136 Total complaints
8 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
5 Injury reports
Quick answer: The 2021 Mazda CX-5 has 136 consumer-submitted complaints in our database. The most common complaint categories are engine, unknown or other, power train,engine. Enriched records show 8 crash reports, 0 fire reports, and 5 injury reports.
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.

Buyer interpretation

How to use these complaints before buying

Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.

Complaint volume

136 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.

Pattern to inspect

The most common categories are engine, unknown or other, power train,engine. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.

Severity flags

Enriched records include 8 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 5 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.

Mileage clue

Mileage is available on 16 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 24,119 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.

Questions to ask the seller

  • Have you had any problems related to engine, unknown or other, power train,engine?
  • Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
  • Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
  • Can we also check the recall record for this 2021 Mazda CX-5?
Used-car checklist

Use these complaints before the test drive.

Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.

2021 Mazda CX-5
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.

How severe are the 2021 Mazda CX-5 complaints?

Enriched complaint indicators from official bulk records.

8 Crash
0 Fire
5 Injury
0 Fatality
8 Towed
4 Medical attention

Mileage at failure is available on 16 complaints ; average reported mileage is 24,119 miles.

Most common incident states: GA (1), IL (1), WA (1), WI (1).

What are the most common 2021 Mazda CX-5 complaint categories?

136 total complaints on record

Latest complaints

Showing 101-125 of 136 complaints.

