UsedScore

2018 Mazda CX-5: Use caution

Owners filed 129 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Mazda CX-5 in its first five years on the road, about 89 for every 100,000 sold: 1.3× 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 (22% of complaints, median 7,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.3×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical CX-5 year
Rank
6th of 9
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
129
first five years; 89 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
3
campaigns
2nd generation, 2017–2025 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2019 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Reserve

Photo: 2019 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring Reserve · HJUdall, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Brakes22% · 28 complaints · median 7,000 miles
  2. Engine29% · 38 complaints · median 10,000 miles
  3. Fuel and propulsion20% · 26 complaints · median 17,000 miles
  4. Powertrain13% · 17 complaints · median 2,000 miles
  5. Speed control9% · 11 complaints · median 10,000 miles
  6. Electrical9% · 12 complaints
  7. Air bags5% · 6 complaints · median 22,000 miles
  8. Body and structure9% · 12 complaints · median 3,000 miles
  9. Steering2% · 2 complaints
  10. Seats and belts2% · 3 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 describe brakes that either activate suddenly and hard, or fail to stop the car when needed, sometimes paired with unexpected acceleration. Many say dealers could not find a cause, leaving them uncertain the problem was fixed.

Warning signs:
Owners report dashboard warnings for front camera sensor and smart city brake support malfunctions, grinding noises, and calipers sticking or overheating before failure.
What shops did:
Dealers often ran diagnostics and reported finding nothing wrong, though some owners had calipers, brake actuators, or sensors replaced.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 15,000 miles, among 19 complaints that give it

“While light braking, car brakes jam... Causing unintended stop.”

“Issue was a frozen caliper bracket on the rear drivers side which resulted in creating excessive heat and premature wear of the pads and rotors”

Engine

Owners of this CX-5 describe cylinder head cracks that leak and burn oil, often with smoke or fumes entering the cabin, alongside separate reports of stalling or sudden power loss while driving. Repairs commonly involve cylinder head or engine replacement, with many owners saying costs were denied once the vehicle was out of its powertrain warranty.

Warning signs:
Many report a burning oil smell, smoke from under the hood or into the cabin, oil on the driveway, or the check engine/oil light coming on, though several say no warning appeared at all.
What shops did:
Dealers often diagnosed a cracked or porous cylinder head and replaced the head, gaskets, or entire engine, sometimes under warranty and sometimes at owner expense once warranty had expired; some shops could not duplicate stalling complaints.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 75,000 miles, among 29 complaints that give it

“the oil warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a cylinder head leak. The dealer replaced the cylinder head and the gasket.”

“gas must be revved while pressing start button to get engine to restart. It appears as if fuel is not being delivered to engine.”

Fuel and propulsion

Many 2018 CX-5 owners report the vehicle stalling or losing power at various speeds, sometimes tied to a fuel pump recall with long parts delays. Warning signs before stalling often included hesitation, rough idle, dashboard lights, or a fuel smell, and dealers frequently couldn't fix it.

Warning signs:
Many report hesitation, jerking, rough idle, fluctuating fuel gauge, check engine or fuel warning lights, dead radio console, or a fuel odor before stalling.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not diagnose or repair the issue, told owners recall parts were unavailable for months, or performed software updates that some say didn't resolve it.
Mileage:
most between 15,000 and 50,000 miles, among 12 complaints that give it

“the vehicle independently decelerated and lost motive power. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled.”

“after cold starts, the vehicle hesitated and jerked upon depression of the accelerator pedal.”

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 21V875000November 2021121,038 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda3, Mazda6, 2019 CX-3, 2018-2019 MX-5, CX-5, CX-9, and 2019-2020 Mazda2 vehicles. The impeller inside the low-pressure fuel pump may crack and deform, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.

    Risk: Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 19V497000June 2019262,220 vehicles

    Engine · Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/TECM)

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018-2019 CX-5, Mazda6, and 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. A software error in the powertrain control module (PCM) may cause the engine to stall.

    Risk: An unexpected stall increases the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 18V426000June 2018682 vehicles

    Air bags: side/window

    Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain 2018 Mazda CX-5 vehicles. In the event of a side impact or rollover crash, the side curtain air bags may not properly unfold during deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."

    Risk: If the air bags do not deploy properly in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

    Fix: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the curtain air bags, 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 633 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2018 CX-5. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • SSPD8 Dlr Ltr a · March 2026 · Warranty extensionSubject: TSB 01-001/26 Warranty and Parts Kit Update INCLUDES: Warranty Extension Program - Special Service Program (SSP) D8 Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0126:00, 2018-2025 CX-5, 2019-2023 Mazda3,…
  • SSPD8 Repair d · March 2026 · Warranty extensionSubject: TSB 01-001/26 Warranty and Parts Kit Update INCLUDES: Warranty Extension Program - Special Service Program (SSP) D8 Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0126:00, 2018-2025 CX-5, 2019-2023 Mazda3,…
  • SSPD8 Repair c · February 2026 · Warranty extensionSSPD8 - Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0126:00 - WARRANTY EXTENSION For certain 2018-2025MY CX-5, 2019-2023MY Mazda3, 2019-2022MY CX-3, 2018-2021MY Mazda6, 2020-2023MY CX-30 that are equipped with…
  • SSPD8 Parts and Warr a · January 2026 · Warranty extensionSSPD8 - Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0126:00 - WARRANTY EXTENSION For certain 2018-2025MY CX-5, 2019-2023MY Mazda3, 2019-2022MY CX-3, 2018-2021MY Mazda6, 2020-2023MY CX-30 that are equipped with…
  • SSPD8 Repair b · January 2026 · Warranty extensionSSPD8 - Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0126:00 - WARRANTY EXTENSION For certain 2018-2025MY CX-5, 2019-2023MY Mazda3, 2019-2022MY CX-3, 2018-2021MY Mazda6, 2020-2023MY CX-30 that are equipped with…
  • SSPD8a Repair · December 2025 · Warranty extensionSSPD8 - Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0126:00 - WARRANTY EXTENSION For certain 2018-2025MY CX-5, 2019-2023MY Mazda3, 2019-2022MY CX-3, 2018-2021MY Mazda6, 2020-2023MY CX-30 that are equipped with…
  • SSPD8 Dlr Ltr · December 2025 · Warranty extensionSSPD8 - Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0126:00 - WARRANTY EXTENSION For certain 2018-2025MY CX-5, 2019-2023MY Mazda3, 2019-2022MY CX-3, 2018-2021MY Mazda6, 2020-2023MY CX-30 that are equipped with…
  • SSPD8 Parts and Warr · December 2025 · Warranty extensionSSPD8 - Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0126:00 - WARRANTY EXTENSION For certain 2018-2025MY CX-5, 2019-2023MY Mazda3, 2019-2022MY CX-3, 2018-2021MY Mazda6, 2020-2023MY CX-30 that are equipped with…

All 2018 CX-5 bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2018 Mazda CX-5 reliable?
Owners filed 129 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Mazda CX-5 in its first five years on the road, about 89 for every 100,000 sold: 1.3× 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 2018 CX-5 problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the brakes (22%), the engine (29%) and the fuel or propulsion system (20%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2018 Mazda CX-5 been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 Mazda CX-5, the most recent in November 2021 (fuel system, gasoline). 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 2018 Mazda CX-5 on NHTSA.gov · How we rate