2009 Mazda Cx-9 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (16) · Service Brakes (15) · Suspension (5)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mazda Cx-9 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
39 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (5)
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2019-10-31 · campaign 19V782000 · 69,879 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2007-2012 CX-7, CX-9, and 2009-2012 Maza6 vehicles. These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 16V356 and 17V012.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2018-01-09 · campaign 18V018000 · 70,227 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2013 Mazda6 and CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, unless covered in "Zone A," Mazda is recalling certain 2010 Mazda6, CX-7 and CX-9 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Arizona,
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2017-07-18 · campaign 17V457000 · 79,402 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2012 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Mazda is recalling certain 2009 CX-7, CX-9 and Mazda6 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the stat
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began October 4, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 17V-012.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2017-06-29 · campaign 17V429000 · 205,377 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2009-2011 Mazda6, and 2007-2011 CX-7 and CX-9 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycl
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is performed. Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 16V356 and all vehicles that were not remedied under that campaign are now covered by this one.
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint 2015-07-20 · campaign 15V451000 · 193,484 vehicles
Defect: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting.
Risk: Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase
Service bulletins (260)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Electrical System 2026-09-11 · SA-041-26a · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
description if you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, dtc(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal mgss diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been installed. aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical con
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-20 · SA-055-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
product quality information (pqi) description service information mt-041/12 is no longer valid. it has been unpublished and superseded by the field quality information report (fqir) reporting system.
Engine 2026-06-19 · SA-041-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this sa supersedes the previously issued sa(s) listed below. the changes are noted in red. sa-061/25 12/17/25 description if you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, dtc(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal mgss diagnosis by ask
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-21 · SA-029-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this service alert supersedes the previously issued sa listed below: the changes are noted in red. sa-011/24 02/12/24, 06/06/24, 07/29/24 description mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. mazda recommends dealers follow the sch
Electrical System 2025-12-17 · SA-061-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
if you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, dtc(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal mgss diagnosis by asking if any aftermarket devices have been installed. aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. below
Unknown Or Other 2025-12-10 · 07-004-25a · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
a musty/mildew type odor may come from the vents when the air conditioning (a/c) system is operating. it is most noticeable when the a/c is first turned on. this odor is the result of mold growth in the a/c evaporator/cooling unit which is caused by condensation, dust, and pollen within the cooling
Showing the 6 most recent of 260 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-06-02 · Seat Belts · 217,400 mi“the contact owns a 2009 mazda cx-9. the contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle it was discovered that the locking mechanism for both the 3 row driver side and passenger side seat belts locking mechanisms was not present. the cause of the failure was not determined. the manufacturer and local dealer were not contacted. the failure mileage…”
2024-04-23 · Suspension · 120,000 mi“the contact owns a 2009 mazda cx-9. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. the contact stated the brake pads and rotors were replaced; however, the abnormal sound persisted. the contact called and informed the dealer of the issue however, the vehicle was not …”
2022-10-23 · Tires“october 2021 purchase 2 cooper evolution h/t all-season 245/60r18. with less than 8k miles, both tires developed deformities/bulging on upper sidewal/tread,line intersect, causing vehicle to shimmy. the dot #'s of both tires are up83 1le 1021 . tires have a 60k warranty. cooper tires issues two safety recalls due to sidewall deformities on this …”
2021-09-21 · Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:pump · 120,000 mi“the contact owns a 2009 mazda cx9. the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hot engine temperature warning light illuminated. the contact pulled over and added coolant to the reservoir and waited for the engine to cool down. the warning light remained illuminated. the contact was concerned that the failure was related to the wa…”
2021-02-10 · Tires“while driving under normal, dry conditions on highway 540 in north carolina, my right rear copper cs5 ultra touring tire catastrophically failed and separated the tread completely from the sidewall of the tire on my 2009 mazda cx-9. …”
2020-08-14 · Power Train · 150,000 mi“while pulling a small trailer the car stopped unable to drive the car according to the mechanic the transfer case shattered into pieces…”
2020-07-11 · Service Brakes · 115,000 mi“my brakes started feeling spongy but hard to push when i would try to come to a stop. it felt at times like my car wasn't going to stop. i stopped driving it and the brake booster was replaced. at that time, i lost brakes completely. the brake peddle goes all the way to the floor when pressed. hopefully the booster is a bad one.…”
2020-03-16 · Service Brakes · 135,000 mi“i have a problem with the brake light switch. it works for awhile and then stops working. when i press the brake pedal the brake light may or my not come on and that is while sitting still or while the car is moving. i have replaced the switch several times.…”
2020-02-17 · Service Brakes · 142,000 mi“i was taking my daughter to high school in the morning with my son in the car as well. in the parking lot of the high school, i applied the brakes but the brakes did not work. my foot was all the way to the floor when they finally caught but i was out in the line of traffic and luckily no one hit me and injured my son or myself. after replacing t…”
2020-01-22 · Engine · 147,000 mi“oil and coolant mixed together and cause engine to die with a service code of p0016 which means per the dealer that the engine needs to be replaced. i bought this car brand new and had it service by mazda dealership consistently. this is common issue and mazda manufacturer should be cover this issue for customers.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.