There are 9 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2023 Mazda CX-50in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
On 1/14/2026, I was pulling into a parking space in a parking garage when the vehicle abruptly accelerated causing the vehicle to hit the concrete wall in front of me. No braking assist or front collision warning issued. Airbags deployed. The car is currently at Joe Myers Collision Center in Houston, Texas to obtain an estimate for repair. The police did not respond to reported incident. Incident was reported to my insurance company immediately.
Following a professional brake flush at Roger Beasley Mazda Central in Austin, Texas, the left front brake bleeder screw was left loose. This resulted in a significant loss of brake fluid over several days, causing a 'Brake Warning' light to illuminate and a visible reduction in braking performance. A secondary inspection by an independent mechanic confirmed the screw was not tightened, which caused corrosive fluid to leak onto the wheel and compromised the safety of the vehicle.
The stock manufacturer brakes on this vehicle have been known for issues. There is a open recall on some models but according to records my vehicle does not fall under the listed VIN numbers associated with the recall. Although my vehicle experiences the same concerns the recall list stats. The brakes seem to intermittently have trouble slowing the car down while ascending slopes and coming to a immediate stop. Often you are forced to use excessive force on the pedal and it still does not come to a complete stop.With the amount of forced iv had to use in the past the brakes should lock up and and create a slide but iv never experienced it. If im am not careful and maintain all attention to what its front of me i fear i will create a accident some day. To often in stop and go traffic or abrupt braking situations i have not been able to assure the vehical will stop . This causes concerns due to always having to travel at slower speeds and politically car repair bills. The life expectancy on the brakes are wearing out quickly. I am not a aggressive driver so i should have no problems with premature brake wear. Iv had the brakes inspected by the same dealership multiple times but they always say there's nothing wrong. The brakes have felt the same since purchasing date. Now we are two years into own the vehicle. The dealership is no help and the manufacture is not as well.
Several times in the past 2-3 weeks. I have placed my car from park to reverse or drive and when I release my foot from the brake. The car doesn’t move. A loud pop occurs and then the car begins to move.
When driving, the car automatically apply the brakes even though there is no car or any obstruction in front of the vehicle. This happens 3-4 times in the last year. The i-ACTIVESENSE System malfunction. The brake system malfunction. Now I am receiving a Critical Vehicle Malfunction Alert. I am bringing my car to the dealer tomorrow morning (Monday, December 23rd, 2024) for it to be addressed. This is a very serious and dangerous issue and almost cost me an accident on two occasion.
I was hearing squealing, as if the brake pads were worn. Called the dealer to ask about parts, was asked to bring it in as it seems too soon for brakes. Upon inspection I was told my rear brakes are worn out at 22k highway miles, and will need rotors too. I asked how this is possible and for a manager whom then stated I could do just the pads. Still no explanation on how, but won't be covered on the warranty. I left without doing the repair because I wanted another mechanic to look at this since you can only get the rear pads from Mazda, so it's expensive. I do need this done and I believe there is a problem with the brake system or the electronic brake you hear engage Everytime you shut the car off. There are also several others complaining about this on Reddit, Google and YouTube, but Mazda seems to be looking the other way in it. I can say this is my 12th Mazda and I have never had one that has needed brakes before 60-70,000 miles and that was with city driving. There is clearly an issue and I'm not the only one.
Emergency braking activated with no obvious scenario that would engage it. On different occasion, emergency braking activated in stop and go traffic, causing extreme deceleration resulting in engine stalling.
Vehicle was purchase new, experienced safety concerns front brakes driver and passenger leaking brake fluid near brake calipers no warning lights. Fluid in the reservoir got pretty low. Pending case with Mazda USA. Local dealer stated over the phone was not covered because out of warranty 47,000 miles 2023 CX-50 Turbo mostly highway miles this vehicle was purchased as daily driver.
We were driving in a snowstorm during the daytime on a 2-lane highway with directional passing lanes (where it opens and closes, not crossing into oncoming lane to pass) from CO to UT. While passing a semi truck, with traffic in the oncoming lane, and behind us, the auto-braking activated. There were no vehicles in front of us. The alert went off, and the car rapidly slowed from 70 to 35, and applying the gas did not resolve the issue. This almost caused a rear end collision by other cars also trying to pass the semi. We think it was either caused by slush thrown up by the passed truck tires, or a slight curve in the road that made the computer think that someone was in front of us. Whatever it was, it was very dangerous to have the brakes slammed on on a snow road with vehicles all around us.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026