What 113 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Mazda Cx-50

Purchased vehicle from dealership drove 1650 miles, cylinder head began leaking, excessive oil. Took vehicle to repair shop their assessment cracked cylinder head. Warranty expired, dealership refused help in addition to Mazda Corp. unless brought to nearest dealership 140 miles away, with no guarantee. Vehicle is not driveable, I do have photos of the cracks.

NHTSA ODI 11631637

The cylinder head on my 2018 Mazda CX-5 developed cracks on the exhaust side, leading to significant oil leakage onto the exhaust manifold. This has caused engine damage and safety concerns. The vehicle is currently at a Mazda dealership, where the issue has been inspected and documented. The component is available for further inspection upon request. The oil leaking onto the exhaust manifold creates a serious fire hazard due to the high heat generated in this area. Additionally, the vehicle experienced burning smells and visible smoke coming through the air vents, which could impair visibility or cause distraction while driving. These conditions place the safety of myself, my passengers, and others on the road at risk. The issue has been confirmed by a Mazda dealership. They provided a video showing oil actively dripping from the cracked cylinder head and stated that the engine requires a full replacement. Mazda dealership video: [XXX] This video contains the engine inspection findings conducted at the dealership during my recent visit. It clearly shows the damage and highlights the issues identified. The vehicle has been inspected by the Mazda dealership service team, who identified the cracks in the cylinder head and documented the oil leakage and related engine damage. There were no warning lamps or messages on the dashboard prior to the failure. The symptoms began with a noticeable burning smell inside the cabin, followed by a slight mist coming out of the air vents and smoke from under the hood. Oil leakage was later observed on the ground, and the coolant level appeared empty. I’ve received a video inspection of my vehicle from the service center on March 7, 2024 with no concerns at that time, which you can view here: [XXX] . This link leads to TruVideo, a platform that many dealerships use to share service videos with customers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11631241

There was a burnt rubber smell coming off the vents, took to dealership and they confirmed there was an issue with the front timing cover and was replaced. Less that a week later, there was smoke coming from the hood of the car. Took back to dealership unaware if it was recurring issue but it was determined there was a NEW oil leak due to faulty cylinder head needing replacement on my car which has less than 50,000 miles. While there was no warning lights, the car was unsafe to drive in that condition.

NHTSA ODI 11629364

The cylinder head cracked while waiting for a light to change at a busy intersection, causing heavy smoke to enter the vehicle through the air vents with the heater on. The smoke filled the car quickly, causing my wife and me to exit the vehicle at the very busy intersection. A local independent service center diagnosed the problem. I was unable to drive the vehicle to the manufacturer for safety reasons and smoke filling the cabin. No warning lights were displayed. This vehicle was maintained following the manufacturer's recommendations throughout its 77,000 mile life.

NHTSA ODI 11628969

We are a senior citizen couple driving this 2018 Mazda. Went out to garage to find a significant size area of oil spillage on the floor. The car has just over 25,000 as we are low mileage drivers. Took to a mechanic to find out it is a cracked head and oil is steaming out of the crack.i have since learned that Mazda is well aware of the weakness in this model and has chosen not to do anything about it. Our car is out of warranty. It would be a hardship for us to repair. And if repaired, would it happen again? This has recall written all over it, as well as a class action suit. I would like our vehicle repaired at no cost to us. How long were they aware of this issue? I have found hundreds of complaints. I prefer not to pursue this legally but this is unacceptable by Mazda. This was my second Mazda purchase but will be my last if they cannot stand behind their products.

NHTSA ODI 11627423

2018 CX-5 has a cracked or porous (depending who is telling me the issue) cylinder head at 60000 miles. I was told by the Mazda service advisor that the issue is common. I reached out to Mazda for assistance in covering their faulty part and was told they would not cover any of it.

NHTSA ODI 11626140

The engine cylinder head has a crack that has caused the engine oil to leak from the engine. This seems to be a common issue known by Mazda. The oil has saturated the right front brake and portions of the undercarriage, that will also need to be cleaned and or replaced. We had the car looked at a repair shop in Portland OR. they let us know this is a huge problem with this engine and we have not had this repaired as of this note. we will contact or dealer where we purchased the CX-5 and see about getting it replaced. This happened as my Wife was driving from California to our home in Washington. She noticed the oil light was flickering and she found a repair shop in Portland that looked at it and for that the head was cracked. Our car has 89,413 miles on it and has been maintained and does not have any other issues at this time.

