10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,488 miles

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problem #52

Jul 212023

CX-5

  • miles
When I turn my car off I get ignition switch and it stalls then my engine come on and off

- Tabor City, NC, USA

problem #51

May 072023

CX-5

  • 62,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the contact became aware of smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the cylinder head was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

problem #50

Jun 042023

CX-5

  • miles
Engine oil started leaking after I noticed smoke coming from the hood of the car. No warning signs, no check engine light, nothing to indicate any issues until this occurred. Took the car to the dealership who confirmed it was a cracked cylinder head which is now being replaced.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #49

May 262023

CX-5

  • miles
Driving down the freeway smoke started coming out of the hood of the car and into the cabin, no warnings or warning lights of any kind, got the car to the Mazda dealer to be inspected. The dealer told me it was 5 months out of warranty and would not be covered its a cracked cylinder head and oil had dripped/leaked onto the manifold causing the smoke. No smoke was coming from the exhaust so the crack only leaked oil to the outside of the cylinder head. There is no oil in my driveway so it happened that day on the road. This is a manufacturing error that Mazda won't take responsibility for.

- Vancouver, WA, USA

problem #48

Apr 292023

CX-5

  • miles
When driving I started to smell a burning oil or rubber smell inside the cabin of the car. When I stopped I could see smoke coming from under the hood. When I was able to park, I opened the hood and could see smoke coming from the engine. There were no warning lights displaying on the dash, no leaking fluid from under the car. I did not feel safe continuing to drive the car without having it seen, so I took it to the closest Mazda dealer service. After inspecting the issue I was told there is a cracked cylinder head that is leaking fluid into the engine and the exhaust and I would need a brand new engine. The service manager said this is a known issue with the 2018-2021 Mazda CX-5. Unfortunately, the warranty that would cover this expired in April 2023 (at the time of writing this, it's May 1, 2023). It should be noted that my CX-5 is only 5 years old with ~37,000 miles on it. I was told by the Mazda service manager that the car is not safe to be driven in this condition and would have to stay in their possession on their lot until I decide if I want to have it fixed.

- Ijamsville, MD, USA

problem #47

Feb 262021

CX-5

  • miles
Crack in cylinder head at 25k caused oil to leak and engine to smoke while driving. No warning lights came on. Dealership replaced the part but how do I know it won't happen again? Mazda knows about this but has not issued a recall or extended the powertrain warranty to cover this known manufacturing defect.

- Bedminster, NJ, USA

problem #46

Dec 102022

CX-5

  • miles
Oil drained to warning level from full during a vacation. The oil leaked out around head gasket level onto every part of the engine below it and the movement of air caused oil droplets to fall on the exhaust and smoke and also coated entire underneath and most of rear hatch with oil droplets.

- Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

problem #45

Mar 062023

CX-5

  • miles
2018 Mazda CX-5. While driving a burning smell was detected (oil). Oil leakage noticed when car parked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a cracked cylinder head. There is a service bulletin stating defect in engine head. Mazda will not cover costs, as its outside 60,000 mile warranty. Quote given of $4085 to fix issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 85000.

- Valatie, NY, USA

problem #44

Feb 132023

CX-5

  • miles
After driving when I got off my car, I could smell something burned. I took my car a dealer shop, and they found the Crack in a cylinder head. The cylinder head has been fixed, but I can still smell something is burning.. I am not sure it is totally fixed or not.

- San Mateo, CA, USA

problem #43

Feb 282023

CX-5

  • miles
2023 02 28, 36410 miles - Engine oil burning smell entering the cabin of the car, oil leaking from engine. No warning lights. Diagnosed by Mazda dealer as a cracked cylinder head, will be repaired under warranty. Discovered Service Alert #SA-013/22 that applies to this defect. 2023 02 23, 36,389 miles - Car in for an oil change under extended service program at Mazda dealer. Dealer discovered the timing chain cover leaking, repaired under warranty. Owner also reported that information screen has been malfunctioning intermittantly. Dealer remarked that the screen does have problems, but that it is not covered by the warranty, and would need to be replaced within the next two years and would cost about $2000. Upon vehicle pick-up, several warning lights went on, dealer reprogrammed the code system, test drove, pronounced the lights indicated nothing was wrong. 2022 08 17, 31,174 miles - Fuel pump replaced under recall while car in for regular oil change covered by service contract. 2021 02 04, 17,629 miles - Timing chain cover leaking, discovered by dealer while in for regular oil change, repaired under warranty.

