2018 Mazda CX-5 complaints

I drive a 2018 Mazda CX5. My "infotainment system" which contains radio, phone, and GPS controls began making random unprompted selections while I would not touch it. This is an ongoing issue. The name for this issue is called "ghost touch" While the Mazda system "locks" the touch screen while the car is moving, the issue continues as soon as you come to a red traffic light. Without putting the car in park, the touch screen reactivates and the issue proceeds. This is a safety issue as it can cause distractions while driving such as sudden significant changes in music volume and it can call a random person if your phone is connected to Bluetooth. Regardless of if the car is moving or not, this causes a driver to take their focus away from the road. From a quick google search, this is a common issue. Mazda is aware of this common issue, and in fact extended a warranty to correct it in 2014-2016 Mazda 3's. However, I called Mazda USA today and they stated that it would have to be paid out of pocket for my car.

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.

Entire drivers side air bags deployed, with only the driver in the vehicle, after striking a curb, (after striking a coyote, then swerving). Front central air bag did not deploy-only the side, and then for the entire side of a four door SUV, Mazda CX-5. Air bag slammed into neck and chest of driver nearly striking jugular with sharp impact. There does not appear to be any reason for side air bag to deploy, without front center deploying.

Parking brake system malfunction. Flashing brake light and the parking exclamation point light on. When I try to release the emergency parking brake it continues to light up on the dashboard as well as yellow flashing light on the physical brake similar problem with 2016 model. Seen multiple people with similar problem but no solution Restarting the car multiple times makes the light go away eventually

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that after she drove her four-year-old grandson to school, she parked and turned off the vehicle; however, she left the key on the inside of the vehicle and exited the vehicle to remove her grandson from the rear seat however, the doors inadvertently locked while her grandson was inside. The contact stated that she was unable to unlock the doors as the vehicle was designed to remain unlocked while the key was inside of the vehicle. The Police Department was notified of the issue; however, while the Police Officers were approaching, her grandson was able to remove himself from the safety seat and unlock the door manually. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to schedule an appointment. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Computer malfunction has been inspected by dealship

Sunroof suddenly exploded on the highway for no reason

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.

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.

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.

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.

When I drive 100 to 150 fest the front camera blocked warning light come on. The only way to reset is to stop turn of car and restart, only to have it happen again and again. The main thing is when and if I can get into cruise control and I am on a major highway and have the cruise set unannounced the warning comes on and turns off the cruise control. If there is someone close they run up on me. I have had it back to the dealer and have called Mazda, all they said was maybe the sun was setting it off, I guess I can only drive at night. The dealer had the car for over 2 weeks and did not fix it. I have recently discovered that if I keep the cruise control on it will not do it, it is very frustrating and now it is off warranty.

When driving at night or in diminished lighting, the headlights will turn on but the taillights do not. The taillights will only activate if the headlight switch is moved to the on position. When the headlights activate, it gives the driver the appearance of everything is operating as designed when in fact there are no taillights illuminated.

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

We were driving down the highway in light to medium traffic. Weather was about 40 degrees, no rain. The moonroof suddenly exploded. It does not appear to have been hit by anything. Luckily the shade was drawn so glass didnt go inside the car.

The informational screen will just start going "haywire"--someone described it as a "ghost touch!" It will change screens without warning, going through my saved contacts and calling or deleting them. Changing channels etc..---it is more than a nuisance, it can be a hazard!

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.

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 t

Automatic Emergency Brake comes on at random. Driving at medium speed, no cars in view, car brakes and dashboard displays EMERGENCY BRAKE. Has not yet been inspected by a dealer because car is out of warranty. 2018 Mazda CX5 with only 19,000 total miles driven.

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.

Calipers sticking causing brakes to wear down every 3 months.

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that while in a parking lot, the vehicle failed to accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The fuel warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence; however, the fuel gauge was fluctuating. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. After months of calling the manufacturer, the contact was given an appointment and had the recall repair performed at the dealer. Upon return of the vehicle, the contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact was then informed by the dealer that two additional unknown parts were defective and were not covered under the recall. The contact repeatedly called the manufacturer for assistance and was informed that the vehicle was no longer under warranty and had to be repaired out of pocket. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 33,000.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by her husband with a DTC code reader that the passenger's side air bag sensor was faulty and the passenger's side air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

The entertainment system the screen goes crazy change station by itself make calls by himself and then goes black an the back camera doesn't work it's a very high destruction issue we need to reset it and works for a while then happen again thank you

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The dealer had been notified about the recall and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was initially informed that the parts would be available by springtime. The contact called back a few months later and was informed that the parts remained unavailable. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

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

Oil leak from a cracked cylinder head, common issue seen

The Mazda infotainment system has a problem that is known to the manufacturer and many vehicle owners. It is called "ghost touch" where the touch screen malfunctions and registers an input that is not actually made. The touch screen is not touched, but the infotainment system still reacts and changes inputs, adjusts volume, and performs other actions. This has been a major safety risk for me and my family on several occasions. On several occasions, the infotainment system will be set at a reasonable volume playing music or a radio station or sometimes even off or muted. The "ghost touch" occurred and changed the volume input of the navigation system (which was not being used) to the MAXIMUM level. The car then announces that "navigation will be at this volume." The voice is extremely loud and is completely unexpected. This stated the driver and has almost caused accidents on at least three occasions. It is the equivalent of someone blasting an airhorn in your ear while you are driving. It is shocking and can cause accidents. This problem is known to the dealer and manufacturer. I have taken the vehicle for service of this issue as recently as August 23, 2022. The dealer knows the issue happens with many of its vehicles. They refuse to fix the issue in my car without charging me extraordinary amounts of money because it is out of the full warranty. The car has 44,000 miles and is a 2018 model purchased new in February 2018. They are aware that it is a critical safety issue, bu

Vehicle was brought to dealership for a fuel pump safety recall. I was advised that the belt tightener was leaking and was in urgent need of replacement. Failure of the belt tightener would result in drive train belts loosening with an impact on operation of the vehicle. The car is 4 years old and has less than 12,000 miles on it. Belt tighteners are normally designed to last 75,000+ miles, suggesting a possible defect in this case.