NHTSA ODI 11623608

Vehicle has a cracked cylinder head at 43,000 miles. It is leaking oil and will lead to further engine damage if not repaired. Dealer inspected and diagnosed the problem. There were no vehicle warnings. It was brought to dealer because it was leaking oil and smelled of burning oil. It appears to be a common problem with Mazda Cx5s.

NHTSA ODI 11622639

One of the Cylinder heads has a crack in which has cause some oil to leak in the affected area. This is not the 2.5T engine, there is a TSB out for those engines. The affected engine is the 2.5 NA engine.

NHTSA ODI 11622654

First warning was the oil light came on and I became aware of a leak. When I took it to the mechanic the next day, he described a porous spot on the side of the cylinder head that had opened up and was rapidly losing oil when the engine was running. I understand that this is not a unique problem to my vehicle but is common with this model year. I am concerned that the engine will run out of oil and malfunction causing loss of control at highway speed. The car is currently scheduled for confirmation of the problem with the local Mazda dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11616029

Defective sealant used on timing cover, already leaking engine oil at 85000km… also confirmed as the same engine prone to cylinder head cracking from poor casting dimensions resulting in engine oil contacting the exhaust manifold and smoking. Possible fire hazard. Engine can seize up from low oil pressure at highway speeds and lock up the wheels causing an accident. Not sure why Mazda hasn’t issued a recall for this obvious safety concern… reminds me of Hyundai/Kia engine problems and now they’ve been sued and replacing thousands of engines for free.

NHTSA ODI 11611493

Engine seems that it cracked. The car has 66K and has good maintenance record. I took my 2018 CX5 to Mazda for a possible oil leak. Mechanic says block has hairline crack, is leaking oil down exhaust manifold and engine needs to be replaced. It seems a known issue with this model & Mazda is aware of the problem. There is no recall or class action lawsuit that either of us found. Mazda has said this car in no longer under warranty. It has 66K and the engine is broken?

NHTSA ODI 11610324

Cylinder head was found to be cracked for a while on the vehicle. This was discovered at 117K miles but likely was cracked well before judging from the age of the oil in the engine bay. Car has been maintained well this shouldn't be happening at all this early into its life.

NHTSA ODI 11605727

Burnt oil smell started being noticed in the cabin. Checked for leaks and none was found. Took the car to the dealer and it turns out the cylinder head is cracked. Dealer acknowledged this is an ongoing manufacturing issue. I contacted Mazda corporate to see if I qualify for after warranty assistance. No engine lights are on. Car has been maintained properly.

NHTSA ODI 11604164

Cracked Cylinder Head. Oil leak and smoke near passenger side.

NHTSA ODI 11603843

I bought this brand new in 2018 (Aug.) and I take care of this car very well. I was in the Korean Army, and I worked at the motor pool taking care of cars and trucks. Last year, I noticed my oil level decreasing that I kept refilling. I just thought it was burning some oil. Last week, I was losing lots of oil with some smoke (oil burning). I took the car to a local shop and they said "the cylinder head appears to be leaking oil from the back drivers side of the head".

NHTSA ODI 11603894

I noticed a burning smell while driving. Smoke started coming through the air vents and made me light-headed. I asked my son to take a look, and he said that oil was dripping onto the exhaust and smoking, and it could have caught on fire. There were no warning lamps or any other indicators besides the smell and smoke. I could have passed out from inhaling the smoke and died, or my car could have caught on fire. I took my car to the Mazda dealer. They confirmed that my car was affected by the well-known 2018-2021 CX-5 cylinder head crack. They quoted me $4848 to fix it. When I asked if they could help me with the price, they offered me 10% off. I told them that’s unacceptable. After much back and forth with the dealer and Mazda Corporate, they dropped the total to $1470.60.

