Home · 2018 Mazda Cx-90 Phev · Complaints

What 125 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Mazda Cx-90 Phev

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 (125)Crash / fire / injury (5)Engine (73)Electrical system (15)Transmission & drivetrain (13)Brakes (11)Fuel system (7)Driver assistance (4)Backup camera & sensors (3)Steering (3)Visibility & wipers (3)Airbags (2)

3 of 125 complaints match · Backup camera & sensors · clear filters

Sep 11, 2025Electrical systemLane DepartureBackup camera & sensors

[XXX] 2018 MAZDA CX-9 GRAND TOURING 89014 MILES Date: 9/11/2025 To: Mazda North American Operations Attn: Customer Experience Center 7755 Irvine Center Drive Irvine, CA 92618 USA Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Safety and Technical Issue – 2018 Mazda CX-9 Dear Mazda Customer Experience Team, I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a serious safety and technical issue I have experienced with my 2018 Mazda CX-9. After a recent inspection conducted by Mazda Koch 33, it was brought to my attention that the engine wiring harness is defective and may potentially cause a fire or result in burns, posing a severe safety risk to me, my passengers, and others on the road. This issue is deeply concerning and unacceptable, especially considering Mazda’s reputation for reliability and safety. A fault in the engine wiring harness, particularly one that has the potential to ignite or burn, should be treated with the utmost urgency. It is troubling that such a critical component could present such danger. My vehicle has been serviced and maintained regularly, and I was not made aware of any recall or technical service bulletin that addressed this defect until the inspection. Given the nature of the defect, I believe this may be a manufacturer defect, and I request that Mazda: Immediately investigate and confirm whether this issue falls under an existing recall or known defect. Take full responsibility for replacing or repairing the affected wiring harness at no cost to me. Provide assurances in writing that my vehicle is safe to operate. Offer compensation or a loaner vehicle if the repair process renders my vehicle unusable for any period of time. Please consider this a formal request for immediate corrective action. I expect a prompt response within 10 business days of the date of this letter. If I do not receive a satisfactory resolution, I will be compelled to escalate this matter further through consumer protection agencies, such as the INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11686751

Aug 28, 2022Electrical systemBackup camera & sensors

Mazda has refused to admit and repair a clearly defective screen, affecting visibility of the camera system, navigation, climate controls and infotainment. Pictures attached are several months old and the issue continues to get worse. The dealer says "corporate won't cover it", corporate customer service will not respond to repeated attempts at contact other than a generic "your VIN is not covered". Service alert direct from Mazda and pictures of my screen showing the EXACT issue are attached. For a $40k+ vehicle with less than 30k miles on it (less than 20k when the issue started), this is unacceptable. Please hold Mazda accountable.

NHTSA ODI 11481586

Jul 22, 2022Backup camera & sensors

"Spider Cracks" in both the left and right top corners that continue to spread, creating larger blind spots while in reverse. This is an issue that Mazda is aware of and impacts many models from 2014 until 2019. Even though this may not be considered a "safety feature" in it's traditional form, it has become common practice to rely on this feature while reversing the vehicle. Much like additional airbags may not be required, if they are, they should be fixed when they are proven to be faulty. Both the local dealer(Roger Beasley Austin North) and MazdaUSA refused to cover the cost of fixing the issue even though they are aware it is faulty. There is even a Service Notice that was put out by NHTSA that discusses this issue and my model is included, however I have been repeatedly told my VIN # does not qualify.

NHTSA ODI 11475319

Working with the data? Download all 125 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 18, 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 2018 Mazda Cx-90 Phev verdict →