) and start messing with my settings. When I was using maps, the screen would randomly zoom into different spots, or change my destination, or modify settings. This was an enormous distraction and rendered the screen useless. Also, I was never sure if I stopped the car from changing settings related to vehicle safety because I can't keep my eyes on the screen while I'm driving. It was just registering random inputs all over the screen while the vehicle was in motion.
Cracked cylinder head which caused engine to leak oil and smoke
Smoke coming out from hood, upon looking at it we found oil leak, took to nearest service shop and found cracks in engine head. Brought car to the dealer ship for further inspection and repairs.
When the system thinks there might be a collision it initiates a hard braking even when there is enough space to avoid a collision. Multiple times, the car behind me had to do a hard break as well not to hit me from behind. A google search revealed multiple people complaining of similar issue. The system brakes too extremely aggressively (drops speed from 30 MPH to 5 or less MPH almost instantly stopping/causing skidding) even at its lowest setting. When I address with Mazda Service Manager he advised "it's supposed to do that" and if I choose to I can manually disable the feature each time I enter the vehicle. Note, I am currently driving a loaner car 2023 Mazda CX-5 and have not experienced the same issue, so it does not seem "it's supposed to do that". I have been driving the loaner for 4 weeks and not once have I experience this issue - the system has never engaged except for once where only the Warning light appeared on the display but the braking did not engage. Whereas my vehicle engages this anti collision braking nearly every day I drive it. This system has almost caused more accidents than it protected me from them.
We were at a stop light and we were rear ended by a Lexus SUV. We're assuming she was going 45mph + but we're not too sure yet. I couldn't figure out why myself, the drive of the car that was hit, had such a horrendous neck ache after being hit. I turned around & saw that my headrest had been completely ripped out of the seat itself, providing no support for my head and/or neck on impact. I can't find any information of if this is on purpose, as a safety feature, or if the headrest failed.
Noticed the smell of burning oil in the cab on 30 mile drive. No warning lamps or other symptoms; vehicle continued to operate normally. After parking and inspecting the engine for the burning smell, noticed oil dripping from underneath engine bay and a pool of motor oil was forming on the ground underneath the vehicle. The next day, vehicle was brought to local Mazda dealer for inspection. They diagnosed the cause and stated the engine needs a cylinder head replacement. Oil leakage was so prolific, if this were to occur during a long distance drive, the engine would have lost all of the oil and stranded motorist - safety concern. Cylinder head failure is a known issue (Mazda TSB [XXX] ) with this engine. This known safety issue should trigger a recall. At minimum, the repair should covered by manufacturer for life of vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Cracked cylinder head with oil leaking. There were no warning from my car prior to a diagnostic test. The car has a very strong rubber burning smell and white smoke comes out from the engine part before I took my car back to the Mazda Dealer. From a quick search, the cracked cylinder problem seems widespread with the 2018-2021's Mazda Cx-5. Took the car back to the dealer and dealer replaced the head cylinder and gaskets. There were no warning from the car.
OIL COMING THROUGH CYLINDER HEAD ABOVE EXHAUST MANIFOLD DUE TO BEING POROUS, CAR LEAKING OIL AND NEED TO PUT MORE OIL IN EVERY OTHER DAY. MAZDA KNOWN ISSUE TSB# SA-031/21
1. What component failed, and is it available for inspection? Component: The Engine Cylinder Head. The Failure: The cylinder head failed due to a structural crack caused by overtightened bolts (manufacturing defect), resulting in an engine oil leak. Confirmation: The defect is confirmed and resolved. Wayne Mazda (NJ) acknowledged the failure and replaced the cylinder head under the CPO Warranty last month. The issue has not returned since the replacement, proving this was indeed a hardware defect. 2. How was your safety put at risk? Fire Hazard: Before the repair, for a duration of one year, the vehicle leaked engine oil onto the hot exhaust manifold, creating a persistent fire risk. Toxic Exposure: My family and I were forced to inhale burning oil fumes inside the cabin for months due to the dealer's delayed diagnosis. This posed a significant health hazard. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed? Yes. The defect was initially identified by independent service centers (when the dealer failed to find it) and was ultimately verified and repaired by Wayne Mazda. The fact that the dealer performed the repair under warranty is an admission of the manufacturing defect. 4. Financial Damages & Request for Reimbursement: Since Mazda has admitted liability by fixing the vehicle, I request reimbursement for the losses incurred due to the delay in diagnosis: $2,000+ in Independent Repairs: Because Wayne Mazda initially failed to diagnose this warrantable defect, I was forced to pay independent shops to diagnose and attempt to fix the oil leak to keep the vehicle safe. These costs were a direct result of the dealer's inability to identify the manufacturing defect. $159.29 in Uber Fees: Mazda failed to provide a loaner vehicle during the major powertrain repair, forcing me to pay for my own transportation. Conclusion: I am filing this report to: Document this safety defect (Overtightened Cylinder Head Bolt / Oil Leak) for NHTSA records, as it poses a fire
The vehicle starting stalling, check engine light would come on, and the vehicle would slipped into “limp mode” while traveling on the freeway. I was amount in two auto collisions because of the vehicle slowing down in the middle of the highway. The problem started in August 2023 and was towed to the dealer on one occasions and towed to my home on another occasion. The dealer ran a diagnostic and said it was the brand new battery I had installed and then the catalytic converter. After repairing both; the vehicle proceeded to not drive over 30 miles per hour. The dealer said it was the engine and then said it was something else. I’ve expressed that the symptoms are those more aligned to the PCM issue recalled on 2019. A actual diagnostic report from Auto Zone supports this. The vehicle has also been inspected by another Mazda dealer and a stand alone mechanic.
