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

The vehicle lurched to a complete stop and engaged the parking brake while entering the on ramp at FDR bridge in NYC. I had my whole family (7 of us) in the vehicle. Cars behind us had to slam on the brakes or swear to not hit us. The worst part is, the car had no option to put it into neutral to move the vehicle to a safe location. I sat praying for 45 minutes while we waited for a tow truck. Cars were flying past us as we were blocking 2 lanes of traffic, one of which was the on ramp. They could not see us as they were coming around a corner. Several accidents almost happened. There was nothing we could do but sit there. This is a known issue with Mazda CX 90 2024 PHEV system. Mazda did not warn me in any way that if the vehicle has an issue with the PHEV system, it was going to disable the vehicle to the point that you are unable to put it into neutral. There was no way to disengage the parking break. The vehicle was towed twice with the break engaged.

NHTSA ODI 11747142

The contact owns a 2024 Mazda CX-90. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the dynamic cruise control feature failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle slowed down and then independently accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The message “Steering Assist Unavailable” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to several dealers, however the failure was not duplicated. The contact informed the dealers that the vehicle needed to be driven on the expressway for the failure to occur. The contact stated that the failure did not occur while driving the vehicle at slow speeds on the local streets. The contact stated that the failure was persistent while driving on the expressway. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

NHTSA ODI 11744852

On March 27, 2026, while driving approximately 20-35 mph on a city street in clear daytime conditions, my vehicle unexpectedly activated Smart Brake Support (SBS) and applied the brakes hard enough to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. There was no vehicle directly in front of me and no obvious obstruction that would have required emergency braking. Immediately prior to braking, the vehicle displayed brake warnings and alerts inside the cabin. The sudden braking created a safety risk because the vehicle came to a complete stop in an active travel lane without warning. Had another vehicle been following closely, a rear-end collision could have occurred. The event was reported to my Mazda dealership, Herzog-Meier Mazda, on March 30, 2026, the next business day after it occurred. The dealership advised that the vehicle should not have behaved this way because the applicable software update related to the Smart Brake Support system had already been installed. The vehicle was subsequently returned to the dealership for further investigation on April 22, 2026, and remained there for an extended period while Mazda reviewed the incident. Mazda regional technical personnel reviewed vehicle data and confirmed that Smart Brake Support activated during the event. Mazda's conclusion was that the system operated as designed because vehicle data indicated a perceived collision risk. However, Mazda also stated that no camera footage from the event was retained and that the surrounding conditions could not be independently verified. As a result, Mazda was unable to identify what specific object or condition triggered the emergency braking event. No repairs were performed, and Mazda recommended returning the vehicle to service. The Smart Brake Support system remains available for inspection. The event has been reviewed by the dealership, Mazda regional technical personnel, and Mazda Customer Experience. No defect was acknowledged by Mazda, despite the unexpected full braking event

NHTSA ODI 11743320

1) What component or system failed? The issue appears to involve the vehicle’s electrical system and hybrid system, as well as brake-related electronic systems. The vehicle displayed multiple warnings including “Hybrid System Malfunction” and “Critical Vehicle Malfunction.” The electronic parking brake system was also affected during the incident, including a situation where the brake could not be released while the vehicle was in motion. The affected components are available for inspection upon request. 2) How was safety put at risk? Safety was put at risk because the malfunction occurred while driving and involved critical system warnings and brake-related issues, including the inability to release the electronic parking brake. The sudden appearance of a “Critical Vehicle Malfunction” warning during operation created concern about potential loss of vehicle control and safe braking capability in traffic. 3) Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer? The issue has not been fully resolved. The vehicle previously underwent service for a high-voltage hybrid battery replacement, but the current symptoms continue to occur repeatedly. The problem has not yet been confirmed as permanently resolved by the dealer. 4) Has the vehicle been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance, etc.? UNKNOWN 5) Were there warning lamps or symptoms before failure? Yes. Over the past two weeks, multiple warning lights and messages have appeared almost daily, including: Check Engine Light Hybrid System Malfunction i-Stop malfunction Intermittent brake / electronic parking brake warnings A “Critical Vehicle Malfunction” warning occurred once while driving, along with multiple simultaneous alerts. These warnings sometimes disappear after restarting the vehicle but consistently reappear during normal driving.

