On December 1st of this year, I purchased a 2021 CX-5 Touring with Preferred Package.

On December 18th I got repeated ‘Ignition Still On’ when I parked and turned the engine off. Needing to attend to my plans I left the vehicle (with warning still showing) and locked it behind me (as is my custom, with the door lock not the auto lock setting). When I returned to my car after an hour I was locked out. The fob was nonfunctional, the auto-open doors did not open. I had to struggle to remove the metal key from the fob in order to gain entry. This happened in freezing temperatures and gusting winds here in NW Wisconsin. I drove it to the my dealer, and after waiting for 1 ½ hours I was sent on my way with a loaner car. I was told the ignition module would need to be changed, and they had to order the part.

The following week I called for status: the part is backordered from the factory.

Today I called again for status, same answer, with the additional “we don’t know when we’ll get the part, hopefully in a week or two.”

In researching online forums for this ‘ignition still on’ problem I read that Mazda customers driving models dating all the way back to 2013 have had similar failures. There are even discussion tutorials on how to finesse the parking lever from drive into park to ensure the sensors identify that the vehicle is in park.

My confidence in the reliability of this car has been shattered. I understand the probability of a second or even more components suffering ‘infant mortality’ is significantly greater now. My confidence in the dealer’s ability to promptly correct any issues I may have has evaporated, in that Mazda the parent company is are not providing the backup they need. I am suffering from significant buyer’s remorse. It looks highly likely that I will be making my first car payment before I get it back from the shop.