2023 Mazda CX-50 Complaint Log

I am reporting a potential airbag system/emergency brake failure in my 2023 Mazda CX-50. I was involved in a rear-end motor vehicle accident at approximately 60 mph while my vehicle was completely stopped. I then hit the person in front of me. At the time of the impact, the airbags did not deploy, and I received a dashboard message indicating an airbag system malfunction. Since then, the emergency brake turns on and off on it's own at any time. Due to the severity of the crash, I am concerned that the airbags should have deployed, and their failure raises a serious safety concern. I sustained injuries (multiple fractures) as a result of the collision. I am requesting a formal investigation into possible defect or malfunction in the airbag system and emergency brake system.

The driver's door is not opening from the inside. To open the driver's door while I am in the vehicle, I have to roll down the window and use the exterior door handle to exit the vehicle. This is a huge safety concern, as the window cannot be rolled down manually. If the car did not have power, I would have to break open the window. The potential for being trapped in the car with this defect is high. Several other owners of this car have reported this: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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 contact owns a 2023 Mazda CX-50. The contact stated that the steering wheel was loose. The contact was able to move the steering wheel up and down very easily. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a crash 7 months ago, and the steering wheel started to become loose one week ago. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,585.

Cylinder 3, loss of engine power . Safety feature on and off. Life threatening .in the Middle line, suddenly English loss the power almost car behind me crash on us at the time my wife with me in the car . Yes dealer said fuel injector problem , I believe this is more then that . Yes vehicle inspected by dealer under warranty I saw engine logo and something malfunction, but at the I was hurry to drive car on the safe side after that I turn off engine.

2023 Mazda cx50 with 28k miles. This vehicle was purchased 3mths ago. The cx50 has locked me out 5 times & had a dead battery each time. Has been to dealership 3 times. No repairs made after dealership doing battery drain extensive testing. Cycle of this happening 3 times. I’ve been in a loaner more than my purchased vehicle. It is a safety concern leaving me locked at of my vehicle 5 times. Then when gaining access to vehicle with manual key. Vehicle has had dead battery 5 times all of this occurred over 3 months. With no repairs made from dealerships. It’s been to two different dealerships. Major safety concerns! The dealership has agreed to buyback the cx50. But it has taken a lot of phone calls with dealerships & Mazda corporate. Vehicle is still currently owned by me & awaiting buyback to occur this week. Not a safe vehicle!!! No warning lights no signs of any kind & battery continues to be dead. Battery changed twice by dealership. No other repairs done.

The contact owns a 2023 Mazda CX-50. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 38 MPH. The contact stated he was approaching an intersection when a vehicle in front of him attempted to make a left turn but slowed down. The contact was unable to depress the brake pedal and turned the steering wheel to the left to avoid the crash, but he crashed into the corner of the passenger side rear bumper of the other vehicle. The contact was not sure of the damage to the other vehicle; his vehicle had damage to the right headlight and the front quarter panel. The contact stated that his vehicle was equipped with a front collision avoidance system, but the system had not engaged. The contact stated that no persons were injured. The contact stated that the police were on scene and wrote a report. The vehicle was driven to a collision center for repair. The contact had not had the vehicle diagnosed. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

Wear of Strut Bearing causing crunching sounds at low speed braking and turning. Dealer reports this is due to dirt and debris getting up there. Vehicle has 34,000 miles (out of warranty due to time) and has had only light use off-road on dirt roads (2 camping trips). Not repairing can cause further damage and failure of suspension components. Vehicle marketed as off-road capable but components not protected properly from dirt/debris from driving off-road.

The contact owned a 2023 Mazda CX-50. The contact stated that while driving 55-60 MPH she crashed into a deer. The air bag did not deploy. The seat belts malfunctioned and failed to secure the occupant. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received an alert on her app. The contact sustained injuries to her eye. The contact lost vision in her eye, and medical attention was provided. There were no reported fires. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was deemed a total lost. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.

I have had my 2023 Mazda CX-50 for almost two years. Since I got the car, I have had no issues with the i-Activsense until June 2025. The reason I got the newer car was to ensure the safety of my family; however, Mazda failed to do their part. My car was recently involved in a car accident due to a faulty system. It appears that the newer Mazda CX-50s were included in a recall, but the 2023 model was not and it should be. On the day of the accident, my daughter was driving my car. The traffic was slowing down, and two lanes of traffic had to merge to one lane due to construction and all of a sudden, the car in front of her slammed on their breaks and the car could not stop in time before hitting them. My car never sent an alert until contact was made with the other car, and the emergency breaking did not activate. After my car hit the other car, an alert came on screen that indicated the i-Activsense was disabled. Once the car was turned off and then back on the alert disappeared. Additionally, I am now having issues with the rear camera not alerting if someone is behind me (car or pedestrian). I have a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee that will slam on the break for you if you get too close to an object when you are in reverse. Isn't that what the Mazda CX-50 should be doing?

