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What 36 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mazda Mazda5

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (36)Crash / fire / injury (4)Fuel system (8)Body & structure (7)Brakes (7)Tires (7)Airbags (4)Steering (4)Seats (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Electrical system (1)

2 of 36 complaints match · Airbags · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jun 29, 2026BrakesAirbagsCrash1 injury

The contact owned a 2012 Mazda Mazda5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, a deer wandered into the middle of the road, and the contact depressed the brake pedal and the wheels locked up, causing the tires to slide. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a ditch, spun around, and struck another object, causing the vehicle to land back into the ditch where it came to a stop. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. A bystander called 911, and the contact was taken to the hospital by ambulance. The contact bit his lips hard during the crash, which caused the bottom two front teeth to pierce through the bottom lip. The contact sustained a severe cut to the right leg, which led to excessive bleeding. The contact also sustained pain in the neck and lower back. The contact was given an X-ray and a CT scan to check for internal injuries, but none were found. The contact was released the same day. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard, where it remained. The vehicle was destroyed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 226,000.

NHTSA ODI 11747212

Nov 17, 2016SteeringAirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 MAZDA 5. WHILE MAKING A TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 53 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER THREE TIMES AND CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION AND MINOR NECK, BACK, AND SHOULDER INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,666.

NHTSA ODI 10926632

Working with the data? Download all 36 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Mazda Mazda5 verdict →