What 308 owners told NHTSA about the 2024 Mazda Cx-90-mhev

Sticky Steering. noise in front left wheel when doing a right turn on slow speeds. steering wheel stays in place when doing a full right turn.

NHTSA ODI 11716657

The steering wheel sticks when driving on highway and going around an extended turn or bend on the highway.

NHTSA ODI 11716548

When I’m going around the corner, the steering feels sort of sticky and either won’t stay in one place or feels a little bit stuck in one place. It sometimes feels like someone else is making micro adjustments to the steering as I’m holding the steering wheel. This has been happening for about the last 10,000 miles on the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11715953

Steering wheel still sticks, even after multiple recalls and replacement of steering rack.

NHTSA ODI 11715983

The steering wheel keeps sticking when turning left or right. It does not matter what speed you are going. I almost hit a car due to this. The previous steering recall has been performed without fixing the issue. I took the car to Mazda in Corpus Christi, TX and they claim they can not find an issue. I can repeat the issue l even parked.

NHTSA ODI 11715993

Reporting multiple safety-related defects on my 2024 Mazda CX-90. Steering system: At approximately 5,000 miles, the vehicle developed abnormal steering behavior, including inconsistent steering response and abnormal feel during normal driving and turning. The condition affected my ability to steer the vehicle predictably and raised safety concerns, particularly during low-speed turns, parking maneuvers, and city driving. The issue was confirmed by the dealer and required replacement of the steering rack, a major steering component. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request. Hybrid system: At approximately 22,000 miles, the vehicle experienced a hybrid system malfunction that required the vehicle to be taken out of service for an extended period. The malfunction affected drivability and reliability and required dealer diagnosis and repair. The vehicle was inspected and repaired by an authorized Mazda dealer. Braking system: The vehicle has experienced ongoing abnormal brake squeaking during normal driving and low-speed braking. While braking function remains present, the abnormal noise raises concerns about brake system integrity, wear, and long-term braking performance. Electrical / infotainment system: The infotainment system intermittently shuts off or resets while driving without warning. When this occurs, the display goes blank and then restarts. This results in loss of access to navigation, rear camera display, vehicle settings, and driver-assistance information, creating driver distraction and a potential safety risk. These issues occurred on a relatively new vehicle and involve critical systems including steering, drivetrain/hybrid, brakes, and vehicle electronics. The combination of defects raises concerns about vehicle safety, reliability, and loss of driver confidence. Warning messages were present for the hybrid malfunction; other issues occurred without warning. The vehicle has been inspected and repaired by authorized Mazda deal

NHTSA ODI 11715472

Repeated episodes of “sticky” steering. Requires a lot of effort or force to move the wheel. Highly problematic in turns. Have had to yank the wheel so hard to straighten it, it caused the entire car swerve. Very dangerous. After research, appears this is a wide spread issue with this particular vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11715582

Steering wheel sticks when turning at a high rate of speed, on freeways ect.

NHTSA ODI 11715600

Steering is sticky/requires extra effort to center when turning left

NHTSA ODI 11715601

The steering wheel sticks especially when making long turns. It jutters and scares the driver. Some times it holds in place and you have to jerk it back to straight.

NHTSA ODI 11715655

Steering wheel gets "sticky" and "clunky" when turning the wheel while at speed. Anytime I turn a corner or accelerate into a turn the steering wheel feels like it locks up and clicks back to center - almost like negative feedback.

NHTSA ODI 11715673

When driving the vehicle and going into a sweeping turn on the road at highway speeds, mostly while turning into a left sweeping turn, the steering wheel will "jerk", and on a few occasions felt as if it was "stuck" and then would "snap" loose and allow the wheel to come back to center when coming out of the turn. I mentioned it to the dealer as there seems to be a growing number of people experiencing the same issues with the Mazda CX-90's in the 2024 year, but they said they couldn't reproduce it, but it happened to me again just driving away from the dealership. I tried to write it off as it was just my imagination, but I they also only had the vehicle for 15 minutes before they reported to me that they could not reproduce. This is happening after the initial recall for the steering was performed by Mazda on the vehicle. Safety would be at risk if for some reason the steering complete locks up at highway speeds, but any resistance in the steering wheel at driving is not a safe issue. No warning lamps or messages appeared on the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11715689

When traveling down a road normally, the steering becomes suddenly harder to manipulate. It has a sticky feel when trying to turn normally. This has caused occasions where the car veers out of lane temporarily due to not responding to steering inputs normally.

NHTSA ODI 11715711

Steering is rough and can grab or stick when turning the wheel. Afraid it might lock up while driving. The problem has been confirmed by the Mazda dealership, and the dealer I bought it from. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone else. No warning lamps, I noticed the problem shortly after I bought it.

NHTSA ODI 11714909

Steering feels sticky and rough when making minor turns. Sometimes there is a jerk sensation as well. Has been persistent and seems to not go away. All recalls for this vehicle have been addressed so I’m not sure what the issue is.

NHTSA ODI 11715120

Steering chatter when turning and steering stiffens at highway speed making it hard to keep vehicle straight and follow the lanes in the road.

NHTSA ODI 11714656

I can only best describe it as there were choppy and dead spots in my steering. Coming out of a turn, it feels like a brief loss of power steering which in a turn at highway speeds caused me to reach as I was losing control of the vehicle. Thankfully, no accident caused. I took to Mazda dealership and they confirmed my findings which included me doing a ride along with one of their chief mechanics. They kept the vehicle and later confirmed steering rack was bad and would have to be replaced after they consulted with Mazda corporate. Vehicle was just outside of warranty mileage and Mazda refused to fix as warranty repair. The vehicle had previously had the recall completed on the steering unit that included replacing a spring inside the worm gear. In my talks with Mazda dealership, they confirmed that steering racks were on back order and that the part had a superseding part number. It seemed very clear to me that Mazda new they had a problem and was not being forthright. Additionally, my conversations with their so called Customer Experience Center showed them to be evasive, dodging and unwilling to discuss the issue nor fix at their cost.

