2013 Mazda Cx-9 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (15) · Engine (13) · Suspension (8)
🧭 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
44 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2018-10-12 · campaign 18V717000 · 155,436 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Mazda 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 2011-2013 Mazda6, 2011-2012 CX-7, and 2011-2015 CX-9 sold, or ever registered in the s
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 November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F.
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.
Steering 2016-04-11 · campaign 16V203000 · 578 vehicles
Defect: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 2, 2015, 2013-2014 Mazda2 vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to August 8, 2014, 2014-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured January 19, 2013, to December 2, 2015, and 2013-2015 CX-9 vehicles manufactured December 6, 2012, to July 31, 2015. The lower mounting nuts and bolts that attach the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle may loosen, allowing the steering knuckl
Risk: If the steering knuckle separates from the strut assembly, it can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lower mounting nuts and bolts that secure the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle. If the bolts are loose, they will be replaced and then correctly tightened, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 9316D.
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 (319)
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
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
Unknown Or Other 2025-08-22 · SA-039/25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage such (melted, separating, etc.) when parked near a glass building or low-e windows. this may be caused by the sun's reflection. if a structure's windows create enough of a curve, the concave glass can focus the sun's rays onto a small area and a
Showing the 6 most recent of 319 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-04-14 · Engine“engine throwing a code after dying at intersection. found that it isa known issue for this vehicle and repair costs are astronomical. diagnostic summary: 2013 mazda cx-9 (3.7l v6)issue: faulty crankshaft/camshaft correlation (code p0016)current mileage: ~160,000 miles reported symptoms: extended cranking (long start), rattle upon startup, and ratt…”
2026-03-05 · Suspension · 188,000 mi“the contact owns a 2013 mazda cx-9. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. the check engine warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the lower control arm needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the contac…”
2025-09-25 · Structure:body · 💥 crash“i was pulling into a parking spot in brooksville, florida. it was the last parking spot on the block. as i pulled in, i went to hit my brake so that i could back up and the car did not stop. my foot was pressed all the way down to the floor and it kept going, and i hit the car parked in front of me. at that point, a warning came up on my odometer s…”
2024-08-27 · Air Bags“niece was driving home from college on july 24, 2024 around 7:30 pm. she heard a pop when she was 1 mile away from the house. side airbags exploded on passenger and driver side for no reason. she called me. we drove the car home since it was less than 1 mile away. no injuries. a couple of days later took to body shop to assess damage. …”
2023-03-09 · Engine“the engine in my mazda blew with no warning. i got in my car after warming it up and noticed my check engine light on, which wasn’t unusual because it has came on before with a loose gas gap warning, so i put it in gear and drove less than 50 ft before it started making noises. i immediately turned around and came straight home and turned the car o…”
2023-01-16 · Engine“water pump is cracked and leaking through weep hole, to no fault of the driver. the vehicle has over 214k miles on it and the mechanic informed us that this is common in this vehicle of this age with that many miles on it. luckily we caught it before the leaky coolant mixed in with the engine oil and caused the engine to seize up, which after doing…”
2022-07-14 · Engine“car began shuddering/shaking and check engine light went on. booked appointment at mazda dealer. upon inspection they found a significant amount of coolant had leaked into engine and timing was jumping. was advised it should not be driven as the engine could freeze at any moment without warning. the technician provided a video inspection of car…”
2022-05-29 · Engine“i was sitting in the car rider line and my engine started making this loud noise. i looked down at the temperature gage and it started over heating. i went to go pull it over and i noticed that the check engine light came on that's when i was turning in the parking place the engine stalled and i turned the car off. i took it to a local shop and he…”
2022-02-10 · Engine“headed out to the store and engine was running rough and cel was on. thought it was bad gas because i just put a few dollars in. added gas treatment and topped off tank and continued to store. stopped at advanced auto near the grocery store so they could pull the code. it was a p0016 - cam position sensor. if that was bad it would explain r…”
2021-10-23 · Service Brakes“brakes failed while driving. mazda dealer did not fix this known defect under recall ssp93…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.