On [XXX], our 2023 Mazda CX-50 experienced a failure of the control arm, which was confirmed by Auffenberg Mazda of O’Fallon, IL, to be a manufacturer’s defect. Despite this, the dealer informed us that the vehicle was safe to drive. However, Mazda corporate contradicted this, stating the vehicle is unsafe to drive and instructed us not to operate it. We were informed that the replacement part will not be available until sometime in July 2025, leaving us without a safe vehicle for nearly two months. Both Mazda corporate and Auffenberg Mazda of O’Fallon, IL, have refused to provide a loaner vehicle or commit to reimbursing rental car expenses during this period. Additionally, Mazda corporate has failed to maintain consistent communication, not returning calls when promised and leaving us without timely updates or resolution. This situation poses a significant safety concern and financial burden, as we are left without a reliable means of transportation due to a confirmed manufacturing defect. We request that the NHTSA investigate this issue, including the conflicting safety assessments provided by the dealer and Mazda corporate, the delay in part availability, and the refusal to provide a loaner vehicle or rental car reimbursement. We also urge an evaluation of the control arm defect to ensure other Mazda CX-50 owners are not at risk. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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.

Turning steering wheel to the left seems to stick somewhat between 9 and 11 o'clock position. It seems more likely happening in cold weather and more obvious at lower speeds.

On the freeway going 60 MPH, the safety system malfunctioned and applied maximum braking - as if I was going to collide with something in front of me. It was frightening. There was a 1/4 mile of open road in front. It happened 2 more times in the next 2 miles on the interstate. Background: I had been driving through a snow storm for a couple hours prior to the incident and I received a forward camera dirty warning. I was in the left lane (of 3 lanes) with a concrete barrier about 15 ft to my left. All 3 times, there was a semi truck & trailer on the right. I was in no danger of collision. I took the CX50 to the Mazda Dealer and the issue was escalated to the regional service techs who said the auto was "working as intended" I vehemently disagree. I am lucky there was no one driving close behind me, otherwise there would have been a terrible accident

There was an airbag malfunction. The whole air vent came off and the airbag bursted. Smoke was everywhere. It was awful.

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.

Power steering is sticky when turning wheel to left between 10 to 11 o clock position

The seat craftsmanship are sub-par. There is fraying in the seams that connect the vinal to the fabric, which Mazda refuses to repair.

Both front driver and passenger seats have ~1-inch rips on the side. This appears to be a common issue among CX-50 owners, with multiple reports online. The premature tearing raises concerns about material durability and potential safety risks over time.

The contact owns a 2023 Mazda CX-50. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was a loud booming sound coming from the front section of the panoramic sunroof and the sunroof glass exploded, causing shards of glass to fall into the cabin of the vehicle. The shattered sunroof glass fell onto the driver. There was no injury sustained. During the failure, the sunroof glass was closed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,000.

Car has under 14k miles on it. There have been 2 instances going from a stopped to rolling with no foot on the accelerator to turn sharply out of a parking lot where when turning sharply to maneuver the vehicle surges forward and accelerates quickly on its own. It is concerning because both times I was in a small, confined area making turns out of a lot. I do not want an accident to occur due to this issue.

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.

The Collision Avoidance System did not activate, to avoid a front-end collision. The vehicle in front of me stopped, making a right-hand turn onto another road. I moved forward, not seeing him stop. My car rear-ended the vehicle in front of me, with no warning or activation from my system.

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.

Leaking water in the rear right/left sides from the roof when raining resulting in mold growth inside the roof and hidden areas of the roof / car.

Rain water leaking into interior body of vehicle. Water pools up between the headliner and interior body of vehicle. Mold starts to form on headliner fabric and in unseen places on the interior. Safety concern is mold. Living in warm humid tropical climates is asking for serious issues. Symptoms of mold: itching, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, headache, and fatigue. A simple google search shows many owners coming forward online about the same issue happening in the exact location of each Mazda CX50. It’s too specific to ignore. This is being reproduced by dealerships and in other vehicles daily. (Look online, Reddit, Mazda forums.) The warning signs have been mold growing on fabric and water inside vehicle after rain. This is happening to 100s of CX50s.

The contact owns a 2023 Mazda CX-50. The contact stated that while in a parking lot, the steering wheel was moving to the left and the right. The contact stated that the wheel was wobbling. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering wheel bolt was loosened. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 75,500.

If any liquid or debris material enters the console cover area where many controls for the car are located, the “command switch” (as described by the Mazda dealer) underneath is destroyed. Many items are affected as noted above (some of which I could not check off). They have not responded as to whether some type of shield or even tape could be used to prevent this fault.

