UsedScore

2013 Mazda CX-5: Use caution

Owners filed 104 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Mazda CX-5 in its first five years on the road, about 148 for every 100,000 sold: 1.8× the rate of a typical CX-5 year. That's above average, so use caution.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the brakes (29% of complaints, median 28,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.8×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical CX-5 year
Rank
7th of 9
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
104
first five years; 148 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
1
campaign
1st generation, 2013–2016 (first year of the generation; redesign years often run worse) · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2013 Mazda CX-5

Photo: 2013 Mazda CX-5 · IFCAR, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Brakes29% · 30 complaints · median 28,000 miles
  2. Engine22% · 23 complaints · median 23,000 miles
  3. Powertrain23% · 24 complaints · median 20,000 miles
  4. Speed control16% · 17 complaints · median 10,000 miles
  5. Electrical16% · 17 complaints · median 36,000 miles
  6. Body and structure13% · 14 complaints · median 15,000 miles
  7. Visibility11% · 11 complaints · median 10,000 miles
  8. Seats and belts6% · 6 complaints
  9. Steering3% · 3 complaints
  10. Fuel and propulsion4% · 4 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Brakes

Many owners of this model describe the rear brake pads and rotors wearing out far sooner than expected, often accompanied by grinding or screeching noises. Repairs typically involved replacing the pads and rotors, though several owners say dealers called the wear normal and declined warranty coverage, and some mention a service bulletin related to the issue.

Warning signs:
Owners report grinding, screeching, or squealing noises from the rear wheels, often beginning suddenly with no prior warning.
What shops did:
Dealers and mechanics generally replaced rear brake pads and rotors, sometimes citing rust as the cause, and often said the wear was normal and not covered under warranty; some parts were on backorder.
Mileage:
most between 20,000 and 40,000 miles, among 35 complaints that give it

“I started hearing a metal grinding sound on the read driver side of my mazda cx5. I was told the rotors and pad were gone and needed replaced.”

“A few days later, the noise became more regular when braking, and was grinding loudly at all stops!”

Engine

Owners describe their CX-5 suddenly losing power or stalling on the road, sometimes limited to low speeds, accompanied by multiple warning lights. Others report the car refusing to fully shut off after parking, requiring repeated attempts to turn off the ignition.

Warning signs:
Owners describe check engine, traction control, and tire pressure lights illuminating together, along with bucking, surging, hesitation, or RPM dropping before the power loss.
What shops did:
Owners report dealers replacing valve bodies, reflashing the powertrain computer, replacing sensors such as mass air flow or oxygen sensors, or being unable to duplicate or diagnose the problem.
Mileage:
most between 20,000 and 75,000 miles, among 40 complaints that give it

“The vehicle very suddenly decelerated (from about 55 to 40), almost as if it slipped back a couple of gears”

“The vehicle would not entirely turn off. It would take several attempts to manipulate the gearshift around to get the car to turn off.”

Powertrain

Owners of this CX-5 report the car sometimes losing power or slowing abruptly on the road, often with several dashboard warning lights coming on at once, and separately some say the car won't shut off properly when parked. Repairs have ranged from software updates to full transmission replacement, with mixed success.

Warning signs:
Many describe warning lights for check engine, traction control, tire pressure and the automatic transmission illuminating together just before or during the power loss, with the engine revving but the car not accelerating.
What shops did:
Dealers have reflashed or updated the transmission control module, replaced the valve body or transmission, or in some cases could not duplicate or resolve the problem; several owners mention repairs not being covered once out of warranty.
Mileage:
most between 15,000 and 70,000 miles, among 34 complaints that give it

“The vehicle went from sixth gear to fourth, rapidly losing speed in the far left lane”

“The vehicle very suddenly decelerated (from about 55 to 40), almost as if it slipped back a couple of gears”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (1)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 16V644000September 2016580,455 vehicles

    Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3 vehicles manufactured November 18, 2008, to June 8, 2013, 2012-2015 Mazda5 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2010, to June 22, 2015, 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 26, 2015, and 2013-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured December 15, 2011, to December 26, 2015. On the affected vehicles, the lift gate support struts may corrode, possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.

    Risk: If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.

    Fix: Mazda dealers will replace the both lift gate supports, free of charge, however parts are not currently available.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Mazda sent NHTSA 823 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2013 CX-5. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • SA-041-26 · June 2026This SA supersedes the previously issued SA(s) listed below.
  • 01-008-26 · May 2026This bulletin supersedes the previously issued bulletin(s) listed below.
  • SA-029-26 · April 2026This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red.
  • SA-055-25 · November 2025Some vehicles exhibit brake related concerns such as brake noise, brake judder or brake dragging.
  • SA-051-25 · November 2025Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) Diagnostic Guidelines Diagnostic Guidelines When diagnosing NVH concerns, it is essential to first classify the issue into one of three primary categories:…
  • SA-052-25 · November 2025Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked.
  • SA-079-24 · October 2024The SKYACTIV-DRIVE FW6A-EL AT uses “Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) Type: FZ”.
  • SA-016-24c · October 2024Some vehicles exhibit brake related concerns such as brake noise, brake judder or brake dragging.

All 2013 CX-5 bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2013 Mazda CX-5 reliable?
Owners filed 104 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Mazda CX-5 in its first five years on the road, about 148 for every 100,000 sold: 1.8× the rate of a typical CX-5 year. That's above average, so use caution. Ratings compare CX-5 years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2013 CX-5 problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the brakes (29%), the engine (22%) and the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (23%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2013 Mazda CX-5 been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2013 Mazda CX-5, the most recent in September 2016 (structure). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Mazda. The 2013 Mazda CX-5 on NHTSA.gov · How we rate