What 22 owners told NHTSA about the 2025 Mazda Cx-90 Mhev

I own a 2026 Mazda CX-90 hybrid with approximately 13,000 miles. The vehicle began making a grinding noise while driving, which has progressively worsened over time. It has since developed a hard knocking noise accompanied by noticeable vibration when the vehicle shifts gears. This knocking occurs during normal in-town driving. I have taken the vehicle to the selling/authorized Mazda dealership on two occasions — June 2, 2026 and July 14, 2026. On both visits, the dealer was able to reproduce and confirm the noise and knocking. The dealer stated they are aware other customers have reported the same issue, but that Mazda considers the noise/knocking acceptable and declined to perform a repair. No warning lights or diagnostic trouble codes have appeared at any point; the only symptoms are audible and physical. The vehicle is under both factory warranty and a purchased service/maintenance agreement. It has only been inspected by the selling dealership; no inspection has been performed directly by Mazda North America, law enforcement, or an insurance representative. I am concerned about my safety and the safety of others because a worsening, unexplained drivetrain issue that produces hard knocking and vibration during routine driving suggests a mechanical fault that could progress to sudden failure, and the manufacturer has declined to investigate or repair it further despite the symptom escalating across two documented visits. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ODI 11750408

I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2025 Mazda CX-90 PHEV, leased in April 2025. Since early in my lease, the vehicle has had ongoing drivability issues that have worsened over time and now present a serious safety concern.From the beginning, the vehicle exhibited jerking and hesitation while driving. Initially minor, this has become more frequent and now includes stalling behavior during normal driving conditions, including acceleration and traffic flow. This creates a risk of collision, especially when merging or at intersections.Approximately six months into my lease, the radiator failed and had to be replaced. More recently, while driving, multiple warnings appeared at once: Hybrid System Malfunction, Battery System Malfunction, Oil Monitoring Malfunction, and i-ACTIVSENSE partially disabled. These warnings were documented.Two weeks prior, the dealership reported no diagnostic codes. However, on my most recent visit, I was told via video that the active air shutter is now the issue. The required part is on backorder until August. I was told I could either remain in a non-comparable loaner while still making full lease payments, or continue driving the vehicle in its current condition until the part arrives. I find this unacceptable given the safety concerns.I expressed that I do not feel safe driving this vehicle, but the service advisor stated this is “not a safety concern.” I disagree. A vehicle that jerks, hesitates, or stalls while driving, combined with multiple system malfunctions and disabled safety features, presents a clear safety risk.I also disclosed prior to leasing that I do not have access to charging. I was told this would not be an issue. I am now being told that not charging the vehicle may be contributing to the problem. Service advisors have also indicated these vehicles have known hybrid battery issues.I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle and am concerned for my safety and my family’s safety.

NHTSA ODI 11727400

On 3/19/2026, the vehicle ignition was turned on. Immediately, we received a variety of warnings, including: "charging system malfunction", "i-ACTIVESENSE Partially Disabled", "Hybrid System Malfunction", "i-stop Malfunction", "Charging System Malfunction", and "Critical Systems Failure". Vehicle has only 20,040 miles. On 3/20/2026 8:30 AM, we contacted the Mazda dealer where vehicle was purchased new and they said "we are not sure when we can get to it--it could be several weeks". We had the vehicle towed to this dealer since they were involved in addressing the recall about "fuel sensors". An email was also sent to Mazda corporate so they would be aware of the response we received from the dealer and help with a car rental. It was very fortunate that we were not on the highway when this happened as it would have been an extreme safety risk.

NHTSA ODI 11725814

Early December I was driving and attempting to make a left-hand turn across traffic. I press the gas slowly in preparation to cross traffic. Once a car passed I pressed the gas to get across the traffic lanes before other cars got to me and when I pressed the gas, the car completely stopped moving. I sat there, pushing harder & pumping for what felt like forever, but was probably three to five seconds. I had to take my foot off the gas, press the brake, and put it back on the gas to get the car to move. By that point, I had cars stopping & honking at me because I was sitting in the middle of oncoming traffic, unable to move my vehicle. Then (12/15) I was sitting at a stop sign, waiting to turn right. I made my right turn advancing onto the new street and my car stopped moving entirely and started flashing two errors, both hybrid system malfunction and engine malfunction. I tried to get the car moving for a bit, switching gears, pressing brake then gas, etc. After putting the car in park & turning on flashers (I was blocking a lane of traffic) and powering the car off and then back on again the car moved, however, the errors are still there.I called the dealership & brought the car in. After a diagnostic they cleared the code & told me to go. I told them it was not safe to put my children in the vehicle and they needed to identify the root cause and fix the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11719758

The vehicle repeatedly displays warnings including “Acceleration Limited Due to Low Fuel and/or Battery Condition,” Hybrid System Malfunction, and Engine System warnings. These events result in reduced acceleration and loss of power while driving. The condition occurs despite normal fuel levels and routine driving conditions. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership multiple times. Each time, I am told no fault codes are present or the issue cannot be replicated. The warnings continue to recur and remain unresolved. This creates an unsafe driving condition due to unpredictable power limitation. This issue appears to be a known problem affecting Mazda CX-90 vehicles and may be related to hybrid system software or battery management. The vehicle was being driven on a city road (Lake Forrest and University dr in McKinney, TX). Turned right off of a shopping center exit toward Lake Forest Dr. The vehicle lost power all of a sudden and would not accelerate with traffic heading in my direction. The vehicle signaled to stop and place the gear into park. I was able to slowly change lanes and pull into the Chipotle parking lot at 5151 W. University Dr at 10:56 am. I called Mazda Roadside and they came to tow it to El Dorado Mazda dealership. This incident: Date: 01/10/26 Time: 10:56 am Temp: 45° / clear and sunny Previous Incident: 12/04/25 6 pm Parked - Idling at Prosper High School. I-stop and hybrid system malfunction warnings appeared Called El Dorado Mazda- advised it was not a safety issue and sometimes it just needed a software update or the battery was bad. They scheduled a service appt until 12/17/26 due to lack of loaner vehicles available. 12/08/25 / 12:05 pm Clear weather Inspected at El Dorado Mazda Could not be Duplicated. Battery OK Nothing came up on diagnostic machine. Cleared recall. Advised to return if it happened again. Reassured me it was safe to drive and I was not in danger. 12/16/25 Car started from park at home Approx 40-50° 9-10 am 1/10/26-

NHTSA ODI 11710144