NHTSA ODI 11734505

We have had Multiple I-Sense(safety system).It will shutdown whwnever it feels like it no matter the weather.We have had at Mazda 7 times and they have applied several programming updates withouit success. We have also have Apple wireless airplay for directions and phone failure 100's of times and have had it Mazda fro the same 7 times to fix to no avail

NHTSA ODI 11666798

On multiple occasions the vehicle has falsely detected collisions and suddenly braked while on highway leading to serious safety issues. On other occasions, while changing the lanes with blinkers on, the vehicle suddenly steered back into the original lane and triggered a collision warning even though there was no vehicle/obstacle nearby. This created a serious risk of collision. Even at slow speeds, the vehicle inaccurately triggers a collision warning creating unsafe driving conditions. This frequently happens when we are driving the vehicle in the parking garage, even in absence of moving vehicles nearby. The mild hybrid power train system had issue leading to hybrid system malfunction and iSTOP malfunction. This finally led to hybrid battery failure and the vehicle remaining out of service for over a month. Apple Carplay disconnects erratically creating hazardous condition especially when we are using Carplay for navigation. Such a disconnection requires the driver to suddenly reach over to the phone and input driving directions in the phone again. This is especially dangerous in city driving conditions needing frequent turns.

NHTSA ODI 11656370

Same problem as Recall no. 24V349000, which does not apply to my vehicle because it is newer than the manufacturer build range. 100% repeatable.

NHTSA ODI 11616724

I was parking the car at a low speed (2mph) when it suddenly accelerated with a great speed, jumped the curb in front and moved forward and up a small hill. The car collided with a tree before I was able to stop it. All ADAS features were activated in the car and no alarms sounded prior or during the event, which lasted between 1-2 seconds. The vehicle was inspected by Mazda and deemed safe to continue to operate. The dealer did not find a cause for the malfunction and suggested external influence. The inspection took about 3hrs, which included addressing multiple recalls on the vehicle. At time of incident I have owned the car for about two months and did not experience similar issues, however others did according to my web search. I found reports on popular forums describing sudden acceleration of Mazda CX-90 vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11614734

Driving between 30 - 40 mph on a strait road with no obstacles in front or along side the emergency braking engaged for no apparent reason at all! This has been an ongoing issue with this vehicle, there was a recall to update the software but the problem still exists intermittently! This is a very serious safety concern to have an all of a sudden unexpected hard braking action when the road is free and clear!

NHTSA ODI 11613544

Going down the road with cruise control I have been used to it dropping a little bit in curves but today and car behind me had to slam on there brakes because the cruise control in a small curve dropped me down immediately from 60 to 45 jerk and all. If the driver behind me had not been paying attention they would have slammed into me since we were both going 60 no other cars around just a small curve on a straight road

NHTSA ODI 11600986

The contact owned a 2024 Mazda CX-90. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a clunking noise would emit from underneath the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the control arm had failed. The vehicle had been repaired. The contact stated 3 days later while driving approximately 35 -45 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. In addition, the vehicle was attempted to be veered to the left or right and it failed to drive in either direction. As a result, the vehicle crashed into the rear-ended of the vehicle in front. The air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The contact stated that the other party's vehicle was damaged and towed away. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a left leg, right arm, shoulder, wrist, and neck injuries that required medical attention via hospital. The contact's wife was seated in the passenger seat at the time of the crash and sustained injuries to the right shoulder, wrist, and both the left and right foot's toes that required medical attention via hospital. The contact was unsure of any injuries to the occupants of the other vehicle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V349000 (Forward Collision Avoidance) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer had been made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 23,209. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11600530

An ultrasonic sensor located in the right front grill area was determined to have failed producing the following message on the dash display: I-Activsense Temporarily Disabled. Ultrasonic Sensor Obscured. Drive Safely. This message initially appeared at approximately the 1500 mile mark of service and was documented when the vehicle was brought in for routine maintenance to Fort Myers Mazda at mile mark 3583 on 3/12/24. It is my position that safety equipment should be reasonably durable and reliable which is clearly not the case in this situation. There is a small pin sized dimple in the sensor lens. The sensor is currently available for inspection. It is further the position of Fort Myers Mazda that this sensor is not covered by the Manufacturer’s warranty due to component damage.

NHTSA ODI 11576973

The contact owns a 2024 Mazda CX-90. The contact stated while driving the same day the vehicle was purchased, the message "Telematics Malfunction" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the message was cleared; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V718000 (Back Over Prevention, Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Departure). The contact stated that while driving, the images of the front-view, side-view, and rear-view cameras failed to appear on the center display intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the dealer determined that the view monitor control module software needed to be updated; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,500. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11572115

I have raised case [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] ] with Mazda regarding my 2024 CX90 where there's a suspension and emergency automatic forward Collison breaking since I purchased the car and now this steering issue safety recall. They are not replacing or buying back. I'm feeling unsafe and fear to drive as if this malfunction car leads to accident. Please assist. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11567999

When driving on the highway next to a large truck or semi and on a curve, the adaptive cruise control thinks that there’s a vehicle in front of you and slams on the brakes. This has happened a few times with my vehicle. Thankfully, there were no vehicles immediately behind me, or the results could’ve been tragic.