NHTSA ODI 11601761

Oil smell in cabin. Diagnosed by independent repair shop as hairline crack in back of cylinder head. Cylinder head replaced at 91000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11592566

2018 mazda started smoking from under hood and noticed a burning oil smell. Took to mechanic and was told engine head gasket has a huge Crack. Car only has 22k on it and never been in any accident. All appropriate preventative services are up to date. There was no indication light no warning light nothing to identify why the car was leaking oil and smoking until it was looked at. This has multiple.complaints in regards to this specific year and model and needs to be addresses before someone's car catches fire or stalls in the middle of highway

NHTSA ODI 11592587

The cylinder head cracked and broke resulting in a massive oil leak that covered all the parts under my car and under the hood and engine which in result started to smoke. This is not only a major issue of extremely costly repairs but more importantly also serves as a major safety issue. This could had caused fire to the vehicle and also engine misfire resulting in engine failure while in drive and potentially lead to critical injury or death for me and my family. Mazda was aware of their poorly designed engineering for this critical and extremely important component and it is known Mazda recognized the issue by issuing a TSB. After further research there are numerous TSB issued for multiple engine failures with Mazda. It is also known that certain VIN number vehicles manufactured with this defect are commonly reported and have experienced this exact same issue within only a few years and or very low mileage. This is a major mechanical failure to happen to vehicles within a short time span of purchase and results in loss of customer trust and loyalty. As a first time car buyer I am deeply dissatisfied and disappointed with Mazda. I would not had purchased a brand new car if I would had known I would experience this only at 5 years and 71 thousand miles. My vehicle was inspected and diagnosed by a certified Mazda dealership. I was advised and informed that this is a huge issue that has happened with all customers. Mazda knowingly neglected the proper manufacturing and engineering for the cylinder head and other engine parts, which is the most critical component to any vehicle to function and operate. Lastly what is more concerning was that there was no warning signs such as lights or sensors that were triggered as warning of the issue and vehicle failure posing as another safety concern for drivers.

NHTSA ODI 11585175

Noticed an oil smell when driving the vehicle, slightly premature to when it was due for an oil change. Engine was emitting light blue smoke when parked after driving for more than 20 minutes. Took the car to a Mazda dealership to get serviced two days after noticing the issue and was told that the cylinder head was cracked and needed to be replaced. There was oil leaking from the vehicle, which I had not noticed, and it had soaked a lot of the front undercarriage of the car. Research into the effects of an oil leak indicate that it can cause a serious malfunction of the engine and other components of the car, but I did not experience that in the time of noticing the problem and taking the vehicle to get serviced. The problem was diagnosed by the service department at a Mazda dealership and is being repaired there. The oil indicator came on a day after noticing the smell.

NHTSA ODI 11582620

Noticed a burning oil smell coming from the car along with leaking oil in the driveway. Vehicle has 53000 miles on it and was 3 months out of powertrain warranty but still under the 60000 mileage cap. Local Mazda dealership came back saying that it was a "SA-037/23 Oil leak at cylinder head, cylinder head replacement with parts kit" and quoted $5100 to repair. Dealership stated that the vehicle was unsafe to operate. There were no dash indicator lights or symptoms of overheating to indicate that there was a problem outside of the smell. After the diagnosis was made, we researched and found that this was a commonly reported problem for this model year

NHTSA ODI 11582662

The cylinder head and timing cover are leaking oil and need to be replaced. It is at the dealer and available for inspection. The car started smoking and lost oil obscuring my vision. The problem appears to be well known by the dealer and they were able to diagnose the issue. The vehicle has only been inspected by the dealer where I purchased it. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms. This vehicle has had regular maintenance per the manufacturers specifications since it was purchased new.

NHTSA ODI 11582466

Oil started to leak along with a burning smell, ended up being a cracked cylinder head at 77k miles. It was not in an accident & it did not overheat. But it appears this is a known issue with this make, model & year. Now Mazda only wants to pay $1k of $5k charge. I bought the dealers extended warranty, up to 75k miles, which apparently means nothing. My next car will not be Mazda.

NHTSA ODI 11581013

Cracked cylinder head at 75000 miles causing oil to leak, Mazda dealership called it a fire risk

NHTSA ODI 11579663