UsedScore

2014 Mazda CX-5: Avoid

Owners filed 227 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Mazda CX-5 in its first five years on the road, about 241 for every 100,000 sold: 2.5× the rate of a typical CX-5 year. That's more than twice a typical year, across more than one problem area.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (33% of complaints, median 8,000 miles).

Complaint index
2.5×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical CX-5 year
Rank
8th of 9
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
227
first five years; 241 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
3
campaigns
1st generation, 2013–2016 · 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. Visibility33% · 74 complaints · median 8,000 miles
  2. Electrical22% · 50 complaints · median 60,000 miles
  3. Brakes10% · 23 complaints · median 35,000 miles
  4. Powertrain11% · 24 complaints · median 27,000 miles
  5. Body and structure13% · 29 complaints · median 15,000 miles
  6. Engine7% · 17 complaints · median 50,000 miles
  7. Speed control4% · 9 complaints · median 27,000 miles
  8. Air bags3% · 6 complaints
  9. Fuel and propulsion2% · 4 complaints
  10. Lights2% · 5 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

Owners commonly report that rear brakes wear out, grind, or seize well before they expected, often accompanied by noise or vibration while driving or braking. Repairs at dealers frequently involve replacing pads and rotors, but many owners say the problem returns or isn't fully resolved.

Warning signs:
Many owners heard grinding, squealing, or squeaking noises, felt steering-wheel vibration when braking, or noticed a soft or hard-to-push brake pedal.
What shops did:
Dealers and shops mostly replaced rear brake pads and rotors, sometimes flushed brake fluid, though several owners say the issue recurred or wasn't covered under warranty.
Mileage:
most between 30,000 and 55,000 miles, among 29 complaints that give it

“Brakes were replaced at 12,000mi, 20,000mi and now need replacing again. The rotors are warping causing severe vibrations when brakes are applied.”

“At times the breaks become unresponsive to pressure and the pedal goes all the way to the floor.”

Electrical

Owners commonly describe their CX-5 failing to shut off completely in park, draining the battery until they restart and shift repeatedly. A smaller number describe sudden dash light floods and momentary power/steering loss while driving, sometimes requiring towing.

Warning signs:
Owners notice a message to shift to park even though it's already in park, radio and dash lights staying lit, doors that won't lock, and sometimes multiple warning lights or a loss of power steering before shutdown.
What shops did:
Some dealers replaced the shifter switch or park/neutral sensor, others replaced the battery, and several owners report dealers found no problem or wouldn't repair it without charge.
Mileage:
most between 50,000 and 80,000 miles, among 96 complaints that give it

“When I put my car in park and go to turn the car off, it won't turn off.”

“The engine will shut off, but the electrical system will remain on (including the radio and the dashboard).”

Visibility

Owners of this CX-5 commonly describe windshields that crack or shatter with little or no apparent cause, sometimes while the car is parked, along with occasional sunroof shattering or mirror vibration that affects visibility. Getting the issue acknowledged or covered by the dealer is often described as difficult.

Warning signs:
Many report hearing a pop or crack sound, sometimes preceded by a tiny chip or pebble strike, before a crack appears and spreads across the windshield.
What shops did:
Dealers frequently used a "pen test" to attribute cracks to rock chips and denied warranty coverage, though some replaced the windshield, occasionally more than once, with parts sometimes on backorder.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 20,000 miles, among 75 complaints that give it

“The driver side rearview mirror vibrates violently and blurs visibility at speeds higher than 50 MPH.”

“A line that looked like milk started moving across my line of view.”

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

Recalls (3)

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.

  • NHTSA 16V203000April 2016578 vehicles

    Steering

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CX-3 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2015, to December 2, 2015, 2013-2014 Mazda2 vehicles manufactured July 3, 2013, to August 8, 2014, 2014-2016 CX-5 vehicles manufactured January 19, 2013, to December 2, 2015, and 2013-2015 CX-9 vehicles manufactured December 6, 2012, to July 31, 2015. The lower mounting nuts and bolts that attach the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle may loosen, allowing the steering knuckle to separate.

    Risk: If the steering knuckle separates from the strut assembly, it can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lower mounting nuts and bolts that secure the front strut assembly to the steering knuckle.

  • NHTSA 16V064000February 2016268,799 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Mazda CX-5 vehicles manufactured June 27, 2013, to February 2, 2016. The affected vehicles have a fuel filler pipe that may rupture in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."

    Risk: A rupture of the fuel filler pipe may result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will alter the attachment between the fuel filler pipe and the left rear side of the bracket of the fuel filler pipe, free of charge.

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 788 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2014 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.
  • SA-029-26 · April 2026This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SA listed below: The changes are noted in Red.
  • SA-021-26 · April 2026This Service Alert supersedes the previously issued SAs and bulletin(s) listed below: The changes are noted below in red.
  • SA-061-25 · December 2025If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal MGSS diagnosis by asking if any…
  • SA-055-25 · November 2025Some vehicles exhibit brake related concerns such as brake noise, brake judder or brake dragging.
  • SA-044-25 · October 2025For improvement of electrical diagnosis, the SKYACTIV® Wiring Terminal Test Kits has been delivered all the dealers.
  • SA-016-24c · October 2024Some vehicles exhibit brake related concerns such as brake noise, brake judder or brake dragging.
  • SA-062-24 · August 2024For improvement of electrical diagnosis, the SKYACTIV® Wiring Terminal Test Kits has been delivered all the dealers.

All 2014 CX-5 bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2014 Mazda CX-5 reliable?
Owners filed 227 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Mazda CX-5 in its first five years on the road, about 241 for every 100,000 sold: 2.5× the rate of a typical CX-5 year. That's more than twice a typical year, across more than one problem area. 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 2014 CX-5 problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (33%), the electrical system (22%) and the brakes (10%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2014 Mazda CX-5 been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2014 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 2014 Mazda CX-5 on NHTSA.gov · How we rate