Date Component Summary Severity Mileage
Aug 2022 ENGINE Engine burns about 1 quart of oil ever 5000 miles since new.
Incident: Aug 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Aug 2022 ENGINE Excessive oil consumption on brand new vehicle 1qt after 3800 miles
Incident: Apr 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Aug 2022 ENGINE Excess oil consumption. Manufacturer recommended oil change interval is 7,500 miles. At 3500 miles a low oil warning light came on and I had to add oil. I changed my oil as recommended at 7500 miles. At 11,000 miles the warning light came on and I had to add oil once again. I am currently just shy of 15,000 miles and I'm getting my oil changed tomorrow. I've read that there is a known valve stem seal issue with these 2021 turbo engines that is causing this. I'm worried that there may be a catastrophic engine failure that could cause me to crash.
Incident: May 2021
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Aug 2022 POWER TRAIN Oil consumption issue with the 2.5T motor. Engine is burning oil at an accelerated rate.
Incident: Aug 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Aug 2022 ENGINE My check oil light has come on 3 times in between my first and 2nd oil changes. Added a total of 1 1/2 quarts between the 3 oil changes. Made the dealership aware of this last week at 2nd oil change. They’ve begun to monitor my mileage with my oil consumption and I’ll go in every 500 miles so they can document.
Incident: Jul 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Aug 2022 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING The contact owns a 2021 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that after driving for 1,000 miles the vehicle needed an oil change. The oil level warning light would be illuminated. The contact stated that after the vehicle was taken to the dealer the contact was informed that the engine was a quart low on engine oil. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 4,000.
Incident: Mar 2021
Crash: No Fire: No 4,000
Aug 2022 ENGINE Oil burning and leaking as well after only 14,500 miles. I see there is a Class Action lawsuit filed against Mazda in late May of 2022 regarding faulty oil stem seals that cause oil to leak into the combustion chamber which will eventually cause O2 sensors to fail, catalytic convertors and engine valve failure. Dealer acted like they never knew about this issue and initially told me it was "normal" while the engine breaks in to burn oil. They attributed the "leak" to a faulty oil filter they put on during my recent oil change on July 8. Ridiculous that a brand-new car burns and leaks oil. Massive cover up by Mazda and a recall should be demanded. Apparently, they either do not want to spend 1000's of dollars in recalls or they do not have a fix. Either way, not owning up to this is a travesty and injustice!
Incident: Aug 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Aug 2022 ENGINE Excessive oil consumption. After 3,000 miles driving, need to add a quart of oil as ‘oil low’ light comes on. Vehicle is 1 year old, and this happened at 3,700 miles on the odometer. Has happened after every oil change at around 3,700-4,200 miles driven.
Incident: Apr 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2022 ENGINE Excessive oil consumption NEW 2021 MAZDA CX-5 CARBON ADDITION TURBO - At approximately 7000 miles the low oil light came on, I added oil and got an oil change 2/11/22. At 11000 miles got low engine oil light had to add a full quart on 7/20/22. There are no oil leaks or obvious damage anywhere. I contacted the dealer who stated that they recommend oil changes at 5000 miles though the manual states 7500. If oil is being blown through a gasket or seal it will potentially foul the o2 and emissions sensor, the cylinders, etc. and ruin the engine or cause catastrophic failure.
Incident: Jan 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2022 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM While beginning to turn into an interstate exit lane, all dashboard lights lit up, the engine died, and the car stopped. Power brakes & steering were inactivated. My husband was able to coast the car to the shoulder. My Mazda app said nothing wrong with car. Waited 3 hours for tow as we were out of state. The Mazda dealership found the high pressure fuel pump to have a malfunction. Two different technicians at the dealership related that Mazda was aware of the issue & had not yet issued a recalled.
Incident: Jul 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2022 ENGINE July 6, 2021 Low oil light came on and I stopped to check oil and it was down 1quart. Then added oil. Miles on car 28,734. I always have oil changed every 5k miles and this was between oil changes. Happened 3200 miles into my next oil change. Mazda has a TSB out in reference to these engines and the TSB is TSB NO 01-012/21 Dated October 4, 2021. It states that Mazda is aware of the problem and as soon as they identify the root cause a complete repair will be made. I will be bringing vehicle into dealer for an oil comsumption test in the next 1500 miles when my oil change is due. The dealer does know there problems with these engines stated in the TSB. My safety and all others are good. On the Mazda Forum there are many complaints and I mean many complaints on this exact same issue I'm experiencing with this vehicle. People are extremely frustrated and getting excuses that this is just normal for these engines to use a quart of oil every 3 or 4 k miles. I don't agree and this is not normal.
Incident: Jul 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2022 ENGINE On July 4th when car had only 10,300 miles driven on it, oil light came on. Oil level was down over 1.5 quarts. Car was not due for an oil change for another 1800 miles.
Incident: Jul 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2022 ENGINE Car is burning oil. The low oil level light has come on twice, requiring additional oil be poured into the engine between oil changes. Appears the car is burning oil.
Incident: Jun 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2022 ENGINE Low engine oil level light & status is coming on for our 2021 Mazda CX-5 turbo. It has 9115 miles and still 1300 miles away from needing oil change. I called our dealership today & was informed we were the 2nd to call today with message. They provided no further info. I have since found there are technical bulletins regarding this issue. Recalls need to be made & Mazda should be covering all repair costs for this.
Incident: Jun 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2022 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM On April 16, 2022, around 6:45PM, I drove my new Mazda CX5 (@ 3500 miles) into our church parking lot and turned right down the first row of cars. It was light out and the weather was pleasant. I turned right into a parking space with my foot on the brake. The car was facing and perpendicular to a sidewalk that was about 10 feet away. It was separated by a grassy median. When I depressed the brake further to shift from drive into park, the car surged forward and accelerated. There was a pedestrian on the sidewalk in front of the car. I turned the wheel to the right at a 90 degree angle to avoid hitting her. I kept pressing the brake but the car kept accelerating until it crashed into a large tree. The airbag deployed. Both the pedestrian and I were transported to the hospital. The pedestrian had bruises on her leg and hip, but fortunately was not more seriously injured and was released from the hospital. I was admitted to the hospital for contusions to the heart. The car hood was crushed and the car was totaled. The incident was terrifying. The police estimated the car went from nearly a standstill to about 40mph in about 15-20 feet. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the accident. I checked the NHTSA website after the accident and downloaded 16 similar complaints where low mileage Mazda CX5s accelerated out of control when drivers were attempting to park or stop.
