Home · 2020 Mazda Cx-50 · Complaints

What 105 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Mazda Cx-50

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 (105)Crash / fire / injury (12)Electrical system (30)Engine (17)Brakes (13)Driver assistance (11)Transmission & drivetrain (8)Body & structure (6)Airbags (5)Speed control (5)Fuel system (4)Lane Departure (4)

8 of 105 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Apr 7, 2026BrakesDriver assistanceCrash

While driving on the highway in traffic, I was applying the brakes (slowly and smoothly) and moving with the flow of traffic when the SBS system activated the brakes harshly and slammed me to a stop without reason. In addition to throwing me forward against my seatbelt, it also resulted in the car behind me rear-ending me. I did not hit the car ahead of me, since I was far enough behind them BEFORE the smart brake support engaged, but the feature caused an accident that could have been avoided.

NHTSA ODI 11729750

Sep 24, 2024Speed controlBrakesCrash1 injury

The vehicle accelerated on its own, while I was parking. My foot was on the brake when the vehicle just took off. It continued to accelerate until a building stopped it. I continued to brake but the vehicle did not stop. Once the vehicle collided with building, saw on the digital read out the "Brake System Malfunction" and then Camera Malfunction. The vehicle was towed from the site and the insurance adjuster has sent me word that the vehicle is a total loss.

NHTSA ODI 11616109

Sep 26, 2023Brakes1 injury

On Septmber 2, 2023 the car had been on a 4 hour road trip. I came into the driveway, left the car running in Park with the brakes on (listening to music while I cleaned the car out) it was idylling for about 5 minutes. I went to the drivers side door, which was open and reached in to turn the car off using the start/stop button. Before I could turn the car off, it started backing up and the door ran over me. The car was definitely in Park and the Brake was on. There was no reason for the parking brake to disengage.

NHTSA ODI 11546572

Apr 1, 2021Speed controlBrakesCrash

I WAS PARKED AT A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT THAT HAD AN OUTDOOR KIOSK FOR PAYMENT. I GOT OUT OF MY CAR TO PAY AND GOT BACK IN. AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE OR TWO MY CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD, GOING OVER A SLOPED CURB AND DOWN A SHORT LOW GRADE HILL, HITTING A POLE. I WAS CONFUSED TO HOW THE CAR WOULD GO FORWARD BECAUSE I WAS IN PARK THE WHOLE TIME.

NHTSA ODI 11405931

Dec 8, 2020BrakesCrash

TRY TO PART WHEN I STEP ON THE. BREAK, DID NOT STOP KEEPING RIGHT ON GOING.

NHTSA ODI 11378571

Oct 28, 2020Electrical systemLightsBrakesCrash

PURCHASED BRAND NEW 2020 MAZDA CX-5 ON SEPT 25, 2020. ON SEPT. 29, 2020 WITH < 500MI: WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON COUNTY ROAD, PRESSED BRAKE PEDAL AND THE PEDAL DID NOT MOVE. SEVERAL MALFUNCTION LIGHTS FLASHED INCLUDING "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION", "SMART CITY BRAKE SUPPORT MALFUNCTION". REPEATEDLY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT DID NOT MOVE AT ALL. TRIED TO SWERVE TO AVOID A VEHICLE BUT THE STEERING WAS UNRESPONSIVE. IMPACTED A VEHICLE AT A RED LIGHT. MAZDA SERVICE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE BRAKE WAS ENGAGED BEFORE THE IMPACT EXCEPT FOR A "HARD BRAKE EVENT" WHICH BASED ON THE CDR DATA WAS PROBABLY THE IMPACT AVOIDANCE SYSTEM BRAKING THE VEHICLE. AS AN ENGINEER FAMILIAR WITH THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM BUT NOT THIS PARTICULAR SYSTEM SPECIFICALLY, I SUSPECTED A LOW VOLTAGE EVENT THAT KNOCKED OUT THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND POWER STEERING. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED FROM THE REPAIR SHOP TODAY OCT 28, 2020. HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER, AGAIN AN INDICATION OF LOW VOLTAGE OR FAULTY WIRING. I HAVE TAKEN VIDEO OF THE FLICKERING, I HAVE OBTAINED THE CDR REPORT MAZDA REFUSED TO PROVIDE ALTHOUGH I REQUESTED TO SEE IT, AND THE SERVICE REPORT INDICATING MASS AIRFLOW & VACUUM CODES, BOTH CAUSED BY LOW VOLTAGE EVENT.

