3.5

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
37,324 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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problem #6

Mar 152022

CX-9

  • miles
I had engine failure with a complete loss of power and a shuttering of the steering wheel while pulling into a parking lot and going less than 30 miles per hour. The temperature gauze went from cold to hot suddenly. There were no leaks of coolant or oil and no signs that the engine was out of water or that the water pump had "melted". On the final car repair trip we found out that the engine has an internal water pump that failed and resulted in oil & water getting into the engine. The engine light NEVER came on, I had complained about the tire pressure light blinking on and off in November 2021 and the deceleration issue I was having. The dealer did a coolant flush 11/2021. In early March 2022 the engine shut off as I was backing out of the driveway. I took it to a repair shop nearby they could not find anything wrong except that the car went into limp mode. They also did a coolant flush and radiator cap exchange since I forgot I had just done one on Nov. Less that a week later the engine failed again. We towed the car to the dealer for the third trip in less than four months. I am really disappointed that Mazda failed to recall the engine. I could have been seriously hurt if I had been traveling at high speeds. The CX9 had less than 135,000 miles at 12 years old.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #5

Nov 052019

CX-9

  • 77,423 miles
I purchased a 2010 CX9 about a month ago and got pulled over last night for my driver side head light being out, I took it to the shop and was charged $194 for the bulb replacement, but it did not work and was charged another $130 for diagnostics. They found out that the ballast has blown out due to condensation in the headlight and now they are going to charge me again for the ballast and labor

- Frederick, MD, USA

problem #4

Sep 012014

CX-9 6-cyl

  • 35,000 miles
Hand free equipment (blue tooth) stopped communication with my mobil phone, due to a software issue. When contacting the Mazda dealer and Mazda North America customer care, they declined to repair the defective part, even though my vehicle is still covered under extended warranty.

- Highland, CA, USA

problem #3

Dec 092014

CX-9

  • 60,000 miles
Vehicle brakes lighting dim while coming to a stop and can not be seen from other vehicles approaching from behind on the road. When not replaced, stop light will run continually or not function, potentially causing premature bulb failure, safety issues and/or the transmission will not shift out of park. A failed stoplight switch will prevent the brake light from illuminating when the brake pedal is applied that may cause a collision and a life lost.

- Chicago Ridge, IL, USA

problem #2

Feb 042014

CX-9 6-cyl

  • 44,521 miles
The vehicle stalls when idling at a stop light or in a drive thru. The vehicles motor begins to shake and then eventually dies and stalls out and the vehicle must be started again with the turn of the ignition. The braking system is also defective. When at a stop light and your foot is on the brake pedal. The pedal suddenly sinks as if the brake fluid in the master cylinder has drained fully and the brake pedal sinks all the way to the floor and the vehicle shoots forward even if your foot is on the brake. Another problem is in the power door lock system. There has been a time when the power door lock was stuck and the rear right door could not be shut. I had to drive the car to the dealership with the car door flopping all over the place. They were able to fix it at the dealership but could not figure out how it occurred. They were as puzzled as I was. The car was bought back in 2010 brand new from the Mazda dealership. The reviews were good for the vehicle. Its the first Mazda we purchased and is probably going to be the last.

- Indio, CA, USA

problem #1

Jun 012011

CX-9

  • 7,000 miles
The automatic dimmer switched to low light setting in broad daylight for no apparent reason resulting in a dark instrument panel. Driver had to pull aside on a busy highway to try to restore daytime lighting. This is the safety aspect - loss of panel information while driving causing an emergency pull off and a distraction to the driver. The light sensor controlling both the panel and the day/night car lights was set to standard - default setting. It appears that this setting is too high. After insisting with the dealership, it was found that the sensor is programmable. It was set then to low, which seemed to have fixed the problem. This still needs to be addressed by the manufacturer in a systemic manner for the safety of other drivers.

- Cohasset, MA, USA