The key light went on without me knowing what it was. Brakes are taking a while to engage. The acc stoped my car while driving in traffic almost caused an accident. Don’t know if this matters but phone charger does not stay connected with cover or not.

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.

Shock absorber severe noise driving over road imperfections , lower front ball joint failure full pull through of the joint off of the control arm assembly pulling the cv axle apart and basically having the front wheel more or less completely separate from the body where the vehicle is no longer moveable

Loud suspension clunks at low speeds of 5-25 mph. Dealership has found no visual representation of damage or evidence of part failure. Audibly it sounds like suspension is failing from road use from city driving. Extremely loud and rough ride over typical city streets.

My ball joint failed on my brand new 4 month old vehicle at mile 2077. You absolutely have the ability to inspect it if you would like. This caused a MAJOR safety issue to both me and people around me as I lost complete control of my vehicle. Luckily, no one was injured. I believe this is an independent claim thus far on a CX-50. Mazda claims they had it inspected but I never saw anything in writing but I did have a damage adjuster of my insurance checked it out. I was stated my an independent mechanic and a tow truck driver that I did not cause this and something failed. Mazda also claims the district manager has looked at the vehicle and they don’t know how or what happened but they do not claim responsibility even though my car is covered in warranty. There were no warning lights or anything that told me this was going to happen, when my control arm popped off it veered me into a curb and blew my tire, losing control of the car, and skidding to a stop across an intersection

The rear lift gate came open while driving on the freeway on ramp. No buttons were pushed to open the lift gate. I had to pull over to the side of the road to safely close the lift gate.

Keyless Entry: I have had this vehicle for about 6 months and over that time, more than 3 separate times the keyless entry hasn't unlocked. It may take 2 - 3 tries. It has never failed to eventually unlock. I don't know that it ever failed to lock because approaching the car it would have already been unlocked. I don't always hear it actuate. Auto-lock: I assume the same proximity system that is supposed to detect the keyless fob inside/outside at a distance - could be responsible for failure to auto-lock upon leaving the vehicle. Dependably securing vehicles is a major security problem is some areas and that is a major impetus behind keeping cars locked/and unlocking only as the driver approaches. Imagine being in a desolate parking garage late at night and the door chooses that particular moment to fail to cooperate. Or, if a driver trusts the auto-lock to work and it doesn't. App: In fairness, Mazda does have the MyMazda app that will eventually report to a phone that the car detects that it is unlocked. It seems unreliable. Currently the app has a "star rating" of about 1:10 3 or fewer for various issues. You can't make everyone nor every device cooperate - and to a degree, I can't say that's the problem. I would expect something wrong with the fob or proximity detection system. Just as likely, the door lock actuator has issues. Summary of Problem: Maybe about as many times, the app informs me the car is unlocked when it should have auto-locked. So is it a keyless, app or door actuator problem? Or, a combination? And, it works MOST of the time. I eventually asked myself if I would want someone's wife or kids out there and door locks fail at a critical moment. I must say, I haven't reported it formally because of the intermittent nature and the fact I have an issue with Mazda that has existed from the beginning. Major body parts are poorly fit and beyond contestation. If Mazda ignores that constant issue, an intermittent problem is likely to be as well.

2023 CX-50 Issue: knocking sound coming from rear of vehicle at low speeds between 1mph-10mph.

Safety systems disables when Sunlight hits directly on the car. I own Toyota and honda, they Never had problems with sunlight. sudden loss of safety systems, caused warnings on dash, which was a distraction, especially when Sun hits directly at the car/driver. I verified the camera and sensors, there were very clean.

To often does the safety system disable with what I'm told is dirt or fog by the dealer but I've had many newer vehicles with this safety suite of systems and none of them had this problem unless sensors cameras were full of snow. Possible camera or sensor issue not sure. My buddy has a Mazda cx5 never sees the system disable. Heavy rain does mine. Sometimes a little moisture and colder temperatures. I think it's worth investigating please. Thank you!

Lane keeping assistance does not prevent the vehicle from departing the lane nor does it provide corrective steering. LKA is fully activated and vehicle travelling over 45 mph on highway with clearly marked lanes; vehicle drifted across three lanes with zero corrective action from LKA.