NHTSA ODI 11714658

Steering wheel is sticking to left, I thought it was lane assist but I turned it off and it stay In position having to over correct the steering wheel. I have a video since it happened multiple times now, I was able to record it during a roundabout.

NHTSA ODI 11714722

multiple times now the steering gets "stuck" in a curve - like an off/on ramp to the interstate. the process is not smooth and the wheel does not "return" correctly and must be forced manually. this is dangerous. i read about a failed recall the investigation is RQ26002. this describes my exact symptoms and my car was privvy to the original recall prior to my purchase. we have spoke to oxmoor mazda about the incident and brought in the car, our concerns were dismissed as the vehicle needing new tires - we purchased the tires but the problem still exists.

NHTSA ODI 11714386

In 2024 I was experiencing heavier-than-normal effort required to return wheels from a left turn to centerline, with a “notchy” or sticking feel. I took the vehicle to my Mazda dealer, where they performed the recall of new spring and re-greasing the steering rack. In the fall of 2025, I was again experiencing the same issue, as was confirmed by the dealer. The dealer re-greased the steering rack, and the issue was resolved at that time. However I am now again experiencing the same issue - occasional increased effort with a sticky feel when turning wheels from left back to center.

NHTSA ODI 11714132

I am writing regarding a steering safety concern with my 2024 Mazda CX-90 3.3T S Premium Plus. I am experiencing intermittent steering stiffness while driving, which causes the vehicle to wander and sway within its lane and requires constant steering correction. The steering wheel resists smooth input and the vehicle does not track straight. This behavior occurs with Lane Keep Assist fully turned OFF and is independent of any driver assistance features. Behavior creates a safety risk due to a loss of predictable steering control. The dealership attributes this to lane keep assist, but the issue persists independently of any driver assistance features. Behavior occurs at slow and faster rates of speed and sways in either direction.

NHTSA ODI 11713246

Need a recall for, P0DAB - Hybrid battery cell balancing conformance error code. Thousands of 2024 CX-90 customers experiencing the issue and MAZDA USA is not responsive. All of the 2024 vehicles are LEMONS and NHTSA should force Mazda to replace these lemons with a new model for the safety of the US citizens.

NHTSA ODI 11713064

I have a 2024 MAZD CX-90 Preferred Plus AWD. I was driving my [XXX] grandson to preschool and it sounded as though the passenger's door opened while I was driving. In the split second I looked back to check, unfortunately, I hit a guard rail. My grandson was buckled in his car seat. his first words were "Meme, the door opened but I didn't do it". He was buckled in his car seat and I believe the safety door locks were on. There was no warning sound or light indicating the door was open while I drove. I pulled over, got out of the car and looked. the passenger's back door handle was positioned up but the door was closed. being so shook up, I didn't think to take any pictures. I then had messages on my car saying Dynamic Stability control malfunction - have the vehicle inspected and Engine Malfunction - have the vehicle inspected. I called my dealership to find out if there were any recalls on this type of problem (they said that there weren't any). I have come across a forum where a person states: "So can confirm 1st row passenger door does not provide any warning as well. Looking at the manual, I see that there is supposed to be a warning sound when any door/hood/liftgate is open while driving, as quoted below. If someone else confirms this is normal behaviour, then I think we should file a safety defect complaint with the NHTSA and Transport Canada. “Door-ajar Warning Light/Liftgate-open Warning Light/Hood-open Warning Light The light turns on if any door/liftgate/hood is not closed securely. In addition, the warning sound is activated if any door/trunk lid/liftgate is not closed and the vehicle is driven. Close the door/liftgate/hood securely.” This was a very scary situation. I absolutely will concede that something did happen with this rear passenger door. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11712279

While driving at highway speeds (approximately 50–55 mph) on a highly curving road, the steering intermittently became difficult to control. The steering wheel felt locked or stuck in a turned position and required excessive force to return to center. This condition occurred repeatedly over a 14-mile stretch of curvy highway and resulted in a partial loss of steering control, nearly causing collisions with another vehicle on multiple occasions. This incident occurred at approximately 16,900 miles. Although this defect has occurred multiple times since the vehicle was purchased, this was the most severe occurrence and posed a significant and imminent safety risk. The condition was reproduced and confirmed by an authorized dealer, who advised that replacement of the steering rack is required. At no time did any warning lights or messages appear to alert the driver to this dangerous condition. This issue represents a serious safety defect and warrants investigation.

NHTSA ODI 11711933

Headlights will appear to flicker during lite rain. Light reflected off of objects flicker. On coming traffic interpret the flickering as flashing lights trying to signal an emergency. This is caused by the location of the projector headlight light path being directly under the seam where the hood meets the fenders. During rain water is directed right in the path of the narrow beam beam thrown by the optics used to project the light in front of the cat. As water drips the beams of light are deflected sideways. It causes split second darkness in front of the car and confusion amongst drivers in the oncoming lanes. Mazda has recognized this and has a kit that fixes it but they are not calling it a safety issue and as a result are charging people including me upwards of $600 for the corrective kits installation. It is a safety issue. As a safety issue they should be compelled to install their fix for free. I have included file containing my request for help and Mazda's refusal. In addition I have included the technical bulletin describing the issue and the fix published by Mazda.

NHTSA ODI 11711151