NHTSA ODI 11366933

Sep 22, 2020BrakesCrash1 injury

BOUGHT A MAZDA CX5 JUNE 2020 AND IT WAS INVOLVE IN A ACCIDENT SEPT 17TH 2020 DO TO BRAKE FAILURE. MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED PARKING IN A APARTMENT COMPLEX WHEN THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AND COLLIDED WITH THE FACILITY 20FT IN FRONT OF THE PARKING SPACE. AT THE INCIDENT, I THE OWNER, FOUND 3 DAMAGE ROTORS WERE THE FLAW CAME FROM HEAVY GRINDING AT THE CALIBER (SEE ATTACH PHOTOS). WITHIN THE CALIBER'S ALLOY YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE CHIPPED ALLOY PRODUCED FROM A FLAW & THE ALIGNMENT OF WHERE IT GRINDS THE ROTOR (SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS). A WITNESS STATED SHE WAS PRESENT DURING THE TIME OF THE COLLISION AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKE FROM THE WITNESS. I CAN PROVIDE PLENTY OF MORE PICTURES AND VIDEOS TO EXPLAIN THE GEOGRAPHIC AND DEMONSTRATE VIA VIDEO THE FLAWS AT THE COLLISION. I'VE ATTEMPT CONTACTING MAZDA FOUR TIMES BUT THEY CONTINUE TO PLACED THE BLAME ON ME "FOR BAD DRIVING DAMAGING ITEMS THEY CONSIDER TEAR AND WEAR PRODUCTS (ROTORS AND CALIBERS)" I EXPLAINED I ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 3MONTHS AND ITS THREE ROTORS WITH SIMILAR DAMAGE. YET THEY TOLD ME MY INSURANCE MUST FIND THEM AT BLAME. MY INSURANCE APPRAISER STATED THEY WILL NOT GO TO THAT DISTANCE; THEY JUST FIX OR PAY OFF THE LOAN. I AM FUSTRATED! YOU ALL ARE MY LAST HOPE! GOING THROUGH MY INSURANCE WILL CAUSE ME A DEDUCTABLE AND AT FAULT BLAME. GOING THROUGH MAZDA IS INSULTING THEIR PRODUCT, YET I FIND THIS FRIGHTING BUT IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONDUCT FURTHER RESEARCH TO WHY THE ROTOR/CALIBER WENT BAD IN SUCH A SHORT SPAN. EXPLAINING! EVEN IF I AM TO BE BLAMED, FOR THE INCIDENT. WHAT ABOUT THE PRODUCT? I ONLY OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR THREE MONTHS. WITHIN A LITTLE OVER 3,000 MILES. PLEASE HELP

NHTSA ODI 11360368

Sep 5, 2020Brakes1 injury

SUDDEN BRAKING CAUSED BY AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM. ON SEPT 1, 2020, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET, GOING ABOUT 30 MPH, AND A CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS TURNING. I WAS IN NO DANGER OF HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME; HOWEVER, MY 2020 MAZDA CX-5 SUDDENLY BRAKED AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. GRANTED, THIS CAR WAS NEW TO ME AND I HADN'T EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE, BUT I WAS COMPLETELY SURPRISED GIVEN AN ACCIDENT WAS NOT IMMINENT. THIS SUDDEN BRAKING CAUSED MY HEAD TO SWING FORWARD AND BACK RESULTING IN NECK, SHOULDER, AND BACK PAIN. ALSO, IT RESULTED IN AN INCREASED HEADACHE. UPON RETURNING HOME, I TURNED THE SUDDEN BRAKING SAFETY FEATURE OFF. ON SEPT 4, 2020, I HAD A VIDEO CALL WITH MY PCP WHO ADVISED ME TO GO TO THE URGENT CARE. THE URGENT CARE DOCTOR PRESCRIBED MUSCLE RELAXERS AND, BASED ON A PREVIOUS NECK CONDITION, ORDERED A MRI AND FOLLOW-UP WITH NEUROSURGEON. THE EXTENT OF THE INJURY IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME BUT THE URGENT CARE DOCTOR ENCOURAGED ME TO FILE A SAFETY REPORT.

NHTSA ODI 11353304

Working with the data? Download all 105 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 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 2020 Mazda Cx-50 verdict →