2018 Mazda CX-5 Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 28,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

My Mazda dealership in Lodi recommended service on a timing cover seal. They could see oil leaking but failed to check if the oil was coming from the timing cover or cylinder head, which is a known issue according to a service bulletin. I left the dealership with a “ticking time bomb” in which my car was still smoking and becoming unsafe…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My 2018 Mazda CX-5 Touring (2.5L non-turbo engine with cylinder deactivation) developed a burning oil smell that steadily worsened over several days. On XXX, at about 61,300 miles, I saw smoke coming from the engine compartment after driving. The engine had not overheated, and the car was regularly maintained. On XXX, an independent…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 2,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

There has been numerous report of the Mazda CX 5 having failure rear differential. I just purchased a 2018 Mazda CX five for my daughter in September 2026 I now am experiencing this issue on the rear diff. The dealer will not cover the repair since it’s as is purchase Mazda should take this as a recall and fix the vehicle for the safety…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My Mazda 2018, CX-5, Grand Touring, was diagnosed with a cracked cylinder head at 64,599 miles. This issue could posed a safety hazard for not only us but others on the road by: *Engine Failure / Sudden Loss of Power-A crack allows coolant and oil to mix or leak, leading to overheating and potential catastrophic engine seizure. A seized…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 34,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX5. The contact stated that after cold starts, the vehicle hesitated and jerked upon depression of the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on numerous occasions. The contact was repeatedly informed that no fault was found with the vehicle. The dealer…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 52,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently decelerated and lost motive power. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 62,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 7,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

Two bolts simultaneously dislodged brake caliper which, in turn, disconnected brake fluid hose resulting in loss in brake responsiveness.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Parking brake system malfunction. Flashing brake light and the parking exclamation point light on. When I try to release the emergency parking brake it continues to light up on the dashboard as well as yellow flashing light on the physical brake similar problem with 2016 model. Seen multiple people with similar problem but no solution…Owner complaint, filed 2023

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

The display touch screen has delaminated and ghost clicks on various items while driving. The volume will go up, songs change, various messages will announce, all without touching the screen or any other controls. This is surprises my daughter and is dangerous - she has nearly crashed because of this malfunction. I called Mazda and I was…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My 2018 Mazda CX-5 Touring has been experiencing problems with the multimedia display for over a year now. At random times the multimedia display cycle through all the menu options (radio stations, navigation, maintenance system, etc) on its own. Makes unwanted phone calls, changes radio settings, attempts to reset maintenance reminders…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Parts named most: Warnings (9), Automatic emergency braking (6).

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

Back up cameras fail infotainment system reboots and maps on the system inadvertently counts stops plus changes volume at loudspeaker telling me “this is the level “ and is on highest volume. Which you can’t turn down. All are dangerously interfering with driving. Please put pressure on Mazda to fix and not just update software when the…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The infotainment system on the Mazda consistently glitches causing vehicle settings to be changed while the vehicle is in motion or stopped. The volume changes, navigation settings change, maintenance settings change including door settings and any setting that can be controlled by the touch screen. If a phone is connected to the system…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 10,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

Nist campaign 19v497modifications were made. The vehicle now [VIN] up to 6 MPH on hill ingress; on egress the vehicle goes at least 3 MPH over setting. When passing cars on a hill, the car slows down when relying on cruise control to resume driving, thus causing us to step on the gas to hold a safe distance from the passed car. We have…Owner complaint, filed 2019

The contact owns a 2018 mazda cx-5. While pulling into a parking space at 5 MPH, the vehicle [VIN] on its own while the brake pedal was depressed. As a result, the vehicle drove over a median and crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 650 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 3,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (12).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that after she drove her four-year-old grandson to school, she parked and turned off the vehicle; however, she left the key on the inside of the vehicle and exited the vehicle to remove her grandson from the rear seat however, the doors inadvertently locked while her grandson was…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 40,000 miles

Multiple paint chips on Ref Soul Mazda. Dealer did not want to address issue. I would have to pay out pocket. The hood and sides of car.Owner complaint, filed 2021

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 9,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The lighting system on the 2018 Mazda cx-5 base sport model has it so that during the daytime, the low beams continuously run. This and the continuously lighted dashboard make it hard to tell when you need to turn on the headlight/tail lights, since the headlights are always on. These arent even side drls, they are full low-beam lights.…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 75 MPH, the sunroof glass shattered without impact. The contact stated that the glass shards fell onto her; however, no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 92,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 22,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

SRS Airbag light went off and ODB-II reader indicated passenger side supplemental restraint module error. We called Mazda October 20,2023 as the vehicle was nearing end of warranty period for the airbags system (warranty ended October 30, 2023). Mazda stated they could get the vehicle in on November 12, 2023, which is after warranty…Owner complaint, filed 2023

I work for a body shop and we took this seat out in order to replace the frame underneath. While the seat was sitting on the ground, no one near it, the airbag deployed. We have it on video. We have concerns about replacing the seat/airbag if it's going to randomly deploy and potentially injure our technician or the customer. According…Owner complaint, filed 2023

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while having a routine oil change, the mechanic noticed that the rear shocks were leaking oil and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not replaced. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact to bring the vehicle to a dealer for assistance. The failure…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 27,137 miles

Our 2018 CX5 has only 28K miles. During a recent oil change at our local auto repair facility I was informed that the driver's side rear shock was leaking oil and needed to be replaced. After some research I found there is a Mazda TSB (Bulletin No.: 02-001/21) stating that many 2017-2020 CX5s left the factory with defective rear shocks.…Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

My husband (driver) and I (front passenger) were in my 2018 Mazda CX-5 Touring and were stopped in traffic on the interstate due to construction. While completely stopped, we were rear-ended by a car traveling at 55-60+ miles per hour (the car did not brake at all before hitting us). Both of our seat backs failed upon impact and went all…Owner complaint, filed 2021

Intermittent airbag or seatbelt fault warning. Every couple days over past 7days while driving at highway speed light comes on. Display says fault in passenger airbag or seatbelt. Once car is shut off warning stops and is erased. No passengers are in the seat at the time. Even if buckle seatbelt in empty seat warning can appear. Will try…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 22,245 miles

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

My car was bumped in the right rear bumper in a parking lot. The other vehicle was not traveling more than 3 MPH. It left a small line of white paint on the bumper but the bumper was undamaged. The blind spot sensor malfunction light came on. I took the car to the dealership for repair. The dealership quoted $670 for the sensor plus $300…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 9,200 miles

We purchased this vehicle used from Mazda of Orange in July 2025 with 52,399 miles on it. After 6 months of ownership and approximately 3,000 miles there was a burning smell. We took it to our local mechanic and the following repairs were required: Replacement of cracked belts, Replacement of cracked axle boots, Replacement of an…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

P225/65R17 GEOLANDAR G91A 100H tire was loosing air with 12k miles. mazda service dealer claimed many punctures due to driving in NYC but car was sold in NYC. (3) nails located in very soft rubber and tire failed at 15k miles casing emergency situation. (3) others tire have no single issue. after getting new tire and after removing…Owner complaint, filed 2021

Certified Mazda cx5 sold with faulty wheel bearing and had to be back in service less than 24 hours from purchase. They failed to replace the piece of engine after 35.000 maintenance and another dealer found 5 areas that needed work 3 weeks later. Brake warning system went off took5 days to determine it was a dead switch and replaced…Owner complaint, filed 2023