What 138 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Mazda Cx-50

2021 Mazda CX5 AWD- Non Turbo Engine. Sunny Day, Dry. My Car was clean. No Precipitation. Some shadows of the interstate light poles across the road 200-300 feet in front of me, but they were thin shadows. Sun Was to my Left. I was driving South on May 01 2026 about 10am on the Interstate going Highway Speeds, with adaptive cruise control "on", in the 2nd lane of a 4 lane interstate. Thankfully no other traffic ahead or behind me. Car slammed on the brakes suddenly, pretty hard. I counteracted and added more gas pedal to keep in going. I turned off the Cruise Control. After a while I re-engaged the Cruise Control and had no issues. This could have been a huge accident in busier traffic. Will get the car checked out at Mazda Dealership Service this week.

NHTSA ODI 11735370

The car has 21000 miles and is driven lightly when applying the brakes the steering wheel started shaking and the car made noises - the brakes could have failed at any time and at any speedl The dealer said the rotors were warped. no warning and no notification from the manufacturer that this could happen at such low miles. i didnt bring the vehicle in because i could not believe the brakes would be at fault with such low miles - it started at 10000 miles. a notification from the manufacturer or dealers would prevent a catastrophic brake failure

NHTSA ODI 11733942

The contact owns a 2021 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the Front Brake System Malfunction, Forward Brake Malfunction, and Check Engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started jerking and hesitating as if the wheels would lock up. The steering wheel vibrated while turning to the left or the right. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was able to retrieve a diagnostic code; however, the DTC number was unknown. The dealer was unable to identify the exact cause of the code. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA ODI 11696729

At 15k mi the rear left wheel started to squeal. Took car to dealer, they claimed all brake pads on the car worn out and replaced all of them (front+back), paperwork is available. That's an indication of a design defect impacting the brake system, this is not acceptable. Next week I was driving in winter storm and at one point the car started shifting to the left. I managed to regain control, dashcam video is available. I used to have a 2016 CX-5 and it experienced exactly the same issue. At one point dealer wanted to change brake pads after just 6k mi, I replaced them myself and noticed that the pads were worn unevenly, but it was easier to get rid of the car back then. The number of reports similar to mine is overwhelming, it is sad to see NHTSA not taking any action on this life threatening ticking time bomb.

NHTSA ODI 11568928

I have had this cc-5 for less than 2 years less than 16,000 miles on it and the rotors on the break are completely rusted! I had a Corolla for 10 years never had this issue before. Brought it to the dealer quirk Mazda in Quincy MA and they refuse to take accountability that this vehicle should not be having these issues and they want to charge me $800 to replace. The service manager here was nasty and rude. I am so beyond disappointed that they refuse to make this right. I saw online so many people with the same issue with this vehicle and seems like the dealers do nothing. I bought this vehicle brand new and should not have these issues.I want someone to look at this and do Justice. I will never buy a Mazda again as this seems like a scam.I fear driving now because every time I hit the break the car stalls and I feel like I am going to hit the car in front of me. Mazdas are a scam and cheaply made with horrible customer service.

NHTSA ODI 11551886

Car with 15,000 miles needs a front and back brake job. Front rotors are rusty and chipping. Brake pads are chipping and front end has vibrations when brake pedal is applied. Back brakes are not as bad but will need repair soon. 15,000 miles on a set of front brakes pad and rotors is unacceptable, rust and chips should not happen with a new 2 year car. This is a safety concern. Car was in for oil change an tire rotation when problem was found. I believe brakes should last for at least 25,000 or more. This is a possible defect in materials or engineering. This should be looked into and recall acted upon.

NHTSA ODI 11543184

The car is consuming excessive engine oil. Between 3000-4000 miles the low engine oil light comes on. I was on the highway and had to pull over. I was told we don’t need oil change until 5000 miles. Not feeling safe to drive long distance. Dealership acknowledged seal is causing the leaks, but said Mazda won’t cover the cost unless check engine light is on. Also the break pads are moving slightly when breaking, dealership said it’s normal due to break pads are moving back and forth when breaking. However, I can hear the breaks clicking.

NHTSA ODI 11509129

I experienced a sudden unintended acceleration incident. I pulled into my driveway and stopped the vehicle with my foot firmly on the brake since my driveway is sloped. I pushed the garage door opener remote when suddenly the vehicle accelerated and shot forward hitting the garage door. There was no brake action and all backup systems failed. There was no Automatic Emergency Braking or Forward Collision Warning. There were no warning lights displayed. No airbags were deployed. If the garage door had been open, the vehicle would have hit a concrete wall in the garage. The vehicle was taken to the Mazda dealership and a full circle inspection and diagnostic check. Mazda found no codes and everything was working as designed in vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11502968

Upon exiting my local car wash, I drove my car around to the area used for vacuuming. I pulled into the parking space and when I applied the brake pedal to stop, the car suddenly accelerated and crashed into the wall of the building. I have the Car Wash Security Camera footage of this incident. It shows my brake light is ON at the car's point of acceleration and my brake light is ON at point of impact with the wall. If you need to review it, I can email it to you.

NHTSA ODI 11487669

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.

NHTSA ODI 11462431

WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW OFF THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP LOT YESTERDAY WITH 5 MILES ON THE ODO. AS MY HUSBAND PULLED OFF THE LOT HE SMELLED A BURNING SMELL AND THE BRAKES FELT LIKE THEY'D SEIZED UP A BIT. HE PULLED OVER AND THOUGHT ABOUT TURNING BACK ONTO THE LOT, BUT THEN THOUGHT IT MAY BE JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE NEW BRAKES AND CONTINUED ON AND DROVE HOME. THIS MORNING WE REMOTELY STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE MAZDA APP SENT US AN ALERT THAT THERE IS A CRITICAL VEHICLE MALFUNCTION HAVING TO DO WITH THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. THE DEALERS ARE CLOSED, SO I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE INFO YET. I JUST SIGNED BACK ON TO THE APP AND THERE'S A SECOND MALFUNCTION ALERT NOW WITH THE EMERGENCY LAND KEEPING. THERE ARE NOW CURRENTLY 65 MILES ON THE ODO. WE HAVE ONLY DRIVEN THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP HOME AND PARKED IT OUTSIDE OVER NIGHT.

NHTSA ODI 11390837