NHTSA has received 120 owner complaints about the 2018 Mazda CX-5, or 13.7 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.34, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #23 of 76 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Mazda models its rate is 20% higher; against other Compact SUVs it is 77% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2023-04-25 and 2026-10-08. Median delay from incident to filing: 12 days.
120Complaints
13.7Complaints per year on the road
0.34Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
3Recalls
0.8%Share involving a crash or fire
48Last 12 months
Analysis
The following model year (2019) drew 34.7 per year, more than this one.
The most common problem area is Engine (83.3% of complaints), followed by Transmission / powertrain (9.2%) and Unspecified or other (3.3%). Engine complaints are 3.7 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 1 report (0.8%) describes a crash or fire; owners mention 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 86 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (98% of incidents). In the last 12 months 48 new complaints were filed, versus 35 in the 12 months before — up 37%.
NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.34
vs. other Mazda models1.2
vs. other 2018 models0.29
vs. other Compact SUVs0.23
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (0)0.0
Unintended acceleration incident. I entered the parking lot of a business where the Salvation Army is located to drop off a donation. The parking spaces were on the left side.
Brakes · 2026-05-12 · ODI 11737223 · Crash
Defect front doors the opening handle has a( trim metal plastic) section separates and the metal part is very sharp and my wife got hurt with the metal portion like I said it's very sharp. I need to cover the handle to prevent that.
Unspecified or other · 2026-04-26 · ODI 11733874
Cracked cylinder head- factory defect, causing oil to leak onto exhaust manifold. Smoke fills engine bay and cab through air vents, very high concern of engine bay fire. 2018 Mazda cx5 non turbo 2.5 sky active engine.
Engine · 2026-10-08 · ODI 11769986
There has been numerous report of the Mazda CX 5 having failure rear differential. I just purchased a 2018 Mazda CX five for my daughter in September 2026 I now am experiencing this issue on the rear diff.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-09-25 · ODI 11766937
2018 Mazda CX-5 2.5L NA Engine Cracked cylinder head and blown head gasket with leaking oil onto exhaust manifold resulting in white smoke & burning oil smell. No engine light. Issue confirmed by dealer and independent shop.
Engine · 2026-09-24 · ODI 11766802
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: 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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 18, 2022. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500 Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 5321K.
Summary: 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.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the PCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2019. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 3719F.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW Campaign 18V426000 · 2018-06-25
Summary: 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.
Remedy: Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2018. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500, Option 4. Mazda's number for this recall is 2718F.