NHTSA ODI 11567288

During cruise control engagement when passing a larger vehicle the system sometimes will execute aggressive braking potentially causing an accident with a vehicle following behind. Have to be ready to disengage cruise control during all situations with other vehicles in proximity. It will always perform the aggressive braking maneuver when passing a semi-truck on a curved highway.

NHTSA ODI 11565420

In tighter corners the car coasts/brakes unnecessarily while cruise is on. Seems like a safety feature possibly or a malfunction as I haven't had that on any other cruise controls on other vehicles. Then after the corner it accelerates. I find very annoying. If this is considered a safety feature then ok but it is way to sensitive currently and needs an update.

NHTSA ODI 11564261

When using the adaptive cruise control on a multi-lane highway the system will detect trucks/larger vehicles moving into your lane on a slight curve when they are not. The system will apply brakes to avoid a collision. The first time this happened there was no vehicle moving into my lane but there was an 18-wheeler behind me that wasn't expecting my vehicle to brake and they almost rear-ended me. This happened several other times before I understood the problem and turned the system off. I have reported this to my dealer and they stated the problem couldn't be replicated. This has been reported multiple times by other CX-90 drivers on this site and Mazda will get someone injured or killed if this is not fixed. If you drive a CX-90 do not use the cruise control until this is addressed by Mazda.

NHTSA ODI 11556548

When using adaptive cruise control and you are driving on a curve, if there is a vehicle, guard rail or jersey barrier in the next lane or on the side of the road, the vehicle will brake hard thinking there’s something in front of it. It has even happened when there was a hillside next to the road. This is very dangerous on a high speed highway. It can slow down from 75 mph to 45 mph in a very short amount of time.

NHTSA ODI 11555845

When going into curves on interstate, car thinks its gonna hit something and slams on the brakes when cruise control is engages. When passing a semi (semi slow lane, passing in passing lane), vehicle detects something in front of it and slams on the brakes. Does this on straight stretches. Slows down extremely fast to mabye 40 mph, then floors it once it thinks the "obstacle" has disappeared and speeds back up to the set speed as fast as it can. Sometimes does it when no othwr vehicles near it on straight stretchss of highway. This is gonna cause accidens. I don't trust the adaptive cruise control feature because it does this. This isn't weather or light related. Does it all the time.

NHTSA ODI 11555554

When adaptive cruise control is engaged, and travelling in the left lane of a multilane highway, automatic braking frequently activates when there is a vehicle ahead in the right lane (especially, but not always, a truck) but no hazard in the lane directly ahead.

NHTSA ODI 11555079

While driving on freeway with Adaptive cruise control set, vehicle automatically brakes when passing large vehicles, like semi trucks. ACC set at 75, I'm in left lane to pass truck going around curve and brakes come on and slow vehicle down to 60. I am clearly in the left lane to pass and truck in right lane. My safety and those behind are at a HUGE risk. This will cause an accident if not addressed. I am going to get rearended, it's just a matter of time. I have taken it to dealership and have been told this is normal. No it is not! No warnings other than car slamming on breaks for no reason. This has happened several times. I put down the date it first happened. I am available to bring it to dearship, again.

NHTSA ODI 11554481

Using the adaptive cruise control in I-64, the car will dangerously slow down/brake in the turns. If someone was following m, this slow down would have been unexpected, and could have rear ended us or lost control trying to avoid us. Unexpected slowdowns are dangerous. Not sure if this happens at lower speeds on side triads since I don’t use the cruise control on those roads.

NHTSA ODI 11554483

When operating the radar cruise control, if a large truck (semi, box truck) is next to you when going around a curve, the vehicle is seeing that truck in your lane and applies the brakes very suddenly. This is an issue, because if someone is following behind you, it is almost as if you are brake checking them. Clearly that is not safe at highway speeds. This has happened to me several times since owning this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11554501

When driving on a highway with cruise control on. If you are in an outside lane and the is a tractor-trailer in the inside lane maybe 100-200 feet ahead of you. If the highway veers to the left even though the truck remains in the inside lane the system seems to think the truck is right in front of the car. Cruise shuts down and it starts to brake. I have almost gotten hit by cars behind me twice. It has happened 4 times now. The first time was in mid June 2023 and three other times since. I asked about it and was told to go with manual cruise - I would have to manually do that each time I want to use it. Not acceptable and very unsafe. Reports of this type of incident have shown up several times on the Facebook Mazda CX-90 site. One other problem is with the front bushings. A hard right turn going over any kind of bump causes a severe rubbing sound.

NHTSA ODI 11554525