While driving down the road my Mazda CX-5 continues to just stall and the engine light turns on and the safety features turn off. I was driving down a road in town and the engine started stalling as I came to a red light and slowed the engine shut off and I was almost hit from behind. It took several attempts at starting before the car would start. This has now happened for the past 3 days and is happening more and more frequently. I do not have any other means of transportation and after attempting to get the dealership to check due to the recalls on the Mazda CX-5 for fuel pump failure and the mechanic saying it appears the fuel pump is bad the dealership refuses to attempt any repair because the VIN is not listed in the recall at this time. This is a severe safety problem because if it stalls in traffic I will be in an accident as I have no ability to maneuver the vehicle when it stalls to get out of the way of vehicles approaching. If this issue isn't resolved it is going to cause injury to myself or others. People have had to swerve into the path of other vehicles to keep from hitting me when it stalls, which is eventually going to result in harm to others and/or myself and family.
engine head crack causing antifreeze leak. caught problem at 65980 miles. Defect confirmed by dealer. I had no indication of problem, only a terrible smell/odor. Dealer indicated a $6000+ cost of repair.(out of warranty). Thank goodness for extended warranty I purchased. I feel Mazda should be held accountable.
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the air bags warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed; however, the contact was not provided information the diagnostic test results. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the air bags warning light was no longer illuminated. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
the infotainment LCD screen has "Ghost Touch" issue. The screen randomly appears to move around as if a ghost is touching the lcd touch screen. After researching online this is a common problem Mazda will not address.
The INFO touchscreen randomly activates itself (the commonly reported "ghost screen" problem that occurs due to defective coating on touchscreen) which cause settings and selections to change uncontrollably, including placing phone calls, etc. This is very distracting and hazardous for this to randomly happen while operating the vehicle.
purchase a new 2019 cx5 at riley mazda stamford. after 3 years and with 88t miles ,the head gasket cylinder gasket needs a replacement for $4500. while searching i read the same complaints from 2019 cx5 owners about head gasket blownout. a TSB Technician Service Bulletin was release by Mazda in 2019 regarding this issue and another one 2021 with affected vin numbers included , this car is un drivable , oil leaks like water falls and burning smells along w it
2 weeks ago I noticed an oil leak 2019 cx5 . Riley Mazda of Stamford check and found a cracked on the cylinder head. The cylinder head needs to be replaced cost around $5000. luckily we noticed the leak while car was park. Imagine if the car was on the road. Dangerous things could have happened. Mazda is aware of this situation years ago. A technician Service Bulletin was released by Mazda in 2019/2021 to all dealerships technicians repair guideline and why the cylinder cracks. On the Mazda bulletin it clearly explained a design defect resulting cylinder head cracks. Also Mazda failed to warn cx5 owners about the dangerous situation. On top of everything Mazda refuse to pay the Defect cracked cylinder head that cost around $5000 . I email mazda Numerous times and decline any goodwill repair . Reason is out of warranty. Most Cylinder heads past 200,000 mile mark. Not unless your engine overheats but it not. Mazda should reimburse us owner who paid the repair cost
I am the owner of a 2019 Mazda CX-5 (non-turbo) which experienced a cylinder head leak requiring full replacement. The repair was done by Riley Mazda of Stamford on July 28, 2023, at a personal cost of $4,074.34. Mazda has acknowledged this defect in turbocharged CX-5 models from the same year and issued a reimbursement program. However, Mazda has declined reimbursement for non-turbo models, even though the failure is the same, and the repair used identical part numbers and labor hours as listed in Mazda’s own TSB for the turbo reimbursement. This indicates a broader issue affecting both engine variants. Mazda’s refusal to extend reimbursement to non-turbo owners is unfair and leaves affected customers with no support for a known manufacturing flaw. I urge NHTSA to investigate this recurring engine defect in non-turbo 2019–2020 Mazda CX-5 models and encourage Mazda to offer equal reimbursement.
After noticing a burning oil smell following an oil change, I brought my 2019 Mazda CX-5 Touring (42,000 miles) back to the Mazda dealership assuming an issue with the fuel filter. There were no warning lights/messages associated with the smell. The Mazda dealership inspected the vehicle and indicated the leaking oil was due to a cracked cylinder head, which was known issue covered under Mazda's warranty.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026