2016 Mazda Cx-5 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Exterior Lighting (154) · Service Brakes (62) · Visibility/Wiper (43)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mazda Cx-5 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
335 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (5)
Exterior Lighting:headlights 2020-02-06 · campaign 20V063000 · 36,761 vehicles
Defect: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2016 CX-5 vehicles. The LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) may fail while driving.
Risk: If the DRL fails, the vehicle's visibility may be reduced to other drivers on the road, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the headlights, and replace the sealing gasket or headlight assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 20, 2020. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 4320A.
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.
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.
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:filler Pipe And Cap 2016-02-03 · campaign 16V064000 · 268,799 vehicles
Defect: Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Mazda CX-5 vehicles manufactured June 27, 2013, to February 2, 2016. The affected vehicles have a fuel filler pipe that may rupture in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
Risk: A rupture of the fuel filler pipe may result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will alter the attachment between the fuel filler pipe and the left rear side of the bracket of the fuel filler pipe, free of charge. The recall began on February 25, 2016. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 6. Mazda's number for this recall is 9216B.
Visibility:windshield 2016-01-19 · campaign 16E002000 · 193 vehicles
Defect: Pilkington North America, Inc. (Pilkington) is recalling certain replacement windshields, model FW04026 GTY, manufactured November 23, 2015, to December 16, 2015 for use in Mazda CX-5 vehicles that are equipped with the Smart City Brake Support system. The affected windshields have a bracket mounted on the inside to hold a laser sensor or LIDAR device for the Smart City Brake Support system. These brackets were improperly affixed with only tape instead of tape and urethane and therefore may lo
Risk: If the bracket loosens or detaches from the windshield, the safety features of the Smart City Brake Support system may be disabled and therefore increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Pilkington will contact the wholesalers and retailers that purchased the windshields to try to identify the affected customers. The affected windshields will be replaced, free of charge. This recall began on February 15, 2016. Owners may contact Pilkington at 1-844-278-7230.
Service bulletins (705)
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
Power Train 2026-05-01 · 01-008-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below. the changes are noted in red. 01-008/23 06/05/23 some vehicles may exhibit rattling noises from the engine compartment and oil leakage from the drive belt auto tensioner. this may be caused by insufficient sealing at the driv
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-30 · SA-031-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
description some vehicles may require the replacement of a damaged vin plate or vehicle certification label. to obtain a replacement vin plate (bulkhead-mounted and visible through the lower-left area of the windshield), contact dag (dealer assistance group) using vin plate request form available on
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
Engine 2026-04-16 · SA-026-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this service alert supersedes the previously issued m-tip(s) listed below. the changes are noted in red text. mt-002/19 09/30/19 and 12/19/19 description if an engine assembly is replaced after a catastrophic internal mechanical failure, clean the intake manifold internally before installing a repla
Showing the 6 most recent of 705 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-27 · Visibility/Wiper“my windshield wipers stopped working completely. i am unable to see out my front window properly while its raining. yes the dealership said that my front body control module needs to be replaced which is the same issue that other mazdas from the same era have had safety recalls for (nhtsa campaign 19v272000). no it hasn't been inspected by anyone …”
2026-10-21 · Seats“i own a 2016 mazda cx-5 grand touring and discovered two brown, burn-like marks on the lower seatback of a heated front seat. i suspect the seat heater overheated and damaged the upholstery. the discoloration is concentrated in the lower back/lumbar area, and i have photographs documenting it. i am concerned that continued use could cause further…”
2026-08-05 · Suspension“rear subframe corrosion on this vehicle. i am in a winter road salt region, the materials used for this vehicle's subframe are not compatible with consistent driving in this region. similar vehicles (not mine?) were subject to a recall for the front subframe, but nothing for the rear. this rear subframe issues caused multiple failures of virtual…”
2026-07-30 · Service Brakes · 84,000 mi“the contact owns a 2016 mazda cx-5. the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electric parking brake module warning light was illuminated and the "brake failure. vehicle unsafe to drive," message was displayed on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken back to the residence. the failure occurred on several different occasion…”
2026-06-22 · Unknown Or Other“repeated failure and rebooting of mazda connect infotainment system i am the owner of a 2016 mazda cx-5. the factory mazda connect infotainment system has developed a recurring defect in which the system repeatedly reboots to the mazda logo while driving. prior to complete failure, the navigation system became intermittent and bluetooth connectivi…”
2026-06-16 · Electrical System · 91,000 mi“the contact owns a 2016 mazda cx-5. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph with the cruise control activated, the cruise control cancellation switch failed to operate as intended after several attempts or while depressing the brake pedal. no warning light was illuminated. in addition, the contact was able to deactivate the cruise control usin…”
2026-06-01 · Unknown Or Other“in 2024 i started having problems with my battery replaced it 3 times last time with a mazda battery per mazda advice. the car started to jerk while driving took it back to mazda said it could be fuel injectors. they cleaned them and problem persists. took it back they cleaned purve valve and then i broke down while leaving on [xxx] . called servi…”
2026-05-28 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:catalytic Convertor · 131,860 mi“the contact owns a 2016 mazda cx-5. the contact stated that the engine light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic diagnosed with a sensor failure and needing to replace a catalytic converter. the oxygen sensors were repalced.r was replaced by an independent mechanic. the vehicle stalled while reversing. the manufacture…”
2026-05-27 · Visibility/Wiper“(i am the owner of the car and am filling this out for my daughter who was driving it at the time, i was not with her during the incident) while driving down the road in the rain the wipers just stopped working. i have not had any dealers id the specific problem yet. we replaced the wiper 20amp fuse and it did not fix the problem. there were no…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.