2012 Mazda Mazda5 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Tires (7) · Fuel/Propulsion System (7) · Structure:body (5)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mazda Mazda5 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
29 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (1)
Structure:body:hatchback/Liftgate 2016-09-06 · campaign 16V644000 · 580,455 vehicles
Defect: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or
Risk: If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9916H.
Service bulletins (225)
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product quality information (pqi) description service information mt-041/12 is no longer valid. it has been unpublished and superseded by the field quality information report (fqir) reporting system.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 225 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-08-04 · Power Train“while accelerating from a complete stop at a traffic light on a multi-lane roadway, the vehicle suddenly lost all engine power without prior warning. the engine rpm dropped immediately to 0, causing the vehicle to stall in the middle of an active intersection and creating an immediate risk of a side-impact collision from oncoming traffic. all warni…”
2026-06-29 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 226,000 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owned a 2012 mazda mazda5. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, a deer wandered into the middle of the road, and the contact depressed the brake pedal and the wheels locked up, causing the tires to slide. the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a ditch, spun around, and struck another object, caus…”
2024-09-25 · Tires“sentury touring (discount tire) 205/55/r16. both front tires have inner wear to the point of shredding in the same location on *both* front tires. both tires went out at the same time and could have caused a serious accident. discount tire stated it was an alignment issue. the alignment shop (30 minutes after new tires were installed after dual bl…”
2022-10-11 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 118,000 mi“the contact owns a 2012 mazda mz5. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired and remained at the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that …”
2022-08-10 · Fuel/Propulsion System“this vehicle ejects a significant amount of fuel from its fuel filler port during every refueling. the volume of fuel and the distance the gasoline travels in a hazardous environment poses an avoidable risk that can result in a catastrophic event with potential fatalities. in addition, the cumulative quantity of fuel needlessly spilled negatively …”
2021-08-14 · Service Brakes · 155,000 mi“during july of 2021 brake pedal went all the way down with no braking. pumping the pedal restored braking. after the 3rd incident, had the master cylinder replaced on july 30, 2021 by certified mechanics. brakes seemed fine, but on aug 11, 2021 brake pedal went all the way down producing no braking on 3 occasions. pumping the pedal restored bra…”
2021-06-21 · Fuel/Propulsion System“the mazda5 has a tsb on the issue, 01-013/15. what i am attempting to find out is why this isn't a recall. when the failure occurs, the fuelling of the vehicle doesn't shut off the nozzle. what happens is fuel comes spraying out of the opening, getting over the ground, the vehicle, and in most cases the person fueling the vehicle. my vehicle h…”
2021-05-15 · Structure:body · 110,300 mi · 💥 crash“rear-ended while stopped by truck going under 20 mph. our heads struck headrests and driver and front passenger seats instantly reclined back onto front of children's car seats. they're legs would have been crushed at the knees if they were in the accident. our necks were sore from whiplash.…”
2020-01-22 · Structure:body · 122,000 mi“it's very common in the mazda 5 cars for the emission components to fail often and affects the fuel economy which causes loss of fuel, money etc. it's also a safety concern as the evap leaks could release fuel vapors to the atmosphere and polluting it. as well as fire hazards due to the fuel leaks. i've noticed many customers approaching the dealer…”
2019-08-07 · Steering · 65,000 mi“while driving my steering wheel got really harden almost impossible to turn. i nearly crash. i was lucky i was going slow. this has happened in more than 1 ocassion. i was driving in city.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.