InsightArise CarsU.S. Owner Complaint Index
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Mazda complaints & recalls by model

Far fewer Steady

Across 3 Mazda models and 22 model years, NHTSA has logged 1,387 owner complaints and 19 recall campaigns. The brand averages 12.1 complaints per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (index 0.29).

1,387Complaints
12.1Complaints per year on the road
0.29Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
19Campaigns
343Last 12 months
0 / 0Investigations · Open

Analysis

Analyst brief

Across 3 Mazda models and 22 model years, NHTSA has logged 1,387 owner complaints and 19 recall campaigns, with the brand averaging 12.1 complaints per year on the road, which is far fewer than typical at an index of 0.29. The Mazda3 has the fewest complaints per year while the CX-5 has the most, and by model year, the average rate is highest for 2019 at 22.2 per year and lowest for 2020 at 8.5. Owners complain about Engine more than owners in general, accounting for 34.5% of complaints or 1.6 times the share across all tracked vehicles. In the last 12 months owners filed 343 complaints versus 289 in the previous 12 months showing a steady pace, with most recalls received in 2019 at 7 and no NHTSA defect investigation covering the tracked model years.

Summary drafted by an AI model running on our own server from the figures on this page, and checked number by number against the data before publishing. The statistics and the analysis above come from our fixed methodology, not from the model.

Among the tracked Mazda models, the Mazda3 has the fewest complaints per year and the CX-5 the most. By model year, the brand's average rate is highest for 2019 (22.2 per year) and lowest for 2020 (8.5).

Mazda owners complain about Engine more than owners in general: 34.5% of complaints, 1.6× the share across all tracked vehicles. In the last 12 months owners filed 343 complaints versus 289 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace.

Recalls: 19 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2019 (7). No NHTSA defect investigation covers the tracked model years.

Models

ModelsSegmentsComplaintsComplaints per year on the roadComplaint indexTrendRecent activityRecallsInvestigationsMost common issue
Mazda CX-5 Compact SUVs 82618.90.45 WorseningSteady30 Engine
Mazda CX-30 Subcompact SUVs 24310.30.25 ImprovingRising70 Engine
Mazda Mazda3 Compact cars 3186.60.16 ImprovingFalling150 Electrical

1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.

By model year · Complaints per year on the road

42.1 2018: 13.0 13.0 2018 2019: 22.2 22.2 2019 2020: 8.5 8.5 2020 2021: 17.1 17.1 2021 2022: 8.6 8.6 2022 2023: 8.7 8.7 2023 2024: 10.5 10.5 2024 2025: 11.7 11.7 2025

All-vehicle average: 42.1

What owners complain about

  • Engine478 · 34.5% · 1.55×
  • Electrical196 · 14.1% · 0.9×
  • Interior & equipment128 · 9.2% · 1.03×
  • Body & structure111 · 8.0% · 0.87×
  • Brakes99 · 7.1% · 1.18×
  • Driver-assist systems86 · 6.2% · 1.08×
  • Transmission / powertrain73 · 5.3% · 0.45×
  • Airbags & seat belts64 · 4.6% · 1.21×

vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average

Recalls by year received

2017: 1 1 2017 2018: 1 1 2018 2019: 7 7 2019 2020: 2 2 2020 2021: 3 3 2021 2023: 3 3 2023 2024: 1 1 2024 2025: 1 1 2025

Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0

Investigations

No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.

Frequently asked questions

Which Mazda model has the fewest complaints?

Among the tracked Mazda models, the Mazda3 has the fewest complaints per year and the CX-5 the most.

What do Mazda owners complain about most?

Mazda owners complain about Engine more than owners in general: 34.5% of complaints, 1.6× the share across all tracked vehicles. In the last 12 months owners filed 343 complaints versus 289 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace.

How many Mazda recalls and investigations are there?

Recalls: 19 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2019 (7). No NHTSA defect investigation covers the tracked model years.