After installing Mazda Genuine Accessory 4-pin trailer wiring harness (P/N VA40-V7-780A), and Mazda’s trailer hitch as well, found that the wiring does not operate correctly. When the turn signal or hazard lamps are activated while the brake is applied, the trailer lamps will operate erratically, flashing faster for a few cycles, then return to a normal flash rate before the erratic behavior repeats. The Mazda’s lamps operate normally. This has occurred with two different trailers, one with incandescent and one with LED lamps. To verify that the concern wasn’t with the trailers, a small trailer-side harness was made that used a floating ground, and with either incandescent or LED stop/tail/turn lamps plugged into it the concern was the same. Dealership verified the concern and verified correct installation of the vehicle harness. They were able to replicate the concern on another CX-50 as well. They reached out to Mazda’s technical assistance, but have not been advised of a repair. This was several months ago. Mazda’s customer service was of no help. May not be compliant with FMVSS No. 108, S14.9.3.5.3, S14.9.3.9.3, and Figure 2. Concerned that this may increase the risk of another vehicle striking a trailer attached to the Mazda. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

I brought my car in to get it checked as the back drivers wheel was making clicking sounds when slowing down, both with and without breaks. I spent two weeks on my own trying to see what caused the car to make the sound when driving but was only able to learn that it makes the sound when slowing down, and disappears when driving at higher speeds. When brought in, the dealership was unable to tell me anything about the issue, as they were "unable to pinpoint it". After a few days, they were able to tell me that the issue is the differential, and that they would be unable to get the part. The differential is part of the axel, and is what allows the car to turn at different speeds. This is a serious issue and the car is less than a month and a half old with less than 1500 miles on it. The car itself is brand new, has never been used by anyone other than me and is having issues this quickly. The differential was inspected by the dealership, I am unsure if it was inspected by more than one person. But they are unsure as to when this issue would be getting fixed, and that car is my only transportation. The part has yet to be inspected by anyone other than the dealership. There were no warning lamps, signs, etc, only the sound of the back wheel clicking to show that there was an issue. Again, the car is less than a month and a half old, less than 1500 miles on it and this issue is incredibly dangerous.

Wireless charging pad does not charge devices. Charging begins but after 3-5 minutes there is an error message that wireless charging is unavailable.

The manufacturer has deceived buyers concerning the towing capabilities: https://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/the-mazda-way/mazda-cx-50-offers-confident-towing-capabilities/ I bought the OEM tow hitch and wiring to achieve the advertised 3500 lb towing capacity, but according to the owners manual that is not possible as you are limited to 1000 lb without a brake controller which can not be purchased through Mazda. The trailer wiring and vehicle manual states that you must not modify it, which would be required to install a brake controller. I currently own a 2000lb trailer; I bought this vehicle specifically to pull it. There is no way to achieve this safely and legally despite the advertisements without aftermarket parts. If the required aftermarket brake controller install were to damage the vehicle's electrical system in some way, I doubt Mazda would cover that under warranty. The promotional material says nothing about non-OEM equipment first having to be installed in the car to achieve this tow limit safely. I'm sure the Mazda marketing department is well aware that this claim would make the CX-50 more appealing vs. it's competitors, however it is not accurate.

I purchased this brand new 2023 Mazda CX-50 at the end of this July, and it has no incidents, no hits, no scratches at all. Last Sunday while driving it, out of no where, the 'Vehicle System Malfunction' message showed up and I dropped my car at the dealership right away. There was the weird sound from the front of the vehicle every time I braked to 10 mph, and I don't want to take risk of my own to drive it anymore. The front right-side lower active grille shutter was broke, and three lit damages were spotted on the condenser behind it. Luckily no leakage happened at that time. The dealership gave it a rounded inspection and told me 'it might be hit by a little rock'. Yeah, a little rock broke the entire grille shutter. I realize that there is no protection of any sort in front of the shutters, and it is very easy for any little object to break the shutters and the condensers as well. You can see easily from any picture of a CX50, there are two open big holes at the lower front, and the shutters are inside. This makes the shutter entirely expose. It's only two months since I bought this car, I believe I will not be the first CX50 owner that has this problem. It is highly possible that this is a design flaw, there should be some protective manners in front of the shutters to reduce the possibilities of something hitting it. Mazda's warranty is not covering this since they told me 'it was damaged by hitting a little rock', but this damage was because there is no protection to the shutter at all.

Purchased the vehicle 5/20/22, mileage today is 1050 on 7 30 22, and the Goodyear reliance drivers side tire has a large dimple on sidewall, noticed it about 10 days ago and have had no response from dealer. Stopped driving it due to excessive heat wave and just common sense. Can easily notice it. And no, did not hit anything with tire, ever. I do not have any repair bill yet. I can’t send a pic due to reception.here. Getting a ride to town Monday if there’s any way to add it. Please let me know. Thank you.

I was driving my vehicle and a large plastic part fell from the upper footwell and became lodged under the break pedal causing me to become unable to use the brakes. This is a major safety concern, and could have resulted in an accident.

Fabric lining or insulation below dashboard is coming out of the seam between the dash and pillars on both sides.