2020 Mazda CX-5 problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 106 owner complaints about the 2020 Mazda CX-5, or 15.9 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.38, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #30 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Mazda models its rate is 32% higher; against other Compact SUVs it is 74% 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 2020-02-18 and 2026-08-10. Median delay from incident to filing: 5 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 34.8 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2021) drew 25.2 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 24 complaints, 58% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Electrical (26.4% of complaints), followed by Engine (17.0%) and Interior & equipment (14.2%). Electrical complaints are 1.7 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Electrical reports, owners most often mention “infotainment”, “ghost”, “volume”, “screen” and “touch”. 9 reports (8.5%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 6 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 48 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (35% of incidents). In the last 12 months 21 new complaints were filed, versus 29 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.38
- vs. other Mazda models1.32
- vs. other 2020 models0.42
- vs. other Compact SUVs0.26
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (24)0.42
- #30 of 82 · 2020Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Electrical · Common terms in reports
- infotainment13
- ghost9
- volume9
- screen15
- touch9
- navigation9
Engine · Common terms in reports
- oil8
- change6
- cylinder head3
- leak4
- light9
- consumption3
Interior & equipment · Common terms in reports
- ghost touch6
- navigation8
- screen10
- infotainment7
- settings6
- volume5
Problem areas: Engine · Electrical · Interior & equipment · Body & structure · Brakes · Transmission / powertrain · Driver-assist systems
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 9
- Fires reported: 0
- Injuries: 6
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 48 months
What owners report
While driving on the highway in traffic, I was applying the brakes (slowly and smoothly) and moving with the flow of traffic when the SBS system activated the brakes harshly and slammed me to a stop without reason.
The vehicle accelerated on its own, while I was parking. My foot was on the brake when the vehicle just took off. It continued to accelerate until a building stopped it. I continued to brake but the vehicle did not stop.
I purchased a brand new Mazda CX5 in 2020 that now has 46,000 miles on it. It is experiencing the known “ghost touch” issue in which the entertainment system and screen displayed in the center of the dashboard turns itself off and on, changes settings, shuts…
Cylinder Head has failed at 53,000 miles. Mazda has a technical service bulletin acknowledging that this is a common occurrence with this part. They have an extended warranty for the turbo engine but not for the standard engine.
The infotainment display screen on my 2020 Mazda CX-5 has suffered a severe hardware failure resulting in un-commanded inputs, commonly known as "ghost touching." While driving at highway speeds, the touchscreen constantly registers phantom touches.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2020 · Compact SUVs
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Mazda CX-5 | 106 | 15.9 | 0.38 |
| 2020 Jeep Compass | 138 | 20.7 | 0.49 |
| 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan | 139 | 20.8 | 0.49 |
| 2020 Kia Sportage | 159 | 23.8 | 0.57 |
| 2020 Hyundai Tucson | 176 | 26.4 | 0.63 |
| 2020 Nissan Rogue | 207 | 31.0 | 0.74 |
| 2020 Jeep Cherokee | 288 | 43.1 | 1.02 |
| 2020 Chevrolet Equinox | 303 | 45.4 | 1.08 |
| 2020 Honda CR-V | 426 | 63.8 | 1.52 |
| 2020 Subaru Forester | 596 | 89.3 | 2.12 |
| 2020 Toyota RAV4 | 643 | 96.3 | 2.29 |
| 2020 Ford Escape | 1,807 | 270.7 | 6.43 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2020 Mazda CX-5?
106 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Mazda CX-5, or about 15.9 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2020 Mazda CX-5?
The most common category is Electrical, accounting for 26.4% of complaints.
Does the 2020 Mazda CX-5 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Is the 2020 Mazda CX-5 still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 21 new complaints were filed, versus 29 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
How does the 2020 Mazda CX-5 compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 106 owner complaints about the 2020 Mazda CX-5, or 15.9 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.38, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #30 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Mazda models its rate is 32% higher; against other Compact SUVs it is 74% lower.