- San Rafael, CA, USA

problem #42

Jan 272023

CX-5

  • miles
Mechanic stated engine cylinder head oil hole leak. Seems to be manufacturer defects

- Parkville, MO, USA

problem #41

Dec 312022

CX-5

  • miles
Cracked cylinder head, significant oil leaking, no engine lights. No past collisions in vehicles or indicator engine was running hot. Dealership reported they see no history of fault codes on vehicle computer.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #40

Dec 232022

CX-5 4-cyl

  • miles
On 12/23 I was driving on the highway approaching exit 43 A-B on I-95 N and the engine oil light came on, I started monitoring the temperature of the car and it was holding steady, neither was it dropping nor was it overheating. I continued driving for a minute more, I am half mile away from home at this point and I smelled burning oil. I pulled the car over and opened up the hood, I turned on the flashlight on my phone and I could see oil on the engine floor. I called up Mazda dealership near me and they were closed for the holidays so I left voicemails. After a couple of days of no answers, I was able to get through to someone and they said they'll take the car in however they can't guarantee if they will be able to even look at it until after the holiday, I speak to the service manager and mention that I have an upcoming trip out of state for Christmas, they said they did not have any loaner cars available either. I got my car towed to the dealership anyways. Next day I get a phonecall from them stating that the oil pump and pressure was fine and they suspect it was the engine head that was causing the leak and that it would cost me 6000$ to fix it. Along with that I need to get my belt tensioner fixed which would be around 680$. The car's estimated value is about 12000$ and I am being asked to pay more than half its value after owning it for 4 years to fix something that was caused by wear and tear. I also did a little digging and I've found that my car falls under ones that have been identified by Mazda to probably have a defective engine head. I am attaching the reports that I have discovered in my research with this submission. I am imploring for assistance in this matter as I cannot afford this expense and I would not like to part ways with something that has been reliable for the last 4+ years. Dealership- Wellesley Mazda

- Waltham, MA, USA

problem #39

Oct 292022

CX-5

  • miles
After driving for approximately 1 minute, the vehicle approached a stop sign and car stalled and would not restart. When attempting to restart vehicle, engine was firing but not turning over. Attempted to jump start the vehicle with no success until vehicle was given throttle at which point it restarted. No lights were illuminated prior to the incident, but when the vehicle stalled the battery light and check engine light illuminated.

- Liverpool, PA, USA

problem #38

Sep 242022

CX-5

  • miles
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" Engine Heads Cracked How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Smoke from engine bay and fumes entering cabin via AC vents. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Inspected by Mazda dealer and confirmed defective header from manufacture. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" No warning lamps, burning smell Burning oil smoke from engine bay. Smoke order enters cabin via AC vents odor very strong. Appeared at 28,000 odometer mileage.

- Sun Valley, CA, USA

problem #37

Sep 052022

CX-5

  • 125,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a burning odor was detected with smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a cracked engine block. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

- Clinton Twp, MI, USA

problem #36

Sep 072022

CX-5

  • miles
Hello, I am writing to you for a possible failure post update to the software as specified in Recall 19V-497 dated 09/06/2022 found on the manufacturer's recall website (https://www.mazdarecallinfo.com/). The status is marked as CLOSED. However, I faced the exact problem yesterday as described in the Safety Risk section of the recall details on their website (Summary section on NHTSA website). Below is my best attempt to describe my event: Event: I made a stop at a red light. As it turned green, I accelerated and the engine shut off/stalled. I pushed the engine stop button, switched gear to "P", and the car won't start at all. I was also not able to press the brake or accelerator. I was not able to move the gearstick. Safety risk: My car stalled in the middle of the road. It was a busy junction. If this occurred on a highway, it is possible this may lead to serious injuries or death. After-events: I got the car towed to the dealership where I was told by the service crew that the car worked fine. I was sent a video of multipoint inspection with recommended additional services, a business that I understand. However, they were not able to identify the cause of the engine stall. I decided to check recall information and found this recall (19V-497) with status as CLOSED. But this is the exact problem I faced yesterday. Therefore, either/some/all of the below cases are possible: 1. The status is marked incorrectly as CLOSED 2. The date of recall on the website is misleading; this recall was placed 06/27/2019. 3. My service did not actually service the recall (I service my car every 5000 miles) 4. The recall failed to resolve the engine stall issue. 5. Issue may not be related to failure of this recall remediation; meaning, service did not perform a root-cause inspection of the problem itself. This message is intended to keep you informed in case point (4) holds true.

- Oak Park, IL, USA

problem #35

Jul 122022

CX-5

  • miles
oil leak from a cracked cylinder head, common issue seen

- Shawnee, KS, USA

problem #34

Aug 082022

CX-5

  • miles
Driving on highway going 70-75 mph, all of a sudden car starts to stall, check engine light lights up informing me keyless, power steering, vehicle system, smart brake malfunction. I almost crashed as I was on I-55 heading to downtown Chicago. My girlfriend and I could have died.

- Joliet, IL, USA

problem #33

Jul 212022

CX-5

  • miles
Magna motors in evansville, Indiana is refusing to address the fuel pump recall on my 2018 Mazda Cx-5. they claim there are no parts to fix it so they cant help me. My vehicle doesnt start half the time and they refuse to provide a loaner until mine is fixed. There has to be something they can do.

- Evansville, IN, USA

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