10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
63,882 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #14

Jul 142021

CX-9

  • miles
Defective water pump located inside the engine that when failure occurs can cause coolant to leak into engine causing complete engine failure. This is a major safety hazard due to the fact that these cars with defective water pumps can break down with very little warning in the middle of a freeway! I have contacted Mazda who refuses to do anything due to it being outside warranty but will not acknowledge the safety concern sudden engine failure can cause on a perfectly maintained car. In California there is currently a lawsuit against Mazda for this issue and hundreds of other Ford and Mazda owners who have been caught in very dangerous situations due to this water pump failure issue. The situation we were involved in could have gone very differently and that was my family in the vehicle that Mazda seems to care about a couple thousand dollars more then the value of life... is just ridiculous! Please do the research yourself so no one has to loose their life over this.

- West Valley City , UT, USA

problem #13

Sep 052021

CX-9

  • miles
When getting off highway engine began to knock. Engine stalled and would not restart. Upon inspection the water pump was found to have failed and leaked engine coolant into oil. This caused engine to have a complete failure. No check engine light illuminated but when car was scanned multiple codes were found. The car was also found to have a bad Transfer Case.

- Glen Mills, PA, USA

problem #12

Jul 242021

CX-9

  • 144,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda CX-9. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, upon approaching oncoming traffic, the vehicle unexpectedly shut-off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and pulled the vehicle off to the shoulder. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. Due to the failure and the warning light, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the mechanic informed her that coolant had leaked into the oil cylinder and they referred her to a dealer for assistance. The contact then had the vehicle towed to the dealer where they diagnosed the vehicle with a defective water pump as well as engine failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and stated that the failure was caused due to poor maintenance. No further assistance was provided. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

- Richmond Heights, OH, USA

problem #11

Jan 042020

CX-9

  • 89,000 miles
Water pump leaking in engine mixing with oil

- Gordo, AL, USA

problem #10

Oct 292020

CX-9

  • 126,000 miles
While driving straight on a highway the water pump bearing failed causing coolant to leak and mix with the engine oil. The car immediately started to make a rattle noise and smoke or steam came from under the hood. The underside of the car was covered with coolant and what appeared to be oil. The car was not drivable and had to be towed to a mechanic. Once at the mechanic the took the engine out to get to the water pump, once everything was put back together it was found that the failure also caused damage to the vvt actuater and alternator. The engine is completely shot.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #9

May 222019

CX-9

  • miles
I bought the car under warranty up to 90,000 miles, when I bought truck 2015 and took in we told dealer that the was car leaking black substance they said they did not see anything. We took it for a recall and told the dealer same thing this time off and on it would smell like burn rubber by this time warranty was not covered. The issue was not diagnosed until we took it to for an oil change and routine inspection at 108 something miles the smell of burnt rubber is more persistent the mechanic told us there is a leak it looks like transmission oil and it is dripping to axle.we took in truck to first mechanic to get a quote he could only get part at the dealer they said that the whole power transfer case would need to be change not just the seals. Took it in for second opinion that mechanic said that those particular models and year have been taken in for same issue and end up having to change power transfer case because it was poorly manufactured that the exhaust is to close it melts rubbers and leaks transmission oil therefore changing seals will not correct the problem the whole thing needs to be change. I have 3 small children and smell of rubber is concerning it upsetting that there is multiple cars from year 2011 to 2017 with these issue's and there has not been a recall does a car need to catch on fire with kids in it. This is a manufacturing issue and should be investigated.

- Redwood City, CA, USA

problem #8

Mar 252019

CX-9

  • 71,000 miles
Failure of the power transfer case / power transfer unit ("ptu"). the defect was discovered when a black oil like substance was found under the engine compartment of the vehicle in the garage. Vehicle was taken to a Mazda dealership for inspection and diagnosis. Oem advised that it was a defective ptu. Oem states that it is a known defect. Internet research reveals the breadth of the defect. Oem states that limited warranty was extended to 7 years and 100,000 miles. Subject vehicle has 71,000 miles, but is a few months outside extended warranty. Oem never sent notice to consumers advising of the defect. Oem never issued a recall for the known defect. Oem never sent notice to consumers advising of the warranty extension. Oem refuses to cover the defect under warranty. Consumer has promptly remediated all prior known recalls directly with oem upon receipt of notice.

- Voorhees, NJ, USA

problem #7

Jan 012019

CX-9

  • 130,000 miles
Mazda Cx-9 2011 has un-detected water pump leaks which cause to engine overheat and eventual engine death. Mazda corporate is unwilling to co-operate. Car suddenly came to a halt showing engine light on..and I had to replace the brake booster also because when I was driving the vehicle it turn off on me everywhere and I had to pay out of my pocket and im still paying for this vehicle right now my vehicle is in a garage because is not drivable

- Jamestown, NY, USA

problem #6

May 132018

CX-9

  • 69,000 miles
Car surges unexpectedly even when gas pedal not engaged - can cause a rushed forward or reverse motion, putting pedestrians or other cars at risk. This happens daily. Problem was identified by dealership several months ago. There is a related oil leak.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #5

Feb 052018

CX-9

  • 3 miles
Mazda Cx-9 2011 has un-detected water pump leaks which cause to engine overheat and eventual engine death. Mazda corporate is unwilling to co-operate. Car suddenly came to a halt showing engine light on.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #4

Dec 012016

CX-9 6-cyl

  • 81,000 miles
Transfer case - had unusual wear and tear on the transfer case that lead me to lose steering and driving capability when driving to work. Took my car to car dealer and the transfer case was ground down and the transmission was rusting. Had no water damage and cost over $4,000. Since have researched and found that many Mazda owners have been experiences issues with their transmission and transfer case. I believe this should be looked into.

- Pittston, PA, USA

problem #3

Jan 232016

CX-9

  • 89,000 miles
Same issue as everyone else hissing when brakes are compressed -or car is stopped and bad or lagging in braking. My brakes were completely down to the floor and the car kept slowly trying to roll. I had to pump the brakes. Or put the car in park. When I let the brakes go no hissing

- Braintree, MA, USA

problem #2

Jan 312015

CX-9

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Mazda Cx-9. while driving 45 mph at night, the contact noticed a flickering light coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact merged to the side of the road. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that flames engulfed the engine. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. Neither the contact nor the passenger sustained any injuries. The cause of the fire was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 65,000.

- Elizabeth, CO, USA

problem #1

Nov 152014

CX-9 6-cyl

  • 30,345 miles
While driving on interstate 77, North bound, at 55mph, other motorists informed me that my car was on fire underneath. There were no dashboard warning lights or signals that came on it light up as a warning sign. I pulled over to the side of the road, the fire department and sheriff's office put out the fire and the car was towed. The car is quite new and with very low mileage. Well maintained car. No recent work other than regular oil change. Mazda denies any problems with this car.

- Shaker Heights , OH, USA