Incident: Apr 2022
Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed Medical attention Unknown
Feb 2022 LANE DEPARTURE BSM Does not see all vehicles in the blind spot. It is very inconsistent. I have taken it to the dealer who told me that they could not repair it because no fault code shows up. Mazda has not been helpful.
Incident: Feb 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Feb 2022 POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM When the cylinder deactivation system triggers It causes the engine/car to shake and stutter. Somtimes it's suttle and other times if feels like the car is going to stall out. It's a vibration that makes it feel like your driving over cobblestones. This has been ongoing for a few months now. I'm taking it to the dealer tomorrow. It appears to be the same problem as the 2018-2019 Recall.
Incident: Feb 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jan 2022 UNKNOWN OR OTHER I parked my car in my driveway and accidentally left the gear in park when I turned off the engine with the push button. This is the first time I had driven this car so I didn't know what to do for the warning beep. I exited the car and took the key fob with me. My daughter exited the car just after me and when she closed the car door the pressure was enough to start the car rolling backwards. The vehicle rolled down our driveway which has a steep slope, across the street, over our neighbor's yard and crashed against their house. We are lucky that no pedestrians or other vehicles were involved. There is significant structural damage to the neighbor's house. A police report was filed. I believe this is a significant safety hazard that a driver could turn off the engine and leave with the key fob while the car is in drive and there is no braking mechanism to prevent the car from rolling! In addition, the quiet warning beep should be more pronounced such as the horn honking or something more extreme to get the attention of the distracted driver.
Incident: Jan 2022
Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed Unknown
Jan 2022 VISIBILITY/WIPER The windshield defrost only works for the center part of the windshield given that there is only a single center defrost vent. Vision is severely impaired during rainy or snowy days (worse during nights) while driving and it makes the driving very dangerous. You can only see what is in front of you, but very limited side views due to the fog on both sides of the windshield. Attached is a pic of the windshield when I came back from a 2 mile errand run while the defrost vent was at full scale constantly.
Incident: Jan 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jan 2022 LANE DEPARTURE The blind spot monitoring system does not function properly. While on the freeway some vehicles show up and some do not. I took it to the dealer, and they test drove it and said it was working properly and there were no codes. I contacted Mazda and they made a second appointment for me, and I took it back. I told them that it only does it on the freeway and I sent them a video showing the problem. They said they drove it again (not on the freeway) and told me it worked fine and since there was no code, they could not fix it. I called Mazda again and they told me they could make an appointment at another dealer. The nearest dealer is an hour away and they had my vehicle for 7 days the first time and three days the second time. I don't have the ability to take it an hour away and leave it for days. This is a safety issue and needs to be repaired. I had the same vehicle only it was a 2018 and never had this problem.
Incident: Aug 2021
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jan 2022 VISIBILITY/WIPER On this model of Mazda, they only manufactured it with 1 small center defrost vent on the windshield, and nothing on the sides. Therefore the windshield only gets defrosted in the center, not in front of the driver. I live in the Pacific Northwest and it rains a lot which results in foggy windows, I feel it is extremely unsafe driving a car that doesn’t defrost the full windshield, more importantly in front of the drivers view. I have severely degraded visibility 80% of the time I’m driving because of how poorly designed defrost ducts are
Incident: Jan 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Dec 2021 ENGINE The contact owns a 2021 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop sign, the vehicle failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact restarted the vehicle and corrected the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer performed a Special Service Program (SSP) Recall #: SSPC7 (TCU Connect Concern CV/Battery) where the TCU software was updated; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no additional recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 300.
Incident: Sep 2021
Crash: No Fire: No 300
Dec 2021 POWER TRAIN,ENGINE Bought the car brand new in May 2021, did a first oil change at around 4K miles due to the fact the car uses conventional 5w-30 oil and not synthetic oil. At around 7k miles the low oil engine light came on. Checked the dipstick and it was low. Added a quart of oil to hold me over until the next available appointment. Dealer could not find any leaks, they completed a oil change again. I went in again at 11K for another oil change. Had no problems. A few days ago at 14K low engine light came on, this time I turned the car off. Let it sit over night. Made an appointment with the dealer for the next day. Turned the car on the next morning, light went away. Both times I got a notification from Mazda connect services alerting me of these problems. (Please see attached) I brought the car in on 12/22/21 and was told the car was low on oil and nothing else could be done until Mazda comes up with a solution.
Incident: Dec 2021
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Dec 2021 UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2021 Mazda cr-5 Automatic rear hatch comes open on its own. This has happened 6-7 times. I make sure the car is locked and have come back to parking lot to find the hatch open. I have even locked the car and when I have walked to door of Walmart (long way off) and look back the hatch is not open. When I come back out, the rear hatch is open. I took to dealership and they could not rectify the problem.
Incident: Nov 2021
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Nov 2021 ENGINE ON Nov 4th my Mazda CX5 alerted me to low engine oil level by illuminating dashboard symbol and app notification. I attached a file containing an explanation of the issue, emails directed to Mazda corporation and Napelton Mazda in Naperville IL. I also attached screenshots of the in app notification and the Mazda TSB which I had to find on my own because Mazda coporate and both the selling/servicing dealer would not acknowledge the oil burning issue.
Incident: Nov 2021
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown

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