2025 Mazda CX-5: Too new to judge

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 has been on the road for 23 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 27 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 1.0× the rate other CX-5 years drew in their first 23 months, per vehicle sold.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the brakes (37% of complaints).

Complaint index
1.0×
partial: first 23 months
Rank
Not ranked
rated after five years
Complaints
27
in 23 months so far
Recalls
0
campaigns
2nd generation, 2017–2025 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2024 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Select (facelift)

Photo: 2024 Mazda CX-5 2.5 S Select (facelift) · Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Brakes37% · 10 complaints
  2. Driver assistance22% · 6 complaints
  3. Powertrain11% · 3 complaints
  4. Speed control19% · 5 complaints
  5. Engine22% · 6 complaints
  6. Steering11% · 3 complaints
  7. Electrical19% · 5 complaints
  8. Fuel and propulsion11% · 3 complaints
  9. Visibility15% · 4 complaints
  10. Seats and belts4% · 1 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 braking that feels inconsistent, sometimes failing to slow the car or coinciding with sudden acceleration or stalling. Several say this happened repeatedly and dealers were unable to duplicate or fix the problem.

Warning signs:
Owners report grinding or shaking during braking, dashboard
What shops did:
Some owners took the vehicle to the dealership multiple times, but technicians reported they could not replicate or resolve the issue.

“the vehicle began making a grinding sound and started sliding instead of slowing down”

“I apply the brake but it accelerates as i am braking, moving forward 8 or 10 feet”

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

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2025 Mazda CX-5.

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 145 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2025 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 2025 CX-5 bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2025 Mazda CX-5 reliable?
The 2025 Mazda CX-5 has been on the road for 23 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 27 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 1.0× the rate other CX-5 years drew in their first 23 months, per vehicle sold. 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 2025 CX-5 problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the brakes (37%), driver-assistance features and cameras (22%) and the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (11%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2025 Mazda CX-5 been recalled?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2025 Mazda CX-5.

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 2025 Mazda CX-5 on NHTSA.gov · How we rate