I had my brakes replaced and when they reactivated the parking brake, it's only working on one side of the car. The mechanic informed me that the car has a faulty actuator and this is a very common problem with my car.

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.

UNKNOWN My vehicle stalls while I’m driving. My RPM tends to stay at one number when this happens. I was nearly struck by a vehicle while trying to merge onto the highway. This is very dangerous. There’s also I light that comes on my dashboard that seems to be indicating an accident or something of that sort.

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The parking break is getting stuck and we are unable to release it. We have gone to various mazda showrooms and service centers but no one have been able to find the issue. We are scared that on the highways the car can malfunction. The parking break warning sign comes on on its own even when the vehicle is moving which is a big concern for us while driving. When I searched for this issue online, I can see few articles where different models of Mazda has same issue and they recalled those vehicles. Mazda service center people after charging me for the issue, suggested not to use parking brake, even I don’t use that it gets on by itself. There is a warning symbol. It is available for inspection when requested. Electronic Parking Brake Component is not working. Multiple mazda showroom people confirmed this and none of them can fix this.

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.

The vehicle sometimes doesn't start. Usually it needs to sit about 30 minutes after being turned off before it starts again, but there is no guarantee that it will start again after that. I had this taken to the Mazda dealer twice to be repaired; neither time have the repairs worked. More recently, the car still refused to start after two and a half hours of being turned off in the parking lot. I turned off the Air Conditioning system and this allowed the car to start on this occasion. However, the car was still struggling to stay on when I was stopped at red lights on my trip driving the car home. This car's problem is worsening. I keep trying to get the Mazda dealer to fix the recall, but they have not returned my calls. Can you please ask them to fix my car or buy it back from me?Thank you.

Fuel pump. The mechanics at the Mazda dealership brushed me off when I brought up the open recall on my vehicle. However, according to them it is a "preliminary recall," the mechanic said it wasn't an "open recall." This is my first vehicle and I stupidly put my trust into the mechanic and believed his words. I am not well-versed in vehicles but after extensive research, asking a friend, and referring to a VPC agent who deals with recalls on vehicles; it turns out there is no such thing as a preliminary recall outside of Mazda's definition. I told the mechanic it was an open recall and that I need to ship the vehicle to Hawaii and the shipping company can refuse service if there is an open recall. The mechanic still brushed me off and talked to me as if I was dumb because I couldn't understand what he was saying. He continued to say they don't have the parts regardless and said "no one does." I didn't press the issue because I assumed they knew better than I. It seems as if Mazda is refusing to work on, look at, or even hear about the fuel pump recall.

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the vehicle would not immediately start. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light remained illuminated before the vehicle became inoperable. The failure mileage was 37,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) in January of 2022 however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the engine was not stable while driving under 30 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that there was no failure and that the issue was normal. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact stated that she had an arbitration hearing with the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available. The approximate failure mileage was 17,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Module in the the car Sofi and radio stop working at times Car slow acceleration from stop to move

Infotainment system/radio: Radio stations start changing by itself while loudly beeping constantly while I drive. I lose total control of the infotainment system. It becomes possessed. The infotainment system automatically starts moving to different screens and tries to delete stations. Very unsafe. I've seen reports of this happening on other Mazda vehicles and other models were recalled for it. Considered a "ghost touch." This was an actual recall on another Mazda model. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10164268-0001.pdf The problem is wider than that: Complaints from other Mazda owners: https://www.reddit.com/r/CX5/comments/mu0682/advice_on_2018_cx5_touring_multimedia_display/ https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-60333765

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

My wife was pulling into a parking place today with her foot on the brake when the car suddenly accelerated, causing it to jump a curb and come to a stop over two large shrubs, which saved her from entering a busy highway and colliding with another car. This caused damage to the front end of the car and wheel wells. She told me she absolutely did not have her foot on the accelerator at the time. The cruse control was off and the driver's side floor mat was not out of position. She was not injured and the air bags did not go off. We have not yet taken this vehicle in for inspection of this defect. It is in the repair shop right now for body work. Our insurance company has been notified. My wife did not report any warning lights. The vehicle is available for inspection. Prior to this episode, I have noticed that at low speeds, the car tends to "surge" with slight pressure on the accelerator but we did not report that to the dealer.

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated while driving approximately 10-15 MPH, the vehicle started hesitating. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that though the remedy parts were not yet available, they would put her name on the waiting list. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V875000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced rough idling with the check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The dealer informed the contact that he needed to pay out-of-pocket for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

2018 Mazda CX5 with 62000 has an oil leak coming from what the Mazda dealership in Barre VT say it is the cylinder head and gasket have gone faulty for a repair price of $4,191 and that this is a known issue. I had no lights letting me know of an oil leak, the only way I knew it was leaking was because I smelled burnt oil and then looked under the car to see the drops from the leak. My complaint is if Mazda Corporation knows its a known issue and know it can cause a fire why does it not issue a recall. An engine should not be having faulty cylinder and gaskets at only 62,000 miles.